Eleven months later …354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dvtjRvVmZ
"Hey, little Nightingale?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv0gkvtzbJj
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMeYALsA0nj
"Nightingale?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcSWjVaXU7v
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVWABbq2CCu
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZSR214nDSf
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpz56NLx0xD
I laugh. "Silly, you can't walk yet." I walk over to her and pick her up. "Come on. We need to get your socks and shoes on."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsVQr58mkyG
She flails her arms with her hands clenched tight on two blocks. I set her down and walk over to her dresser. I open the top drawer and grab a pair of grey socks. I grab her little sandals and walk over to her. She sees what I have and drops the blocks in her hands. She shoots her hands in the air and squeals, doing jazz hands. I roll my eyes and laugh. She giggles.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfDjSCm7br6
"Oh, you're too cute." I kneel down and put her socks and shoes on. Then I pick her up and head to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, I grab my keys and head out the door. I get outside and put Nightingale in her car seat. Then, I shut the door and get in the driver's seat. I start the engine and back out of the driveway. I pull out on the road and head to the park.
I get to the park and park in the parking lot. I turn the engine off and get out. I put my keys in my pocket and open the back door. I unbuckle Nightingale as she squeals in delight. I take her out of her seat and shut the door. Then, I carry her over to a nearby picnic table. I set her on the table and sit down. She squeals.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV6vjzLnqvL
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9RuybBj2L
She squeals again.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQLapilcF5c
I smile. "Oh, so cute. Who's a cutie? You are." I sigh and look around. "Oh. I wish your father could see you. He'd think you're cute too, I'm sure."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBXHbB1MPc
She looks up and points behind me. I turn around to see a man walking towards the park. She squeals. She crawls over to the edge of the table and tries sliding to the ground. Instead, she ends up doing a backflip and lands on her butt. She giggles and looks up as the man stops right in front of her. He looks down at her and smiles. She smiles back and giggles.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfPWuHIuTo1
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVL5q48G1j
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfcic2luydB
I can't help it. I smile. Suddenly, my phone starts ringing. Nightingale brings her hands down and looks at me, tilting her head to the side. The man looks over at me and gasps. I answer the phone and get up. I walk away a few feet.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA5G1wQLvsq
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQmtAlCIZHk
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYVsr7HTt0T
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6auHJgNVt4
"I found a foster—"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV8z7R4JBTV
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM3f22Jh6I4
"But her father isn't—"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQBmw02UZDh
"Her father knows what's best for her. Okay? I'm done talking. I've done graduated school, gotten a job, and moved out. I'll be fine."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHQzDCvuiky
"But what about college?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjKWtBKpo0X
"Dang it, mom!" I hang up and sigh. I let my phone drop to the ground and put my hand on my forehead with my other arm supporting it. "Oh my God."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNvP4NTfM1N
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9aqYlgEG0f
"You alright?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL7A2o0GWF9
"I'm fine." I walk over to the table and sit down. I watch as Nightingale plays with the sand. She squeals. I laugh and smile. She looks up at me and claps her hands. I sigh. "Oh, you're so cute."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuZRSX6ZgNA
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJMa3YMdvs
"Who are you?" I ask.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxuc3aMZBkn
"Samual. You don't remember me?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgXpBmUnfoC
"No."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ7uvrfL7ew
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeyK0hBaPAV
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcKpvKo1jY9
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrYwBF3YEmn
"Are you sure that would be a good idea? What if he doesn't recognize me? Or worse, he does but he doesn't want anything to do with me or Nightingale?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwRKZNmKGL1
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIb7KXSBCCB
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaouP9NbEsu
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1XxPw3Eyzz
"Playing with sand."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3DJISiV5m3
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2JosizUauA
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXdgAcJIvSD
She looks up at me and falls on her butt. She giggles. She gets up again and takes a step forward. I get up carefully and grab my phone. I come back and quickly pull up snapchat. I pull up my picture screen and start taking a video.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7GUz8xi9pf
"Well, look at you. Someone's learning to walk." I back up a few steps and she takes two slow, small steps. She giggles. I smile.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1p8uwqjBAG
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9hvWjxF7R8
Finally she reaches me with a squeal and hugs my leg. I save the video and put my phone away. I pick her up and whirl her around. She squeals. I stop and set her down. She gets up and follows me to the table. I sit down and watch as she climbs up on the seat. She manages to get up on the seat and sit down. She says something and I look at her.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrm3Wo0Sjr4
"What did you say?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ669kcFmaDR
"Dad! Daddy!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuFuIAceot
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDVGgAUgrOl
"Do you have any vacation days?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5TKppndHH
"I think I have about a month so far."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUe7hEzXKlm
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ70lduc37NT
"She'll be turning one in three days."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTOmHsh9scH
"Perfect!"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUGuzFY8tcF
"What's perfect?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDOxkESCMMH
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrG11JIAzTu
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJFMwzQqQ8e
"Mommy?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡK5woLisidS
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3cvfVLlArY
"I daddy."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGxHA377vJR
"You're daddy?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUasjQjiQKR
"Uh-uh. I daddy."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVz5ea8CAIV
"Oh. You want daddy."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡABirare0kn
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgSr5dmM0sK
"Oh, baby. Come here."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbKKjxeF3aC
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT3FTGgFqVn
"I … daddy," she sobs.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhEJiVt6OfR
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQPymExccZo
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOwlQJl6Yx
"Why would I do that?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7RN2xJ5t9
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKa71Awfm4k
"But I don't know my way out there."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmhn6k5xTqe
"I could take you."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKXYLJGh35l
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUMBXui622f
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ17AT4m6nNk
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnkktsmVCvg
"Hello?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc8ZpBxI6WH
"Oh, um, could I take a week off of work? For my daughter? She'll be turning one in three days and I want to take her to visit her father."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ78xEVSgiXr
"A week? Are you sure?"354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGiZgI0AWrY
"Yes, I'm sure."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGFWFMtvazB
"That'll leave you three weeks."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡctXikyOVGS
"Yes, I'm aware of that."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW5PuJEGiDt
"Alright. A week it is."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQd4dDQ5zA7
"Okay. Thank you."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Bhs449q5s
"Yup. Bye."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡovFUHMlEDY
"Bye."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVQDHvkhHuK
I end the call and smile. "It worked."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiRDd0KKcQg
"Seriously? You're kidding."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3A5Me2TFQB
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3ZcOKTUt0j
He just looks at me.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBGY64ug12B
I smile.354Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlxrEawCwv3
→ Request update
and then Add to home screen.