I reach up and take his hand after he’s done nailing the gate shut and look up at him curiously. I’m not sure what’s going on and what she did that was so bad, but I think I remember now that she is my Momma after all. If she’s the same lady that lived in the well when I first started going over by it, then she has to be.
“Daddy?” I ask, giving his hand a tug. “Who’s that lady?”
He looks down at me and picks me up in his arms, giving my cheek a kiss.
“No one important, baby. I tried to give you a day that you would remember forever, and she fucked it up. But I want you to remember that it’s not your fault, okay? You didn’t do anything wrong.”
I can feel tears starting to spring to my eyes and I give him my best “but I love you” puppy dog look and try again.
“Is that my Momma?”
Daddy’s smile softens some, and he runs a hand back through my hair as he begins to carry me back toward our house.
“No. I would never do that to your Momma,” he promises, snuggling me close to him.
I believe him. Daddy’s never done anything bad to me before and he’s never lied to me either. Daddy is a good man and I’m happy with it being just me and him, anyway.
“Are we going to color some more?” I ask him, almost immediately forgetting about the bad lady in the well.
“Later. First, we’re gonna do a little something for me,” he whispers. It’s just like a secret, and I’m so happy that Daddy trusts me enough to tell me secret things—it makes me feel like a big girl.
He puts me down as soon as we’re inside and I wait for him while he closes the door and locks it. When he looks back down at me again, there’s something a little different about his eyes, but I’m not worried about it.
“Okay Daddy!” I say happily as I let him lead me upstairs. I don’t know where we’re going ‘cause usually Daddy just takes me to my room and leaves me there until he’s ready to talk to me again.
“I’ll race you,” he says with a smile.
I giggle and clap my hands. I’m so excited because Daddy never asked me to race before so I know that whatever happens is gonna be fun!
“On your mark … get set … go!” I shout, as I begin to run up the stairs as quickly as I can. He laughs and gives me a head start, then passes me two steps at a time, and holds his arms out when he gets to the top stair.
“That’s not fair! You’re bigger than me!” I shout, stomping my foot angrily.
He picks me up in his arms and spins me over his head and gives me a kiss on the mouth. I laugh and push him away ‘cause his whiskers feel funny and they tickle my face.
“I wanna walk,” I say pushing at him. He holds me for a moment longer, the smile leaving his face, and he nods. Once I’m on my feet, he holds a hand out and we start walking down the hallway.
It only takes me a couple of steps to realize where we’re going and I can’t believe that he thinks I’m a big enough girl to finally see his room. Daddy’s never let me in there before because he told me that’s a place for grown ups.
As soon as we’re both in the room, he closes the door behind him and clicks the lock in place. I turn around and smile at him, my hands behind my back, and he chuckles.
“Why don’t you get on the bed and we can play a little game,” he says, in a weird voice. “I’m gonna show you how much I love you, Darby.”
I raise an eyebrow at him, but then I shrug and get on the bed like he asks me to. Daddy would never hurt me and I know that he loves me ‘cause he tells me so every day.
And now, I’ll get to find out how much he loves me ‘cause he promised me that one day he would show me.