Page 36 of Game Changer

She smiles. “Daddy always gots sweet creamy.”

He nods.

Her little head tilts to the side, and she claps her hands on both cheeks, asking, “You sad, Daddy?”

His eyes are getting misty.

I slide off the bed. “How about you use the bathroom, and then we’ll head down to the kitchen to make sweet toast, and you and Daddy can talk.”

“You gotta pee, too?” she asks.

“I do.”

She slides off the bed and holds out her hand. “I show you.”

When we exit the bathroom, Beau pushes off the wall, squats down, and holds out his arms. “Bring it in, little flower.”

My heart constricts as he swoops her up in them.

“Okay, let’s go make some sweet toast and talk about some pretty grownup things.”

“Like a big girl?” she asks.

“Something like that, yeah.” He swings her around on his back then heads to the top of the stairs. As he passes me, he takes my hand and pulls me along beside him. Me? I just go with it.

Beau stands against the island counter, and Lily slides down onto it.

“I’ll grab the ingredients while you two chat,” I offer.

I watch as Beau pulls out a stool and sits in front of her, taking her tiny hands in his giant ones. Her big, innocent eyes blink up at him, full of trust, as he takes a deep breath, steadying himself. This isn’t a conversation any father ever wants to have.

“All right, little flower,” he starts softly, brushing a curl from her face, “Mommy got a big boo-boo. A really big one.”

“Oh no, Daddy. Did she run with scissors or slip on the ice. Was it a shark?”

A sad smile creeps on his lips as he shakes his head while looking at her adoringly. “Mommy was in an accident. Right now, she’s at the hospital where all the doctors and nurses are helping her fight hard to get better.”

“Is she fighting for the W’s Daddy?” she asks, lower lip wobbling slightly.

“Yeah, little flower, she’s fighting for the W.”

My eyes immediately tear up as I crack eggs in the bowl and begin to whisk them.

“We gotta get a Mommy jersey and cheer for her.”

“Yeah, Lily, we’ll do that.” His voice breaks, and I fight like crazy not to cry for them. He pulls her in tight. “She’s sleeping right now so her body can rest, which will help her heal better. They’re taking really good care of her.”

Her bottom lip quivers more now, and she hugs him tighter. “She sleep for a long time?”

He leans back and presses a kiss to her knuckles. “For a while. It may be quite a long time before you can see her. The hospital?—”

“No cry babies at the hospital. I already knows that, Daddy, from last time.”

“Last time?” I ask.

Her eyes widen as she looks between him and me then shakes her head and changes the subject. “She wake up soon?”

“I hope so, sweetheart,” he answers, but I see it in his eyes that he’s wondering what last time meant. “And we’re gonna help her, okay? We’ll draw her pictures and hang them up so they’re the first thing she sees when she wakes up. We’ll talk to her on the phone and tell her about your day, even if she’s sleeping.” He smiles at her, one full of love and hope. “She might not answer right now, but she can still feel our love. And love is really, really powerful.”

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