the patio. “There are still a few leaves and grass that don’t want to let go of you.”
The adorable child laughed, and Katelyn thought she’d never seen a sweeter little girl.
“The leaves and grass don’t want to be outside,” Cori said.
Katelyn shook her head. “Do you blame them? The way the weather has been lately, I wouldn’t want to stay outside for very long, either.”
“Miss Palmer?”
“Yes, Cori.”
“Do you have kids?”
Katelyn smiled down at the child as she flipped the jacket in the air. “No. I’m not married.”
“So nobody calls you Mommy?”
“No, but I have some nephews that call me Aunt Katie.”
Cori giggled. “I have an aunt.”
Katelyn nodded. “Aunts are fun.”
“I bet your nef-ews think you’re fun.”
She laughed over the little girl’s mispronounced word. “Yes, they do. In fact, I’m going to take them to Disneyland next week.”
Cori’s eyes widened. “Where Mickey Mouse lives?”
Katelyn laughed again. “Yes, Mickey Mouse and all of his friends.”
“Cinderella, too?”
“Yup.”
“Even the Little Mermaid?”
Katelyn nodded. “Even Ariel.”
“I wanna go,” Cori whined.
Crouching down to the little girl’s level, Katelyn stroked her soft blonde hair, curling a lock around her finger. “I’m sorry, honey, but this time I’m just taking my nephews.”
Cori pouted. “I wanna go with you, too. Can I?”
“Only if your mommy and daddy say it’s all right.”
Cori frowned as a different kind of sadness coated her eyes. “I don’t have a mommy. She died. I live with my daddy now. I know he won’t let me go with you.”
Katelyn’s heart dropped for the sad girl. “Why won’t he let you?”
“Because my auntie says my daddy doesn’t love me and Casey. My auntie says that is why Daddy de—de—devorst us.”
Heartache tightened Katelyn’s chest and she gathered Cori in her arms, hugging her tight. “Oh, sweetie, your daddy didn’t divorce you.”
Cori looked up at her, big brown eyes dripping with moisture. “But my auntie says he doesn’t love us.”
Tears gathered in Katelyn’s eyes, not knowing what to tell her. She didn’t know the little girl’s parents or the aunt, and so she really didn’t know if Cori’s daddy loved her or not. But she wanted to believe their father was a good man.
“Cori, I’m sure your daddy loves you very much. How could he not? You are the prettiest, funniest, and most loving little girl I’ve ever met.” She hugged her again then withdrew to look down into Cori’s sad eyes. “I’m sure your aunt just doesn’t realize how much your daddy loves you.” She took hold of Cori’s hand and walked back into the building. “You know, sometimes when mommies and daddies get divorced, their children are very sad and they feel like nobody loves them. But Cori, I know your father loves you and your brother. He’s probably just sad over your mother’s death to show how much he loves you.” She paused, and then asked, “Do you understand?”
Cori shrugged. “Yeah, but I miss my mommy.”
Emotion clogged Katelyn’s throat. She knelt in front of Cori and took hold of her hands. “I’m so sorry. Do you love your daddy, Cori?”
Her gaze dropped to her hands as she clutched them against her stomach. “Yes, but it makes my auntie mad when I want to live with Daddy. That’s when she says Daddy doesn’t love me.”
Suddenly, Katelyn wanted to meet this woman who proclaimed to be Cori’s aunt, and give the misguided woman a good talking to—maybe shake her up a little. What kind of aunt tells her nieces and nephews their father doesn’t love them? Perhaps this was information Katelyn needed to tell Stacey. Mental abuse was worse than physical abuse in her book!
From the other room, Katelyn heard the voices of the parents as they came to collect their children. She gave Cori a hug and pulled away. When the little girl looked up at her, Katelyn smiled. “It sounds like it’s time
The adorable child laughed, and Katelyn thought she’d never seen a sweeter little girl.
“The leaves and grass don’t want to be outside,” Cori said.
Katelyn shook her head. “Do you blame them? The way the weather has been lately, I wouldn’t want to stay outside for very long, either.”
“Miss Palmer?”
“Yes, Cori.”
“Do you have kids?”
Katelyn smiled down at the child as she flipped the jacket in the air. “No. I’m not married.”
“So nobody calls you Mommy?”
“No, but I have some nephews that call me Aunt Katie.”
Cori giggled. “I have an aunt.”
Katelyn nodded. “Aunts are fun.”
“I bet your nef-ews think you’re fun.”
She laughed over the little girl’s mispronounced word. “Yes, they do. In fact, I’m going to take them to Disneyland next week.”
Cori’s eyes widened. “Where Mickey Mouse lives?”
Katelyn laughed again. “Yes, Mickey Mouse and all of his friends.”
“Cinderella, too?”
“Yup.”
“Even the Little Mermaid?”
Katelyn nodded. “Even Ariel.”
“I wanna go,” Cori whined.
Crouching down to the little girl’s level, Katelyn stroked her soft blonde hair, curling a lock around her finger. “I’m sorry, honey, but this time I’m just taking my nephews.”
Cori pouted. “I wanna go with you, too. Can I?”
“Only if your mommy and daddy say it’s all right.”
Cori frowned as a different kind of sadness coated her eyes. “I don’t have a mommy. She died. I live with my daddy now. I know he won’t let me go with you.”
Katelyn’s heart dropped for the sad girl. “Why won’t he let you?”
“Because my auntie says my daddy doesn’t love me and Casey. My auntie says that is why Daddy de—de—devorst us.”
Heartache tightened Katelyn’s chest and she gathered Cori in her arms, hugging her tight. “Oh, sweetie, your daddy didn’t divorce you.”
Cori looked up at her, big brown eyes dripping with moisture. “But my auntie says he doesn’t love us.”
Tears gathered in Katelyn’s eyes, not knowing what to tell her. She didn’t know the little girl’s parents or the aunt, and so she really didn’t know if Cori’s daddy loved her or not. But she wanted to believe their father was a good man.
“Cori, I’m sure your daddy loves you very much. How could he not? You are the prettiest, funniest, and most loving little girl I’ve ever met.” She hugged her again then withdrew to look down into Cori’s sad eyes. “I’m sure your aunt just doesn’t realize how much your daddy loves you.” She took hold of Cori’s hand and walked back into the building. “You know, sometimes when mommies and daddies get divorced, their children are very sad and they feel like nobody loves them. But Cori, I know your father loves you and your brother. He’s probably just sad over your mother’s death to show how much he loves you.” She paused, and then asked, “Do you understand?”
Cori shrugged. “Yeah, but I miss my mommy.”
Emotion clogged Katelyn’s throat. She knelt in front of Cori and took hold of her hands. “I’m so sorry. Do you love your daddy, Cori?”
Her gaze dropped to her hands as she clutched them against her stomach. “Yes, but it makes my auntie mad when I want to live with Daddy. That’s when she says Daddy doesn’t love me.”
Suddenly, Katelyn wanted to meet this woman who proclaimed to be Cori’s aunt, and give the misguided woman a good talking to—maybe shake her up a little. What kind of aunt tells her nieces and nephews their father doesn’t love them? Perhaps this was information Katelyn needed to tell Stacey. Mental abuse was worse than physical abuse in her book!
From the other room, Katelyn heard the voices of the parents as they came to collect their children. She gave Cori a hug and pulled away. When the little girl looked up at her, Katelyn smiled. “It sounds like it’s time
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