Eleven months later …332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡure9pz6A8v
"Hey, little Nightingale?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVyHeZQ1YK
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqfTTj0GrhX
"Nightingale?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhp0F41coCF
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD44pERwHNA
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP4RCw3FSwc
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8NDR9Fnvk1
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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ75r5hggNf5
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgyTuBz8V3w
"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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEBTogAF59D
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT9ccQNcHFF
She squeals again.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBpw5SH1zDO
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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDoDfHIkBmz
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6UiAVeyU4i
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMYBhh0hMge
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmieoS4VSyH
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4nkF7hKqFn
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaBYknwrRBS
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxcrk4LG4uF
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzfmvmHIuL9
"I found a foster—"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOxAUNaGWsO
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzSGYMaaO4
"But her father isn't—"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyiyvEqIVVv
"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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhdt4xB5Hu
"But what about college?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOB3aIDlPTS
"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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO2oK1k9hCx
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxRZodUtNhJ
"You alright?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTEym13Zl2K
"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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQALnjwuuni
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfgRRnEeHuq
"Who are you?" I ask.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrxBW5wcXv5
"Samual. You don't remember me?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyGYPCpuozA
"No."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1HVbeIxqs5
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZuZVKdeo7J
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRUo1SG99ln
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLaqcnK8QUS
"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?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7kLjDJus5S
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWgMwCWpaOD
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNBq5O2cTQd
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoF2LCuyR8P
"Playing with sand."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv5DuhoFlIC
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEbFeugW4K
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrOYyyWazcV
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFgk82535Ga
"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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm3OiZPnx7r
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGeyuPzLW56
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.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjVJZWsPms4
"What did you say?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX5Envbgsbn
"Dad! Daddy!"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEFUsuSbbVg
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNFlof4Pbif
"Do you have any vacation days?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqOW7Y5Hhly
"I think I have about a month so far."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfr39Pm3IDN
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJGaXiBvJ2H
"She'll be turning one in three days."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO6gaMzc9vL
"Perfect!"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMMPP12g5BK
"What's perfect?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKOmbqPkYAQ
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8HufAJUwPz
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ12YWTyUCQs
"Mommy?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNz4I0Gjhdz
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6v6UsBMtJy
"I daddy."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgk5ACa1F2v
"You're daddy?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7zxaRDKIgK
"Uh-uh. I daddy."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZzjbQPDON
"Oh. You want daddy."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3kljYz8PhJ
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdT3NMQgeSi
"Oh, baby. Come here."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiEMwzCNvXP
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPkcsrvkVYB
"I … daddy," she sobs.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCPRMR9jYS
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMzgH3xDbMR
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX8R9AAAxRw
"Why would I do that?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EJC63Rm6s
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLj5jKJzR6r
"But I don't know my way out there."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX3m0EhKFm1
"I could take you."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhw40AjFz6r
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzXfUbWJyfg
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4z2iBQKA4d
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXrQnmmt4XN
"Hello?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYkcCH39Kt
"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."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0730ASnWo3
"A week? Are you sure?"332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWN2aTI1tEG
"Yes, I'm sure."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQq5wT5QZEM
"That'll leave you three weeks."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡm1IGP6DaTo
"Yes, I'm aware of that."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBscX6ixVeC
"Alright. A week it is."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuIPIpfhLh8
"Okay. Thank you."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMvNobjHr8S
"Yup. Bye."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0HuLNI35f
"Bye."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡstBy3kBYt1
I end the call and smile. "It worked."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuefWf68NxW
"Seriously? You're kidding."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyjNIWKlFs
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOqsFNFKDK
He just looks at me.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXUpcrZfuAe
I smile.332Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrVsO3MeaWv
