"Bye Natalie!" Maddie shouts. "Tell Daisy not to eat my crayons!"
"No promises," I call back.
Gabriel pauses in the doorway. For half a second we just look at each other.
"See you tonight," he says.
"See you tonight."
Neither of us moves.
Then Maddie tugs his arm.
"Dad we're going to be late."
The door closes.
Daisy and I both stare at it like we are waiting for something else to happen.
She sighs and flops down on the rug.
"I feel that," I tell her.
***
By ten o'clock I'm working at the dining table while Daisy naps at my feet like a loyal assistant who contributes absolutely nothing to productivity.
My phone buzzes.
Gabriel:Did Daisy steal Mr. Pickles off Maddie's bed again?
I smile.
Me:He started it.
Gabriel:Mr. Pickles has always had questionable judgment.
Me:Your loyalty disappoints me.
Gabriel:I trust the dog.
I stare at the screen longer than necessary.
Then my phone rings.
"Hi," Gabriel says when I answer.
Just that. Hi.
The word somehow makes my day brighter.
"Hi," I say.
"Just checking in," he says. "Days are so much easier when Maddie remembers her lunch."
"Heroic parenting achievement," I say.
He laughs quietly.
