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His watch buzzed on his wrist. A ten-minute warning. He slammed the laptop lid and backed away from the desk with his heart hammering. He stood against the foot of the bed, shaking. A cold sweat stood out on his back.
Then light flooded the room. Jesse spun around. The door was open. A small figure stood outlined against the light.
“Who’s there?”
Jesse froze in the shadow of the bed curtain, his heart racing.
“Who is it? I’m calling Maria.”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Jesse said hurriedly, “hold your horses, Dimity. It’s just me.”
“Who are you?” Her voice tightened with fear. “Why are you in my aunt’s room?”
Jesse pulled off his hood and knelt in front of her. “It’s Jesse. Remember me?”
She opened the door a little wider but didn’t move closer. “I think so. The Christmas party?”
“That’s right. You showed me your drawings.”
Silence. Seconds ticking by. Jesse didn’t dare move. “What are you doing in here?” she said.
“I, uh…” He looked back at the laptop then back at the little girl in her pink nightdress, clutching a stuffed rabbit to her chest.
“I’ll get Maria,” she said and moved to step away, but Jesse held his hand out.
“No, wait, Dim.” She stopped, eyeing him warily. He took a breath. “You’re right. I’m not supposed to be here. If you get Maria, I’ll be in trouble.”
Dimity took an uncertain step into the room. “Why will you be in trouble?”
“I…” Jesse fought himself. He could just make out her face in the darkness, crumpled with a mixture of sadness and fear—not the face a child should have on Christmas Eve. “Your dad sent me.”
Her face transformed, lighting from inside. “Daddy?”
“Shh,” he hushed her, shuffling forward on his knees. “This has gotta be a secret, right?”
“Daddy’s here?” Her words came out in the strangled squeak of someone trying to keep their excitement quiet.
“He’s not far,” Jesse said, checking his watch and wincing. “He sent me to get you. Thought you might want Christmas with him.”
“Hurray,” she called, jumping up and down, swinging her rabbit about.
“Hey, hey,” Jesse said urgently. “Quiet down, eh? I’m not supposed to be here, remember?”
“But why not?” Dimity said plaintively. “I want to see my daddy. You’re here to take me to him. What’s wrong with that?”
Jesse swallowed. “Dim, this is very, very important, okay?”
“Whatis?” she said, her voice lowering, brow wrinkling.
“You said you want to see your daddy, right?”
“Yeah…?”
“Is that the truth? One hundred percent, cross your heart, swear on your bunny’s life the truth?”
She giggled, covering her hand with her mouth. “Of course.”
Jesse’s uncertainty prickled over his skin. “You want to live with him again?”
