AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Remy winced.
Pain surged through him, lacerating what was left of his heart. Guilt crashed over him as his legs trembled, struggling to keep him upright.
Mikel kneeled in front of her, grasping for the words to convey his true feelings despite the turmoil of emotions raging inside him. “You’re right. You are the most important person to me in the whole universe. I hope you can give me a chance to show that to you.”
Her eyes grew wide. “The whole universe? That’s so big!” She smiled, her eyes lighting up. “In the pictures Mommy has of you, and at Uncle Bently’s, you didn’t have any tattoos.”
He smiled. “You’re very observant. I got these after I left.”
“Mommy has one too.” She looked up to her mother the same instant Remy’s body grew tense.
“Why don’t we do some of that swinging now?” Remy asked before he could.
“Can you push me, Daddy?”
He swallowed. The name didn’t get any less amazing coming from that little mouth each time she said it. “Of course, baby girl.”
He followed her to the swing set where a few other kids were running around the play structure. She handed her bear off to her mother and waited, staring at him with her arms lifted.
He carefully picked her up and set her in the seat. The significance of this moment—the first time he was getting to touch his daughter—made his hands tremble.
“I like to go high!” She giggled, seeming unaware of the jumble of emotions rising inside him.
“Hang on with both hands,” Remy warned before she backed away and sat on the bench, giving the two of them some privacy.
“So, Lyra, do you like this park?” God. Was there a lamer question he could ask? It was the kid version of “Do you come here often?”
“Yes. Sometimes Mommy brings me at nighttime and we look at the stars.”
His breath caught as he pushed her swing forward. Remy had shared a piece of him with their little girl.
He cleared his throat and asked, “Do you like looking at the stars?”
“Yes. Mommy said I’m named after a con-sell-a-ton.”
He smiled at her pronunciation. “Yes, you are.” A pang of guilt hit his chest at the lie he’d told Remy about their daughter’s namesake constellation all those years ago. “What do you like to do when you’re not at the playground?” he asked.
“I like watching Paw Patrol. My favorite is Everest, and Skye. They are both girls. But there is also Chase, Rumble, Marshall, Zuma, and Rocky,” she continued her banter, talking a mile a minute. Sometimes he had a little trouble understanding her words, but he got the overall gist of what she was trying to say.
She moved on from the swings, deserting him for a new friend she made on the slide. Mikel turned back to Remy. She gave him an encouraging smile as he walked towards her. The golden rays of the sun broke through the green trees that swayed above them in the warm breeze. Dapples of sunlight glittered over her, making her glow. She was radiant. The sight made his chest tighten. They still had so much to uncover between them.
“That went well,” she said.
He sat beside her, wanting more than anything to wrap his arm around her and have her snuggle into his chest as their daughter played. “She’s got a lot of energy,” he said.
Light, honest laughter tumbled out of Remy’s mouth as she smiled. “She sure does.”
“You bring her here to see the stars?” he asked.
She blinked and avoided his eyes, focusing on their daughter and her new friend piling wood chips and leaves together.
“I tried to share you with her the only way I could.”
He swallowed.
“You named her …” He let the question hang.
“Lyra Jane Evans.”
