Page 72 of Freefall

“I thought maybe I could tell it to you.”

What’s your favorite flower?

“Sure,” I manage to choke out.

She lies back against her pillow, studying the ceiling as though trying to remember every word exactly as Harper told it.

“Once upon a time there was this handsome prince. He had dark hair and didn’t like to smile very much, but he was kind.”

I cough out a small laugh.

“One day, he met a princess.” She smiles sleepily, snuggling further into the blanket. “They asked each other lots and lots of questions because they wanted to know everything.”

Your turn.

I asked you a question.

Now it’s your turn to ask me one.

“The prince told the princess all about his favorite things.” She pauses to yawn. “His favorite movie. His favorite color. Even his favorite flower.”

“Flower?” I croak.

“Yeah. You see, the prince’s mommy was the queen, and she loved daisies. She would collect them all over the kingdom and bring them back to the palace.”

For a second, the whole room blurs.

“But…” Daisy’s voice grows quieter. “The queen went to heaven when the prince was just a little boy.”

Emotion clogs my throat. I can’t even remember the last time I cried.

“Anyway, the prince and princess became best friends and played together every day,” she continues. “But then one day they got separated.”

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes, threatening to fall.

“Then the princess had a baby…a little girl.” Daisy smiles. “She wanted her to have a piece of the prince forever.”

I stop breathing.

“So she named her Daisy.” She thinks for a moment. “Mommy must have liked that story so much because she named me Daisy.”

Jesus, Harper.

“That was a really good story.”

“I know.” She yawns again. “It’s my favorite. Will you stay until I fall asleep?”

I don’t even have to think about it. “Of course.”

My back hits the nightstand as I slide down to sit next to the bed. She picks up one of the books we’d abandoned earlier and traces the words on the cover with her finger. “Nate?”

“Yeah?”

“What does infinite mean?”

I glance over. Her eyelids are already drooping.

“It means something that never ends.”