Page 47 of One Sultry Summer

“You have a good point.” I nudged her with my elbow.

“Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure, I can try. What is it?”

“Don’t give up on my daddy.”

“Honey, it’s not up to just me.

“You do like him, right?”

“I do. But we both need to want the same thing, and right now, we don’t. We’re going to remain friends, though.”

She sighed and pushed her plate away. I can only guess that she lost her appetite. “Are you full?”

“No. I don’t want anymore.” She rubbed her eyes.

“Are you tired?”

She nodded and I looked at my cellphone to check the time. It was eight-thirty, more than likely it was past her bedtime. “Do you want meto tuck you into bed?”

“Yes, please.”

The house was so busy with people talking that Emily didn’t want to miss a thing. I picked her up and she laid her head on my shoulder. “Devin, I’ll be right back, and don’t eat my pie.”

“I can’t make any promises.”

I walked down the hallway and up the flight of stairs. All the doors were closed, and I didn’t know which would lead to her bedroom. There were no decorative markings to display a young girl’s room. I took a guess and opened the last door in the hallway.

I flipped the light switch and looked around, only to find a baby’s room. Everything seemed to be frozen in time: stuffed animals, a rocking chair, and an untouched crib. I turned off the light, took a step back, and closed the door.

I moved to the next room, entered, and repeated my movements. The room contained stuffed animals arranged on top of a pinkand purple flowered bedspread, a nearly empty bookshelf, a doll house, and a Disney princess-themed border.

I pulled the covers back and laid her down. I removed her socks and shoes and pulled the covers up to her chest. I switched on the night light next to her bed and stood up so I could turn off the bedroom light.

“Pretty lady, can you sing me a song?”

“You want me to sing you a lullaby?” She nodded her head and yawned. I sang the first song that came to mind. When I finished singing “Hey Jude” by The Beatles, she was sound asleep. I gently brushed her dark hair away from her face and stood up.

When I turned, Wyatt was standing in the doorway with his arms folded. I turned off the overhead light and brushed past him. The door softly clicked closed, and I heard footsteps behind me. A sense of calm washed over me as I walked down the hallway. Something wassoothing about watching her drift off to sleep so peacefully. I smiled to myself, grateful for the simple moments that make life so meaningful. As I continued down the hallway, I felt a renewed sense of purpose and contentment.

It reminded me of how lucky Wyatt is to have a wonderful family, and something I’m deeply missing in my life. I can’t force Wyatt to love me, and I feel that my time here is done, and I need to return home to San Francisco where I belong.

“Valerie.” A voice from behind me paused my steps. I turned around to face Wyatt, his expression unreadable.

“Yes? What is it, Wyatt?”

“You haven’t talked to me once this evening since our conversation outside.”

I shrugged my shoulders. “I don’t see a reason for us to talk any further.”

He took a deep breath and whispered. “I’m sorry I’m an ass. I only wanted to know how much time I have with you before you go. Ofcourse, I fucked that up and it made you feel like I was trying to get rid of you.” He scratched his forehead. “I wasn’t, I honestly wanted to know if I had a few hours, days or weeks.”

“Well, if you must know, I have no idea at this point. I’m waiting for my work to let me know if they’ve reviewed my report and if they’ll approve my recommendations. At this point, I’m a little worn out, and I want to go back to eating my dessert.”

“Follow me, I know the owner. He’ll get you anything you want.” He took my hand, and I followed him downstairs to the kitchen. The room was empty.

“Where is everyone?”

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