Eleven months later …291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRNU2N4S0fh
"Hey, little Nightingale?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj8ICtMmTiq
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9GC9MHOK1
"Nightingale?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvpdJjIJY1
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSJ1el7pxAb
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtxTra48Uie
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1v3gZM7psI
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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm7i1o1I6Bn
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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmIzUhO62R
"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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡapXank1pYe
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLwNR6fWECP
She squeals again.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw0f7vqYgA7
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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhDPOIQiIHV
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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIADahcnBDL
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17bCvizGPb
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡacVzJjlJ2z
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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFwLJqw2qh
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGPCEhXmYye
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpMT9ioXz2
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS7Ou8z7Dbj
"I found a foster—"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgmAMIjvKWK
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKchY5FRKXZ
"But her father isn't—"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHqPndjksdn
"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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3o330p91Uc
"But what about college?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKTMXTLFtaL
"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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuApndhYtdk
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvtpydvtx4
"You alright?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbjTTq0yeD
"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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQrwYlAqm1C
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡelLMgX5kXA
"Who are you?" I ask.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0EKcGDdbWt
"Samual. You don't remember me?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡypDHU3jLV9
"No."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ajhxMxrGD
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiLcL0hsr5G
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPF0LbLa6wu
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBz77GvjEsj
"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?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡORoktJW7yl
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm9hRi3Blxc
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxoSWYnSsx5
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz54eNzZrkj
"Playing with sand."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH48f7yfkjH
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡavo7Wd5hOf
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡStNCqdoxKR
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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3IM82t8v8E
"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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcABZ2SY8MP
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB7Gb127K1b
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.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGgPJb3pxFr
"What did you say?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3U6xq5IUBM
"Dad! Daddy!"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnhIlXSV0Ip
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNF9X7TSqE
"Do you have any vacation days?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYIfbkXgDBM
"I think I have about a month so far."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSsMrVJyAPD
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEPLf9HsyT8
"She'll be turning one in three days."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGec5k1hDSM
"Perfect!"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQQbZrMDhP
"What's perfect?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGGWsYXUW96
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsHEH1902K
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0MlqoPuKg2
"Mommy?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTlYIAmK5Bp
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOoDnIwjxv
"I daddy."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNuPiUlcoV
"You're daddy?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcW91hd4wFs
"Uh-uh. I daddy."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2DGYGQIso
"Oh. You want daddy."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl4odJLVdiy
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡftmO4Pnt38
"Oh, baby. Come here."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfhJbBV0VR6
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElIzWKEvPg
"I … daddy," she sobs.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYUClNMNZlr
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRwY9dlF069
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCNffE83beK
"Why would I do that?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3sZY5oPNz
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx6RPZji4yp
"But I don't know my way out there."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcsD4nzl9Gp
"I could take you."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmqxreOs1Gm
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxPSFqV158M
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmndQQVu6Ne
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvUFFH4unY
"Hello?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC4qVWQXlAZ
"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."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMhk0SC13TH
"A week? Are you sure?"291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN6aVou4uZB
"Yes, I'm sure."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jtQGSWz6z
"That'll leave you three weeks."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXFpUVT2z0b
"Yes, I'm aware of that."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxQNu0jMmTk
"Alright. A week it is."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI1nKBRYBBE
"Okay. Thank you."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoRdBzImZmv
"Yup. Bye."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHBl0utYK9d
"Bye."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj6LpmLATwi
I end the call and smile. "It worked."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10URAfkIvV
"Seriously? You're kidding."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNPHXLfPjwz
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRDNgcSlQDa
He just looks at me.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLMB4qFeK0e
I smile.291Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ88Y1Rt4wY7
