But I know I can’t. I’ll never be able to do that.
Best I can do is give her the skills to take care of herself.
Lying beside her, I drag the mess of curls away from her face, and she opens her eyes. “I really thought today would be so great, Daddy.”
Her little chin wobbles.
“I know, kiddo. I know.” I hug her into my chest and her small, fine fingers wrap around the opening of my shirt.
With a sniffle, she lifts her gaze to mine. I lie on the pillow as she presses her palms to my chest. She feels cool against my skin, always chasing my warmth. Coming to my bed in the middle of the night when she was younger.
I’d wake up with her curls plastered over my face, her little body pressed up against my side, drool over my pillow. But there are worse ways to wake up.
I offer her a reassuring smile. “Today is done, but tomorrow is all ours.”
She rolls her eyes at me, and I chuckle.
“I guess,” she whispers. Her hand brushes over my days’ worth of stubble. “So scratchy, Daddy.”
“Must be time for a beard, then.”
Her face twists with disgust. “No way!”
I chuckle and pull her close, smothering her while I rub my knuckles in her hair. “Tickle time, then, hey?”
She squeals, batting her little hands into my chest. I release her a little way and poke her ribs playfully as she wriggles on the bed, kicking her legs around.
Much better.
It takes her a while to register that I’m no longer tickling her, and she settles, her laughter fading as I pull her duvet over her. I brush her hair from her face and plant a kiss to her forehead. “Night, my beautiful girl.”
She snuggles in, tugging the blanket up higher. “Night, Daddy.”
“Love you, Maise.”
“Love you, too.”
I rise from the bed and pad across the room. When I turn out the light, I lean on the doorframe, watching her cuddle her bear and close her eyes. Double-checking the thermostat is warm enough, I push from the door and walk into the hallway.
“Dada?”
Backtracking, I pop my head in her doorway.
That gets a small giggle. “Can we do the tree tomorrow when I get home from school?”
“Sure, kiddo. I’ll pick you up, and we can head to Caleb’s and pick a tree.”
Her eyes are lit up. So much for being sleepy. “A really, really big one?”
“Absolutely.”
“Night, Dada.”
“Goodnight, Maise.”
I pad back down the hall to my room, exhausted from running a small business, raising an energetic, curious kiddo,and making a new home for us in a new town. It all takes a very real toll by the end of the day. But when I lie my weary body, those dark eyes from the woman next door won’t budge from my mind.
Her sharp words and annoyed expression only serve to make her more endearing in a way. But she has made it very clear—she does not like me. At all. And with the vitriol that spilled from her tonight, the feeling is mutual. The last thing I need right now is a shitty neighbor, so I’ll keep my distance.
