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Ash (4:29 p.m.): Shai said the same. Bri is already a handful here, but I love it. She’s insisted on walking by herself the whole time so far. She’ll be tired soon. Right? lol
Cass (Saturday, July 23, 2022 – 11:31 p.m.): Short update, mom’s doing better, but they’re going to keep her here for observation overnight
Ash (11:32 p.m.): Good news. Thanks for the update. I’m available if you need to talk
Cass (11:32 p.m.): Thanks. It’s been a rough few days
Ash (Monday, Aug 15, 2022 – 3:55 p.m.): The birthday girl is happy today!
Cass (4:00 p.m.): Ohhhh my look at that smile! Happy birthday, Bri!
Cass (Monday, September 12, 2022 – 10:35 p.m.): So turns out the new student orientation next week for my MLIS program is having an in-person option this year after all. I might be making a last-minute trip up to Seattle!
Chapter Twenty-One
Ash
The late-summer sun dipped lower in the sky as Ash stepped out of the Rainier Beach Pool complex, his duffle bag hanging from one shoulder. He’d cleaned out his locker for the season and said goodbye to his work colleagues. Most of them had worked together as lifeguards at the pool complex every summer since they were sixteen, and he considered them good friends by now. And even though a part of him had wanted to stick around a bit longer, he was running late. Given traffic and the drive across town and the fact that he’d still have to pick up Bri before four, he probably should have left several minutes ago.
He broke into a jog, glancing both ways before crossing the parking lot toward his car. When he got there, he tossed his duffle bag on the floor in the back seat and then climbed into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and got on the road, heading north along the west side of Lake Washington toward home.
Summer had flown by—filled with full-time work at the pool that would pad his bank account for at least a few months, helping him pay rent and bills alongside the money he got from his student loans—and school started up again next week. He was more than ready to get back to his classes, finish his degree, and jump right into grad school for his master’s program. And on top of that, he was looking forward to spending more time with Bri. The whole summer, she’d been in full-time care at the daycare center—the cost thankfully still subsidized by Washington state—and so even though he took care of her mornings and nights and all day on the weekends, he didn’t like knowing she spent the majority of her waking hours in someone else’s care.
The daycare workers were wonderful, and Bri was thriving in every way that mattered. She was a perfectly happy, silly, smart one-year-old who’d met every one of her developmental milestones, adored strawberries and mac ’n cheese, could walk and run and jump, absolutely loved hiking and camping, usually slept through the night in her crib, and insisted that “Un-ca Ashhh” read her the same story every night. At least once.
Still, he was looking forward to being home with her more, especially since he knew once he started his master’s program the following summer, he’d be getting even busier.
His fingers tapped the steering wheel as he turned onto Eastlake Avenue to cross University Bridge, and only a few minutes later, he pulled into an empty parking spot in the parking garage, hopped out of his car, and jogged up to the daycare’s entrance. They buzzed him in right away.
“Good afternoon, Susan!” he greeted the woman at the front desk.
Susan smiled up at him. “Hi, Ash. Just on time. Apparently, your little girl has figured out that you usually get here right after her friend Sammy leaves, and so she’s been waiting impatiently for the last five minutes or so.”
Ash’s eyes widened. “Really?”
Before Susan could answer, the door to the toddler room opened, and a bright, happy voice called out, “Un-ca, Un-ca, Un-ca!”
Bri ran out of the room, her chubby little legs carrying her as fast as they could go. Ash knelt down to meet her, then picked her up and lifted her high in the air as she squealed in delight.
“Hi, baby girl, I missed you so much,” he murmured, bringing her back down so he could kiss her forehead.
Bri giggled and placed both of her hands on Ash’s cheeks, then she leaned forward and pursed her lips and planted a messy, wet kiss on Ash’s face that landed somewhere to the side of his nose.
“Mwah!” she declared, and when Ash grinned, she giggled and did it again with another “Mwah!” Then she started chattering away. “Un-ca! Dadada-da! Da!” she said, pointing toward the toddler room. “Da-da-da!”
“Oh, is that so?” Ash asked, and she immediately bobbed her head up and down.
“Da! Un-ca! Dadada-da-da . . .”
Ash’s heart soared as he listened to her babble a bit more, clearly telling him an entire story with her da-da-das. When she seemed finished, Ash kissed her cheek again and shifted her to his hip.
Hallie, one of the daycare workers in charge of the toddler room, stepped forward and handed Ash Bri’s backpack. “She had a wonderful day. Ate a really big lunch and took a nice nap earlier, too. We did some drawing and crafts—they’re in her bag,” Hallie said.
“Perfect, thank you.” Ash took the bag and gave Hallie a nod. He turned back to address Bri. “Are you ready to go? Say goodbye to Ms. Hallie and Ms. Susan!”
He gave a little wave, and Bri copied him, waving one of her tiny hands and grinning.
“Bah-bah! Bah-bah!” Bri bounced a little in his arms as she waved more.
