Chapter 19 #3
“Excellent. Mr. Laaksonen wanted me to mention that if you’d like to take a walk, Central Park is three blocks that way.”
“Do you hear that?” I leaned down to straighten Leena’s beanie. “Daddy thought of everything.”
“Da,” Leena said, making my smile widen.
“Can I get you anything, George? A bagel? Coffee? Water?”
His professional expression slipped for half a second. “No, ma’am, but thank you for asking.”
Leena waved goodbye as we headed toward the cafe and joined the line spilling out onto the sidewalk.
Soon enough, I had an Asiago bagel with vegetable cream cheese for myself, a plain bagel with an egg that I tore into bite-size pieces for Leena, and an iced coffee.
Rather than claiming a table along the street, I pointed the stroller toward Central Park and started walking.
Central Park was exactly what I pictured and so much more. The city faded into the background as we walked beneath the trees, the constant hum of traffic replaced with the rustle of leaves, birds chirping, and more dogs than I could comprehend.
We found an empty bench near the pond, and I parked the stroller beside it.
Ducks drifted across the water while people rowed boats across the lake, looking like something straight out of a movie.
I tore Leena’s bagel and eggs into pieces, handing them to her one at a time while she kicked her feet happily in the stroller.
We ate our breakfast while Leena pointed out everything she could see—squirrels, pigeons, boats, bikes, all of it. She chewed happily, then pointed toward a golden retriever trotting past with a tennis ball in its mouth.
“That’s a dog. I saw him too.”
Her entire body twisted as she watched it disappear down the path, then pointed at another one coming toward us. Sitting here with her, it was easy to forget about everything except keeping food off Leena’s jacket and making sure she didn’t launch pieces of bagel into the pond.
It was nice. Peaceful, even. I’d spent so much of my life working toward whatever came next that I’d forgotten what it felt like to enjoy moments like this.
When we reached the other side of the park, George was already waiting at the curb.
“Where to?” I asked when the door shut behind me.
“There’s a bookstore I thought you might like.”
“You mean Mikko thought.”
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “He made a few suggestions, yes.”
I couldn’t contain my grin, especially not when Metallica filtered softly through the car. Knowing Mikko, he’d chosen that too. “Lead the way.”
The second we walked inside the bookstore, I knew we were in trouble. Floor-to-ceiling shelves stretched in every direction, cozy chairs tucked into the corners. Story time was in progress in the back of the store, parents and children sitting together to listen.
I unclipped Leena and sat on the floor with her in my lap. Together we listened to Corduroy, a bear who lost his button in a department store I couldn’t help but imagine as the famous Macy’s not too far from here.
When the book was over, I let Leena walk through the children’s section, squatting to look at the board books down on her level. She grabbed one, then lifted it up to show me.
“That one is about a duck.”
Leena flipped it over, looking at the duck on the cover, then said something pretty close to, quack, quack, quack, as she bounced up and down.
I pulled out my phone and took a quick video to show Mikko later.
We took the book up to the counter, and I handed over my new credit card.
Leena tugged on my leg until I lifted her into my arms, settling against my shoulder while she watched the woman behind the counter.
“What a beautiful little girl! She has your eyes.”
I looked down at Leena, looking for any signs of myself in her. It was silly—I knew she wasn’t mine—but I couldn’t help but notice that her eyes were more grey than Mikko’s. Not as dark as mine, but enough to tie us together.
“Thank you.”
I took the bag from her, then walked outside with the empty stroller, Leena in my arms. George took it from me and folded it back into the trunk, then held the door open for me while I buckled Leena in.
“Think she can handle one more stop?” George asked once we were all inside.
I looked over at Leena, her little fingers wrapped around the book in her lap, then out the window at the city rolling by.
The whole day had been perfect, and I had my husband to thank for it. Mikko hadn’t only handed me a credit card and told me to have fun.
He made sure Leena had a car seat.
He remembered my favorite foods.
He found me a bookstore.
He thought about all the things that would make me happy long before he’d left for the rink this morning.
They were such little things, but I couldn’t get over the fact that he was showing how much he cared about us, about me, when he wasn’t even here.
Leena yawned, her hand reaching out toward me. I held my hand out for her, then looked back at George, not ready for the day to be over yet.
For today to be the perfect day, there was one more stop I wanted to make.
“I want to see the Christmas tree.”