Page 32 of Keep This Promise
“Mummy, do you think he felt it?”
I open my eyes, looking into my daughter’s brown ones, wide and full of hope. “Yes, my sweet girl, I think he felt it.”
She wraps her arms around my neck, holding me tight, and I let a tear fall as I hold on to what’s left of my world.
There’s a knock, and I turn to see Holden leaning against the frame. “I didn’t want to interrupt.”
I wipe my cheek. “You aren’t . . .”
“Holden!”
“Hi, bug.”
“My daddy is in Heaven with my gran.”
He squats down. “I bet he’s met my sister Kira too.”
Her eyes widen. “You have a sister in Heaven?”
“I do.”
“Do you give her hugs?” Eden asks innocently.
Holden wraps his arms around his chest the way I just did, closes his eyes, and squeezes. “I just did, and I asked her to go find your dad to check on him.”
Eden lunges forward, hugging him around the neck. Holden chuckles, catching her, and tightens his arms around her.
She squirms after a second and turns to me. “Can I play with my toys?”
“Sure.”
Before we can say another word, she darts off into the living room, which has become Eden’s wonderland.
I sit on the edge of the bed. “She likes you.”
“I’m glad.”
I laugh once. “Yes, but I mean she truly likes you. The two of you have already bonded, and it’s lovely to see.”
“She is easy to bond with.”
I look up at him. “Yes, she is.”
“Are you okay?” he asks with concern laced in his voice.
“No, but it was time to tell her the truth.”
He gives a sad smile and sits beside me on the bed. “I don’t know that there’s ever a right time to tell a kid their father is gone.”
No, there’s not, and I have a feeling Eden’s questions won’t end after telling her this once. “There are many hard conversations ahead of us, aren’t there?”
Like when I talk to her about Holden’s place in her life.
He reaches his hand out, covering mine. “I’m in no rush, Sophie. Whatever is best for Eden is what’s best for all of us. Do I want her to know that I’m her father? Of course. Do I think now is the right time? No. She had a dad, and she lost him. That’s hard enough. I think we take this one day at a time and go from there. Besides, it’ll happen over time. We don’t have to even address it.”
Holden James is a wonderful man. He makes me feel as though everything just might be okay.
“And if it’s weeks or months? How do we explain this to people?”
