Being a single father, you're used to keeping an ear out for what your daughter Becca is up to. You sit down the hall, sipping on a warm decaf beverage, scrolling through your phone. Becca's playing in her room and it's close to her bedtime. The eggshell walls of your modest kitchen echo with the soft ticking of a clock hung up telling you that much. You can hear her giggle to herself and your ears perk up. It's not the standard giggle of a child entertaining themselves, but the more mischievous giggle of one that's up to something perhaps less than good.
A smirk comes to your lips, thinking now may be a good time to catch her in the act of whatever she's up to, and perhaps encourage a smooth transition to bedtime. So you sneak down the hall as best as you can, your socks gliding along the floor and hands lightly grazing the walls with a hint of anticipation. Outside Becca's room you hear her giggling clearer, accompanied by a soft humming, a sigh the likes of which one would make when resting in a hot tub or some other pleasurable experience. Gently, you swing the door open, and to your relief there's no broken toys or spilt messes.
Instead, Becca is standing in front of the mirror, admiring herself. The young girl has, loosely jammed under her shirt and tucked into her pants, a fluffy pillow. She puffs out her chest and leans back, sticking out her tummy as much as she can, and gives the pillow some rubs and smacks. The grin on her face is one of pure glee.
"What'cha up to there, honey?" You call out from behind the doorframe.
Becca instantly whirls around, ripping the pillow out from under her shirt, embarrassed. "N-nothing!" She replies, still giggling.
"If you're sure. Because it looked like my girl had swallowed a watermelon and gotten a huge belly!" You lean against the frame, raising an eyebrow as you call out Becca's inability to lie.
Becca concedes, stuffing her shirt once more. "You think so?" She squeezes both sides of her "belly", the bottom of the pillow flopping out over her shorts.
"I'd say so! Are you trying to look like Aunt Cindy?" You reference Becca's aunt, a woman younger than you who Becca has watched swell up with pregnancy. It makes sense in your mind, it's a silly thing that a girl would emulate in play to better understand. Instead, Becca shakes her head, frowning.
"No, Aunt Cindy's belly is big 'cause she's having a baby..." Becca sticks her tongue out in disgust. Then she gives her pillow belly a shake and smiles again. "I'm being Ms. M. from school!"
The Mysterious Ms. M... Becca's kindergarten teacher has gotten rave reviews from the girl for her kindness and overall "coolness", although Becca's never specified what it is that makes her apparently even cooler than her own father. You weren't able to attend the initial "get to know you" style meetings at the beginning of the school year thanks to an unfortunately timed work trip, so you haven't met this teacher yet, but the more you hear the more you look forward to the chance to do so.
"So you want to be kind and smart like Ms. M., huh?" You say, smiling.
"Mhm!" Becca nods. "When I grow up, I want to make everyone smile and know lots of stuff and have a huuuuuge belly!"
"Well just make sure you don't mention that part in front of her..." you chuckle to yourself. Becca looks up at you confused as you start to pull out her pyjamas from her drawers.
"But that's the coolest part..." she mutters to herself.