Page 39 of Shimmering Emeralds
“She and Claire’s daughter, Hannah, are not just cousins. They’re best friends, too… Let’s see…” I tapped my finger lightly on my lips as I thought of more details I could share. “Her favorite color is purple. She loves pepperoni pizza and going to McDonald’s for Chicken McNuggets.”
I wasn’t sure if these were the types of details he wanted, but he looked riveted by my words. When I paused again to think of some more tidbits, Levi jumped in with a question. “What’s her favorite ice cream flavor?”
“Strawberry,” Harper’s thin voice answered the question, surprising us both.
“Hi, sweetheart,” I smiled down at her through the relieved tears glistening in my eyes.
Levi gazed down at our little girl like she was the grandest miracle he had ever encountered, yet he managed to keep his voice casual when he said, “Strawberry’s my favorite ice cream flavor, too.”
“Yuck! Haven’t you two ever tried chocolate?” I teased them, not quite able to believe we were having such a casual chat at such a monumental time in our lives, but I didn’t want to say or do anything that might upset Harper.
Harper smiled at my gentle ribbing before turning her gaze back to Levi. “Mr. Bus Driver?”
It was obvious she was wondering why Levi was here. I wasn’t sure how much Dani or the other medical staff told her before we got here, or if she even remembered anything they said. In a soft, soothing voice, I said, “Our school bus was in an accident on the way to Portland for the field trip. You’re going to be okay, but you’ve been asleep for a few days.”
Harper’s face immediately scrunched with worry. Proving she was a better person than me, she asked, “Is everyone else okay?”
“They’re all fine,” I reassured the thoughtful child.
When her little chin began to wobble, I asked, “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”
“Did I miss the field trip?” Her huge blue eyes looked to be on the verge of bursting into tears.
“Oh, sweetie, the field trip was cancelled, but we will take you down to Portland for a special outing as soon as the doctors say you are up to it. Won’t we?” I looked to Levi for confirmation, wondering if I was overstepping or making assumptions about his willingness to forgive me that he wouldn’t be able to abide by.
“Absolutely,” Levi answered without skipping a beat.
Harper blinked a few times as if trying to comprehend why her school bus driver would go with us on a trip, but we had evidently appeased her worries enough for the moment because her eyes drifted closed before she could ask.
Even though I knew it was coming, I breathed a sigh of relief over not having to drop the bombshell news about her father on her just yet. I doubted Levi would ever be able to forgive me for keeping them from each other. If my daughter hated me for it, too, I didn’t know how I would survive.
36
Levi
Each time Harper woke up, she stayed alert for a bit longer than the time before. The doctors were thrilled by her progress and optimistic about her prognosis.
We still hadn’t told her that I was her father because we were concerned about dropping that big of a shock on her so early in her recovery, but I was going to insist that we tell her soon. I’d already gone far too long without my daughter in my life.
The child proved herself to be an absolute delight. Even in the brief moments of lucidity that she shared with us, it quickly became obvious that she was bright, funny, and well-adjusted. Despite how much I wished that I’d been included in the child’s life before now, it was clear that Meg had done a marvelous job of raising Harper on her own.
Meg and I sat in stoic silence while the child slept, but when she woke up, we both came back to life. We dropped our animosity and chatted and laughed with our daughter as if everything was great, until she dozed off again and we went back to being angry statues.
The doctors came in and out with more frequency to check Harper’s vitals and record her progress. They looked us in the eyes when they said she was “doing great” or that she was “very strong.”
I took these bits of encouragement as great signs, and my immediate reaction each time was to beam in Meg’s direction. When I would find her smiling back at me, my expression would immediately fall as I physically shifted away from her and reminded myself what she had done.
During one of Harper’s waking moments, she requested some music, since the room was so quiet. When I moved to retrieve the television remote to turn on a music station, the little girl looked to her mom.
“Play our favorite music from your phone,” she requested. Her voice still sounded thin, but she was gaining strength and staying with us longer each time she was awake.
Meg immediately turned to get her phone, and I was surprised to see how pink her cheeks were. Meg was not normally one to blush, but something had given her complexion a definite flush.
When she tapped the screen and the music started, I immediately understood. The guitar riff was one I had written alone in my apartment in Nashville––while missing Meg. My own voice came through the phone’s speaker as I belted out the lyrics to “The Only One for Me.”
Harper turned her familiar blue eyes up to me, and I nearly melted on the spot. There wasn’t anything on this earth that I wouldn’t do for the precious little girl.
“Mommy and I love this song, don’t we?” She looked to her mother for confirmation. When Meg nodded, she went on. “We love all of Levi Ryan’s songs. You should listen to them. I bet you’ll like them, too, Mr. Bus Driver.”
