Page 51 of If You Love Me

I chuckled. “I’m sorry, love. What were you dreaming?”

“You and Daddy took me to Disney World for my birthday. We were having so much fun.”

“Is this your way of telling me that’s what you want for your birthday?”

She grinned. “Maybe.” Her smile faded slowly. “You know what I really want?”

“What’s that?”

“For you and Daddy to stop fighting.”

“Baby, we aren’t fighting.”

“Then why do you look so sad around each other? Somebody should apologize.”

I sighed. “It’s not as simple as an apology to fix what’s wrong with me and your dad.”

“Is it Ms. Iona? Are you sad because they’re getting married?”

I paused for a moment, thinking of how I could answer her question without seeming bitter.

“Summer… I love your father very much. Because I love him, it hurts me to see him with Ms. Iona. I thought me, you, and him would have been a family when I came home, but we can’t be… not in that way.”

“What if they broke up? Then would you be happy?”

“No, baby. Your father deserves to be happy, even if it isn’t with me. I will never wish ill will toward him. If Ms. Iona makes him happy, then I just have to accept that.”

“Can I tell you something?”

“You can tell me anything.”

“I wanted you and Daddy to be together. I used to wish for it all the time when you were gone.”

Knowing she wanted her family together, as much as I did, had me fighting back tears. I wished like hell I could give that to her, but that just wasn’t where we were.

“Well, we might not be together, but we both love you very much. Nothing will ever change that.” I pulled her in for a hug and kissed her cheek. “Come on. Get your clothes out and go take your shower. Nana is cooking breakfast.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

I left her to get ready for school while I went into the kitchen with my mom.

“She up?” she asked, glancing up from the pot of grits.

“She is. Thank God she’s an easy child to wake up.”

Mom giggled. “I had to all but drag you out of bed in the morning. Your father could always get you right up though.”

I smirked. “Between you and me, Daddy used to bribe me.”

She looked at me with her hands on her hips. “Oh, did he now? David!”

I laughed as my father came around the corner with shaving cream all over his face.

“What did I do?” he asked.

“So you used to bribe our daughter to get out of bed for school?”

My father looked at me and waved his razor blade. “I’ve never known you to be a snitch,” he jested.

---