Eleven months later …393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCavrIwDDzM
"Hey, little Nightingale?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mn7EJqwMA
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnsT0OBsXd0
"Nightingale?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡamFe3VFWxz
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQvMAJQrDNp
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5NEfnLv0a
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqGeKvBf8Fu
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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDRhMCCY3mj
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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nJxORhZlG
"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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2enGN3YIsN
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfXyYpRapzf
She squeals again.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJD6PK11Eqe
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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxulWltYL1y
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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡartuKFkeEb
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSZgxrJtz1o
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlPyc3Q3He
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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVZOJB4CHWm
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrQlDmozER
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW56OF3PvOO
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqpFlzTGiTi
"I found a foster—"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo8WiCfnEav
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNUuQcJRCos
"But her father isn't—"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ04WHA946Id
"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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJkkKawbrV6
"But what about college?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAbzX4ECtD
"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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrlduAdjSAa
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYjiTrODMk5
"You alright?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡayEg5Aj5fc
"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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjEby1AFWxd
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqV0QwTR3C8
"Who are you?" I ask.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY8H2FUH6Mo
"Samual. You don't remember me?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWPkNExAliX
"No."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaftsfYPz5a
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEVFWrCtNqe
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr6crI6pRG
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy2P0uZNyc5
"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?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgnulKiQyyi
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRewcXGo9j
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡestRRLv6dD
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9yMFrqMhh
"Playing with sand."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpBqkwJ5bj0
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbRi6n3pcgd
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb6VajYUI3d
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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8h2vOeP5mF
"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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡi7qzOIkHSg
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmm46IhI0Ag
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.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNMlaPGKsXr
"What did you say?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIqLi6CxFPM
"Dad! Daddy!"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6MQ0wCAnH6
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmRjK4ur7Wm
"Do you have any vacation days?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9KXWEzChtR
"I think I have about a month so far."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9VKP0ZFk8U
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu7wocDgoYt
"She'll be turning one in three days."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqTPmFR0jOA
"Perfect!"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjzKlaBskcc
"What's perfect?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdUb85S5El
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡudJMS5U33j
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsqSbmBLOqr
"Mommy?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFXIWpGqNl
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOraOGoY5U2
"I daddy."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz9DSV7oJv
"You're daddy?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVB3cejTSzs
"Uh-uh. I daddy."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ77eOGmRzv7
"Oh. You want daddy."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PHClNWwp4
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnxuiCeg7cC
"Oh, baby. Come here."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3izvali7k
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMX2ERiaTMt
"I … daddy," she sobs.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ42WETpWN1v
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8fzIAWqKpU
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvBVGSNPv8g
"Why would I do that?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ85Oz8apK43
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8YBklnZLVJ
"But I don't know my way out there."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ag0gNpyaa
"I could take you."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE8PgIhIsH6
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYinMs2gdoa
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGko3rU9HB2
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJsnaL4G8gW
"Hello?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ooTJnuB7U
"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."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhJV8FcGlKi
"A week? Are you sure?"393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedY6Zjy9l2
"Yes, I'm sure."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHZr05eAOoK
"That'll leave you three weeks."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXtkqIIVFNu
"Yes, I'm aware of that."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSujMfnk3O2
"Alright. A week it is."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ29lyn1xCZV
"Okay. Thank you."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcz6WEMefV
"Yup. Bye."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2bRZ72WA53
"Bye."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvLIDJogMSB
I end the call and smile. "It worked."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0yZP248Bw
"Seriously? You're kidding."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSQfH7tVbjC
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8DXCOIWb7d
He just looks at me.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrEUpelc1CL
I smile.393Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyUuQndSTNA
