“Mommy, why do you keep looking at him?” Natty asked.
I peered over my shoulder. “Yeah, Mom. Why do you keep looking at me?”
She giggled as she drew in a deep breath, and I knew what was rushing through her head. She wanted to tell Natty. Hell, I wanted to tell Natty as well. But I also didn’t want to overwhelm the little girl. Still, I turned my attention back to the heated frying pan in order to get Lexi enough room to do what she thought was best as Natty’s mother.
And when she started talking, I braced myself for whatever fallout might come.
“Sweetheart, do you know how you’re always asking questions about your father?” Lexi asked.
I didn’t see Natty’s reaction, but I heard her voice. “Yeah?”
I peered over my shoulder and watched as Lexi got up. She moved to a chair much closer to our daughter before she ran her fingers through Natty’s knotted hair. I turned my eyes back to the steaks, making sure I didn’t overcook them as the potatoes started to boil in the heavily salted water.
Then, I held my breath as Lexi began to speak once more.
“You know how I told you he died overseas fighting for our country?” she asked.
“Uh huh,” Natty said.
I slowly let out the breath as the momentum mounted.
“Well,” Lexi said, “I have it on very good authority that your father didn’t die like I thought he did. I figured that’s what happened since he never came home. But, the truth of the matter was that he was doing something so secretive and so dangerous that he couldn’t contact anyone back home.”
Natty gasped. “My daddy’s alive? Can I meet him!?”
Lexi giggled. “Do you want to meet him? Because I could arrange that if you--.”
“Please, oh please, oh please, Mommy!? I want to meet him so bad. Do you know his favorite color? I bet his favorite color is--.”
“Red,” I said.
The entire room fell silent as I turned all of the steaks in the pan. They needed at least a couple of minutes on each side, so I set the tongs down and turned around.
“My favorite color is red,” I said.
Natty slowly turned her head in my direction as her jaw hit the floor. Her eyes widened as she slid from her seat and came to stand in front of me. I knelt down, becoming eye level with her as she reached her tiny little hand out and traced her fingertips along my forehead.
“You’remy daddy?” she asked softly.
I nodded. “I am, sweet girl, and I’m so sorry that I’ve missed so much of your life. But, if you’d like it that is, I don’t want to miss another second of it. I’d like to get to know you, and be there for you, if that’s okay.”
Her eyes widened. “You saved Auntie Chloe and Mommy.”
I took her small hand within mine. “I will always be there to save Auntie Chloe and Mommy. And you, for that matter. Always.”
The second she threw her arms around my neck, my entire life changed. She buried her face into the crook of my neck, and I felt her small pair of lips kissing me endlessly, and all I could do was scoop her into my arms and let her cling to me. I turned back around and picked up the tongs as I felt my little girl crying into the crook of my neck.
And after getting the steaks repositioned in the pan, I wrapped my arms around her entire body. “I’ve got you. It’s okay. I’m right here, sweet girl. I’m so sorry. I’m so very sorry.”
“Wh-wh-what’s—your favorite movie, Daddy?”
My eyes widened at the title as tears dripped down my neck. “Well, I think I’d have to say that Homeward Bound is my favorite movie.”
Natty shook her head. “I don’t know it.”
I scoffed. “You don’t know it? What kind of little girl doesn't know Homeward Bound? Sounds like we need to sit down and watch it.”
She lifted her tear-stained face. “Really? You wanna watch a movie with me?”
