Page 92 of Love Deep
“Wow,” I say. “That sounds like fun. So long as it doesn’t rain.”
“It won’t rain.”
I laugh. There’s nothing that beats a child’s optimism. If her dad has promised her a camping trip, then he’s going to have to follow through. I’ve seen that expression in Riley’s eyes before. She’ll be staying in a tent on her own if she has to.
I make a mental note to order a few things that might make an overnight stay a little more child friendly. And also to talk to Riley’s dad about the location of this proposed trip. I need to understand if he’s properly thought this through.
“You know how much I’ve wanted to camp.”
Did I? I’ve never heard Riley mention camping before. There are a thousand new obsessions every week, it seems.
I put the car into drive and we head out in the direction of the school. “Did you remember your lunch, Mom?” she asks from the back seat.
I sigh. It’s still in the refrigerator. “I’m grabbing something with Miss Peters today,” I lie, referring to another of the teaching assistants. She doesn’t need to know her mother’s a mess this morning.
“Oh. Cool. Wouldn’t it be good if Dad came to Star Falls during school one time? Then I could show him my classroom. He’s never seen inside. Not even last year.”
“Yeah. That would be fun. But you know he doesn’twant to share you with school,” I say. Fact is, her dad could come to Star Falls more often. Frankly, if Riley’s schooling was important to him, he could have arrived a few days early and arranged a meeting with her teacher. But he leaves all that to me. He always has. At least this way, I’m on top of everything.
“Did he send you his flight details yet?” Riley asks.
“Not yet, sweet girl. But he will.”
“I just don’t know if he’s going to be here in the morning, or will I have to wait until the afternoon?”
Last time Riley’s dad visited, I picked him up from the airport. It was Riley’s idea. She wanted to meet him with a banner. I agreed her father coming into town should be an exciting event. I hoped that it would help mitigate the fact that his visits are so infrequent.
My phone buzzes and my stomach turns inside out. For a split second, I think it might be Fisher. But of course it won’t be. We agreed that when he left Star Falls, we’d have a clean break. There was no way of continuing our relationship, and I didn’t want to have false hope or be disappointed when he said he was coming to town and then didn’t, or said he’d call and then got caught up with his life back in New York. A clean break is better. For both of us. It won’t be Fisher that’s texting me, even though a part of me wants to hear from him.
It will be lunchtime in New York City soon. I wonder if he eats lunch in his office. Or maybe he eats out a lot? Maybe even every day. I think that’s common in New York. Or maybe he prefers to have lunch at his desk. Or with his team? I have so many unanswered questions. Things I’ll never know now.
“Mom,” Riley yells, pulling me out of my thoughts.
“Sorry, what did you say?”
“I said do you think we’ll have to memorize spelling during the vacation? Because if we do, I don’t think I should take them to Dad’s. I don’t think we’ll have time to do them.”
“Right,” I say. “We can just do them when you come back.”
“We’ll have plenty of time. I’ll be able to spend the entire rest of the summer with you.”
“I know, sweet girl. I want you to have fun with your dad.” I turn into the school grounds and find my normal parking space.
Riley spots the message on my phone. “Mom, Dad sent you a message. Please can I see it?” she asks. “I bet it’s the time of his flight.”
“It probably is,” I say, opening the text as Riley looks over my shoulder.
But it’s not the time he’s going to land tomorrow.
I scan the text, taking in snippets.
I’m not going to make it.
Fiona’s sick.
Tell Riley I’ll make it up to her.
I press the side button on my phone to make the screen go blank, but I’m pretty sure I’m too late.
