Page 19 of Hello Doctor

Fletcher smiled at his daughter, so much warmth in his eyes. “You two have fun and don’t stay up too late.”

“We will,” I promised.

Maya started walking toward my place, but I looked back at Rhett and Fletcher, giving them a wink.

Thank you,Fletcher mouthed.

You’re welcome,I replied.

Inside the guesthouse, Maya got on the fold-out couch, bouncing up and down. “What do we do first?”

I set her bag down by the couch and said, “Haven’t you had a slumber party before?”

With a sad look in her eyes, Maya shook her head. “No.”

My heart broke for her. “Your parents didn’t allow it?”

“I was never invited.”

Gosh, this poor girl. We were getting her around some other kids starting on Monday. But for now, I said, “That’s okay, because you are with a slumber partyprofessional. There are three things we always do. We braid hair, we eat tons of snacks, and we watch movies! Which one do you want to watch?”

She tapped her chin thoughtfully. “I don’t know.”

“What aboutThe Parent Trap?” I asked.

“Never heard of it.”

My jaw dropped open. “I am having a word with your father about that. But for now, your education begins.”

I clicked through to the show, and while we watched Lindsay Lohan cause mayhem, I carefully put little braids all over Maya’s head with tiny rubber bands I’d had since I was about twelve.

I wondered if this was what it would feel like to have a daughter of my own—like every day was a sleepover. And then the aching thoughts came. I was thirty years old... Would I ever find a man to fall in love with and make a family? If I could have children, would my own daughter be as spunky and full of life as Maya?

When the movie finished, Maya was practically bouncing up and down. “Do you think we can prank Dad like that? It would be so funny.”

I giggled, thinking of Fletcher sliding over the floor, covered in shaving cream. “It would be hilarious. We have to start small though.”

“Like what?” she asked.

“Asks the girl who put a toad in my shoe,” I teased, tickling her side.

She giggled evilly.

“Hmm.” I tapped my chin. “What if we sneak into the house and put salt in his sugar shaker? When he mixes it in his coffee, he’ll be like...” I screwed my face up like I’d just tasted something bad.

She clapped her hands together. “Let’s do it!”

I went to the front door, looking out the window, and saw Rhett and Fletcher were still at the fire. “They’re still talking. Want to do face masks while we wait?”

She nodded eagerly, and for the next hour or so, we had fun painting our faces green, wearing cucumber slices over our eyes and painting our toenails. I was already getting tired and felt relieved when I heard Rhett’s engine fire up and drive away.

“Mission Saltshaker, begin,” I said. I wasn’t sure whether or not Fletcher left with Rhett, so we had to be careful, like he was still home.

I put on all black and let Maya wear one of my black T-shirts. It hung off her like a dress, but it worked. Then we used mascara to put black streaks on our cheeks. We both had to fight off giggles as we crouched-ran to the main house and crawled into the kitchen.

Maya said, “The salt’s up there.”

I stood up for a half second, wondering how on earth I’d explain this to Fletcher if he walked in, and then got the salt and the sugar dispensers, then crouched back down.

---