AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“No.” It was a simple answer when it came down to it. I wasn’t eating or sleeping much. I’d just been going through the motions and trying to show up for my daughter. But what was I teaching her about life? To settle because change is too hard? What kind of lesson was that?
I wanted Gracie to live large, to love big, to chase after every single damn dream she had in life.
“You want to move to New York to be with Presley?” I asked, my gaze locked with hers.
“Yes. I want us to be together like a real family. I don’t feel right since she left.”
“Neither do I.”
“What are we going to do, Daddy?” she asked as her cheek settled against my chest.
“I’ll tell you what we’re going to do. We’re going to go get our girl.”
Gracie jumped to our feet. “We are?”
“I think we should. Are you coming with me?”
“I’m coming with you, Daddy. Let’s go get the other piece of our hearts.”
Damn, my little girl was wiser than her years.
And now that we’d come up with a plan, I was ready to jump on a fucking plane right now.
“Great. Let’s fly out in the morning. We’ll surprise her at work.”
“I love surprises!” Gracie shouted.
I normally despised surprises.
But this one I could get on board with.
twenty-nine
Presley
The framesfor Gracie’s artwork arrived this morning, and I was choosing different mat colors to match each one. I’d have enough for a whole gallery wall now. This was the kind of art that I wanted in my home.
It had meaning to me.
Because she was my little girl, in a way. I’d felt that connection to her instantly, and I’d come to learn that there was nothing more important than that.
Family.
Love.
It was what life was all about.
I’d spent the last few days really thinking about it. About what mattered most. What mattered to me.
And after receiving the phone call from Gracie, I knew they missed me as much as I missed them.
I wrapped each frame in bubble wrap when my phone rang. I moved around a stack of boxes to find my cell and saw Phillip’s name light up.
“Hey. I was just about to call you. I don’t think I’m coming in today, but I got the client info you sent over, and I will be digging into it this afternoon,” I said.
“Sounds great. How are you feeling? Are you starting to feel better?”
“Yep. I actually feel really good. Thanks for helping me figure things out.”
