Page 87 of Rising Star

I pinched my lips to refrain from laughing. “Nah, extra special friends are best friends forever. They eat tons of pancakes together, sing songs before bedtime, dance in the rain, watch movies with a lot of popcorn on the weekend, and tell each other when they’re sad. Or afraid. Or happy. Do you think you and I can be extra special friends?”

She bobbed her head, a hint of a smile grazing her lips. “I’d like that.”

“Me too,” I said, mirroring the tilt of her lips. “I’d like that very, very much.”

I closed my arms around her, and she hugged me back.

“I love you, Maddie.”

“I love you too, Mika. So much, you have no idea.”

“Are you going to sleep in daddy’s room now?”

I offered her a lopsided smile. “I will. Even daddies are afraid of the dark sometimes.”

“It’s okay. Daddy is less grinchy when you are here anyway. He smiles more. And doesn’t burn dinner when you are around. He even sings in the shower or when he’s doing the dishes.”

“See, all he needed was his own special friend. I guess we’ve figured out how to keep his grumpy-bear attitude away then.”

Her giggles filled my heart with a new sense of purpose. And calm.

She turned until we faced each other. “Do you love love my daddy? For real?”

“I do. Like a lot. So much my heart breaks when he’s not around.”

“Why did you stay away for so long if you missed us?”

“Because I had to get better. So I wouldn’t have to leave ever again.”

We stayed like that until she broke the silence. “Daddy was grinchy again. When you were gone. He only smiled around Justine and me. The rest of the time, he was unhappy.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll do my best to keep his grinchy side far away.”

“Okay. Can I tell you a secret?” She lowered her voice, kneeling to speak into my ear. “Daddy has a hairy chest. And sometimes, he snores and sounds like a bear. Justine and I think it’s funny.”

I couldn’t contain my laughter this time and tilted my head back as my eyeballs dampened. “I won’t tell him you told me. Your secret is safe with me. Extra special friend safe.” I held out my hand. “Think we should go to see him? And tell him we’re not mad at him? Because I’m sure right now his heart is sad. Because he thinks he’s lonely again.”

Mikaella watched my hand, then her eyes traveled to mine, and after I gave her an encouraging nod, she moved to her feet.

The last bruises of my heart healed.

Her fingers snaked around mine. “Do you think Lisa will come back?”

My heart pinched in my chest. “I don’t know. I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t.”

She shrugged. “It’s okay. Daddy is happier with you anyway. I think he loves you too.”

“You think?”

She bobbed her head fast. “Yes. He has shiny eyes when you’re here, and he keeps staring at your mouth like he wants to kiss you.”

“Oh, I didn’t know that,” I said, doing my best to look surprised.

“I saw him do it. Many times. Daddy is not good at looking away from you.”

I bent to kiss her hair. “I love you, Mika.”

“I love you too, Maddie. Can Justine call you Mama? Because if you kiss daddy, she’ll believe you’re her mama. She already thinks you are. She doesn’t understand you’re not.”