them is my father. His gaze pins on Lia, and his jaw slackens. Seeing that she’s an exact replica of Mom must be even more shocking for him than it was for me.
“Dad, this is Lia Kathryn. Lia, this is your Grandpa Lowell.” Lia stands half behind me, holding onto my leg like she did with Ellie when she first met me.
“Hey there, Lia,” Dad greets her.
“Hi,” she quips, and I bend down to pick her up. Her little arms wrap around me as she leans in.
He grins. “She looks like your mother, Damian.”
“I know,” I say, squeezing her. “She’s Mom all over again.”
“Well, so were you and your brother.”
“I wish Mom was here to see her,” I say, and as I do, I realize that if Mom were alive, Liam would be as well, and this little girl in my arms wouldn’t be mine. She’d be his.
A couple of days ago I wouldn’t have cared. Today, I’m not sure.
“Lia, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Dad says, smiling at her. “Now, I think there’re some kids in The Commons who’d love to play with you.”
Lia’s eyes brighten. I carry her down the hall because I’m not ready to put her down yet. We pass the nurses’ station, and I suppress the laugh bubbling in my chest. Mouths hanging open, the nurses gawk as we pass. They all remember my mother, and it’s not hard to put two and two together—especially with them. The news of who Lia is will spread fast now.
The Commons is at the far end of the hall, next to the chemo room. Dad was right. There are several kids already here, playing and receiving treatments. In the corner where I saw her yesterday sits Olivia. She has some crayons out and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.
“Lia,” I say, “there’s someone I’d like for you to meet.”
I lead my daughter over to the table and lower myself on my haunches. Olivia glances up and breaks into a smile as she recognizes me.
“Hi, Olivia,” I say. I unzip my bag and pull out a My Little Pony notebook Lia picked out and a large box of crayons. “These are for you.”
Her smile widens. “Wow. Thank you.”
“I’d also like to introduce you to my daughter, Lia.”
“Hi,” Lia says, waving even though the girls are only a foot away from each other.
“Hi,” Olivia answers, waving back.
“I’m going to leave you two to play, okay?” I say, looking back and forth between the two. I linger on Lia.
They both nod.
“If you need anything, Lia, you can ask Olivia or one of the nurses. They come in frequently. I’ll be back to check in soon.”
“Okay,” she says.
At the door, I twist around. Already the girls are giggling with each other and breaking in the new crayons. I watch for a second longer before I slip out.
~*~
On my break, Leslie teaches me how to brush Lia’s hair. I’m catching on—until she braids it. Then I’m completely lost.
“Can you braid Twilight Sparkle’s tail?” she asks Leslie, holding up her pony.
“Sure, sweetheart. Now, pay attention, Damian.” Leslie splits the hair in three pieces. So far, I get it. But when she starts to move the three strands, they all blur together, and suddenly I have a headache.
“Uh, I’ll YouTube it,” I say when she asks if I’ve got it.
Leslie laughs. “You do that.”
“Thanks, Miss Leslie!” Lia quips and runs off.
“She’s beautiful, Damian,” Leslie says.
“She is,” I agree as I watch Lia show off her braid to Olivia.
“Kate would be proud.”
The wind is knocked out of me at Leslie’s sentiment. She means well, but I doubt Kate would be proud of me knocking up Ellie the night before her burial.
Lia’s blues flash in our direction. She points at Leslie, and Olivia claps her hands in excitement before they start toward us.
“Looks like you have another customer,” I say, happy for the quick change in subject. I stand up and take off before I have to sit through another hair-braiding lesson.
~*~
Dinner at Dad’s went great, and now Lia’s on the phone with her
“Dad, this is Lia Kathryn. Lia, this is your Grandpa Lowell.” Lia stands half behind me, holding onto my leg like she did with Ellie when she first met me.
“Hey there, Lia,” Dad greets her.
“Hi,” she quips, and I bend down to pick her up. Her little arms wrap around me as she leans in.
He grins. “She looks like your mother, Damian.”
“I know,” I say, squeezing her. “She’s Mom all over again.”
“Well, so were you and your brother.”
“I wish Mom was here to see her,” I say, and as I do, I realize that if Mom were alive, Liam would be as well, and this little girl in my arms wouldn’t be mine. She’d be his.
A couple of days ago I wouldn’t have cared. Today, I’m not sure.
“Lia, it’s a pleasure to meet you,” Dad says, smiling at her. “Now, I think there’re some kids in The Commons who’d love to play with you.”
Lia’s eyes brighten. I carry her down the hall because I’m not ready to put her down yet. We pass the nurses’ station, and I suppress the laugh bubbling in my chest. Mouths hanging open, the nurses gawk as we pass. They all remember my mother, and it’s not hard to put two and two together—especially with them. The news of who Lia is will spread fast now.
The Commons is at the far end of the hall, next to the chemo room. Dad was right. There are several kids already here, playing and receiving treatments. In the corner where I saw her yesterday sits Olivia. She has some crayons out and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world.
“Lia,” I say, “there’s someone I’d like for you to meet.”
I lead my daughter over to the table and lower myself on my haunches. Olivia glances up and breaks into a smile as she recognizes me.
“Hi, Olivia,” I say. I unzip my bag and pull out a My Little Pony notebook Lia picked out and a large box of crayons. “These are for you.”
Her smile widens. “Wow. Thank you.”
“I’d also like to introduce you to my daughter, Lia.”
“Hi,” Lia says, waving even though the girls are only a foot away from each other.
“Hi,” Olivia answers, waving back.
“I’m going to leave you two to play, okay?” I say, looking back and forth between the two. I linger on Lia.
They both nod.
“If you need anything, Lia, you can ask Olivia or one of the nurses. They come in frequently. I’ll be back to check in soon.”
“Okay,” she says.
At the door, I twist around. Already the girls are giggling with each other and breaking in the new crayons. I watch for a second longer before I slip out.
~*~
On my break, Leslie teaches me how to brush Lia’s hair. I’m catching on—until she braids it. Then I’m completely lost.
“Can you braid Twilight Sparkle’s tail?” she asks Leslie, holding up her pony.
“Sure, sweetheart. Now, pay attention, Damian.” Leslie splits the hair in three pieces. So far, I get it. But when she starts to move the three strands, they all blur together, and suddenly I have a headache.
“Uh, I’ll YouTube it,” I say when she asks if I’ve got it.
Leslie laughs. “You do that.”
“Thanks, Miss Leslie!” Lia quips and runs off.
“She’s beautiful, Damian,” Leslie says.
“She is,” I agree as I watch Lia show off her braid to Olivia.
“Kate would be proud.”
The wind is knocked out of me at Leslie’s sentiment. She means well, but I doubt Kate would be proud of me knocking up Ellie the night before her burial.
Lia’s blues flash in our direction. She points at Leslie, and Olivia claps her hands in excitement before they start toward us.
“Looks like you have another customer,” I say, happy for the quick change in subject. I stand up and take off before I have to sit through another hair-braiding lesson.
~*~
Dinner at Dad’s went great, and now Lia’s on the phone with her
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