I pull out my chair and take the seat.
A waitress arrives at my table. “What will you be having tonight?”
“I’ll take a whiskey sour,” I inform the waitress.
The waitress leaves and, within a few minutes, sets my whiskey sour down in front of me. “Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
After what feels like forever, Tara, my date, texts me that she has to cancel.
I’m annoyed and relieved at the same time. I finish my whiskey sour, take out my wallet, and put a twenty-dollar bill on the table. I stand up from the table and head out.
Once I’m in my car, I read Erica’s text letting me know that Catherine is watching Alice while she tends to a work emergency.
As I dial Erica's number, I let the engine hover in my parking space.
“Hello?” Erica asks, confusion in her voice.
“What happened? Everything okay?” I ask.
“Yeah, it’s fine. It’s just work. I’m sorry, Oliver,” Erica says. “I’m actually going to be here all night working. I don’t know what happened, but it’s got to get done.”
My heart sinks in my chest. I hope she isn’t straining herself too much with work. “Are you sure you’re doing okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I’m just doing my job,” Erica says, her voice resolute, yet tired. “Don’t worry about me. Oh, and by the way, Catherine quit her job today, so please be nice to her.”
I take a deep breath and close my eyes. “Sure. Okay then. Take care of yourself.”
“You too,” she replies before hanging up the phone.
“Thank you,” I whisper into the night air before putting my phone back in my pocket and continuing down the street.
I consider calling Fred to meet up with him for drinks, but what I really want most is to get back to Alice. I’m sure she’s doing just fine under Catherine’s watch, but I’d rather get back home and spend some time with her before her bedtime in a couple of hours.
As I pull up to my house, I release a deep exhale. Thoughts of Emily and our past consume me once again. I can’t help but wonder what our lives would be like if she were still alive. It’s a thought that haunts me every day, but it’s not something I allow myself to dwell too much on.
Crossing toward the front door. When I arrive at the door, I can hear Alice’s laughter coming from upstairs. I smile to myself. Alice’s laugh is my favorite sound in the world. It reminds me that her happiness is my top priority, and whoever I end up meeting in the future is going to have to value my daughter and our relationship.
I grab the handle, take a deep breath, and push. The door swings open with a gentle creak, and I call out for Alice. “Alice! Princess? It’s Daddy. I’m home. Where are you?”
I hear footsteps running down the stairs, then see my daughter come bounding into the foyer. She launches herself at me with such force it almost knocks me over.
“Daddy!” she squeals, wrapping her tiny arms around my waist in a tight hug.
I laugh and wrap my arms around her tightly. “Hey, sweetie. How’s your night been?”
“So fun,” she says.
“Oh, yeah? What did you do?”
Alice looks up at me with big, bright eyes. “Catherine and I played dress-up.”
Her enthusiasm is infectious, making me smile. I look over to where Catherine is standing in the doorway of the entrance hall. She’s smiling widely, pleased to have been able to entertain Alice thoroughly.
“That sounds like it was a lot of fun,” I say before turning back to Alice. “Did you eat?”
She nods. “Catherine brought pizza.”
