Page 156 of Arianna

“Well, look here, Ella. The silly snowman has come to tickle you.” Arianna raises the stuffed snowman Banning got Ella for her birthday and starts tickling my daughter on the floor.

Both of their laughter wash over me like a warm summer day.

A feeling I only experience when I am with them.

No one else.

Arianna smiles from ear to ear, so beautiful it takes my breath away.

She looks so young, smiling and acting silly when entertaining my child.

Fishing my phone from my dress pants pocket, I open the camera app and snap a few shots of them.

Playing.

Laughing.

Holding onto each other.

My heart beats faster as if the organ recognizes the two most important people in my life are a few feet away.

“I wove you, mommy.” Ella sighs, trying to catch her breath and looking up at Arianna as if she was her entire world. I should have corrected her the first time I witnessed my daughter refer to Arianna as her mother. That would have been the wise thing, but instead I stood back and let them both enjoy the moment.

The moment when my daughter showed the woman, who is now part of my heart also, what unconditional love is.

How could I take that away from my child?

From both of them.

I have always been a selfish man.

“I love you, my baby,” Arianna whispers devotedly and reverently.

Fuck.

She then picks up my daughter and hugs her close to her heart while Ellaiza looks right into Arianna’s eyes. My brilliant kid raises her small, chubby finger, pointing at Arianna’s bandage on her head with a pout. “Boo boo?”

Arianna takes Ellaiza’s small hand in hers and brings her to her lips. “Oh, it’s okay, baby. It’s just a scratch.”

It is not okay, and it certainly is not just scratch.

She bled.

Some motherfucker hurt her.

You put her in that position…

I did.

I should’ve done better, and I fucked up.

Ellaiza smacks her lips against Arianna’s forehead. “Ah, betta.”

Smiling through the discomfort, Arianna responds, “All better.”

Then they move towards the rocking chair next to the window, where they spend twenty minutes reading a story and looking at the pictures in the book.

It is Ellaiza’s favorite book.

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