Summer Sunsets
Page 22
Although I’d expected Helena would look like Skye, she’s a mixture of people—Skye’s cheekbones, my nose, the shape of Helen’s eyes, and a mouth that’s distinctly her own. Every day, Skye and Helena are the first two thoughts in my head, and every night, they are the last ones I have before drifting to sleep.
I shift in the sand and think of how I used to worry Skye would never be at peace, that she would never find direction enough to forgive herself for the past, but Helena changed all that, and I’ll always be grateful to my daughter for that. It also helped that Skye finally met with her father and they were able to at least find enough middle ground to talk so he could meet Helena. While I didn’t really believe in him much to begin with, since that point, he’s been nothing short of good to Skye, and I’ve learned to tolerate him. One day I might like him if he ends up being the man he seems to think he wants to be. I guess only time will tell, but I’m glad Skye has finally been able to let go of the pain of his choice.
Staring at the two women in my life, I see Helena has turned loose of Skye’s hand, and her gaze has shifted to me. One hand reaches out to balance her while the other madly rubs at the gums where new teeth are probably ready to surface.
“Hey, baby!” I call, stretch my arms out, knowing she’s coming for me. Her eyes widen, and she hurries her steps, momentarily losing her balance and toppling into the sand. Skye starts to hurry, her arms reaching to scoop Helena up, but I shake my head.
“She’s not crying. Let her get up on her own. It’ll be okay.”
Frowning, Skye hesitates and forces herself to fold her arms across her chest and not intervene, which is always hard. I know she wants to catch her daughter before she cries and thus spare her future pain, but that’s just not possible, not for any of us.
It doesn’t happen very often, but sometimes, I still see that old expression on Skye’s face, the one that tells me she knows how unpredictable things are and that life is like a seascape where the tide doesn’t care what it erases. In those moments, I know she isn’t at completely at peace. Then again, who is? Still, she always comes back to find me and Helena. It may not be as quick as I would like, but she does return, and that’s enough.
I hear Helena giggle and turn to her. “Come on, baby. Come to Daddy!” I make the goofy face she likes, and she squeals before clambering back to her chunky feet and toddling her way into my arms.
“She really is a daddy’s girl,” Skye says, shaking her head as she walks over.
“What about you? Are you a daddy’s girl, too?” I ask hopefully, nodding toward the sand next to me.
“Yeah, I guess I am.” She sinks onto it and leans her head against me. “How could you tell?”
“Well, you haven’t run off with the milkman.”
She laughs. “He’s blond. You know I hate blonds.”
I kiss Helena’s forehead. “Yeah, that would definitely be the reason you haven’t escaped with him. I can tell that.” Helena leans contentedly against me, and I see her eyes are growing heavy. “I think it’s someone’s nap time.”
“But I’m not tired,” Skye whines, knowing it’s not her I’m referring to.
I touched Helena’s baby curls, amazed at their softness. “Hey, I look for any reason I can to get you into bed. You ought to know that by now.”
“Oh, really?”
Skye leans over and kisses my ear, which would be okay if it were one of those quick pecks, but it’s not. It’s a little less PG than that, and I’m definitely feeling a reaction.
I suck in air. “Careful. Isn’t that how we ended up with a munchkin?”
“Are you complaining?” Skye leans back and challenges, one eyebrow cocked slightly.
“Hell, no.” I lick my lips. “C’mere, you.”
And she does. That’s when I know that whatever doubts I might have had about the future, everything is going to be okay. It might not end quite the way I think it might, but that’s okay. I’ll take whatever I can get so long as my girls are with me.
About the Author
Maria Rachel Hooley is the author of over twenty-five novels, including the Sojourner series, New Life Inc., and When Angels Cry. Her work has been featured in numerous publications such as Green Hills Literary Lantern, Westview, and Kimera. She has written over twenty novels in numerous genres. Her first chapbook of poetry, A Different Song, was published by Rose Rock Press in 1999. She is a high school teacher and lives in Oklahoma with husband and three children. You can view more of her work at www.mariarachelhooley.com.
Inhoudsopgave
Chapter One
C hapter Two
C hapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One