entry, where we put our shoes on and headed out the door.
We made our way down the sidewalk toward the park; Charlie was mostly silent as we walked. As soon as we reached the playground, though, she took off for the jungle gym. I stayed close as she climbed the ladder and went down the slide, repeating this cycle a few times before heading for the swings.
“Daddy, will you push me?” she asked as she jumped onto one of the available swings. I complied and began pushing her gently. She giggled and squealed in delight as she swung higher and higher. It was always a joy to hear her having fun and to watch her be so free…something that reminded me so much of how her mother used to be.
We laughed and ran around the park for a while, just playing and losing track of the time. It wasn't until I noticed the light in the sky change that I looked down at my watch and then to Charlie, who seemed to read my face. “We have to go now, huh?” she pouted.
I knelt down to her level and looked her in the eyes. “We do. But, I guarantee you Grandma has something yummy waiting for us back at the house.” I smiled and gave her a wink. “Come on, I'll give you a piggy-back ride.”
Charlie's face brightened, and she rushed around to hop on my back. I stood and adjusted her slightly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her chin on my shoulder.
We walked in silence for a bit before Charlie spoke softly. “I miss Mama.”
“Aw, baby. Mama misses you, too,” I told her. “And she tells you so whenever she kisses you goodnight.”
Charlie lifted her head from my shoulder quickly. “She does?”
We had reached the end of the driveway by that point, so I got down on one knee and Charlie slid off my back. I took her by the hand and pulled her around in front of me. “Every night,” I said. “Now come on, I can smell Grandma's roast and my stomach is rumbling.”
Holding my hand tightly, Charlie tugged on my arm in an effort to help me to my feet before pulling me toward the front door. As soon as we passed through the threshold, the aroma of the roast propelled us in the direction of the dining room, where my mother was just placing the last few table settings down.
“Oh good, you're just in time!” she exclaimed.
Charlie and I took our places at the table, and I dished up her dinner. Once Charlie had her plate in front of her, I started filling my own as I tried to make conversation. “So, what do you guys have planned for the weekend?”
“Oh! Actually I wanted to see if Charlie wanted to sleep over this weekend,” my mom suggested. “You're father's busy at the hospital, and I was going to see if Charlie wanted to keep me company in this big lonely house.”
Charlie's eyes went wide, and she turned her big, blue-eyed stare to me. “Oh, yes I do! Daddy, please may I stay with Gramma and Grampa?”
It had been awhile since she had stayed with them overnight, and it was difficult to look into her puppy-dog eyes and tell her “no.” Plus, maybe it would give Cassie and me some much-needed time alone to talk through everything.
I smiled down at Charlie. “Of course you can sleep over. I'll pick you up Monday after I'm done work, if that's all right with Grandma.”
My mother beamed from her spot across from me. “That would be perfect.” Taking a bite of her dinner, she looked at me as though she had remembered something. As soon as she swallowed the bite, she spoke. “And before I forget, I called the Taylors and they would love to join us at the beach house this summer.”
“Oh my goodness!” Charlie shrieked, bouncing wildly in her seat. “Gramma and Grampa Taylor are gonna come, too?”
My dad laughed and leaned forward. “And that's not all. Because it's so close to a certain little girl's fifth birthday, we're going to have a special family birthday party there,” he announced, to which she replied with more exuberant shrieking and bouncing.
As we continued eating our dinner, we
We made our way down the sidewalk toward the park; Charlie was mostly silent as we walked. As soon as we reached the playground, though, she took off for the jungle gym. I stayed close as she climbed the ladder and went down the slide, repeating this cycle a few times before heading for the swings.
“Daddy, will you push me?” she asked as she jumped onto one of the available swings. I complied and began pushing her gently. She giggled and squealed in delight as she swung higher and higher. It was always a joy to hear her having fun and to watch her be so free…something that reminded me so much of how her mother used to be.
We laughed and ran around the park for a while, just playing and losing track of the time. It wasn't until I noticed the light in the sky change that I looked down at my watch and then to Charlie, who seemed to read my face. “We have to go now, huh?” she pouted.
I knelt down to her level and looked her in the eyes. “We do. But, I guarantee you Grandma has something yummy waiting for us back at the house.” I smiled and gave her a wink. “Come on, I'll give you a piggy-back ride.”
Charlie's face brightened, and she rushed around to hop on my back. I stood and adjusted her slightly as she wrapped her arms around my neck and rested her chin on my shoulder.
We walked in silence for a bit before Charlie spoke softly. “I miss Mama.”
“Aw, baby. Mama misses you, too,” I told her. “And she tells you so whenever she kisses you goodnight.”
Charlie lifted her head from my shoulder quickly. “She does?”
We had reached the end of the driveway by that point, so I got down on one knee and Charlie slid off my back. I took her by the hand and pulled her around in front of me. “Every night,” I said. “Now come on, I can smell Grandma's roast and my stomach is rumbling.”
Holding my hand tightly, Charlie tugged on my arm in an effort to help me to my feet before pulling me toward the front door. As soon as we passed through the threshold, the aroma of the roast propelled us in the direction of the dining room, where my mother was just placing the last few table settings down.
“Oh good, you're just in time!” she exclaimed.
Charlie and I took our places at the table, and I dished up her dinner. Once Charlie had her plate in front of her, I started filling my own as I tried to make conversation. “So, what do you guys have planned for the weekend?”
“Oh! Actually I wanted to see if Charlie wanted to sleep over this weekend,” my mom suggested. “You're father's busy at the hospital, and I was going to see if Charlie wanted to keep me company in this big lonely house.”
Charlie's eyes went wide, and she turned her big, blue-eyed stare to me. “Oh, yes I do! Daddy, please may I stay with Gramma and Grampa?”
It had been awhile since she had stayed with them overnight, and it was difficult to look into her puppy-dog eyes and tell her “no.” Plus, maybe it would give Cassie and me some much-needed time alone to talk through everything.
I smiled down at Charlie. “Of course you can sleep over. I'll pick you up Monday after I'm done work, if that's all right with Grandma.”
My mother beamed from her spot across from me. “That would be perfect.” Taking a bite of her dinner, she looked at me as though she had remembered something. As soon as she swallowed the bite, she spoke. “And before I forget, I called the Taylors and they would love to join us at the beach house this summer.”
“Oh my goodness!” Charlie shrieked, bouncing wildly in her seat. “Gramma and Grampa Taylor are gonna come, too?”
My dad laughed and leaned forward. “And that's not all. Because it's so close to a certain little girl's fifth birthday, we're going to have a special family birthday party there,” he announced, to which she replied with more exuberant shrieking and bouncing.
As we continued eating our dinner, we
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