Page 17 of Return to Us
“Hey,” I say and she looks up, “who gave you those?”
She ducks her head. “I found them.”
“Are you allowed to have cookies before dinner?”
“No, but I was hungry, Daddy.”
Her big blue eyes widen, proving that Stella was right—I’m totally screwed. I scoop her up, and we begin our normal routine. I get Amelia something healthy to eat, then it’s bath time, and now it’s time for bed. She’s all tucked in her bed, the spinning cloud light that Stella bought her is on, and it’s story time. We read the same book she loves every night, and I can recite it without even looking.
“Can you read with the silly voices, Daddy?”
“Do you promise to stay in bed if I do?”
“I promise!”
She lies, but I have a hard time denying her anything. “Okay.”
I drop my voice deep as I get into the role of the elephant. “Do you have big dreams, little mouse?” I ask.
“I do, I do,” I say, going much higher than is actually comfortable.
“And tell me what do you dream of?”
Amelia’s eyes light up as she answers in her best mouse voice. “To be a singer.”
I grin. “And what do you want to sing?”
“Opera, like my mom does in Paris.”
My heart plummets. That’s not the words to the book. Every now and then Amelia will ask about Yvonne, and I made a promise to tell her the truth. While it’s hard for me, I can’t imagine it’s easy for her either. Still, if she always knows the truth, then there will never be a time I have to tell her that I wasn’t honest.
“Melia, that’s not the line.”
She snuggles deeper under her covers. “I know.”
I brush her cheek. “I love you more than the stars in the sky.”
“I love you more than the clouds.”
“I love you more than the books in the library.”
She smiles. “I love you more than anyone in the world.”
“You’re the person I love the most, Amelia. Never doubt that.”
Her long lashes rise and fall, and she launches herself into my arms. “I love you, Daddy.”
“I love you more. I love you most.”
I hug her, holding her tight because, while I can’t fix the fact that her mother chose to leave her, I can love her harder and hope it’s enough.
* * *
Today is one of those days I should’ve just stayed in bed. It’s been a rough few days, but today, everything went to shit. I got to work to find out we had a pipe burst that flooded a guest room, my plumber can’t get here until tomorrow, which means the repair people can’t get the room fixed.
And then my front desk manager quit because her husband got a job in Charlotte and they’re moving next week, which is why she called out.
Willow Creek Valley is great to visit, but not many people move here, which means finding a suitable replacement is going to be absolute torture.
