Page 59 of Nashville Lights

“Is that okay?”

“Yes. Here.” She pats some pillows next to her. “You can be next to me.”

I climb inside and lay next to her and I can see that the inside of the tent has been decorated with hanging homemade glittery stars. And with photos. Of Daisy’s parents. Of the three of them together. And of Nate too, laughing with Jed when they were young. There’s the same photo that’s framed in the hallway, of Nate holding Daisy when she was a baby, with Jed and Laney in the background. “This issucha beautiful tent.”

“We always come in here after I have nightmares,” Daisy tells me earnestly, fresh tears filling her very-blue eyes. “We put pictures up so I can remember them. I don’t want to forget them.”

“You won’t.” I smooth a strand of her hair back from her damp little face. “Did I ever tell you that I lost my parents too? Exactly the same way you did?”

Her breath hitches. “You did?”

“I did. And you know what? I never, ever forgot them. Because I know they’re always right here.” I put my hand over my heart. “I can feel them. In the beat of my heart.”

Daisy puts her hand over her own heart. “Here?”

“Yeah. Right there.”

She’s quiet for a few seconds, concentrating. “I can feel them too,” she whispers.

“They’ll always be there. They’ll always be a part of you.”

Nate’s holding Daisy’s hand, watching me.Thank you, he mouths silently.

More tears wet Daisy’s cheeks and she turns to Nate. “But what if I can’tstaywith you, Uncle Nate?” She’s crying harder now. “What if I have to go live with Aunt Amanda? We don’t evenlikeher. My Mommy said she’smean.”

“Hey,” Nate croons, wiping her tears. “That’s not going to happen, sweetheart. Who told you that?”

“I heard Grandma Lou talking to Grandma Betty-Ann. They didn’t know I was listening. But I was. I don’twantto go to Ohio. I like ithere. What if I have to go there and Ihave a nightmare and you’re notthere.” She sobs like her little heart is breaking.

Nate looks like his heart is breaking right alongside hers. He gently turns her face toward his and wipes more of her tears. “Daisy. Sweetheart. You don’t need to worry about that for a single second. I’m going to make sure you can stay here forever, honey, you know that. We’re going to get you a pony for your birthday and some pink cowgirl boots and Aunt Dakota is already planning your birthday party at the pool. Uncle Tobias is going to make you a pink cake with pink candles. You and your friends can take turns riding your pony and it’ll be the best party ever. Okay?”

Daisy sniffles, nodding. “Okay.”

“So no more worrying about that. You’re staying here, end of story. Tomorrow we’re going to go down to the school and sign you up for first grade and Harper and all your friends from kindergarten will be in your class. I’ll be there every day to pick you up from school and you’ll live with me and that’s that.”

“Harper already signed up for first grade,” Daisy sniffs. “Two weeks ago.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Nate’s furrow between his eyebrow shows up. The weight-of-the-world one. Like maybe he was supposed to do that but things got busy and it somehow got overlooked. “We’ll make sure we do it tomorrow, it’ll be fine. Now, how about we readWhere the Wild Things Areand we’ll sleep righthere in your tent, all together, you, me and Miss Roxie. We’ll make sure you don’t have any more nightmares tonight. How does that sound?”

“Good,” she says with another hitch of her breath.

Nate tucks her blanket around her more securely and he lays one over me too. Daisy’s holding Nate’s hand and she reaches for mine. And it’s strange, because right then, one of the pieces of me that shattered on a rainy Tuesday night a long time ago feels like the fissure has somehow healed. And I fall more deeply in love with this brokenhearted little girl.

We all have broken hearts, all three of us. And somehow, the jagged, broken pieces have arranged themselves in a way that hinges us together. I think we all feel it. We’re stronger together than we are apart.

“I’ll stay with you forever,” she whispers.

“Forever,” Nate whispers back, his eyes holding mine.

Nate starts reading and, soon, Daisy’s eyes start to close. I kiss her cheek and lightly play with her hair.

“My Mommy used to do that,” she murmurs softly.

Nate gets to the end of the book and Daisy’s nearly asleep.

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