Page 131 of Sacrifice
This is what I wanted to avoid this morning. I drop to one knee and motion for her to come to me. She pads across the room and hugs me.
“I have to go to work today.”
“Will you be home for dinner?”
“No, monkey, I won’t. Not tonight.”
“If I feel better tomorrow, can we go to the park? Mommy said on Monday I have to go back to the hospital.” She frowns. “I miss going to the park with you.”
I choke back tears. There’s so much I want to say to her, so much I want her to know. I know she’s too little and too fragile for me to say the things I want to. “Yeah, if you feel better tomorrow, we can go to the park.”
She kisses my cheek and stands up.
“Monkey, I want you to promise me something, okay?” She nods. “Never forget that I love you.”
“I know that,” she says sassily.
“I’m glad you do. But sometimes things happen and as you get older, you forget that. You forget that what people did for you when you were little is because they loved you so much. And they knew what was best for you when you didn’t.”
“Okay.” She smiles. “I’ll remember.”
I know she won’t. She’s too young.
“But you might have to remind me because that was a lot of words and my brain hurts from the medicine.”
I kiss her bald head. “You’re my little fighter, Miss Everleigh.”
“You’re my big fighter, Mr. Daddy.” She giggles.
Let’s hope, Ever. Let’s fucking hope.
FIFTY-FIVE
JULIA
I wake up to the sound of a dog barking outside. I reach my hand across the bed and pat around. Emptiness.
I sit up quickly and look around. There’s light pouring in the window and my heart leaps in my chest. Panic begins to set in.
Where are they?
I grab my robe and race out the door. Down the hall I go, rounding the corner to the living room. Ever is curled up on the couch, her cartoons playing softly on the television.
“Hey, baby girl. Where’s Crew?” I ask, tying my robe snugly around my waist.
“Daddy left.”
One hand goes to my throat and I choke back the tears.
He’s gone. Oh my God. What if . . .
“How long?” I ask. “Before your show started or after?” I glance at the clock.
“I watched part of one and then all of this one.”
A good forty-five minutes.
I smile as warmly as I can. “Okay. How are you feeling today?”
