Eleven months later …304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfmXGDMHphV
"Hey, little Nightingale?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpkj93xMXRP
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡN67vf9elvL
"Nightingale?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr6Byl0yM4G
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJpixqkRQ78
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv3g0HwWO41
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0PHEFnMACt
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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡElETVWtEkT
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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡezRhzR2DSU
"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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiKdXjowCvV
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZDsO8EixFB
She squeals again.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh7zjZIGjoi
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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV2PB97mKQ7
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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBmesmhrg7
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5ReBM7CKiK
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡodQ6bHtzD7
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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3LiztPZw1
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaCTBjDqpgl
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJYPbLxkgWS
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAqADrpkB5o
"I found a foster—"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5bq3USMkyw
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRbQWBFwcQK
"But her father isn't—"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2hK5LqePq
"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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI3XFePAbIy
"But what about college?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4HhF4l5cVn
"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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9B7FA8FYKg
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf0zIBqdlaw
"You alright?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBqLPSvBTx
"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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqc29yDS269
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaQDxastnpd
"Who are you?" I ask.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuruSJNqujT
"Samual. You don't remember me?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3yw3Isax3Q
"No."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsh0ZOL6BdJ
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZXogMqzvxS
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFVF2W81ueJ
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjx01YCkGWz
"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?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpUkR94eCT
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMB4LVJUqpA
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZkvIUkyx8c
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCtBlp1WPEQ
"Playing with sand."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWLl9qME79t
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpXtCE90SmP
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡI9nI55FI4X
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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqNlUFBgD9R
"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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnBvoKxHCR2
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjFGkm847jc
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.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcyHYJwN2F3
"What did you say?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4hLFjKo4QJ
"Dad! Daddy!"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmEFS3LJMs
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLHXvtPeRgY
"Do you have any vacation days?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZj4KHEf04
"I think I have about a month so far."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2479cRfehX
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3WuEgphtJK
"She'll be turning one in three days."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuvH0Qr0fgt
"Perfect!"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZMEmbEobO9
"What's perfect?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzSQE5cIaMX
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGuys300oIh
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrKyc0u9KQd
"Mommy?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB6iDvHFXkl
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuBs9RFbKwL
"I daddy."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmrA0ze3am6
"You're daddy?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnMKPs4BcTP
"Uh-uh. I daddy."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3NHZQ6fpUj
"Oh. You want daddy."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO5TIfPP1L6
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSw0CR6cOLE
"Oh, baby. Come here."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMmoUKLKzum
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡocMsEtOziN
"I … daddy," she sobs.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKUerpCEaHy
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMglKEs0Sxd
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMg0obAPtQO
"Why would I do that?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡICQ0vRx48U
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOdJ0FTYV4X
"But I don't know my way out there."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP1BLFMeuiY
"I could take you."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaH1XqpyvfT
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhIcnIB9S2C
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6DzXlwfSfX
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoHSnX1hnUW
"Hello?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5jpsvoMNrb
"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."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEyTiwoJkRU
"A week? Are you sure?"304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUsdbxKgJBK
"Yes, I'm sure."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiV1T0kYQmL
"That'll leave you three weeks."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSoNNWhvnQG
"Yes, I'm aware of that."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwucXrCHduF
"Alright. A week it is."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4X3IHArP8w
"Okay. Thank you."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuicHsrUwm3
"Yup. Bye."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj3KDWh8CLa
"Bye."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTmgUEHOBmW
I end the call and smile. "It worked."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07lGXQGiig
"Seriously? You're kidding."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7Dg7gvYuEA
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyqydpRQkf
He just looks at me.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK3wrQsTm1E
I smile.304Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkMlVfMktXc
