Page 27 of The Captain's Little Girl

Her name was Emiliana.

“Emiliana? That’s pretty,” Cricket interrupted.

Emiliana’s daddy wanted to do something special for her birthday, so he devised a great surprise. Instead of getting her a fancy present to open, he packed a suitcase with a few things in it for each of them. Emiliana clung to her daddy’s hand as he walked toward the large ornate mirror that hung on the wall of their entryway. She thought it was to show her how nice they looked together, but their reflection wavered. Swirling lines swept through the image, erasing their view of themselves and everything behind them.

Clinging to her daddy’s hand, Emiliana tried not to be scared. His hand was warm and held hers in a steely grip. She looked up at him to make sure he saw the same thing she did.

“Close your eyes if you’re frightened, little one. I promise this will be worth taking the first step. Want me to carry you?”

“Yes, Daddy.”

Emiliana jumped into her daddy’s powerful arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. Burying her head against his chest, she closed her eyes. She felt him step forward and felt the hum of something prickle her skin lightly. A flash of light caught her attention—even through her closed lids. Cautiously, Emiliana peeked and saw a purple sun illuminating the shimmering pink grass covering the land before her.

“Where are we, Daddy?” she asked as he set her feet down on the satiny, soft vegetation. She bounced experimentally and grinned. It was almost like walking on a trampoline. “This is fun! It’s so beautiful here.”

“I’m glad you like it here, little girl. Our house is just over that hill.”

“We have a house here?” At his nod, she tugged him forward, eager to see where they’d stay.

“Pardon me, sir.” An enormous bird dressed in a tuxedo with spectacles perched on his beak emerged over the hill. He carried a fancy tray with an orange-colored beverage in ice-coated glasses.

“Sylvester, thank you so much for coming to greet us,” her daddy said warmly. Setting down the suitcase, he plucked the glasses from the tray and held one out to Emiliana.

“Drink. You will like this.”

“That’s never a good idea, Emiliana,” Cricket warned, rolling on her side to face her daddy and peek at the pages of the book.

She’d always liked to read but life had gotten so busy that Cricket was exhausted by the time she got home from work. It was much easier to zone out to a movie on TV rather than focus on a story when she was tired. Having Mark read to her was the best of both worlds. Cricket snuggled deeper into the pillow and closed her eyes to concentrate.

“Keep reading, Daddy. I’m listening. This is a good book,” she murmured.

A soft kiss landed on her hair before Mark continued reading the adventures of Emiliana. Soon, his deep voice seemed to be just a rumble. She tried to stay awake.

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