Page 64 of Wild Hearts

"I don't think you will. I like having you around, and I get plenty of daddy-daughter time."

"But you need your space."

"Sometimes I'm sad about Mom leaving, and I don't want him to know."

"You can tell him how you feel. He wants to be there for you." I didn't feel great about her confiding in me and not her father. But she felt more comfortable with me, maybe because I was a woman and better at receiving those feelings. Walker might be a bit more closed off, but that didn't mean he couldn't be there for her too.

"He's been great."

Not every man would have been as accepting as Walker. I could see some burying themselves in work, but Walker had done the opposite.

Walker returned with boxes. "The sleeping bag is by the front door."

"Thanks, Dad," Dakota said as she got up to sift through the items.

"These are decorations that are left over from the lodge. We'll need to start a collection of our own."

"Grandma shipped some things to me. I made them when I was a kid," Dakota said tentatively.

"Do you want to put those up?"

"Yeah." She got up and headed to her room.

Walker ran a hand through his hair. "I didn't realize they'd sent ornaments."

"You're learning about each other. This is good."

"Yeah, I just don't want to mess up or overstep her family traditions."

"Why don't you ask her what she normally does and what traditions she'd like to keep? Then you could tell her what traditions you'd like to create or ones you do with your family."

He gave me a grateful look. "That's a good idea."

Dakota returned with a small wooden box. "I put them in here." Then she pulled out a laminated outline of her hand with her picture on one side. "I made this in preschool."

"It's your hand." Walker took it from her and lifted it. Then he turned it to look at her picture. "I don't have any pictures of you as a child."

The air was thick with emotion. "I can show you what I have. I kept Mom's phone because a lot of photos are on there. I like to look at them."

"Would you mind forwarding yours to me? Maybe we could print them and hang some up."

"I wasn't sure if it would be too hard for you."

"I want to know everything about your life. Whatever you're willing to share with me. It helps me to get to know you."

I stayed quiet because this moment was so clearly about them. When they started to go through her box, there was astory behind each ornament. "I'm going to make some hot chocolate."

I had a feeling they needed to be alone for this. I took my time making the hot chocolate and bringing the mugs into the living room. By the time I returned, the lights were hung, and the ornaments were on the tree.

We sipped our hot chocolate while we admired the tree. It smelled amazing and made it feel like Christmas.

Together we finished hanging the ornaments from Walker's boxes, and then Dakota said it was time to leave. "I'll drop her off and be right back. Do you want to go to dinner at the lodge?"

"Sure."

I sat on the couch, admiring the tree and the flurries falling outside.

When Walker returned, he said, "It looks like they're going to have fun tonight. Dakota was so excited to be included. I want her to feel like she’s part of the family.”

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