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She giggles. “A what?”
“Usually we make snow angels outside, right? This works for inside.” There better not be any actual dust bunnies on this floor.
Syd copies my movements. Her arms flap fast enough to launch her into the sky. “This is soooooo fun.”
“And good exercise,” I exhale.
She stops after finishing another cycle. “Yeah, I’m getting tired.”
I glance over at her from my relaxed pose. “Feel better?”
“Lots. You took my hurt away, just like Daddy. That’s why I love you.”
Heat stings my eyes. “W-what?”
Syd continues as if she didn’t just blow my world apart. “I don’t like getting sad. It’s poopy. My heart should be happy. Daddy says it grows super big the more love I have. You make my heart grow bigger.”
Emotion crashes over me. I sit upright before the waterworks begin leaking. “You’re the sweetest, kiddo. That’s why I love you right back.”
Her megawatt smile could power the entire studio. “I’m having the bestest time.”
“Me too.” I’m still caught in her declaration, but I don’t want to appear frozen. The fact this tiny human deems me worthy of her love is a gift I’ll never take for granted.
“Thanks for letting me stay, Miss Harper.”
“You’re always welcome. Maybe we can make it a regular thing?”
“Can we? Please, please?” She folds her hands in a pleading gesture.
“We’ll see what your dad thinks.” Another thought occurs to me. “You’re very mature.”
“What’s mature mean?”
“You act older than your age.”
She wrinkles her nose. “Is that good?”
“Yes, of course. You’re really polite and have great manners. Those fit into the pockets of your smarty pants. A lot of kiddos are still working on those skills, especially in kindergarten.” Not that I’d claim to be an expert. But I work with enough children to have a decent comparison group.
Sydney is quiet for a moment. “Do I talk too much?”
I balk at the question. “Why would you think that?”
She shrugs. “A boy in my class asked me why I’m such a motormouth. He’s not super nice.”
Protective instincts shoot to the surface. “No, he’s not. Did you tell your dad about this?”
“Uh-huh. The mean boy got in trouble and had to apologize.” Her cheeky grin is a reward for both of us. That kid can’t dull her sparkle.
“As he should. There’s nothing wrong with how much you talk. I really enjoy chatting with you. Be proud your vocabulary is loud and large.”
“It’s just ‘cause I’ve got lots of words in my humongous brain that gotta get out.”
“Let them fly free. I’m always willing to listen.”
“M’kay.” Her happiness rebounds with a wide grin. She truly is the sweetest.
“Should we—?”
