"That would make a great picture," Emmalyn told her.
"And I can put Daddy in it, even though he's in heaven?"
"Your dad should be right at the front," he said as Olivia's gaze sought his.
"Okay. Can I do it now? Can I be done eating?"
"Sure. Do you need paper?"
"I got some at school. It's in my backpack."
As she ran into the bedroom in a much-improved mood, he gave Emmalyn a grateful smile. "You're like a magician. You can turn tears into smiles."
"Maybe with six-year-olds." She gave him a compassionate smile. "It sounds like you two had a rough afternoon."
"She wouldn't talk to me. She did mention she was missing her mom, but since I couldn't give her any answers on when her mom would be back, she stopped talking about that, too. I didn't know how to get her to open up. But you said one thing, and she spilled her guts."
"I have had some practice," she said. "I'm sure you did your best."
"My best wasn't that good. Her mother should be here," he said quietly.
"Well, sometimes moms aren't always there."
"Speaking of which, how's your mother doing?"
"She went to the doctor and had a lot of tests. They don't have a diagnosis yet, but there seem to be possibilities that are not as serious as others, so I'm hopeful that's the way it will go."
"How is she dealing with being away from her home?"
"She's up and down. She's trying to convince herself she made the right decision, but she's scared, and I think if Jeremy showed up at her door…she'd be tempted to go back. I asked her to promise me that she wouldn't, and she did make me that promise, but…"
"You don't believe her?"
"I want to believe her, but trust has to be earned. Let's just say I'm guardedly optimistic. How did your day go?"
"I finished my last physical therapy session. I also ran into another pilot who had been injured and returned to duty. It was nice to see someone succeed who has gone down the road I'm about to travel."
"That's good. What's the next step?"
"A very detailed physical on Wednesday." He paused. "I need to ask you for a favor."
"Seriously? The man who never needs help wants a favor?"
"Yes. I have to do blood tests at eight a.m., and I'm going to need to leave here by seven thirty that day. I asked Paige, but she said she drops Henry off at daycare at seven thirty, and I don't know if I can get Olivia into that. Is there a chance you could take Olivia to school?"
"Of course. That's barely a favor. I'm going there anyway."
"You'll have to hang with her for a while before school."
"It's fine. I'm happy to do it."
"Thank you. You've already gone above and beyond for me."
"What I've done for you doesn't come close to what you did for me yesterday, Hunter. I might not have gotten my mom away from that market if you hadn't been there."
"I'm glad I could help."
"And I'm happy to help you, too. I like Olivia, and you're doing a good thing here. You're giving her the security and love she needs."