Page 2 of Sweet Poison

“It’s hard for me to talk about my mom. Can we talk about something else, please.”

I touched her little nose with my finger. “Good answer. What about your grandparents? Where are they?”

She looked sideways at me. “They live in Miami?”

“Exactly. But don’t look as if you’re unsure. Try again. Say it naturally. You don’t want to make anyone suspicious, do you?”

She shook her head vigorously. “No.”

“Where do your grandparents live?” I repeated.

“They live in Miami.”

“That’s much better.” I was smiling at her, but inside I was dying. A part of me was floating above us and watching what I was doing in disbelief. I was purposely and deliberately ruining my own daughter, teaching her to lie with a straight face… but there was no other choice. It was this and survival or death.

I couldn’t look her in the eye another second longer. I glanced at my watch. “I think that’s enough for tonight. Looks like it’s your bedtime anyway.”

“Will Mommy ever come back to see us?”

My heart broke for her. “I don’t know, honey. She’s busy with her new life. Maybe one day, when you’re older you can go visit her, huh?”

“Daddy?”

“Yeah.”

She looked down at a blue button on her dress. “I know Mommy is busy with her new life and she doesn’t have time for us anymore, but will you check up on her sometimes and make sure she’s alright.”

At that moment I felt so angry with Arianna. How easily she had abandoned her own daughter. I nodded. “I will. Now, bed.”

“Daddy?”

“Yeah.”

She took a deep breath. “When we go to the new place, to Bison Ridge, to start our new life, you won’t leave me like Mommy did, will you?”

Fierce love filled my heart. I looked deeply into her big sad eyes. “Never. I will never ever leave you, Anya. Do you understand me?”

She nodded gravely. “Yes.”

I smiled at her. “I’m afraid you’re stuck with me for the rest of your life. And when you get married, I’m moving in with you and your husband.”

And just like that she switched from being sad and started giggling softly. “Where will you sleep?”

“Under your bed,” I said, and grabbing her began to tickle her belly while she wriggled and laughed uncontrollably. I stopped when she began gasping for breath. Gently, I stroked her soft hair. “Bedtime, Princess.”

“Um… one last thing, Daddy.”

“What?”

“Can I take my butterfly shoes with us? They’re my favorite and I don’t think I can bear to leave them behind.”

“Darling, we can’t take anything from this life with us. Nothing that will remind us, or trip us up. Remember we’re not supposed to be rich. You never went to an expensive preschool, and never owned any designer gear.”

“What about if I scuff them so that no one can see that they’re expensive?”

Looking at her hopeful face made me feel incredibly sad for her. It was wrong and it was dangerous to make concessions, but I couldn’t say no to her. It was such a tiny thing she was asking.

“All right. You can bring the shoes with you, and you don’t have to scuff them. If anybody asks, just tell them they’re fakes from Hong Kong, okay? We bought them at a flea market.”

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