Page 7 of New Hope

My gaze swept over the sea of familiar faces as I walked toward the designated parent pick-up area. I knew most of the people there, either through my work or because I’d grown up with them. I loved living in a small town. Sure, there were certain drawbacks, such as everyone sticking their noses into everyone else’s business, but the good things outnumbered the bad, by a lot. Like knowing the parents of the kids my daughter went to school with and having friends I could call if I got in a jam and needed help with Hannah. That was especially valuable to me, as a single father. It was that type of community, the sense of belonging that made living in a small town so special.

Spotting my friends Becca and Tamra standing in our usual spot under a large red maple tree, I made a beeline towards them, nodding and saying hello to several other parents as I passed. “How are the two prettiest mothers in Rhode Island?” I leaned in, giving them each a kiss on the cheek.

Becca rolled her eyes at me but grinned. “Such a smooth talker.”

“That’s why we keep you around. You’re so good for our egos,” Tamra joked.

I laughed. “Just calling it as I see it. So, what’s new?”

Tamra was an accountant. She and her husband had three beautiful children, twin nine-year-old boys, William and Justin, and a one-year-old daughter, Kelsey, who’d come as a surprise for her parents who had assumed they were done having children.

Becca also had her hands full, between running the hardware store she owned with her husband, and raising seven-year-old, Keith and four-year-old, Stacey who was currently playing peek-a-boo with Kelsey. Every time Stacey would shout “Boo,” Kelsey would burst into peals of laughter that had all the adults around them grinning.

Becca reached down and ran a hand over her daughter’s hair. “We were discussing possible ideas for Tamra and Lane’s anniversary next month. It’s their tenth, so she wants to do something special.”

Tamra nodded. “Yeah, I was thinking of surprising him with a trip. Lane’s work schedule won’t allow for him to be off more than a few days, but it would still be nice to get away and be a couple. No kids, no work, just the two of us, you know?”

“I think that’s a great idea. What do you have in mind?”

They looked at each other and shrugged. “That’s the thing. We’ve got everything worked out as far as me watching the kids,” Becca explained.

“And Lane’s boss is a friend of mine. I can call and see about him getting a couple of days off. But I’m not sure where to go. Flights are expensive, so it would need to be somewhere we can drive to, yet not spend the whole time in the car.”

I pursed my lips. “Hmm. I saw an article the other day about a place not too far away. In fact, it’s only two hours north. Instead of being in a hotel, guests stay in treehouses in the woods. But these aren’t the type of treehouses we built as kids. These are like little private oases that just happen to be up in the trees. They have kitchens, bathrooms, all the amenities you’d want on vacation, but you’re in the woods. And there’s all kinds of things you can do as a couple. Fishing, hiking, horseback riding trails, and a bunch of other stuff. They even have a restaurant where you can go eat or have food delivered to your treehouse if you don’t feel like going out. I can send you the information if you’re interested—”

I huffed out a laugh as Tamra suddenly enveloped me in a big hug. “That sounds perfect! Thank you so much, River. That’s exactly the kind of thing I was looking for. Private, romantic, and lots of quality time for the two of us to reconnect.”

I gave her a squeeze then stepped back, smiling at my friends. “I’m glad I could help. I’ll send you the name and number of the place as soon as I get home so you can call them.”

The three of us chatted excitedly about her trip until we heard the staticky sound of the school’s intercom crackling to life. Conversations around us died down as everyone began listening to Principal McHenry’s afternoon announcements, filled with reminders about the upcoming school picture day, pee-wee football sign-ups, and requests for parent volunteers to serve on that year’s Parent/Teacher Organization or PTO. I made a mental note to get more information. I’d love to help out if I could.

As she finished speaking, the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day. A minute later the doors opened, and kids began spilling out of the building as the teachers dismissed them. I searched the children, waiting to see my own. A few seconds later, I spotted my daughter, walking out the door with a little red-haired girl I didn’t recognize. Hannah said something to the other girl then took off running in my direction.

A smile broke out on my face at the sight of her. She’d picked out her own outfit that morning, settling on a pair of jeans with a leopard print heart on one leg, her favorite brown boots, and a cream-colored shirt which looked beautiful against her smooth mocha skin. I’d put her hair up in two braided puffs on either side of her head and adorned them with the pink beads she’d chosen.

I bent down, capturing her in my arms as she launched herself at me, her little arms hugging me tightly around the neck. I picked her up, breathing her in. She smelled like a mixture of paint, the peanut butter sandwich I’d packed in her lunch, and sweat from running around on the playground at recess. It was the scent of childhood and happiness and everything good in the world.

I closed my eyes, relishing the moment. I knew there would come a time when she probably wouldn’t want to hug or kiss me around her friends, when I wouldn’t be the person she was most excited to see. She’d eventually grow up and have her own life with friends and significant others who were important to her, but today wasn’t that day and I planned on enjoying every second of this moment.

“How was school, baby girl?” I set her back down then knelt beside her.

Hannah handed me her backpack as she began telling me everything that had happened during her day, starting with her getting chosen to lead the class in the Pledge of Allegiance, to lunchtime when Danny Tidwell dropped his pudding cup and chocolate pudding splattered all over the floor. “The janitor had to clean it all up, but Danny didn’t get in trouble because it was just a askident.”

“An accident,” I corrected.

“Yeah. A askident.” I smothered a grin as she continued her story, listening with only half an ear as I unzipped her backpack and began thumbing through the paperwork inside. A new spelling list to practice and some math problems for her to work on over the weekend as well as a copy of the school newsletter and a permission slip I needed to sign for an upcoming field trip. Nothing that needed my immediate attention. Zipping the backpack closed, I turned my attention back to my daughter.

“And I want you to meet her,” she said as she finished her story. Her chocolate-brown eyes gazed at me expectantly, the naturally curled lashes that framed them fluttering whenever she blinked.

I looked back with a guilty expression. “Meet who?”

Hannah’s hands landed on her hips. Her voice was laced with exasperation. “Daddy, I just told you. Her name is Ellie. She’s new and doesn’t know anybody, so I said I’d be her friend. She doesn’t talk very much, but I told her that’s okay because I do. And guess what?”

I grinned at that as I stood up, slinging her backpack over my shoulder. My girl was definitely a chatterbox. “What?”

“She likes ranch on her pizza just like I do.”

I chuckled. “Well, it sounds like you girls were meant to be friends. So, when do I get to meet her?”

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