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“Great, I’ll text you later with details.”
SEVENTEEN
Mick
I’m relievedto see that there’s no media hanging around outside the Zepeda’s house when I arrive.I’m already nervous as fuck.
When I ring the doorbell, I hear the thumping of feet and a little voice yelling, “I’ll get it.”
But it’s Erin’s dad on the other side of the door when it opens.Chloe’s little face peeks out from behind him.She’s the spitting image of her mother.“Mr.Zepeda, I’m Mick Russel.And you,” I say bending down to her eye-level, “must be Chloe.”She giggles and nods.I straighten up and offer my hand to Erin’s dad.
He shakes it and opens the door wider.“Come in.Erin will be down in a minute.”I slip my shoes off and follow into the living room.There’s a beautifully decorated Christmas tree at the far end of the room with a few gifts under it, and four empty stockings hanging on the mantel.It’s been a long time since I’ve had a full-on Christmas like this.
“Come sit by me,” Chloe says as she takes my hand and drags me to the sofa in front of the fireplace.
Once I’m seated, she scootches up next to me.“Do you sing, or just play the drums?”
“Sometimes I sing.”
“Can you sing now?”
“I can.But how about we sing together.What songs do you know?”
“Rudolph.Do you know that one?”
I chuckle.“You bet I do.”
Chloe and I are in the middle of a rousing rendition ofRudolph the Red Nosed Reindeerwhen Erin and her mother walk in.They’re both grinning, and I think maybe that bodes well for me.Not that I’m looking to score points.I’m being my authentic self.I owe that to all of us.
Erin and her parents clap enthusiastically when we’re done.To avoid it becoming awkward, I suggest we get on our way.
Erin and I had a long conversation last night about what to expect today and she reminded Chloe on the drive over that she might get asked a lot of questions that are nobody’s business and it’s one of those times where it’s okay to ignore grown ups.
She giggles at that.
The parking lot is full of photographers when we arrive at Burnaby Village Museum.I do my best to pre-empt the questions with a short statement that’s as close to the truth as I can make it and inviting them to take photos, but any conversation they overhear is off-the-record.
The first thing I do is buy us tickets for the carousel.It’s a little calculating on my part.I have no doubt Chloe will love it, but I also know it will provide the most irresistible photos for the media.And I want my girls—because they are my girls—to come off in the best possible light.
We start off with the carousel, and as expected, cameras flash and video rolls.Only a few journalists stuck with us for the rest of our visit.
After lunch at Mai’s cafe, we take Chloe to sit on Santa’s lap.She whispers her wish in his ear, and no amount of cajoling could get her to tell us what she’d asked for.And I really wanted to know, because even though I’d only known her a few hours, I’d move heaven and earth to get it for her.
We take one more ride on the carousel before it was time to go.
“If you’d both join me for supper, I have one more place I’d like to take you after.”
EIGHTEEN
Erin
For a daythat started out as a photo op, it turned out to be perfectly lovely.
Chloe is almost asleep by the time we pull up to my parents’ house.
“If you can grab the stuff and get the doors, I’ll carry Chloe inside.And when she’s all settled in, would you be willing to come home with me?”
“You know I can’t just dump her and take off for the night.”
