Page 42 of Safe With You

“She got dinosaur books?”

“I’m sure she does.”

Mila looked at me then, her expression suddenly thoughtful.

“You done working?”

“Almost.”

“You said today was our day.”

“I remember.”

“You still working.”

“I’m sitting at the table.”

“With your work.”

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the handful of photographs still waiting to be adjusted. They would probably take another hour at most. Maybe less if I stopped staring at the same image every few minutes.

Mila had already returned to her coloring book, apparently satisfied that she’d made her point.

I saved the gallery and closed the laptop.

Her head lifted immediately.

“You done?”

“For today.”

A grin spread across her face. “Really?”

“Really.”

She pushed away from the table so fast one of her crayons rolled onto the floor.

“Daddy-Daughter Day.”

“I know.”

“Can I wear my sparkly shoes?”

“You can wear whatever shoes you can find.”

She was already halfway down the hall before I finished.

I gathered the breakfast plates and carried them to the sink, listening as drawers opened and closed in her room. A few seconds later, something thudded against the floor.

“You okay?” I called.

“Yes!”

Another thud followed.

I shook my head and turned on the faucet.

By the time I finished cleaning the kitchen and changed clothes, Mila was sitting on the living room floor with one sparkly shoe on and the other nowhere in sight.