Total pages in book: 86
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 83244 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 416(@200wpm)___ 333(@250wpm)___ 277(@300wpm)
“Yeah, yeah. I remember all about the nail and the screw.”
Gloria had it in her head that she and I should start playing tennis. She decided I needed a hobby that didn’t involve paperwork or worrying, and she was right. I did need a hobby, but Saturdays were hard to work around, especially with all I had going on.
But I’d made her a promise, so I asked, “What time do you want to meet?”
“Seven or eight, but no later than that.”
“In the morning?” I whined.
“It’s going to be hot, and it’ll only get hotter the longer we wait.”
“Okay. Okay. Let’s do seven-thirty.”
“And no tire issues or babies with fevers.”
“Nope. I’ll be there.”
“You’d better be, or no more surprise coffees for you.”
“Understood.”
“Good.” Her warm smile turned into a cocky smirk. “Winner buys coffee.”
“You got yourself a deal.”
With that, she turned and went back to her office. I sat there smiling at my now-empty doorway. Gloria was a good friend, even if she was going to force me to play tennis bright and early on a Saturday morning.
I glanced back down at the file and began the tedious task of trying to figure out what I might’ve missed or who I might need to talk to in order to finally close the case on Dylan Mercer.
By the time I shut down my computer, the office had cleared out, and the cleaning crew was rolling in, which meant I was even later than I thought. I gathered my things and left the file sitting on the corner of my desk. I hated leaving questions unanswered, but there wasn’t anything more I could do tonight.
Besides, I had to get to the daycare before six, or I’d get another fine. That was the last thing I needed, so I rushed outside and wasted no time getting across town. Forty-five minutes later, I was parked at the front door of Anslee’s daycare.
I rushed inside, and to no surprise, the room was much quieter than it had been early that morning when I dropped her off. Most of the kids had already been picked up, and the ones remaining were sitting on the floor, their eyes glued to a movie the daycare was playing on the TV.
Anslee was sitting in the back, twirling one of her long curls around her little finger, like she always did whenever she was tired or bored. She was an adorable eighteen-month-old with chubby cheeks, tiny freckles on her nose, and a round middle. She also had the most precious smile, but it was her beautiful blue eyes that stood out the most.
They were endlessly blue, bright, and full of innocence.
The second she spotted me, her entire face lit up, and my heart nearly leaped out of my chest. She quickly shuffled to her feet and called out, “Momma! Momma! It’s my momma!”
A big smile spread across my face as I watched her waddle over to me, practically jumping into my arms. This was the favorite part of my day. “Hey, sweet girl. Did you have a good day?”
Her little arms wrapped around my neck as she mumbled something that sounded like ‘yes, ma’am’. I hugged her tight and took in her sweet baby scent, and just like that, the tension I’d been carrying all day melted away. I kissed her on the cheek and said, “I missed you.”
“Me, too, momma.”
“You ready to go home?” She gave me an excited nod. “Alright then. Let’s get to it.”
After collecting her backpack and the stuffed monkey she couldn’t survive without, we headed out to the car. The moment I buckled her into her car seat, she propped her hand on her legs and announced, “I ‘ant… I ‘ant doo… doo-dles.”
“Noodles?”
“Um-hmm.” She nodded.
Last week, all she wanted was chicken nuggets. The week before that, it was peas and carrots. And now, we had moved into the noodle phase of the month. I didn’t care. She could have noodles or ice cream. Whatever made her happy. It had been a long and exhausting day, and I wanted to get my girl home and spend some time with her before bedtime.
Anslee babbled all the way home, and while I understood very little of what she’d said, I loved seeing her so happy and smiling. I wished I had more than just a few moments here and there with her. I felt like I was missing out on so much, but I didn’t have a choice.
I had to work. It was the only way I could keep a roof over our heads. I wasn’t the only one who felt this way about leaving their kids. I knew that, but it didn’t make me feel any better. Anslee was growing up so fast, and I was missing it. I’d missed her first steps, the first time she held a crayon, and even the first time she tried a bite of apple, which is why I tried my best to soak in every second I had with her.