Eleven months later …246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxSx82aEgC
"Hey, little Nightingale?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ58PfmO5SI1
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnIlq5RllQq
"Nightingale?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB5AiltBUu8
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAB9ZSynPWS
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzeFiWNQWCR
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8IJeZAvHr
I laugh. "Silly, you can't walk yet." I walk over to her and pick her up. "Come on. We need to get your socks and shoes on."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw4z1RDUx22
She flails her arms with her hands clenched tight on two blocks. I set her down and walk over to her dresser. I open the top drawer and grab a pair of grey socks. I grab her little sandals and walk over to her. She sees what I have and drops the blocks in her hands. She shoots her hands in the air and squeals, doing jazz hands. I roll my eyes and laugh. She giggles.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEUZB5ZpTJD
"Oh, you're too cute." I kneel down and put her socks and shoes on. Then I pick her up and head to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, I grab my keys and head out the door. I get outside and put Nightingale in her car seat. Then, I shut the door and get in the driver's seat. I start the engine and back out of the driveway. I pull out on the road and head to the park.
I get to the park and park in the parking lot. I turn the engine off and get out. I put my keys in my pocket and open the back door. I unbuckle Nightingale as she squeals in delight. I take her out of her seat and shut the door. Then, I carry her over to a nearby picnic table. I set her on the table and sit down. She squeals.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfX8WdI5aDa
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlW6PGfGii5
She squeals again.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP95hN9Kk2E
I smile. "Oh, so cute. Who's a cutie? You are." I sigh and look around. "Oh. I wish your father could see you. He'd think you're cute too, I'm sure."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDUobZIzT1e
She looks up and points behind me. I turn around to see a man walking towards the park. She squeals. She crawls over to the edge of the table and tries sliding to the ground. Instead, she ends up doing a backflip and lands on her butt. She giggles and looks up as the man stops right in front of her. He looks down at her and smiles. She smiles back and giggles.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQusjjXBlT
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIAjpA1hlG
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfrDcnIGHSD
I can't help it. I smile. Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. Nightingale brings her hands down and looks at me, tilting her head to the side. The man looks over at me and gasps. I answer the phone and get up. I walk away a few feet.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4FpiaM90Ra
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq1FtkkjJOW
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuExpaqpK7h
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCGMb4ACG9T
"I found a foster—"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaIatULMNlm
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqgRpF3BN59
"But her father isn't—"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN03Eq5TNNE
"Her father knows what's best for her. Okay? I'm done talking. I've done graduated school, gotten a job, and moved out. I'll be fine."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ90KrQD1Jnk
"But what about college?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyGgiADFIV
"Dang it, mom!" I hang up and sigh. I let my phone drop to the ground and put my hand on my forehead with my other arm supporting it. "Oh my God."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTw2tfO4atn
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiYgGEkMPu0
"You alright?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlYooEFdJvu
"I'm fine." I walk over to the table and sit down. I watch as Nightingale plays with the sand. She squeals. I laugh and smile. She looks up at me and claps her hands. I sigh. "Oh, you're so cute."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMtuOuZYtsE
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLzwdVb0sc
"Who are you?" I ask.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSh2Wdxagi7
"Samual. You don't remember me?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2RyfSJpnJ
"No."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyB0Ki2Uzd4
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡml58MXquE9
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFKWwUGWKYZ
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5gabGAzePa
"Are you sure that would be a good idea? What if he doesn't recognize me? Or worse, he does but he doesn't want anything to do with me or Nightingale?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3vEWxnlg1
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKRgaxp30QI
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfi8wXnLCfP
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4Lv1t6Ynku
"Playing with sand."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NzCeoZFH2
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F5Rxfwkum
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJZ20GqtHFd
She looks up at me and falls on her butt. She giggles. She gets up again and takes a step forward. I get up carefully and grab my phone. I come back and quickly pull up snapchat. I pull up my picture screen and start taking a video.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ230im8fKUT
"Well, look at you. Someone's learning to walk." I back up a few steps and she takes two slow, small steps. She giggles. I smile.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdzWD3wJdPI
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUlRJgtqJUH
Finally she reaches me with a squeal and hugs my leg. I save the video and put my phone away. I pick her up and whirl her around. She squeals. I stop and set her down. She gets up and follows me to the table. I sit down and watch as she climbs up on the seat. She manages to get up on the seat and sit down. She says something and I look at her.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdQtwcER3VW
"What did you say?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWF1ZvTPzYw
"Dad! Daddy!"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXqVM2nCh7B
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPHYZtwkUgO
"Do you have any vacation days?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡANlwWTN6QK
"I think I have about a month so far."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU7xPkadYXG
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiDQgF3qWIb
"She'll be turning one in three days."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTWG5NSeYmg
"Perfect!"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJdnyz2eENF
"What's perfect?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCkE19RAaje
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIfmnI7CN1T
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB4Q4g2jwEr
"Mommy?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuAjj7AK0Xd
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2MQINF38iK
"I daddy."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUBFNihNUV
"You're daddy?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡej1e0f0dZB
"Uh-uh. I daddy."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqMyW7D9VIQ
"Oh. You want daddy."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0F5ogNPHQA
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PtRb6r44a
"Oh, baby. Come here."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpZ7b4gDSfM
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAtdnQI6vaL
"I … daddy," she sobs.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oXB0iDFsV
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVexdM8wWgZ
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUfFyjAz29
"Why would I do that?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL8cvTYgUNm
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9xL4w8tyyr
"But I don't know my way out there."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIsVfopPIyG
"I could take you."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9N1xi5mFcT
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2Z1PR2XfyB
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gNTDcqp6M
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHApPY27uQ
"Hello?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLyYdHDve3Q
"Oh, um, could I take a week off of work? For my daughter? She'll be turning one in three days and I want to take her to visit her father."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEm9OokFvhT
"A week? Are you sure?"246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmeTItKSGM2
"Yes, I'm sure."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMNYqlPXecM
"That'll leave you three weeks."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4MBM9NRAPI
"Yes, I'm aware of that."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA6l4JYeHQ3
"Alright. A week it is."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOVJ4cLfban
"Okay. Thank you."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc6AsybPo54
"Yup. Bye."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mqLdeGq9h
"Bye."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ0xjeh3InE
I end the call and smile. "It worked."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ99uHosGL3c
"Seriously? You're kidding."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLvy8W2yHSj
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHl8WixB21h
He just looks at me.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEYWWxlWTpA
I smile.246Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9go6xi1WXK
