“I think she’s excited,” I said to Sir Bites-a-lot, glancing down at the creepy bear my daughter had deemed her favorite toy. Loudly, I called out, “Are you getting dressed?”
“It’s so perfect!” Aria shrieked. Once more, she came running down the hall—still naked—with a new dress clutched to her chest. She hopped and danced around the living room in a fit of giggles, blonde curls, and purple tulle.
“It’d be more perfect if you’d put it on,” I commented.
“Can I show it off?” she asked.
“To anyone you want.”
“Yes! Yes! Yes!” she screamed as she ran back to her room.
I reveled in the quiet while I had it, knowing full well that it wouldn’t last long. I listened to the loud commentary she let out as she got into her new outfit, and I smiled.
“I’m coming! Be ready for me!” Aria shouted a few minutes later. I set down my mug and grabbed one of the barstools to move around the side of the island. It was the best way to see her in all her runway glory. “Don’t forget my music!”
“I’d never forget your music.”I almost forgot her music.I found her playlist on my phone and turned on her favorite song, letting the fast beat fill the condo.
She came strutting down the hall in her brand new dress—a soft, long-sleeved top with a bright purple tulle skirt decorated with gold stars. The sparkly black tights and black flats she worematched perfectly. I made a whole thing of it, feeding her vibrant energy as she twirled and danced to show off her new dress.
That bright smile of hers wrapped around my heart in the best way.What better way to spend my money than on custom dresses for my favorite girl?
“I love it!” she exclaimed. She threw her arms around my waist and squeezed as tight as she could. “I love it, I love it, I love it!”
“Good. How do you want to do your hair today?” I asked. Playfully, I tweaked one of her curls, making her giggle.
“Can I have pigtails?” she replied.Exactly like I expected.
“Absolutely.” I hoisted her off the ground and set her on the counter, where I had all her stuff waiting already. Pulling her feet underneath her, she wiggled until her back was to me. As I combed out her wild mess of hair, I reminded her of our schedule. “We’re going to take all of the gifts you made to the neighbors, and then we’re going to head out and get breakfast—”
“Can we get pancakes and orange juice fromBeans?” Aria interrupted.Beans Bistrowas a little café we’d found two years ago. She loved their birthday cake pancakes, I loved eggs Benedict, and the staff absolutely adored her. It was our Sunday tradition.Well, we’d need a new Sunday tradition.
“Do we interrupt someone when they’re talking?” I said gently.
“Sorry, Daddy. So can we go toBeans?”
“I think going toBeansis the only way to spend our last day in the city.” That was a bittersweet thought, but we’d outgrown the condo. It didn’t matter that it had all the space we could need. It just didn’t suit us anymore. It didn’t suit what I wanted for Aria and her future. She deserved a house with a yard, fresh air, and outdoor adventures. While we’d built a small community out of random interactions in the city, I wanted to give her a real community that would grow with her as she got older.
“Are you sad?” she asked, her little voice cutting through my thoughts. “To go?”
“A little bit,” I told her honestly as I tied a ribbon around her first pigtail. “We have a lot of great memories here, don’t you think?”
“Yeah.”
“Are you sad?”
“Is it okay if I say I’m sad? And if I’m excited?” Aria whispered. We were in that phase of questioning the validity of her emotions. I was just grateful she asked the questions rather than burying them. Leaning over, I kissed the crown of her head.
“It’s okay if you’re sad about leaving this home,” I reassured her. “And it’s okay to be excited about moving to a new one. New town, new home, new adventures.”
“It’ll be fun!” she chirped.
“Yeah, it will.” I tied off the second ribbon and fluffed her curls. “Let’s go through this once more… we’re going to drop off all the gifts we made, and then we’re going to get breakfast atBeans, and then we’re going to drive to our new home.”
“In Wilde Bay,” she finished for me.
“Yeah,” I repeated softly. “In Wilde Bay.”
Wilde Bay hadn’t been a thought in my mind in a very long time.Why should it have been?Once upon a time, the place harbored rough memories laced with pain and disappointment. I couldn’t imagine making a real home in a place like that.
