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She rarely smiles at me.
Again, I commit myself to doing everything to win my daughter back. While Amber settles down in my office with a bottle of water, I send for Hailey.
“Amber, this is Ms. Hailey Graham, our cyber security engineer,” I introduce as soon as Hailey enters the office.
Amber lifts her head from her phone and smiles at her.
“Hailey, this is Amber, my daughter.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Amber,” Hailey says with a bright smile as she comes forward.
“It’s nice to meet you, too, Ms. Graham.”
Hailey shakes her head. “Please call me Hailey. Ms. Graham makes me sound like a prudish old woman with nine cats. Not that I have anything against cats.”
Amber giggles. “Okay. I hope I’m not keeping you from your work.”
My heart melts at her consideration. She didn’t get that from Linda. I swiftly shake off my bitterness.
“Not at all. Your dad says you want to know about coding and cyber security for your project.” Hailey sits beside her on the sofa.
Amber glances at me before saying, “And hacking.”
Hailey laughs softly. “Are you planning on hacking your school’s website?”
Amber giggles again. “Something like that.”
“What?” I insert with feigned shock.
Hailey whispers something to Amber that I don’t catch, and both burst into a fit of giggles.
Seeing myself as a third wheel when they resume conversing, I settle on my chair and try to work. Now and again, I lift my head and observe them talking like long-lost friends. Warmth spreads in my heart at the lovely picture they make: Hailey explaining cyber security and Amber hanging on to her every word as she types on her laptop.
Why do I suddenly feel as if someone kicked me in the gut? I quickly change the train of my thoughts and focus on work.
A while later, after three calls from her mother, Amber is ready to go home, but they aren’t done with their conversation.
“I hope you don’t mind if I come back another day,” Amber tells Hailey with eager eyes.
“Of course, I don’t mind. You can come back anytime you like, Amber.”
With joy glowing in her eyes, something I haven’t witnessed in a long while, she turns to me. “Alright, Dad. I’m ready to go before Mom sends the NYPD to get me.”
I chuckle and rise from my chair before reaching for my jacket from the coat hanger.
“You don’t have to take me home. You could tell Steve to do that,” she says when I pick up my car keys.
“I want to take you home,” I reply softly.
She shrugs and thanks Hailey again. I want to tell Hailey how grateful I am, but I resolve to show her later.
On the drive home, I try to talk to Amber, but she’s more interested in her phone. I don’t push it, so she won’t think I’m nagging. After dropping her at Linda’s, she gives me a wide smile, and my heart lifts with joy.
“Thanks, Dad. Hailey is great. I look forward to working on my project with her.”
“You’re welcome, Pumpkin. Anything for you.” I itch to draw her into my arms, but I don’t want to spoil the progress we’ve made so far.
Whistling to the tune of the music blaring from my car’s radio, I drive back to the office. For the first time in forever, I see a silver lining in my relationship with my daughter.
