Dak and I make love all night long in several new positions I think I’ve only seen in a Kama Sutra book, and as the sun rises, I’m exhausted but satiated.
I hate, though, as we lay tangled in each other’s arms, that I can’t help but wonder what will happen next. What we’re doing cannot last forever.
Nothing good like this ever does.
Still thinking I’m asleep, Dak moves some of my hair away from my face and kisses my cheek in a sweet gesture.
“I think I’m falling for you, Doc,” he whispers.
God, I hope so.
dak
The vibrationof my phone jolts me out of my deep focus of the Nighthawks’ playbook. Even though I’m not on the active roster, I still need to learn the playbook so that I’m ready to jump in and be effective when I return.
A smile creeps across my face as I glance at the screen–a FaceTime call from Bella. I’ve been waiting for this call all day. After a quick shift to another room in my apartment, I hit accept–the eager anticipation of hearing about Bella’s latest escapades at school taking over.
“Hi, Daddy!” her pixie-like voice warbles through the phone, her gap-toothed smile filling the screen.
“Hey, Meatball! You’re supposed to show your entire face, not just your teeth,” I chuckle, mirroring her grin.
She giggles, her camera jerking as she adjusts the phone, finally capturing her curly pigtails, those twinkling brown eyes, and her infectious smile. She’s wearing a pair of big, plastic, pink sunglasses, obviously part of her school adventure.
“Nice glasses, Bells! You look like a movie star!” I compliment.
She giggles even louder this time, cheeks flush with delight. “We had show-and-tell today. I took these glasses because they’re my favorite. Teacher Kendra said I looked like a diva!”
Bella adores her kindergarten teacher and talks about her often. At her private school, they have the children address them by their first names instead of the last. It took me a while to get used to it, but I’m understanding why they do it. It’s not about hierarchy in her school, it’s about mutual respect.
“Well, Teacher Kendra is absolutely right. You’re definitely my little diva. So, tell me more about your day.”
Suddenly, her face goes serious, as serious as a five-year-old can be. She pushes the sunglasses up onto her forehead and leans into the camera, as though she’s about to disclose top secret information.
“Today, Daddy,” she begins, her voice a stage whisper, “I saved the world.”
“You did?” I raise my eyebrows in mock surprise. “Do tell!”
“Well,” she starts, her little hands making exaggerated gestures. “Carson and I were playing superheroes. He was Super-Carson, and I was Bat-Bella.”
“Bat-Bella?” I chuckle. “That’s a new one. And isn’t Super-Carson the one allergic to peanut butter?”
“Yes, that’s him.”
“Is he your best friend?”
“Daddy, you’re getting distracted.”
“You’re right. You’re right.” I laugh at myself, ridiculously worried that my five-year-old already has her first crush. “What happened next?”
“We fought the monsters under the playground slide. They were invisible, Daddy, but we knew they were there!” She says, her eyes wide with pretend fear.
“Of course they were. Invisible monsters are the worst kind.” I play along, holding my hand to my chest in faux horror.
“And then, we took them to Monster Jail!” She ends her epic tale with a flourish, mimicking locking a key and throwing it away.
“Well, my brave Meatball, that sounds like an important job. The world is safer thanks to you and Super-Carson!” I say, feeling relieved that she’s so happy.
Bella giggles again, a sound that never fails to light up my day.
