Page 38 of Ten Years Later
“They still may.” He helped her up. “I have a plan.”
24 /TEN YEARS AGO
Dana heldBunny as she sat in the sand beside the SUV. She’d been there for hours, watching the sun rise and families slowly arrive to celebrate the holiday.
She couldn’t stop staring at the little girl in the floaties playing in a tide pool with her daddy. She had so much love, joy, and happiness. Just like Emily.
The little girl’s father kissed her on the cheek, then went up the beach to a blue-and-white awning where their family relaxed. The little girl stood up. She stamped her foot, her grin becoming a scowl as she watched her daddy walk away. She took her floaties off and threw them down.
Dana chuckled.
The little girl turned away from scowling at her daddy and looked around the packed beach with vacationers sunbathing, playing, eating, and reading. No one paid her any mind.
Eventually, her gaze landed on Dana.
With another chuckle, Dana made a silly face, then danced Bunny through the air. Giggling, the little girl stepped from the tide pool and ran toward her, her little arms outstretched, her tangled hair whipping out behind her.
She came to a stop in front of Dana. “Hi,” she chirped, staring greedily at Bunny.
Dana gave the child the stuffed animal. “Hi, back.”
The girl hugged Bunny, hard. “What’s her name?”
“Bunny.”
The girl giggled. “No, it’s not.”
“It sure is.”
“I love her.”
“I love her, too.” Dana stood and opened the hatch of the SUV. “I have her best friend in here. Do you want to see?”
“Sure!” The little girl crawled into the back.
Dana dug another stuffed animal from Emily’s toy bag, this one a puppy. Dana’s soul swelled with comfort as she observed the little girl playing with them both, making them hug and kiss, talk and prance.
Gradually, Dana grew aware of the commotion. Of yelling. Of music being turned off. Of people getting to their feet.
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
“Vivian!”
But Dana’s attention stayed fixated on the little girl, immersed in her playing. A lump of emotion gathered in her throat. Somewhere in the depth of her mind, she knew the words coming out of her mouth were wrong, yet she still said, “I have more stuffed animals at home. Want to see?”
The little girl excitedly nodded.
Gently, Dana closed the hatch. Slowly, she walked the length of the SUV. She waited for her conscience to tell her to stop, but it didn’t. Or maybe it did, and she ignored it.
She got into the driver’s side, turned on the engine, and rolled up the windows. In the back, the little dark-haired girl continued to play. Her tiny voice filtered through the vehicle.
Dana put the vehicle in drive and carefully exited the beach.
It shouldn’t be so easy to take a child.
The father should’ve never walked off and left the little girl alone. But then what gave Dana the right to reprimand when she’d done the same thing?
