Parenting

Because it had to be done.

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Wally sighed wearily as his daughter's bright green eyes fixated on him. It was nearly midnight and she still wasn't asleep.

Artemis- the amazing woman she was -could normally get their little whirlwind to bed within ten minutes flat. Unfortunately, work had called her to Los Angeles for five weeks. She had been away for thirteen days at this point. Wally had only slept five of those.

Three more weeks of this torture, he thought grudgingly.

He sat down on the side of Iris's bed, drawing the covers up around her body, tucking her in. He then reached out to stroke her red hair, hoping to soothe her enough for sleep.

Her eyes sparked as an excited smile overtook her face, brightening the dark bedroom. She reached up and grabbed his hand from her head, holding it in her own.

"Daddy, tell me a story," she demanded.

Wally leaned forward and hit his head against the headboard, emitting a loud, frustrated groan.

Iris, oblivious to her father's exhaustion, giggled innocently at his antics.

He sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Honey, I've told you twelve stories already. And we just read two books. You've had your night-night cookie, all of your toys are asleep . . . just . . . go to bed. Please?" he pleaded with his three-year-old.

If he left her side, he knew she would cry, and if she cried, the neighbors would get mad, and then he would never be able to sleep.

On the other hand, if he stayed with her, he wouldn't get any sleep, either. She'd pester him all night long.

There was no way for him to win.

Iris sat up and corrected him, "Daddy, not all my toys are sleeping. You didn't give kisses to Piggy or Teddy or me, yet!" She grabbed the two stuffed animals and crawled into Wally's lap.

Wally cradled all three close to his chest and leaned down to kiss the bear. "Good night, Teddy," he muttered, somewhat embarrassed.

Iris slapped his cheek, "No, Daddy! That one's Piggy!" The little girl furrowed her brow and squirmed, agitated.

Wally didn't even want to question her judgment, even though it made no sense. Again, he kissed the bear, followed by the pig and then his daughter's freckled nose.

"There, Iris. They're asleep now; you should go to bed, too."

She quickly shook her head and scrambled out of bed, heading towards the door. "I want a bubble bath."

Wally bit his lip, and rolled his eyes in impatience. He stood and grabbed Iris up, she squealing in glee as her feet left the floor. He forced her back into bed and when she was properly tucked in and all stuffed animals were, once again, all accounted for, he suggested desperately, "How about we play a game, instead?"

Iris cocked her head at the idea, but snuggled down into her pink pillow. "What game?"

Wally was stumped. He knew hide-and-go-seek would make her restless, and he didn't want another round of the Why game, even though that one did make her sleep, it was much to annoying to deal with in his sleep deprived state.

"How about you ask Daddy questions, and I'll answer them. Okay?" He liked sharing his knowledge and she'd get bored soon enough and fall asleep.

Iris nodded in understanding and then shut her eyes, accustomed to the game rules already, "First question, why can't I have a bubble bath?"

Wally mentally hit himself for deciding to play, but stayed true to the game, "Because it's late, and your hair will still be wet in the morning."

Iris could've argued this point, but she nodded, satisfied enough with his answer. Eyes still scrunched shut, she moved on, "Why do you believe it when someone tells you that there are billions of stars in the universe, but if they tell you that there's wet paint somewhere you have to touch it?"

He was surprised by this question. He'd sat on a freshly painted bench, blatantly ignoring the warning signs, a couple of times, but he never thought she'd ask about it. He had to think long and hard, but finally he conjured something up, "Because, I trust science, honey. But I don't trust . . . erm . . . strangers."

Iris giggled and opened one eye. "But, Mommy was the one who told you not to sit down," she reminded him, causing him to sigh and avert his eyes.

"Next question or the tickle monster eats you," Wally threatened, still unsure of what to do when alone with his only child. Normally, Artemis would tell him what was right and wrong.

Iris hummed lightly to herself, and finally another question bubbled to the surface, "How come number eleven isn't said like, onety-one?"

Wally rested his elbows on his knees, cupped his face with his hands and rubbed his temples, "I guess that's the way Romans . . . or Greeks . . . or someone smart made it that way. And that's how we follow it."

Iris furrowed her brow, "I don't think it's smart. It makes learning numbers harder."

Wally chuckled and absent-mindedly brushed her red hair with his fingers,"Are you tired yet?"

Iris sat up and smiled, "I'm the one asking questions, Daddy."

Wally moaned and faked a smile. He was going to die of fatigue if he didn't leave soon, "Of course, honey."

Iris giggled, and once again, she was on her father's lap.

"When cheese gets its picture taken, what does it say?" She shut her eyes, patiently waiting for her silly wondering thought to get an answer.

"Cheese isn't alive . . . so . . . I don't think it say's anything."

"So, cheese is dead? That's not fair! I love cheese, Daddy!"

Wally reassuringly patted her on the back, she was now frantic, wide eyes filled with fright. He was quick to make amends, "No, no! That's not right, silly me. What do you think cheese say's when it gets its picture taken? I'm sure it's says something . . ." he pretended to think, and smiled when she calmed down and lay back in bed.

Iris folded her arms and smirked, "It obviously says People, Silly Daddy."

Wally slapped himself, smiling, "Of course it does."

"Daddy, Mommy always says that we're here to help others . . . so, what are others here for?"

Wally couldn't quite recall Artemis ever saying that, but he guessed it must've been in a bedtime story, maybe about Kid Flash and Artemis's fighting days.

"Maybe they are also here to help us . . . or maybe, they are here to be helped?"

Iris was somewhat glad with the answer, but her brow still wrinkled in confusion, "You said that we came from monkeys and apes. Why are there still monkeys and apes?"

Wally didn't understand why she had changed topics so soon, or why she had chosen to question something he firmly believed in. But, now that it was out in the open, he was beginning to wonder himself.

"I guess it's only a selected few? Or maybe we come from a different species of monkeys and apes . . ." he was beginning to ramble in his mind, and Iris tugged at his sleeve to get his attention.

"What's speeshes?"

Wally's brain hurt, it was too late for proper cognitive thinking. And now, she was asking more technical stuff.

"How about you ask a different question?"

"No." Iris glared at her father, who almost instantly straightened up and tried to fish the answer out of his very tired mind, "Species is . . ."

"How do they get the deer to cross at that yellow road sign?" she was very serious in her question, and now Wally understood why Artemis insisted that they explained things to her more often. He was dumbfounded for a minute; he didn't even know what in the world she was talking about.

Then it hit him. Wally took her gently in his arms, and had her lye back down.

"Because it's . . . safer."

"Ooooooh! I get it, now!" Iris seemed proud of the simple answer, and even prouder that she fully understood something so "complex."

Wally was about to crash from exhaustion, and things were already going fuzzy.

Iris's voice sounded very far away, "If one sinconisilled swimmer drowns, do the rest drown too?"

He had no idea what "sinconisilled" was, but the context was simple enough. He knew she wouldn't be happy with a simple no. She wanted a whole story out of the question, but his head was pounding.

He decided to lie, and make it interesting; maybe she'd fall asleep if he did? "No, honey. These swimmers have gills, so therefore, they cannot drown. They come from a magical planet, where only sinconisilled swimmers live . . . happily ever after . . . the end," he yawned heavily, barely able to get out that last sentence.

Leaning forward, he rested his head on her pillow and was sound asleep within seconds.

For a few moments, she curiously watched him bask in sleep. But, when she finally figured out that he wasn't going to wake up, she pinched his nose, annoyed with his light snores.

After Wally recovered from the terrifying wake-up call and had received enough air, it was too late to be furious with her. Instead, he tucked her into bed, and sat down next to her. He knew now that even if he was desperate for sleep, it wasn't going to happen.

The little devil wasn't going to have it. "When you're sitting on the upstairs floor, are you sitting on the downstairs ceiling?"

"Erm . . . yes? No, wait . . . you are . . . on the . . ." Again, Wally's head dropped down to her pillow.

Iris rolled her eyes at her father's laziness, but even still, curled up next to him. "Good night, Daddy," she placed a small kiss atop his head and shut her eyes.

Wally's eyes flung open, sighing with relief. After a silent victory, celebrating this most great achievement, and a quick check to make sure that she was in the land of dreams, he crept from her bedroom and took refuge in his own bed.

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