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Ihaveto keep training people so that other parents like meneverhave to suffer the way mine did…so that other kids never have to go through the atrocities I managed to survive.
The girls may resent me for it now, but I just hope someday…when they’re old enough…they find a way to resent meless.
Lovingly, I brush hair off of Lu’s slender shoulder. “What do we light candles for each night?”
“For the angels to potect us,” Lair Bear answers as I adjust her pajama shirt.
“And to potect everyone we love,” adds Lu very firmly.
“That’s right.” Taking in a deep breath is followed by me continuing. “Wanna know the reason why?”
“Okay!” they squeal in tandem.
“See, when I was jus’ a little bit older than the two of you, some very bad people took me awaymymommy and daddy.”
Their jaws hitting the floor has them looking more like Arley than me.
And I love that.
I love how much they look like the other person I adore most in the world.
“I was gone for a very, very, very long time, and while I wasAbuelalit a candle and said a prayer for meevery. Night.”
Their expressions remain the same.
“Sheknewsomeone would come to my rescue and wanted the angels to protect me until that person could find me.”
“That’s so sad, daddy!” Lu states, bottom lip poking out.
“So scary,” Lair Bear quietly claims, grabbing her sister’s hand.
“Itwasvery sad and very scary, and it’s the reason why Daddy used to go all around the world before you were born returnin’ little cowboys and cowgirls back to the people who missed ‘em so much. People wholoved‘em. And teachin’ people to do that is the reason why Daddy sometimes misses things like cake pop parties and soccer practice and-”
“Nochebuena,” Lair Bear says on an understanding nod.
“Sort of…I missedNochebuenabecause a little boy – the same age as you two – was taken from his mommy and Ihadto get him back to her.” The headshake they’re delivered is slow. “I didn’t wanna miss out on all the fun. I wanted to eat the cookies and do the dancin’ and feed the reindeer, but that little boyneededto get back to his mommy and that bad manneededto be stopped so he couldn’t do that to any other kids.”
“You’re a superhero!” Lair Bear exclaims tossing one hand in the air.
Lu sassily waggles a finger. “I knew it.”
You know that’s twice today I’ve been called super.
Maybe I should lean into it?
Not get a cape but maybe…a t-shirt?
“I amsuper sorryI missed that time with you and your cousins and your aunts and uncles and grandparents.”
“It’s okay, Daddy…” Lu cups my face with both hands the way she does her sister when making sure she’s okay. “You have to save the world.”
“You two and your momaremy world, princess.”
“Theotherworld, Daddy,” she sighs in obvious exasperation.
Yeah, she definitely gets that shit from Angel Cake.
“You both know that jus’ because I have to savethe other worlddoesn’t mean I love you and our worldany less, right?”
