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She smiles and glides past me, leaving me in the wake of her delicate perfume.
“Thank you.”
I notice a tiny dimple at the corner of her lips which keeps winking in and out as she speaks.
“Sylvia told me that she won’t be here when we get back. She says Emily usually puts him to bed if she’s absent. I asked to do it tonight if that’s okay with you.” She buckles herself in and I pull out of the driveway.
“It’s quite okay, Summer. By the way, we need to discuss your days off. As you must realize by now, it’s a twenty-four seven operation that we have here. Is every other weekend off okay for you or would you prefer days off during the week?”
“Ummm,” A thoughtful look crosses her features, “Do I have to give you an answer now?”
“Not necessarily. But just so you know that it is something to think about.”
“I will. Thank you.”
The rest of the drive is a pretty silent one on my part as I listen to Summer engage Ryan in conversation. We soon pull into the restaurant parking lot. Ryan comes out freely when I lift him and immediately slips his hand into Summer’s.
“Hold daddy’s hand, sweetie,” Summer says softly.
I feel my heart melt as his little hand slips into mine. These times, like earlier in the week when he climbed into my lap, are the times that I treasure. But I do not want him to be told what to do for me to have his attention. I want it to happen naturally.
We walk into the restaurant and are seated a few moments later. I watch as Summer engages him in conversation about what he likes about the restaurant.
“They have soldiers. And I like the food,” Ryan says.
I look around curiously. “I don’t see any soldiers, Ryan.”
“There’s one,” he points at a waiter as he passes. “And her,” he points to the hostess as she seats another group. I look at Summer, puzzled.
She turns to him. “Why do you think they are soldiers, sweetheart?”
“They’re all wearing uniform and they march back and forth. Look at them over there.” He points to the group of waiters and waitresses waiting to be assigned a table. Summer looks at me and smiles.
“I understand why you think there are soldiers here. Can I tell you a secret?” she leans in conspiratorially.
He nods.
“There are soldiers ateveryrestaurant.”
His eyes grow as wide as saucers. “Really?”
“Yep.”
He turns to me, catching me off guard. “Is that true, daddy?”
I nod in agreement. “It is. So, maybe the next time we go out we could go to another restaurant and see some of those soldiers.”
“Will the food be good like it is here?”
I laugh. “I’m sure it will be. I’m starving. What are we going to have tonight?”
We order and have a fantastic meal. I watch Summer assists him with his utensils and the way he arranges his food on his plate. Usually, I have a hard time with that as I cannot ever seem to get his plate just the way he wants it. Everything seems to be going well until the dessert comes. At first, Ryan seems to be fine. And then he begins to get agitated. He twists and turns in his seat and I feel the hair stand up on my neck as I sense the beginnings of a meltdown. And the worst part is I cannot see the reason for it.
Suddenly, he pushes the plate with his cake halfway across the table. It collides with my water glass and, before I can react, the glass topples over, spreading water across the table. I am on my feet instantly and so is Summer. She pulls Ryan’s chair away from the table but some of the water has already dripped down the side and onto his pants. He screams. My body tenses, feeling as though every eye in the restaurant is trained on us as Ryan’s screams reach ear-shattering decibels. He brushes at his pants furiously and becomes almost frantic as he babbles incoherently. I stand by helplessly and watch over as Summer drops to her knees in front of him. She leans forward and whispers in his ear. He nods and shakes his head in quick succession. She places her hands on his shoulders and I see her look into his eyes. Then slowly, she closes her eyes and he does the same. She opens her eyes while his remain closed. She takes a piece of tissue and stuffs it into his pants in the little section where the water made it damp. Meanwhile, the staff has worked magic and the table is clear and the cloth replaced. Summer and Ryan have not moved from where they are. I lean in as she speaks to him softly. “Now open in one, two, three.”
Ryan’s eyes flutter open and he looks at her.
“All better?”
