“Did you know a baby giraffe is six feet tall when it’s born?”
Cailin’s eyes go wide. “That’s bigger than my daddy!”
“Um, not quite. I’m six-four, but that’s pretty damn close.” I hold up my finger to make my point before putting the truck in gear. “What should we listen to, little girl?”
Cailin taps her finger to her lips as she thinks. “Has Miss Russo heard your new album?”
I let out a hard laugh. “She doesn’t have to listen to that.”
“It’s okay. I really like your new stuff,” she says, surprising me.
“You do?” My eyebrows rise in question.
She grins as she tilts her head at me. “Yes, I do.Tears Don’t Fallis my favorite so far.”
I nod slowly, impressed she even knows the name of one of the songs. “So, you’re okay with our harder stuff?”
Tears Don’t Fallis a more personal song I wrote about my past with my mother as well as Cailin’s mom. No matter what happened, it’s time I’ve dealt with it all, especially for Cailin. I’ve always done what I wanted, but now, I owe it to her to not mess things up.
She shrugs, faking nonchalance. “I like them all. The harder stuff gets me going more.” She gives me a grin, mischievously narrowing her eyes, and I have to stop myself from leaning over to kiss her.
The urge is real and strong. And it’s not even truly sexual. It’s happiness. She makes me fucking happy, and I’m taking it in like a drug, wanting more every time I’m around her.
The drive to the zoo is relaxed and comfortable. Sarah keeps up in conversation with Cailin while I fall for her even more. Gone is the nervous girl I thought would never see me as a normal person, and in her place is the woman Linda and Cailin raved about.
I park the truck when we pull up to the zoo and hop out to help Cailin with her booster seat. When Sarah meets us from the opposite end of the truck, her expression makes me question what’s going on as she searches around us.
I drop my head to hers and whisper in her ear, “What are you searching for?”
Her wary eyes meet mine. “Aren’t you afraid people will recognize you?”
I reach in, grabbing my black hat and pulling it down low. “This will help a little. It’s going to happen though. Just get ready. I try not to allow it to slow me down, so I can live my life.”
I throw Cailin’s backpack we grabbed with our water bottles and snacks over my shoulder and shut the door.
“But what about Cailin?” Her sincerity is admirable.
“She’s my daughter. That’s a fact that I only hid for her sake, not mine. It’s time the world knew she existed. She’s old enough to handle it now, and I’m sick of having to try and hide. Right now, I’m more interested in showing my daughter these giraffes she’s dying to see.”
I wink as I grab Cailin’s hand and nod my head to Sarah, motioning for us to head toward the entrance.
I pay our admission, and we enter through the gates as I open the map to see everything the place has to offer.
“Should we see the lions, snakes, or monkeys first?” I ask, faking nonchalance.
“Daddy!” Cailin yells. “Which way are they?”
“Hmm …” I search the map. “Giraffes, giraffes… where are they?”
I glance up to see Sarah’s lips trying to hide her grin. I match her expression as I announce, “Found them!” I point my finger to the right. “This way, my dear.”
Cailin takes off running, and we jog behind her. Once they’re in sight, Sarah and I slow down and stroll the rest of the way with our eyes glued to Cailin.
“You like to play with her, don’t you?” Sarah asks.
“It’s my absolute favorite thing on earth. She’s so easy to mess with, and seeing her face light up is the best thing ever.”
“Daddy, hurry, hurry. Look how tall they are,” Cailin yells, calling us over to her.
