Total pages in book: 51
Estimated words: 48061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48061 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 240(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)
I love Daisy. Forever and always. If she was afraid all these years, then it’s my job to make sure she knows she can trust me. That I’ll move heaven and hell to keep her and Liam safe and by my side. To help her bring this baby into the world without the stress she experienced doing it alone last time. I might as well call it my mission. To show Daisy that together is better and create a life where Liam thrives, happy and safe.
“Daze,” I say to her. “I have somebody I want to introduce you to this week if you’ll go.”
“Sure, who is it?”
“I went to a counselor for a while after you left. She taught me a lot about why I did some of the things I did. She can help you see when your thoughts aren’t true. That was a big thing for me.”
“You want me to go to a shrink?” she says.
“Yeah, I do. I’m going to talk to her about what happened with my dad and about—all of this. I don’t want to get back in a bad pattern and screw this up. It’s too important. We have to do this right.”
“You would go to counseling with me? For real? Benny Falconari, the toughest thug on the block?”
“Absolutely.”
She throws her arms around me. “I want to do that. I know I need to see somebody. I have a lot of regrets and I’m so sorry—I want to do better. Be a family.”
I hold her and it feels so right, like everything shifts back into place the way it should be. We’ve talked so long it’s getting light, the dark sky fading to gray and purple.
“I’d better get you home,” I say. “We don’t want Liam waking up and wondering where you are.”
“Yes. Take me home. But—I want our home to be together soon. I don’t want to rush Liam, and I’m going to ask his pediatrician if there’s a child psychologist that can help us transition. I know—” her voice breaks, “I know that my anxiety affects him and I don’t want that for him. I want him to be really confident and not afraid of everything.”
I hold her close, kiss her hair. “We’re going to take good care of him, make sure everybody has the help they need.”
“Thank you,” she says, looking up at me with tears in her eyes. “Thank you for making all of this okay. You’re the one who sees me, and you think I can get better. That we can have a life together as a family.”
“I know we can. We will.” I tell her with my whole heart.
I drive her home, one arm around her just like I used to when we were kids. The swell of happiness pushes against my rib cage, fills me. On the way through the dim streets as dawn breaks, it feels dangerously like heaven.
I park outside her mom’s house. We walk up onto the porch hand in hand. I bend to kiss her but she shakes her head.
“Come inside with me. Let’s have breakfast,” she says.
She bites her lip, and I can feel her trembling. She’s so nervous, but she’s not telling me to wait till the time is right and she’s prepared her mom and Liam or until she feels ready. She’s being so brave it breaks my heart a little.
I nod and follow her inside. The house is quiet when we go into the kitchen. I wash my hands, get out eggs and milk. Daisy moves around silently, heats a skillet, measures flour. I mix pancake batter while she washes berries at the sink. It reminds me of the night she came to make dinner with me at my house, how perfect it felt seeing her there, doing normal, everyday things together.
The tester pancake falls apart and I steal a bite of it while she tries again. We laugh softly, just happy to be together. I hear the floor creak behind us and turn.
There he is. Dark hair rumpled and sticking up on one side, his face flushed from sleep. I catch my breath. Daisy goes to him and I watch them together, my heart pounding. I’m the nervous one now.
“Morning, kiddo,” she says, “you up for pancakes?”
“Yeah. Why is he here, Mommy?”
“You remember Benny. He talked to you on the phone. He’s the one that made the bad man bring you home,” she says. He watches her with wide, serious eyes and nods in agreement.
“He was nice to me. He said he’s your friend.”
“He’s definitely my friend. In fact, you should know him. Liam, this is Benny Falconari. When I was a kid growing up here in this house, we were friends.”
“Ok. What happened to that man that took me? Did he go to jail?” Liam asks her.
“Yes. A big jail,” she says without hesitating.