he could tell
Hailey goodnight. The little girl couldn’t wait to see him again. She’d really
warmed up to him and Josh was glad. Hailey wanted him to come see her this
weekend, but he had to turn her down. He had a big dinner to attend Saturday.
He’d asked Abigail if she’d like to be his date, and for a moment he thought
she was going to say yes, but then she hadn’t.
He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the burn as it
went down. Any minute now his phone would be ringing and Abigail would be on
the other side. Did it tear at her heart as much as it did his that they were
so far apart?
* * * *
“Is it time to call daddy?” Hailey asked as she
grabbed her toothbrush.
It still took Abigail aback to hear her daughter say
the word daddy . But she was glad her daughter finally had one. “Scrub
those chompers and then come meet me in your room.”
Abigail went down the hall to Hailey’s room and sat
down on the bed. As she waited on Hailey, her thoughts went where they always
did. Josh and his bed. She missed him more than she’d expected. If she had a
time machine, she’d go back right now and accept his proposal and never leave
his home again. She knew it was best that they were getting to know each other
and she enjoyed their talks. Each night when she went to bed and lay alone, she
knew her heart was opening more and more.
“All done!” Hailey plopped down on the bed.
“Blow.” Hailey leaned close and blew in Abigail’s
face. The minty scent hit her and she nodded. “Good job. Now we can call daddy.”
Abigail clicked his name and handed the phone to
Hailey. Her daughters face lit up when Josh answered. She chatted animatedly
with him and told him all about her day at school and how she came home and
made cupcakes with her mommy. Hailey giggled a lot before finally yawning and telling
him goodnight.
Abigail took the phone. “Hold on a moment while I
tuck her in.” She set the phone on the bed and leaned forward, kissing Hailey’s
forehead. “Sweet dreams, my princess. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Love you, Mommy.”
“Love you too.” Abigail picked the receiver back up
and dimmed the light before returning to her call. “Hi, Josh.”
“How are you?”
“Tired, but good. It’s not easy being home all day
and night. I’m starting to go a bit stir-crazy without a job.”
“Return to school.”
She shook her head. “I can’t afford it at this moment.”
Before she gave him the chance to offer the money, she added, “But I have
contacted a college and discussed getting student loans.”
Josh cleared his throat. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“I figured you would be.”
There was a long silence before Josh broke it. “I
miss you. I’m trying to be patient and take things slow. And I understand the
timeframe of us being in one another’s life again is short, but I can’t be
without you. It kills me that you and Hailey are so far away. I promise I won’t
push and will take things at your pace.”
Abigail grinned, not being able to help it. “It’s
getting harder on me as well.”
“Why are we doing this then?”
“I need you to know I’m independent and not going to
rely on you for everything. Just like with schooling. You’re not paying for it.
If I go back to school, I’m doing it on my own, even though it’s going to be
difficult with no job.”
“If you come to New York, you can work and go to
school and I’ll be around to help with our daughter. And don’t forget about
Janet, the nanny. I’m sure we could hire her full-time.”
“I know.”
“Just think about it, that’s all I ask.”
Abigail yawned. “I’m going to turn in for the night.
We’ll talk tomorrow?”
“You bet. Goodnight.”
“Night.” She pressed the end button and then
held the phone close to her heart. As silly as it seemed, having the phone this
close made her feel like he was there with her.
As she headed toward her room, she prepared herself
for yet another
Hailey goodnight. The little girl couldn’t wait to see him again. She’d really
warmed up to him and Josh was glad. Hailey wanted him to come see her this
weekend, but he had to turn her down. He had a big dinner to attend Saturday.
He’d asked Abigail if she’d like to be his date, and for a moment he thought
she was going to say yes, but then she hadn’t.
He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the burn as it
went down. Any minute now his phone would be ringing and Abigail would be on
the other side. Did it tear at her heart as much as it did his that they were
so far apart?
* * * *
“Is it time to call daddy?” Hailey asked as she
grabbed her toothbrush.
It still took Abigail aback to hear her daughter say
the word daddy . But she was glad her daughter finally had one. “Scrub
those chompers and then come meet me in your room.”
Abigail went down the hall to Hailey’s room and sat
down on the bed. As she waited on Hailey, her thoughts went where they always
did. Josh and his bed. She missed him more than she’d expected. If she had a
time machine, she’d go back right now and accept his proposal and never leave
his home again. She knew it was best that they were getting to know each other
and she enjoyed their talks. Each night when she went to bed and lay alone, she
knew her heart was opening more and more.
“All done!” Hailey plopped down on the bed.
“Blow.” Hailey leaned close and blew in Abigail’s
face. The minty scent hit her and she nodded. “Good job. Now we can call daddy.”
Abigail clicked his name and handed the phone to
Hailey. Her daughters face lit up when Josh answered. She chatted animatedly
with him and told him all about her day at school and how she came home and
made cupcakes with her mommy. Hailey giggled a lot before finally yawning and telling
him goodnight.
Abigail took the phone. “Hold on a moment while I
tuck her in.” She set the phone on the bed and leaned forward, kissing Hailey’s
forehead. “Sweet dreams, my princess. I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Love you, Mommy.”
“Love you too.” Abigail picked the receiver back up
and dimmed the light before returning to her call. “Hi, Josh.”
“How are you?”
“Tired, but good. It’s not easy being home all day
and night. I’m starting to go a bit stir-crazy without a job.”
“Return to school.”
She shook her head. “I can’t afford it at this moment.”
Before she gave him the chance to offer the money, she added, “But I have
contacted a college and discussed getting student loans.”
Josh cleared his throat. “I’m glad to hear that.”
“I figured you would be.”
There was a long silence before Josh broke it. “I
miss you. I’m trying to be patient and take things slow. And I understand the
timeframe of us being in one another’s life again is short, but I can’t be
without you. It kills me that you and Hailey are so far away. I promise I won’t
push and will take things at your pace.”
Abigail grinned, not being able to help it. “It’s
getting harder on me as well.”
“Why are we doing this then?”
“I need you to know I’m independent and not going to
rely on you for everything. Just like with schooling. You’re not paying for it.
If I go back to school, I’m doing it on my own, even though it’s going to be
difficult with no job.”
“If you come to New York, you can work and go to
school and I’ll be around to help with our daughter. And don’t forget about
Janet, the nanny. I’m sure we could hire her full-time.”
“I know.”
“Just think about it, that’s all I ask.”
Abigail yawned. “I’m going to turn in for the night.
We’ll talk tomorrow?”
“You bet. Goodnight.”
“Night.” She pressed the end button and then
held the phone close to her heart. As silly as it seemed, having the phone this
close made her feel like he was there with her.
As she headed toward her room, she prepared herself
for yet another
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