26. Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Evan
“ N o, Dad, that's not it!” Skye whines.
She never whines. The last time she did it, she was sick, but she's not sick today. She is complaining for the same reason I am. I feel like shit because Calista isn't here.
She isn't here to wake up Skye, to do her hair, and bring me my coffee with a smile and a kiss. She isn’t here for me to pamper and to make her breakfast.
She isn't here cheering Skye on about the outfit she’s wearing. She isn’t here smiling and winking at me before she walks out the door to let me know that when she gets back, we will have some fun.
She isn't here, and I'm trying and failing to do a simple braid for Skye's hair.
She isn't here. And she’s missed.
“I'm sorry,” I whisper, dropping her hair and meeting my daughter's eyes in the mirror.
Skye grabs the brush from the counter and brushes her hair.
“It's okay, Daddy. But maybe you should take beauty school classes because I have many more days of school before I move out.” Then she runs downstairs, leaving me there looking like a fish out of water. Eyes wide, mouth opening and closing, and the reality of what she said sinks in.
I take her to school, and the entire way there, she is quiet, staring out the window. Before she jumps out of the car and practically runs into school, she gives me a forced smile.
To kill some time, I pop in at the station to say hi to Rick and Judy. Everyone is happy to see me, and the Chief even says I'm free to use the station's gym while I'm on leave and working with my physical therapist.
Then, on my way home, I stop at the coffee shop and stare across the street at Calista's apartment. It's dark, and I wonder if she is sleeping in. Probably, she’s enjoying not having to be up at the crack of dawn to get Skye ready. She deserves to sleep in and I should be bringing her breakfast in bed.
Fuck, I miss her.
After getting my coffee, I head home. I'm not sure what to do with my days, since I’m all alone. I’m still not working, but I won't start PT until next week. When Calista was here, I'd fill my day with her. Now that she isn't at the house, I'm completely lost.
Everywhere I turn in my house, I can see her. When I try to do laundry, all I can see is Calista bent over the washing machine, switching out laundry, with her perfect ass on display.
When I try to pick up Skye's room, all I see is Calista cuddled in bed with Skye reading her books out loud before bed.
And anytime I step foot in my room, I see her flushed and gorgeous as she is coming on my cock, and I'm so hard it's uncomfortable.
All but running out of the cabin, I leave an hour early to pick Skye up from school. When I get to there much earlier than I normally do, the moms there to pick up their kids gets out of their cars and come over to chat and see how I'm doing.
Normally, I’d hate it, but at least it's a distraction. Finally the kids are streaming out of the school, and I spot Skye.
She jumps into the car and telling me all about her day. The books she read, her new list of spelling words, and the craft project they are working on.
“What do you want to do for dinner, Princess?”
“Pancakes!” she says.
She is much more excited than she was this morning, which is nice, but short-lived.
“What kind of pancakes? Blueberry? Apple?”
“Bananas Foster!”
My heart sinks.
Those are the ones Calista made us, and I don't have the recipe for them.
“I don't have the recipe, baby, but I'm sure we can find it online,” I say. Then in my rearview mirror, I see Skye's face fall.
Once we’re home, I sit at my computer, easily finding a recipe for the pancakes. I print it out and pull out what we need, setting it at the counter.
Skye joins me and makes a face. “Calista doesn't add cream to them.” Skye wrinkles her nose.
Putting the cream away, I pick Skye up and set her on the counter, so we are at eye level.
“You miss her, don't you?”
I can see the sadness in her eyes.
“Yes. She fit in here, and for the first time, I got to see what it was like to have a mom.” Skye's bottom lip wobbles, and I pull her in for a hug.
Maybe I was naive, thinking I was doing such a good job, and she wasn't missing out with only having a father. I hate seeing her like this, especially when I miss Calista too.
“Why don't you go work on your spelling words for a bit? We still have time before we start dinner,” I say. I’m needing a few minutes to collect my thoughts.
While I know I should start dinner, I just need a breather because I can't seem to admit out loud that I miss Calista, too. And I know Skye needs to hear it.
Going upstairs, I stand in the doorway of the room that Calista stayed in. Since she left, I haven't been able to step foot in it. But I do now, and catch a whiff of her perfume.
Her stuff is gone, but it still feels like she is here. In my imagination, I can see her curled up in bed reading or smiling at me in the mirror as she puts in a pair of earrings, getting ready to take Skye to school or pick her up.
When I turn to leave, something catches my eye on the dresser behind the door. A necklace. Walking over, I pick it up and immediately know it's Calista’s. I remember her wearing it.
That's when I lose it. All the emotion I was holding in bursts out of me. I'm crying in a way I haven't in years. She was never going to be temporary in my life. I knew it, and even when I had the chance to say something when she was leaving, I didn't.
“Daddy?” Skye asks, tearfully.
“I miss her too, Skye. A lot. I messed up, and I didn't ask her to stay.” Unable to stand, I press my back to the wall, sliding down to the floor.
Skye comes to sit in my lap, wrapping her little arms around my neck.
“Mistakes can always be fixed, right?” she asks tentatively.
She’s repeating words I've told her many times before. Only this time, I don't know if they're true.
I don’t say anything because I don’t know what to say.
“Do you love her, Daddy?” Skye asks, shocking the hell out of me.
I really think about it because my gut reaction is yes, I do, and that I have for longer than I want to admit. The more I think about the last few weeks, the more I realize I love that woman with every part of me, and the reason it hurts so much is that she took my heart with her when she left.
Suddenly, I see everything clearly. It’s like I’ve been walking around in a haze of hurt that only my seven-year-old was truly able to discern.
“Yes, I do. What do you think about me marrying her?” I ask Skye.
Her face lights up with the brightest smile, one I haven't seen since Calista left.
“I was hoping you would! I love her! Are you going to ask her?” Skye says, bouncing in my lap.
At the thought of marrying Calista, I feel peace. Not the normal resistance I would feel when people would randomly ask when I was going to give Skye a mother. I love being Skye’s dad and couldn’t stand the thought of bringing someone in to our life and not only sharing my time with someone but also sharing Skye with someone. Now, with Calista in our lives, it feels like I’m not sharing, but widening the circle. The heartbreak I felt a moment ago is gone. It’s replaced with hope that Calista feels the same way and that I will get her back soon. A plan is forming in my head and I’m not going to wait. I want my future with her to start as soon as possible.
“Will you help me pick out a ring?”
“Yes!” She jumps up.
“Okay, go put on a fancy dress and brush your hair really well.”
She runs off with a happy smile on her face.
Then I head to my room, getting dressed with a satisfied smile on my face. Sending a text to Jack, I ask him to reach out to the jewelry store next door and let them know I'm coming so they don't close early. There’s no way I'm leaving anything to chance.
I plan to bring Calista home. Nothing is going to stand in my way.