Chapter 11 Get Well Soon
“Mommy, can we make Violet a gift? I want to do something so she feels better,” Reign suggested.
I smiled at my child. She was so thoughtful. “I think she would love that. Let’s get dressed and head into town,” I replied.
Reign ran from the kitchen table to her room to get dressed. I cleared our breakfast plates from the table. Ten minutes later, Reign reappeared. It was apparent she dressed herself. She wore a pink sweater and blue jeans. It was the purple rain boots that threw off the outfit.
“Nugget, it’s not going to rain today. What made you put on boots?” I asked.
“I thought they were cute. Who made up the rule that you can only wear rain boots in the rain?” she inquired.
I stood there at a loss for words. It was apparent Reign had made up her mind.
I decided against her challenging statement and grabbed my bag.
If she wanted to wear rain boots, who was I to stop her?
We walked toward the car. I opened the door for her, but lately, she had been determined to put on her seatbelt herself.
Once Reign was safe in her seat, I got in the car, then we were off to town for a little shopping.
Twenty minutes later, we pulled up to the craft store. As Reign walked around, I grabbed my phone to text Micah.
Me:
Hey, will you be around in a few?
Mr. Black:
Yeah, Violet and I are just chilling.
Me:
Cool, Reign wants to bring a gift over to Violet. We’re in town now shopping for it.
Mr. Black:
Violet is going to be happy to see her. I’ll see you when you get here.
I put my phone away and gave Reign my undivided attention. “Do you have anything in particular in mind for Violet?” I asked.
“Candy!” she shouted.
“I think we can do better than just candy. Let’s grab a basket,” I told her.
As I grabbed the basket, Reign walked beside me.
Her eyes widened as we walked through the aisles.
I found a medium-sized basket to get us started.
Next, I found some filler paper to line it with.
I let Reign pick up a couple of different candies.
“Do you think Violet would like a teddy bear?” Reign asked.
“I don’t see why not. Why don’t you pick one out for her?” I suggested.
Reign walked up and down the aisle in search of the perfect bear for her friend. Eventually, she found one and placed it into the basket.
“We have candy, a bear, color books, crayons, and stickers. Is there anything else you can think of?” I inquired.
Reign pressed her finger against her cheek as if she were deep in thought. “Nope,” she confidently said.
I grabbed some ribbon and cellophane to wrap the basket in.
After we paid for our items, we headed toward the back of the store.
There was a table where we could put the basket together.
After filling the basket, we experimented with the items. Once it was situated to our liking, I wrapped it in cellophane, then placed the pink ribbon on it.
“Can we take it to her now?” Reign asked.
“Yes, we can, Nugget,” I replied.
Reign was filled with excitement at the idea of seeing her friend. Micah’s place was only ten minutes away from where we were. The quick ride was filled with Reign singing along to the kids’ station playing on the radio.
When we pulled up to Micah’s home, his truck was parked outside. I opened the door for Reign, then grabbed the basket off the passenger seat. Reign walked ahead of me and rang the doorbell. A minute or two later, Micah appeared.
“It’s good to see you guys,” he greeted us.
“Mommy and I made a basket for Violet. I want to make sure she feels better,” Reign explained.
“That was very nice of you. Come on in. Violet will be happy that you’re here,” he offered as he held the door open for us.
As I entered his home, I noticed the neutral colors throughout the living room and dining room. Photos of family and various art pieces adorned the walls.
Violet came down the stairs just as I set her basket down on the living room table.
“Reign!” she shouted.
Reign ran over to her friend, and the girls hugged. It was such a cute moment. Reign made sure to be careful of Violet’s cast on her arm. She even took a moment to examine the cast.
“Does it hurt?” she asked.
“No, but it’s getting kind of itchy,” Violet explained. The girls shared a laugh.
“Reign came over to bring you a gift,” Micah said.
The girls walked hand-in-hand to the table where the basket was.
“Hi, Ms. Harley,” Violet said.
“Hey, honey. I hope the goodies will help you feel better,” I replied with a smile.
“Can Reign stay over and play with me?” Violet asked Micah.
“If it’s okay with her mom, it’s fine with me,” he responded.
Both sets of little eyes were on me. “Yes, it’s fine. Reign has been dying to play with you,” I replied.
The girls jumped in excitement, and Micah carried the basket upstairs to Violet’s room. We left the girls to play while we sat on the couch.
“I’m glad you’re here. I wasn’t sure when I would be free to see you again,” Micah said.
“I knew you were busy with Violet. We would have found a way to see each other eventually,” I confirmed.
Micah nodded in agreement, then asked, “How have you been since the accident?”
“I’ve been in a weird place. Initially, after the accident, I blamed myself. Nana had to convince me that I wasn’t cursed,” I shared.
“I’m glad she could convince you the accident wasn’t your fault. They call it an accident for a reason. You happened to be in the right place at the right time to ensure both our kids were safe,” he expressed.
I contemplated whether I wanted to share the news I just received or not. My mind was still reeling from the letter from John. Over the past few weeks, Micah had become my safe space. He was also a father, so his perspective may help me better understand all of this.
“Along with my feelings from the accident, I received a random letter from a man claiming to be my father—the father I’ve never known. He wants to meet me, but I’m a little conflicted,” I said.
“Wow, that’s heavy. All this time, you didn’t know your pops, I had no idea,” Micah said.
“I’d gotten over not knowing him long ago. My mother kept his identity a secret. Based on the letter he sent me, he didn’t say much. He seemed like he wanted to tell me his story in person.”
“How did learning all of this make you feel? Are you okay? Do you want me to go meet him with you?” Micah questioned.
I shrugged my shoulders. “He never explained his absence in the letter. I’m unsure of what I would gain from meeting him at this stage in my life. His time to reach out would have been during my childhood,” I said somberly.
“I get that, but will you be okay if you don’t meet with him?
Not being around because he chose his wife and family is awful.
At the same time, you deserve to learn more about your other parent.
People make mistakes, but there’s a reason he’s reaching out now.
Do you maybe want to learn more about him? ” he asked.
“I think that’s the hard part. When I was Reign’s age, I asked about my dad all the time. My mother never said much. One day, I just stopped asking. When she died, so did any more talk about him. I guess I got so used to the fact that I was parentless,” I admitted.
Micah pulled me in for a hug. I didn’t notice I had been crying until we broke our embrace.
“I can come with you if you want. You don’t have to do this alone. I’m sure this has been a shock—this, along with dealing with your emotions from the accident. What can I do to take your mind off of everything?” Micah inquired.
A slight chuckle escaped my lips as I wiped my tears.
“You’re already doing it. Thank you for listening to me.
I think I’ll take your advice and go hear him out.
The mood was a little heavy. I didn’t want to dampen our day with my revelation.
We need to find something funny to watch.
Life has been way too serious lately,” I said.
Micah handed me the remote. As I searched for something to watch, the doorbell rang, and I gave Micah a curious look.
“I ordered some pizza and ziti from the pizza shop right before you guys came. There should be enough food for everyone,” he explained as he went to grab the food. He walked the food into the kitchen. When he came back into the living room, he called for the girls.
“Pizza’s here! Come on and eat!” he shouted up the stairs.
Moments later, I heard the girl’s laughter as they made their way down the stairs. Something about this felt right; I could see Reign and me having many more moments with Micah and Violet, as a family.