Eleven months later …425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTuG13hL7Eo
"Hey, little Nightingale?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡihPbvSZGba
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBR36OJWcHL
"Nightingale?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkkCnNjpvln
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfEHcZeBFci
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAUwPi9qxvI
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhaTZqBhcGl
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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABgqyYMqRY
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡERmn1qkv4j
"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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsms8uFcyFT
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjwSImtX5R5
She squeals again.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbyIzk5dbEB
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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZTaaBFxzhy
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgD2FIKCUuY
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgxsQtR8Nwz
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDe5Wq8v0wG
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaHrfCzUxkI
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡauMXayaaGG
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXV5MeU2EnY
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡskgdFWAE4V
"I found a foster—"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNZwtVZKdxP
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRFOTGXbneY
"But her father isn't—"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ10bnxhai6R
"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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmSHUEt6kZp
"But what about college?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeSZcgM982P
"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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4qpbZMi4c
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK1q3uvuAip
"You alright?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLUWDdNucOe
"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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyH3giNyocG
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ003HqbQOjE
"Who are you?" I ask.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGJUeiwv0LM
"Samual. You don't remember me?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfamuqC1qzY
"No."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV3ZfAhI3YM
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7YH3FvWvZE
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHCVyaKmgDy
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBtDP54qOsA
"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?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtcsT1qDnWo
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1M4m1YSQIi
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuprQLThgc
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Q3PYRovaD
"Playing with sand."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqU42XZqplQ
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRvko4J3MHC
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡytDlB7S8Pg
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGw7dgX5o8s
"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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrNPWzHpgRl
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ZPbtLQgAr
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.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEoiyKDueQ
"What did you say?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgcvciodDC9
"Dad! Daddy!"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8A8u5jLOdK
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuiM6foFoeE
"Do you have any vacation days?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAXaLuIf3Mt
"I think I have about a month so far."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDciSD2OHBX
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuoTmZHnjYC
"She'll be turning one in three days."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk4sRCy17Ma
"Perfect!"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz7ihMtTkDw
"What's perfect?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDsujPYWxGB
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmDhybHsVHS
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwl4vlKvfB4
"Mommy?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4YKOXR8pb7
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4oPUWSnuZT
"I daddy."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBEOiUa8vi3
"You're daddy?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj5khbOwnAL
"Uh-uh. I daddy."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3HsETMmBk
"Oh. You want daddy."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKVPAh3zfZ8
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI2emwJIxVN
"Oh, baby. Come here."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mCtXhOVeI
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQO1IvY8kiI
"I … daddy," she sobs.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO8n89zqPg7
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuHTav3x0eS
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiF1cMKUerH
"Why would I do that?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFxby4AqNcs
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡByOMwommS3
"But I don't know my way out there."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGEpCsWvP8
"I could take you."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyjRX5zLyoW
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLatRleAxqC
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2adSApeA58
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡedRaiSi0Cl
"Hello?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ09NDrWINqE
"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."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQm43PxPDUR
"A week? Are you sure?"425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQP8pQxtIIP
"Yes, I'm sure."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBIKtPjjFo
"That'll leave you three weeks."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFIF1mqExHf
"Yes, I'm aware of that."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhbohSr8oRF
"Alright. A week it is."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHsUcpUbut9
"Okay. Thank you."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡALUIlW9wyX
"Yup. Bye."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRS1Oi3JoMM
"Bye."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx1FnKzxjp4
I end the call and smile. "It worked."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyxVrkaE3uB
"Seriously? You're kidding."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8PiLg7LOFu
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZ3M7NyNw8B
He just looks at me.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhGR1ZuWSn
I smile.425Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf69h2YQ9U0
