Page 121 of Come Back for Me
She beams. “I know, it should be bigger! We could have horses and pigs and goats and chickens all over here.” She points to the other large building, which I’m assuming is a barn.
“I was thinking something like this.” I show her my drawing. It’s a lot simpler, a modest house with a porch, much like this one.
“That’s boring.”
“Boring?”
Hadley shrugs. “We should have a palace.”
“Because you’re a princess?”
“Exactly!”
Oh Lord, I’m in so much trouble. “Well, Princess Hadley, we’re going to have to compromise.”
Each day, Hadley and I have drawn different houses. She has no idea why and for good reason. The kid is the worst secret keeper in the world. She loves knowing things and can’t wait to tell everyone else who will listen.
Therefore, I’ve just made it something we do. I have seven drawings from Hadley and seven from me.
“What are you two doing?” Ellie asks from the doorway.
Her hair falls down around her shoulders, barely brushing the swell of her perfect breasts, and her soft lips are turned up. Basically, she’s nothing short of breathtaking.
“We’re drawing houses!”
Worst. Secret keeper. Ever.
“Houses? For what?”
This wasn’t how I wanted to tell her my grand plan, but I’m learning that life doesn’t ever really go according to how we think it will anyway. Life with Ellie and Hadley has taken a lot of turns, but all of them have led me to this moment.
I want to propose, and if I thought for one second that she was ready, I would marry her tomorrow. I’m finding that it doesn’t much matter that she isn’t ready.
What does matter is having a home that is wholly ours and free of the ghosts of bad memories.
I’d like to tear this one down, but that’ll be my brothers’ issue, not mine.
I get up off the floor where Hadley and I were coloring and grab the papers. “Which do you like? I think mine are better, but Hadley likes this one.”
Ellie takes them and seems to ponder each one carefully. “I see.”
“You like mine, right, Mommy?”
“Hmmm.” Ellie’s noise is thoughtful as she moves to the next.
“Mine is better than Daddy’s!”
“Hey!” I grumble at my daughter playfully. “I think I did good.”
She nods and then pats my back. “You did okay, for an adult.”
“Gee, thanks. Here I thought I was your favorite.”
She giggles. “You are! But I’m going to win!”
I scoop her up into my arms and kiss her cheeks. “No way, Squirt. I’m going to win.”
Ellie clears her throat. “I have made my decision.”
