He only knew of the secluded spot because his grandmother used to live in the assisted living community that surrounded the park. The senior residents and their visitors were the only people who knew there was a park tucked away there.
“Now remember...” Andrew crouched to Daisy’s level. “Learning to ride is a matter of learning to balance on a bike.”
Daisy nodded, smiling.
“Ready?”
“Yes.”
Andrew held onto the back of the bike seat as she rode to make sure she didn’t fall. He felt tempted to hold onto the handlebars when her unsteady hands took her off the trail at first, but he wanted her to learn how the bike would react when leaning and accelerating.
He gently rocked the bike from side to side. He’d lowered the saddle to allow her to push herself while learning how to balance on the bike.
She came to a sudden jolt and Andrew caught her when she jumped off.
“This is so hard!” she yelled, panting.
“Water break!” Andrew set the bike on the green grass, and shrugged off his backpack to retrieve her water bottle.
They repeated the same process for another thirty minutes or so until Daisy whined again, “This is really hard!”
Daisy jumped off the bike, and Andrew caught her again. She unstrapped her helmet, and tossed it onto the grass. “You said it would only take forty five minutes.”
Or less, he’d thought, based on her enthusiasm. “You’re almost there. You just need to work at peddling and you're good to go.”
Andrew held the bike in place for Daisy, hoping to get her back on track. If she didn't learn today, it would be a while before he had a Saturday off. “Come on, Sweetheart, you’re almost there.”
DAISY CROSSED HER ARMS and glanced down at her helmet, pouting. “I’m never going to learn this. I wish you didn't waste your money buying me a bike.”
They’d gone bike shopping this morning as soon as he picked her up from her house, then came straight to the park.
“I’m not giving up until you learn to ride today.” Although Andrew didn’t want to push her too hard, he also wanted to accomplish something in their time together.
He set the bike down on the pavement, and lowered himself, peering into her brown eyes. “I was a terrible coach when I first started teaching your team.”
“No you weren’t!”
Andrew chuckled and held a hand on her shoulder. “That’s what you think, because you believe in me. You know what gave me confidence that I could do better?”
She shook her head.
“You did! Each time you told me that I’m the best coach, and your team spirit...I had to work hard to not let you and all the other kids down.”
The corners of her rosebud lips loosened into a smile. “Okay, I’ll do it!”
“That’s my girl!” He blinked when his words registered—he’d just called her his daughter, or so he wished. Not that he knew what being a dad entailed, but Daisy seemed easy enough to please. He focused on picking up her water bottle from the grass and handed it to her. “Get a drink first!”
He went after her helmet and strapped it onto her head. “Now remember...” He peered at her when she finally got on her bike. “Look where you're going, and pedal. The more you pedal the easier it will be to balance.”
“Look where I’m going,” Daisy mumbled as she tightened her hands around the handle bars. “And pedal.”
“You got it!”
She took off and after over ten minutes of driving off the path, Daisy was finally pedaling the bike like a champ. Andrew ran beside her instead of moving the bike around the way he’d done earlier.
“This is awesome!” her voice bellowed over the park and they went around the loop once, then another, and four more loops after that.
“Can I keep riding?” she asked after having a water break.
“We have an entire day. Why not?”
She jumped up and down in excitement. “This is so much fun!”
Seeing the experience through Daisy’s eyes, Andrew’s heart swelled with joy as he held the bike steady for her to climb on. This was worth all the things he’d given up doing today. He hoped this day would be memorable for both of them. “We have some celebrating to do after this bike ride.”
“I love celebrating!” Daisy rode off, almost riding into an older woman who was walking her pug.
“I’m sorry about that... she’s just learning.” Andrew apologized to the woman, who’d stepped off the sidewalk.
She waved him off in understanding and he jogged to catch up with Daisy. “You’re now leaving me behind?”
“You can’t catch me now!” she teased.
Daisy’s giddiness had made Andrew forget all about his disappointment from that morning, when he’d gotten a text from his realtor that his bid for a house he liked had been turned down. He trotted to keep pace with her as she careened around a bend in the trail. Although Daisy was obviously gaining confidence, Andrew still needed to stay close in case she lost her balance around one of the turns.
After another half hour of working on turns and stopping, they were both ready to call it a day. As they walked the bicycle back to the truck, Daisy chattered about how she was going to ride it every day from then on.
“I’m hungry!” she blurted after he’d loaded the bike. “Can we go home and make lunch?”
Andrew wanted to go all out for Daisy today. He wanted to spoil her in the best way possible, and a shopping spree might just be it. “I think I’m hungry too.”
Not taking the time to go home and shower, Andrew took her to lunch at the mall. At the food court, he ordered a meaty slice of pizza, and Daisy wanted the same. After they’d eaten, she announced that the mall was her new favorite place to eat.
Wiping pizza sauce from her mouth, Daisy pointed to an arcade across from the food court. “What kind of games do they play in there?”
“You wanna go check it out?”
“Sure.”
Andrew grinned and led her to the game room, where he walked her through several games. Played out, they left the arcade, and he asked, “What do you want to do next?”
“I want to go to Build-A-Bear.” She pointed at the shop down the mall. “And then...Justice. I want to get some new jammies...” the list was endless, but Andrew wanted her to have a great time.
“Let’s start with the bear building.” He'd seen the Build-A-Bear workshop before. Renee had been there for two of her friends' birthday parties when she was eight or ten, but Andrew had never set foot in one.
After what seemed like an eternity, Daisy finally selected a teddy bear to her liking and an outfit for it, and afterwards, Andrew took her to three, or was it four, other shops? He couldn’t even remember. But by the time they were done shopping, it was time for another pitstop at the food court for dinner.
It was almost six pm when Andrew and Daisy lumbered out of the mall, his arms loaded down with three bags filled with mostly Daisy’s clothes, shoes, and random toys. She ambled beside him, clutching a large purple teddy bear from the Build-A-Bear workshop.
The afternoon sun dipped low, promising another two or so hours of daylight. Andrew was reminded of the long days of summer ahead. So many plans, which all included Daisy and Bianca. The long walks and bike rides they could have. Did Bianca like to bike? Probably not, but he could at least enjoy a slow afternoon walk with her while Daisy rode her bike.
An engine revved from a car parked on the sidewalk, and Andrew dropped one of the bags on the asphalt, then reached for Daisy’s hand. “Let’s wait, in case this car decides to take off just about now.”
When the driver waved them to cross, he let go of Daisy’s hand and reached for the bag. “Okay, let’s go. Stay next to me.”
“Okay!” she said, clinging to the bags in his hand. “I’m going to name my teddy bear Drew!”
“Oh, no!” He groaned dramatically, giving her a sideways glance. “Seriously? I’m going to have a teddy bear named after me?”
/> “It's a special bear,” Daisy insisted. “Drew will always remind me about this day.”
“Well in that case, I'm honored to have your teddy bear named after me.”
The parking lot was still overflowing with cars as Andrew buckled Daisy in the back seat. He’d bought a booster the day he picked her up from school, and it had come in handy on days when Bianca called asking him to pick up Daisy from school. On days he didn’t have to work, he’d taken her to the park, or for ice cream before dropping her off at Leila’s house, where she would stay until Bianca came for her after work.
From the back seat, Daisy kept babbling about her favorite things from their day together. “Can we play those arcade games again?”
Andrew peeked at her through the rearview mirror to see her small hands rubbing her eyes. “You liked to play video games?”
“Yeah!” She let out a yawn.
“Haven’t played them in a while, myself. We can come back anytime. What else did you like?” Andrew asked, but silence was his response. He looked back as he cruised into his neighborhood. Daisy’s head had lolled to the side, her eyes were closed, and her little shoulders rose and fell with her steady breathing.
He dreaded waking her up when he parked the truck in his parents' wide driveway, but he needed to take Rocky for a jog, then get himself cleaned up.
Plus Daisy needed to get cleaned up,too, before her mom showed up.
He woke her up and held her hand as they walked to the house. He asked Mom to help draw Daisy a bath while he took Rocky for a jog in the neighborhood. He then showered and fed his dog, leaving him content on his doggy bed, while he returned to the main house.
The TV was on, volume set low. Dad sat in the recliner, remote in hand, eyes glued to the screen. He waved at Andrew and returned his gaze to the baseball game.
On the sofa, Daisy wore her new Sleeping Beauty pajama shorts set, her new bear perched on the cushion next to her. Her damp hair almost touched his mom's as they leaned close to each other while flipping through a photo album.
Daisy tore her eyes from the album to Andrew. “Mr. Drew! Mrs. Buchanan is showing me some photos of you and Uncle Ez and Aunt Renee when you were little.”
“Is she?” Andrew slid in next to Daisy, scooting her teddy bear toward her, and peered over to the last page, which showed a photo of Renee happily splashing water in the pool in their backyard.
“How old was Aunt Renee in this picture?”
“About your age,” Mom said, tucking a few strands of brown hair speckled with gray behind her ear.
Daisy looked up at Andrew. “Can you teach me how to swim, too?”
The weather was nice enough, it was time that he needed, but she was almost out of school for summer. “Okay. I better warn you though...” He smiled. “We learn military style training, in one day.”
Daisy smiled. “Deal.”
Mom stood and pointed to the books on the glass table. “She wants you to read her your favorite books from when you were a child,” Mom said and walked over to sit in the empty recliner next to her husband, picking up a magazine from the stack next to the diffuser on the small side table.
Andrew picked up the book on top. “Love You Forever,” he read the title. “This is Renee’s book.”
Daisy plucked the next book from the table. “‘Where the Sidewalk Ends.’ Read this first.”
As Andrew looked at the book she held up, memories of his younger self resurfaced on how he’d loved Silverstein's poems. “This was my favorite.”
He smiled when Daisy inched closer to him and curled her feet up on the leather couch. She flipped open to the first page,
“By Shel Silverstein.” Andrew read the author’s name before he turned to the next page to read the first poem. He skipped over a few pages so he could read just his favorite poems instead of the entire book.
By the time he was done reading the final poem, Daisy let out a yawn, stretching her arms out until her small fingers almost brushed his face. “Mr. Drew?” she called after yawning.
“Yeah?” Andrew closed the book and tossed it on the table
“Will you be my daddy?”
He blinked at her sudden question.
Andrew’s immediate response would be yes, but there were more mountains to climb than just a simple yes. “I...I...” He glanced at his parents, wondering if they’d heard Daisy’s question.
Dad was attuned to the game, but Mom’s head was up, a wide smile spread across her face. She lifted her hand to her chest and nodded, then mouthed the word, ‘Yes.’
“I’d love to, Sweetie.” Although it would have to be up to Bianca, at the moment it didn't seem right for him to explain any uncertain details to Daisy. He could adopt her if he and Bianca got married, which he hoped would happen before too long.
His body stiffened with tension at the realization that he needed to have this conversation with Bianca pretty soon.
Daisy’s breathing was steady, her head resting against his chest, when Andrew picked up the next book. “‘Where the Wild Things Are.’ This used to be your Uncle Ezra’s favorite.”
When Daisy didn’t respond, he looked down. Her eyes were closed and she clutched the teddy bear to her chest. Andrew smiled and breathed in the smell of hair conditioner and new pajamas.
Mom came to get the albums from the table and gazed at Daisy fondly. “She’s getting too attached to you.”
Mom had it backwards. “It’s the other way around,” he whispered, now understanding why Ezra always whispered when Adalee was sleeping. “What do I do?” He adjusted his hand to prop Daisy’s head that was tilting slightly over.
“I’ll go fix the bed in Renee’s old room.” Mom left and returned shortly. “I left the night lights on in there, in case she wakes up and doesn’t recognize where she is.”
Renee had always been afraid of the dark, still was, and had several night lights stockpiled in her room stashed in a drawer.
Andrew carefully swept Daisy up from the couch, settling her head on his shoulder, then trekked upstairs. The walls in the bedroom were a neon green. Renee had always painted her room a different color every summer.
He lowered Daisy onto the silk bed sheets his mom had turned down for her, then pulled them up to cover her. He spread a cushy green comforter over her before going back downstairs to fetch her teddy bear. Tucking the bear next to her, he kneeled beside the bed, watching her chest rise and fall. After a moment, he brushed the rumpled hair from her forehead, then closed his eyes to pray.
His parents had always prayed with him and his siblings every night, for good dreams, for God’s protection, and all sorts of prayers. “May she always feel loved, oh God, by my family, her family, and most importantly, by You, Lord.”
He planted a kiss on her forehead. “Sweet dreams, Sweetheart,” he said as he stood up and walked over to turn off the lights.
“I love you.”
He spun around to find Daisy's half-open eyes on him. Her eyelids fluttered closed again and her soft snoring resumed.
“I love you, too,” he whispered. The words flowed naturally, not just an automatic response to her declaration, but from his heart. He turned off the light, deep in thought.
Maybe I’m not so bad with kids, after all.
THE SCENT OF LAVENDER mixed with eucalyptus hung in the air. Mom’s diffuser blasted mist from the table underneath the lamp where she leaned back in the recliner, browsing through fashion and home magazines that Renee subscribed to each year.
Dad had moved to the couch and kicked up the volume on the TV, watching the Rockies’ post-game analysis.
“I hope Senzatela picks up on that pitch,” Dad spoke over the TV noise. Andrew chimed in, analyzing the plays.
When silence settled and Dad’s attention was back on the TV, Andrew’s mind wandered to Bianca. Was she still at work?
The clock underneath Mom’s lamp showed eight forty-five.
The late evening light was giving way to darkness when he looke
d through the big windows. He stood and walked to the front window, where he could see the driveway in case Bianca was pulling in. No sign of her, no one in sight except for the old couple walking their dog on the sidewalk.
In case Dad and Mom had noticed his restlessness, he reached for the cord on the blinds to close them so his actions weren't so obvious.
“She’ll be here soon, Son,” Dad said.
“Who?” he asked dumbly.
“Bianca!” Mom tore her eyes off the magazine in her hand to peer at him, then went back to her magazine.
Just then, the doorbell rang and his heart jolted. His palms started sweating when he reached for the door.
The sight of her made him nearly dizzy with longing. Gone was her black t-shirt with the cafe’s logo, and she was wearing a blue short-sleeve shirt. She smelled of a tantalizing scent of flowers, not hamburgers or restaurant food.
“Hey.” His voice was more raspy than he intended.
“Sorry I’m late.” She fiddled with the strap on her purse.
“No apologies necessary. The day is not over yet....” He stepped aside to let her in. “A day to me is twenty-four hours.” He didn’t want his day to come to an end if it meant hanging out longer with her.
“Hi, Honey!” Mom greeted Bianca as she lowered herself to the couch.
Dad pushed the button on the remote, powering off the TV, and ambled back to the recliner. “How are you doing, Bianca?”
"Hi, Robert."
No need for introductions. Bianca had met Andrew’s family several times before he had met her.
“Can I get you something to eat?” Mom offered.
“I’m good, thanks!”
“Water?” Andrew asked.
“I’m fine.” She smiled at him, then motioned toward the stairs. “The fact that I don’t see or hear Daisy tells me what kind of day you had.”
“She will be sleeping until noon tomorrow,” Dad said.
“These two had so much fun today,” Mom spoke to Bianca with enthusiasm. “They had to celebrate her learning to ride a bike.”
Bianca’s eyes widened. “She learned to ride in one day?”
“Within an hour,” Andrew clarified, squaring his shoulders.
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