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Lance has a unique personality not everyone understands. That’s what Esteban says whenever someone calls Lance a brat. Lance … well, sometimes he is a brat, but most of the time he is Esteban’s sweet little boy. Lance is always feeling around 6-7 years old so he is quite independent but it also means he can argue with daddy. Lance grew up rich, he got everything he wanted and his parents, especially his father, spoiled him. On the other hand, Esteban grew up fighting for everything, so he is not going to continue in spoiling Lance. Esteban loves him, but God, the boy is testing his limits.
The ride home is silent. Esteban keeps glancing in the rear-view mirror to check on Lance, but the boy is only frowning while staring outside. He crossed his arms and every few moment his feet kick the seat in front of him. Esteban lets this slide, he doesn’t want to deal with Lance’s meltdown in a moving car. He grips the steering wheel and keeps thinking about how to get the same Barbie Lance destroyed. Lewis acted cool, he didn’t yell or make a scene but he had the right to be mad. Lance’s outburst was totally unacceptable, he can’t destroy his friends’s toys just because he is mad.
Lance doesn’t see the problem. George ruined their sand castle and he wanted to punish the younger little. It’s not his fault! George caused this but he is a baby and he always gets away with everything! Lance kicks the seat in front of him and huffs. He wanted to play with Lando and Max, not with stupid babies.
Meanwhile they arrive home. Esteban grabs their bags and then opens the door for Lance. The little’s arms stay crossed, he isn’t going to hold daddy’s hand so Esteban at least wraps his arm around Lance’s shoulders. They get in the elevator and as soon as Esteban unlocks the front door of their apartment, Lance runs in his room. Esteban is exhausted. He doesn’t want to deal with this, but he has to because there aren’t many littles who could be Lance’s friend. They need to apologize, getting the Barbie for George is their new mission. Right after taking care of Lance.
Esteban pushes the door of Lance’s room open and sighs after seeing the boy sprawled on his bed playing a game on his iPad.
“Honey, we should shower. We are both covered with sand.”
Lance doesn’t answer but he gets up. He feels sand rubbing between his toes and he hates it. He refuses daddy’s help, he strips his clothes and tosses everything on a pile while Esteban turns the water on so the little can step in the walk-in-shower. Lance doesn’t know how does daddy do this but the temperature is always perfect - not too hot, but not cold, just perfect for a long shower. Esteban takes a soft wash cloth and squeezes a bit of soap on it and Lance raises his arms so daddy can get every grain of the annoying sand. Lance is still mad, but he wants to get clean. After the shower and after getting Lance dressed in pajamas with little airplanes, Esteban takes his hand and leads him in the living room. He sits Lance on the couch so they are sitting side to side.
“What did we say about expressing our emotions? We use words and not violence. I know you remember that, and I know you remember what happened after you broke Lando’s monster truck.”
Everyone remembers the infamous playdate that happened almost 2 years ago. Lando had a cool monster truck with light-up wheels, Hot Wheels created one just for Lando and he didn’t want to share with Lance. So what did Lance do? He broke it, he destroyed the toy and Lando had an epic meltdown which led to an asthma attack. Lando refused to speak or even look at Lance for a few weeks, but in the end Oscar persuaded Hot Wheels to make another monster truck for Lando. Why did Lance break that toy? Esteban thinks Lance’s parents spoiled him too much, especially Lawrence Stroll, so the little believes his actions have no consequences. Changing this mentally is a tough fight, but Esteban knows it has to be done. Especially if he doesn’t want to have his arms full of his crying boy who doesn’t understand why no one wants to play with him.
Lance refuses to meet his eyes - Esteban hopes that at least he feels sorry - but Esteban is looking for a serious talk, not mumbled apologizes. He knows Lance is big enough to talk. He gently grabs Lance’s chin and lifts his head.
“What you did today is unacceptable and rude, but I want to know why did you do that.”
Lance shrugs. Not everything he does has a reason. He got mad and the doll was the first thing he saw.
“Okay. George cried, he is probably still crying because he loves that Barbie so it’s only fair if I take your Dino away. Only for tonight, but you think about Georgie’s Barbie lying in the sea.”
Esteban grabs the stuffed dinosaur from Lance and ignores the way Lance’s eyes fill with tears.
“I am sorry! Daddy!”
Lance jumps up, he tries to get Dino back, but Esteban holds the toy above his head and Lance gets really mad.
“No! Everyone is mean! You’re a meanie! And I want my real daddy!”
Esteban is strong, he watches Lance throwing himself on the floor and he knows Lance doesn’t really want his father, he just wants to hurt his daddy.
“No one likes me! George, Max, Lando …. everyone is a poopyhead!”
Lance tries to reach for Dino again, but daddy moves it away. Fine! Lance rolls over on his back and pants while watching the ceiling. He shakes in anger and exhaustion, he hoped daddy will skip punishing him.
“Of course they like you, but you can’t treat them like your servants. If they don’t want to do something, you don’t force them. And if George destroyed the castle, you could use words instead of throwing his toy away. Imagine if George did the same to you. What if he threw Dino away?”
Esteban knows that impossible. Little George is the softest little cupcake, but Max looked dangerously pissed. Meanwhile Lance thinks about Dino disappearing in the sea. That would be awful. The idea alone makes him bawl his eyes out until daddy sits him up.
“Young man, we are going to buy a new Barbie, the most similar we can find. I don’t mind spending tomorrow in toy stores, but we are only buying a new doll for George. No toys for boys who bully their friends.”
Lance nods and allows daddy to pick him up. He sobs and hiccups but calms down when daddy tucks him in his bed. Dino is really gone, but daddy lies down next to him and Lance quickly snuggles closer to his caregiver.
The next morning, right after eating breakfast, they go out. Lewis told Esteban the Barbie is old, they don’t sell this one anymore but Esteban hopes they can find a similar one. For once Lance doesn’t complain, he holds daddy’s hand and follows him from shop to shop. Lance doesn’t play with dolls, he has action figures of all kinds of superheroes and dinosaurs so the dolls look same to him, but daddy keeps saying they haven’t found the right one. Lance’s feet are getting tired, he would love some ice cream, but he knows daddy is still mad so he stays silent. After hours and hundreds of dolls, daddy finally buys one, but now comes the worst part - giving the doll to uncle Lewis.
When daddy rings on the doorbell, Lance hurriedly hides behind him and hopes uncle won’t notice him. Tired-looking Lewis opens the front door and lets them in. Lance hands the box with the new Barbie to uncle Lewis who accept the gift and an apology before hiding in the coat closet at the front door.
“Thank God! Don’t let him see it.”
Lewis hurriedly opens the box and studies the doll. This Barbie isn’t the same like the old one, but maybe it could pass because it’s really similar. George refused bathing or showering the last night and then again in the morning so Lewis is quite desperate. It’s this or waiting until George feels big.
Lance apologizes to George who clutches his stuffed frog and tugs on his greasy hair. Lance hates having greasy hair and he feels even worse because he caused the baby is refusing a bath. George accepts his apology, at least Lance thinks so because George only stares at him with his huge blue eyes until Lance squirms and his cheeks burn in shame. Daddy is satisfied, they can finally leave but not before seeing Lewis pretending the lost doll swam home back to George. Esteban rubs Lance’s back and smile at his boy.
“You did really well. You helped with finding a new doll and apologized like the most polite little one.”
Lance beams, he loves when people praise him. They even get an ice cream and when they sit down on a bench in a small park, Lance grabs daddy’s hand and promises he will never bully his friends again.