Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Time moved both incredibly slow and incredibly fast with a six-year-old, Hunter thought as he fed Olivia spaghetti for dinner Monday night and tried to engage her in conversation. Since he'd picked her up at three o'clock, she'd been up and down in her mood, complaining one minute, laughing the next. He'd taken her for a walk on the beach and thrown a beach ball around with her, which had been fun for a while, but as soon as they'd returned to the apartment, she'd started asking him when her mom was coming back. The only thing that had distracted her was the show he put on the television. Maybe it was bad to put her in front of the TV, but there was only so much he could say when she asked about her mom.
Now, he still had the evening to get through, and he had to tackle homework in the next hour, too. He'd put that off because she'd been in such a bad mood, but he couldn't let her go to school tomorrow without doing the spelling words and very easy math problems she'd brought home.
A knock at his door brought a wave of relief. He'd once dreaded the friendly knocks from neighbors wanting to invite him to things. Now, he was ridiculously happy about the interruption. He was even happier when he saw Emmalyn on his doorstep.
His stomach clenched at the sight of her pretty eyes and warm smile. She got more attractive every time he saw her. He'd missed her today, too, which was ridiculous since they'd spent most of the weekend together. He should have been relieved to have a break, but he wasn't.
"Oh, you're eating," Emmalyn said as she came into the apartment and saw Olivia at the table.
"We're pretty much done," he said.
"Hi, Olivia," Emmalyn said.
He was surprised to see Olivia barely mutter hello and then start playing with her fork again. If even Emmalyn was getting the silent treatment, he was in big trouble.
She gave him a questioning glance.
"I think Liv is having a bad day," he said quietly.
"Well, we all have bad days." Emmalyn moved to the table and sat down in the chair next to Olivia. "Want to talk about what's bothering you, Liv?"
He'd asked Olivia to talk about what was bothering her at least ten times, so he didn't think Emmalyn would get an answer. To his shock, Olivia suddenly burst into tears, words pouring out of her.
"I have to draw my family for homework," Olivia sobbed, getting out of her chair to press herself into Emmalyn's arms.
"Okay," Emmalyn said as she hugged her. "What's the problem?"
"I don't have a family anymore. My daddy is gone and so is my mom. But if I don't do it, I'm not going to get a star," she added, sobbing and hiccupping in between her words.
He felt a stabbing pain at her words. He'd had no idea that was what was bothering her, but it made perfect sense. No wonder she'd been sad all day. She'd been reminded of everyone she'd lost.
"Oh, sweetie," Emmalyn said in a soothing voice. "It's going to be okay. You can still draw your family."
"But they're not here."
Emmalyn put her hand on Olivia's chest as she gazed into her eyes. "They're here in your heart. And it's not just your mom and dad who are your family. You can draw your grandparents."
"Mommy said Nonna and Papa can't take care of me anymore. They're gone, too."
He drew in a sharp breath, his heart aching for her.
"Well, family is not just about parents and grandparents; it's about people who love you, who take care of you." Emmalyn tilted Olivia's chin up, gazing into her eyes. "And you get to choose who else you want to be in your family."
"I can choose?" Olivia asked, her eyes wide.
"Absolutely. Some families are born, and some families are found. Like when I moved here to Ocean Shores, I found a new family in my friends: Lexie, Kaia, Paige, Josie…everyone who lives here."
"So, they could all be my family, too?" Olivia asked. "What about you and Hunter?"
"We can absolutely be your family," Emmalyn replied, her gaze moving to him.
"I am so glad you're here with me, Liv, that your mom brought you to stay with me. I was really sad when your dad died, and I think your mom must have known that. She knew I needed some company. I needed a sweet, smart little girl like you to be in my family, just like your dad was."
"I guess I could draw everyone," Olivia said.
"That would make a great picture," Emmalyn told her.
"And I can put Daddy in it, even though he's in heaven?"
"Your dad should be right at the front," he said as Olivia's gaze sought his.
"Okay. Can I do it now? Can I be done eating?"
"Sure. Do you need paper?"
"I got some at school. It's in my backpack."
As she ran into the bedroom in a much-improved mood, he gave Emmalyn a grateful smile. "You're like a magician. You can turn tears into smiles."
"Maybe with six-year-olds." She gave him a compassionate smile. "It sounds like you two had a rough afternoon."
"She wouldn't talk to me. She did mention she was missing her mom, but since I couldn't give her any answers on when her mom would be back, she stopped talking about that, too. I didn't know how to get her to open up. But you said one thing, and she spilled her guts."
"I have had some practice," she said. "I'm sure you did your best."
"My best wasn't that good. Her mother should be here," he said quietly.
"Well, sometimes moms aren't always there."
"Speaking of which, how's your mother doing?"
"She went to the doctor and had a lot of tests. They don't have a diagnosis yet, but there seem to be possibilities that are not as serious as others, so I'm hopeful that's the way it will go."
"How is she dealing with being away from her home?"
"She's up and down. She's trying to convince herself she made the right decision, but she's scared, and I think if Jeremy showed up at her door…she'd be tempted to go back. I asked her to promise me that she wouldn't, and she did make me that promise, but…"
"You don't believe her?"
"I want to believe her, but trust has to be earned. Let's just say I'm guardedly optimistic. How did your day go?"
"I finished my last physical therapy session. I also ran into another pilot who had been injured and returned to duty. It was nice to see someone succeed who has gone down the road I'm about to travel."
"That's good. What's the next step?"
"A very detailed physical on Wednesday." He paused. "I need to ask you for a favor."
"Seriously? The man who never needs help wants a favor?"
"Yes. I have to do blood tests at eight a.m., and I'm going to need to leave here by seven thirty that day. I asked Paige, but she said she drops Henry off at daycare at seven thirty, and I don't know if I can get Olivia into that. Is there a chance you could take Olivia to school?"
"Of course. That's barely a favor. I'm going there anyway."
"You'll have to hang with her for a while before school."
"It's fine. I'm happy to do it."
"Thank you. You've already gone above and beyond for me."
"What I've done for you doesn't come close to what you did for me yesterday, Hunter. I might not have gotten my mom away from that market if you hadn't been there."
"I'm glad I could help."
"And I'm happy to help you, too. I like Olivia, and you're doing a good thing here. You're giving her the security and love she needs."
"I want to do right by Olivia. Not only for her, but for Gary and also for Bree. But I can't help Bree if she doesn't come back."
"Hopefully, she will return soon."
Olivia ran back into the room, bringing a piece of blue construction paper to the table. She placed it in front of them. "Is it okay?" she asked.
The drawing was done with the bright, bold strokes of a child's hand. In the center was a building with lots of doors and windows—clearly Ocean Shores—and surrounding it were four figures. A tall man with red hair and black dot freckles stood at the top of the page, surrounded by clouds and a bright sun. Below were three more stick figures: a woman with brown hair, a man with black hair, and a woman with yellow hair.
"That's Daddy," Olivia said, pointing to the figure in the clouds. "He's watching over us from heaven. And that's Mommy. Then you and Emmalyn." She looked at them anxiously. "Is it good?"
His throat tightened as he stared at the simple, heartfelt drawing: Gary watching over the four of them, a makeshift family that somehow made sense in Olivia's eyes.
"It's beautiful, Livvy," Emmalyn said, her voice a little thick. "Thanks for putting me in your family."
"I was going to do everyone, but I ran out of room," Olivia said practically. "Do you like it, Hunter?"
"I love it," he said, impulsively wrapping his arms around her and giving her a hug.
"You're squishing me," she protested.
He laughed, then let her go. "Sorry."
"Can I watch a show now?"
"No. You still have to do your spelling words and your math. Why don't you bring those out here, and we'll do them together?"
"Before you go, Liv, I'm going to say goodnight," Emmalyn said, giving Olivia a hug. "I'll see you tomorrow."
As Olivia went into the bedroom, he walked Emmalyn to the door, opened it, and stepped out onto the landing with her. It was twilight now, the stars just appearing in the sky, the day's temperature starting to cool down. He wished he could spend more time with her. Maybe she felt the same way as she didn't appear to be in a hurry to leave.
"It's a beautiful night," she said.
"It is," he returned, but he was talking about her and not the night.
She flushed under his gaze. "You're staring."
"I know."
"We can't…"
"Can't do what?" he challenged.
"I just want to be friends with you, okay?"
He met her gaze, seeing the same conflicted emotions, the unspoken acknowledgment of the sparks between them. It wasn't okay at all but he couldn't say that, because he couldn't offer an alternative suggestion.
"Goodnight, Hunter," she said when he remained silent. Then she turned and left.
He was really starting to hate watching her walk away from him. But sooner rather than later, he might have to walk away from her, so maybe she was right. Maybe it was better this way.