Page 101 of Bring me Back

Dan working away in his workshop—these days it was more of an art studio since he became quite the sculptor. My afternoons on top of the sewing machine, peddling as quietly as I dared, orders upon orders from my website that I desperate tried to fulfill between Cece’s naps.

Those days weren’t full of glamor. We weren’t a getting dressed up to go around town kind of family, but I needed none of that. I always only wantedthe life.

I cleaned Cece as much as I could, grabbing a wet wipe from my bag to be mindful of her eyes. When I was finished, she was smiling big. Cece was such a good baby, a happy one. Even during her worst colic nights, she was full of life. Just like the lady who she was named after.

Dan said it on our wedding day, “I promise you a life full of boring days, quiet nights and uneventful evenings.”

Our guests didn’t get it. The man was promising boring days right from the start? But we shared a smile because I knew what we were promising each other: A life together. Not like the flashy wedding we had, he dressed in the perfect tux and me with that dress I started designing when we first met.

No, what he promised me at the altar was a long,imperfectlife together, and I couldn’t wait to start.

Cece was done with me fussing over her, disentangling from me, she ran. My heart would’ve lunged with her if she wasn’t going straight to her number two man.

“Dad!” I called and as he turned, I nodded, showing the toddler going his way.

Dad spun, leaving his fishing rod stuck into the sand. He took my baby with one arm, kissing the top of her head. I stood up as I cleaned the sand off my legs and extended a hand to my husband.

“Come on. You got me dirty, you have to clean me up.”

I never saw someone stand up so quickly. I was giggling when he came for me, swinging me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing. I let go a girlish yelp, it must have called Dad’s attention because he called from the shallow waters, “Don’t drop my daughter, Miller.”

“Never,” Dan hollered back.

I let ahumphout when he jogged to the water. I slapped his ass, and he chuckled without a care. We got in, and he still wouldn’t let me go. I kicked my feet, but he kept me in place with one arm and spanked me with the other.

“Don’t you dare, Dan!” I said when the water was on his waist level.

But he never replied, just swung me from his shoulders in one splash. I went underwater, my ass scraping the sand and right when I tried to get up, a wave came over my head, brushing all hair to my face. I finally got some balance, standing up, I brushed my hair back.

“You’re out of control, Miller!” I told him.

He was wearing his best smile, not a bother in the world. “I heard you wanted to be clean.”

My mouth opened in a perfect O, and soon he draped his arm around my waist, bringing us together with a quick move. His beard scratched my jaw when he nipped it, and I was putty in his hands.

“Tell me, you think Preston is up for babysitting tonight?”

I held him by his delicious shoulders, and his mouth tasted me right in the sensitive skin between my neck and earlobe.

“If you keep manhandling me, he’ll know exactly why we are asking.”

“We can do it just fine with Cece in the next room. But today, Cricket.” And he licked me. A lazy, delicious swipe of his tongue. “Today I want to make my silent woman scream.”

The goosebumps raised in my skin, and I shivered in his arms. “Let’s go home then, because I’m ready to get dirty again.”

Dan chuckled, letting me go just to drag me by the hand a second later. And I followed him, a silly smile right on my lips.

For a long time, I only had four people to love.

Mom, Dad, Marian and Torres.

I counted them like children counted shells on the beach. But then, came the others. Mrs. Carr, who paved my way to the theater, and accepted who I was. Ms. Handall, who was like an older sister, caring for me when no one did.

Nova and the other girls, finally the group of girlfriends I craved so much. Abby, Mark, Rose and April. More and more, they broke down my walls.

But it was this man who gave the final blow. The man with the smiles, the calm and devotion. The man who wanted all my words and ended up getting much more than that.

It was Daniel Miller who brought me back to life.

---