Chapter 25
25
I sprint up the stairs followed closely by Roxie. I hear Vaughn calling to Daisy outside on the deck.
I check the princess castle, the closet, the bathroom. Frantic, we go room to room, looking everywhere.
I think of all the times Daisy has played hide and seek and made us worry. Once she went off to see Aunt Lou when Ma was babysitting her and forgot to tell anyone where she was going. Or the time she fell asleep in Dakota’s room after playing under Dakota’s bed and no one knew where she was for an agonizing twenty minutes.
It doesn’t happen often, but she’s given us a scare enough times for me to feel sure this will be no different. Please be okay. Where are you? Daisy happens to be quiet. She also happens to be freakishly fast .
The hot tub cover is locked but I check it anyway .
I notice then that the small gate to the side staircase leading off the deck is open.
Daisy.
And I know where she’s gone. “The cemetery,” I say to Roxie.
“You think she went there?”
“We go there every Sunday afternoon. We missed it this week.”
“Where is it?”
“It’s up behind the orchard, by the waterfall. It was their favorite place on the farm.”
“I’ll come with you,” Roxie’s pulling on her boots.
“Travis, can you keep searching around the house? Vaughn, go up to Ma’s and see if maybe she’s there.”
“Sure, man. She can’t have gone far. We’ll find her.” I’m suddenly incredibly glad they’re here.
I roll the quad bike out of its shed and Roxie climbs onto the back, wrapping her arms around me. “Hold on tight, Tuck.”
I push the quad bike for all it’s worth. We round the hill and I can see the pink of her princess outfit and the strawberry-blond halo of her hair in the distance.
Thank you, God.
We pull up next to the little cemetery of two that we made just for them. The flowers we brought last weekend are wilted in their vases now. Daisy is sitting cross-legged between the two stones. Her little face is streaked with her earlier tears, but dry now. “Hi, Uncle Nate. Hi, Miss Roxie. ”
I help Roxie off the quad bike. Then I go over to Daisy and pick her up, giving her a big, wildly relieved hug. “You can’t do that to me, sweetheart,” I murmur.
“I’m sorry. Sometimes I just need them.”
“I know. Just tell me next time so I can come with you.”
“Okay.”
Daisy sees that Roxie has tears in her eyes too and she reaches for her. Roxie takes her and gives her another one of those heartfelt hugs. “You okay?”
Daisy nods as Roxie smooths her hair.
“That’s my Mommy and that’s my Daddy,” Daisy points out.
Roxie puts Daisy’s little hand on her heart. “They’re still right here. Always. Just like mine are.”
“In the beat of my heart,” Daisy whispers.