AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I dried my hands with the towel she’d been using to dry dishes before scooting over less than two feet, where she stood. She said nothing as I lifted her body into the air and onto the counter. It wasn’t until I took her chin into my palm that she gave me those eyes again.
“What’s the matter, Aeir? We don’t keep secrets. What’s bothering you?”
“It feels… This will probably soun—”
“I don’t know what strange or weird is anymore, baby. I don’t think it exists in this corner of the world. So, tell me.”
“I feel like I miss her.”
“Miss who?”
“Aussie. I know she’s not mine and I shouldn’t be having these feelings, but I can’t help but feel like I miss her. She’s been with me for so long now, I’m ready to get her out of my head and in my hands. The pictures you’ve shown me just aren’t enough. I want her here, in front of me. She’ll probably want to know who the heck I am, but I’ll explain that part later.” She giggled. “She has almost three weeks left. The very last thing I wish to do is ruin her summer vacation or step on your toes. I was thinking we coul—”
“Ruin?” I paused. “Baby, Aussie has been ready to come home since before she left. If I’m being honest, me too.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
I removed my phone from the counter behind us and unlocked it. Upon finding Anna’s mother’s name in the call log, I tapped the screen a final time before placing it against my ear.
“What are you doing?” Aeir whispered.
“Malachi, is everything alright?”
I lowered the phone and placed it on speaker.
“Yes, ma’am. Missing Aussie something crazy.”
“That little girl loves her daddy. She’s been missing you, too. She keeps her iPad charged day and night just in case you call. When you do, it makes her entire day, but it doesn’t stop her from wanting to be right there beside you.”
“I’m ready for her to come home.”
“I’ve been expecting this call since she got here. I’m fairly surprised you managed to hold out this long.”
“Me, too.”
“Well, we have big plans with her this weekend that we’d like to see through and that she’s looking forward to. If you’d just give us that time with her, we’ll have her back on Monday by noon.”
“Splendid. Keep this between the adults for now and tell her I’ll call her tonight, okay?”
“Sure thing.”
“Alright. See you Monday.”
“Malachi,” she said before the call ended.
“Yes, ma’am?”
“You sound better, son. Maybe this break was just what you needed.”
Aeir. Aeir is just what I needed.
“Thank you. Feeling a lot better.”
“Good. Good. See you on Monday.”
The line died as a single tear fell onto the screen. I looked up to find Aeir’s hands over her mouth as her gleamy eyes lit up with joy. Using my thumb, I wiped her left eye and then her right. Before the tears could fall, I swiped them away.
