Eleven months later …353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3bwc7WP1zk
"Hey, little Nightingale?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvgvDqpXTdk
"Dah! Dee! Doo!"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJHW3gbMuA
"Nightingale?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh2nm5cX9Sm
"Uh?" She drops her blocks and looks up.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmUBaJWcUOi
"Do you want to go somewhere? Hm?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPpHj5M6ib8
She tilts her head, like, woman, have you lost your mind? Of course! She jumps up and falls on her butt. She screams.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyJcfUfstIJ
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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8y1G8FTn1
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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP7sKiN4Th7
"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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3RTitTJKyr
"You're one happy camper, aren't you? Happy you finally get to come outside in public? Hmm?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnq2yjQUSD8
She squeals again.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPbN8qppYfP
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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkZBRvGYsfz
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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjgM8Dt3tT9
He bends down and strokes her hair. "You're absolutely beautiful."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL1PBF7VYuc
"Dee!" She puts her hands over his eyes and giggles.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡc9BNKnSRrS
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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE9KmyvUe4J
"Hello?" I ask. "Who is this?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHNAwI6zU3g
"Why, Nikki, how could you not know?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgd82bu0EX4
"Mom, I didn't look at the phone number. I didn't—"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9HOmPIN2JX
"I found a foster—"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡah6ZtX9Yuq
I groan. "Mom, how many times do I have to tell you? I'm not getting rid of Nightingale. At all. Is that understood?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyY6z3X0ZEf
"But her father isn't—"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrV2GGfpsuE
"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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGvtGF2W06N
"But what about college?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpJzfmqSSuC
"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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzNOAN6ALt
I suddenly feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see the man standing behind me.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwzEb44t26m
"You alright?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7s7XXBjbzT
"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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE6G7yrAKrw
After an hour, I finally am starting to wonder who the mysterious man is. I look up and see him looking at me.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCJkFqT4o4s
"Who are you?" I ask.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv2D2EyZboa
"Samual. You don't remember me?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡheu1DgjGl8
"No."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3I8nvOFTzL
"I'm sure Dracula would absolutely love her." He looks at her and back at me. "Has she learned to walk yet?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkoR4v1lUgC
"No. She hasn't. She's only eleven months old."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqzY4dHCvs4
"Well, as soon as she learns to walk, you could let me know and I could take you two to see Dracula."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhtZ6zTcBLk
"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?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkRSk2Lqi1x
"I doubt that second one. The part of him not recognizing you is more reasonable than anything else."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZaLV0x12EE
"True. But what about Nightingale? Will he even know who she is? What if he thinks she's someone else? What if—"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡllPpiUAVGF
"What on earth is your daughter doing?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO4uGb43JI6
"Playing with sand."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw7BMWtM7Gw
"I don't think she is. It doesn't look like it."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Mf8bb4N4r
I look at Nightingale and gasp. "Nightingale, what are you doing?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡn7TvSUgDKA
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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNYly5GMgVz
"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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxXtO0LxGUw
"Da! Doo! Da! Dee!" She squeals.
I laugh and smile. "You're so cute."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0VvKOA1CtE
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.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUQDvf5Wj99
"What did you say?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr4NOix7pFk
"Dad! Daddy!"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCjdT7y6mYu
I gasp. I look up at Samual. "What am I going to do? I can't just go visit him. I have a job."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXueZio3P0h
"Do you have any vacation days?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOFrQvn5Wsj
"I think I have about a month so far."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQcTQdmPEMu
"You could take a few days to a week off so you can go visit him. For her."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM34Yq9VjnP
"She'll be turning one in three days."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr47ulXErCW
"Perfect!"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkvukzN8AQT
"What's perfect?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBFkTURWbdb
"You could take her to see him for her birthday."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjcNvv44caO
I look at Nightingale, who's looking at me with a confused look on her face.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeBY5NubBnn
"Mommy?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4CdPf1hRFt
"Oh. Yes. I'm mommy."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfq7yt3BrM
"I daddy."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnQhLXQcOB
"You're daddy?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbG91eZRumC
"Uh-uh. I daddy."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhkNtMwAQ3q
"Oh. You want daddy."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRiw0uN3lor
"Yah. I daddy." She looks up at me with a sad look in her eyes.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡATZcPUOZhP
"Oh, baby. Come here."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsGQA0E8A6I
She climbs into my lap and puts her head against my breast. I can hear her sobbing.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5PlIwKHHx6
"I … daddy," she sobs.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj2E3ec2058
I stroke her hair. "Oh. It's alright. Shh."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzjdPlwfezu
Samual looks at me sympathetically. "Well, you could call work and ask for a week of vacation."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE2h1EpzUmH
"Why would I do that?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7qvuBhL0QB
"It's obvious she wants to see him really badly. You could do that for her first birthday."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNVegsTguBn
"But I don't know my way out there."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0Kf699Qxvr
"I could take you."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbYdWpKihI1
"But Nightingale needs a car seat."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZYwUze4xOW
"You can hold her in your lap and I can take the back roads."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqA3aQdNGl1
"Oh. Fine. For her." I pull out my phone and call my boss.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYHK2qrGhZS
"Hello?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdfNGEiXKth
"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."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFg3S6d5kbl
"A week? Are you sure?"353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMKSrkwCB7K
"Yes, I'm sure."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlebX1yj5Xb
"That'll leave you three weeks."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBcbr0Y650R
"Yes, I'm aware of that."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ743hHiWETq
"Alright. A week it is."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbO5KlXBzVk
"Okay. Thank you."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9uLy6v7gex
"Yup. Bye."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡltQqQ4G4OC
"Bye."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxmX4fK2ee
I end the call and smile. "It worked."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9S8Cl06SMB
"Seriously? You're kidding."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyIe2rnWdzS
"Yeah, seriously. I got a week off."353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUhGLpexCKL
He just looks at me.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy3HVg2szTI
I smile.353Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuXPp2URAKk
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