“Yes. Thank you. It means a great deal that you appreciate Sadie for who she is. It means everything actually,” he said. “I had no idea how lucky I was the day you offered to watch my daughter.”
“It was my lucky day, too. I love the diner, and I want to run it myself. But my favorite job I’ve ever had—no contest—is taking care of Sadie Lady. Just don’t tell Hugh.” I laughed.
“Good night, Rachel,” he said.
I felt happy when I went to sleep. Even though I would’ve felt a million times happier if he’d been calling to say that he couldn’t resist taking a chance on me. I still loved my place in his life, in Sadie’s life. I could wish it were more, and still appreciate what I already had. I missed them both when I wasn’t around them.
The next couple of days were crazy busy at the diner. We ran out of pies on Saturday night, even using up the two backups in the freezer. I raked in a ton of tips, and by the time I got off work around noon on Sunday, I was beat. Instead of doing laundry like I’d planned, I had a feeling there’d be Netflix and a nap all afternoon. I plugged in my phone as soon as I got home, and noticed a message from Max.
Sadie insisted I invite you to join us at the park around one.
I smiled because she missed me and wanted me there. I sank onto the couch, twisted the lid off my bottle of water, and took a long drink. I tipped my head back and shut my eyes, but now I wanted to go to the park and spend time with Sadie and Max. I couldn’t help it. I just liked spending time with them. So I messaged back that I’d meet them around one-thirty. I showered quickly to get the fried food smell out of my hair and changed into shorts and a t-shirt, my wet hair twisted up on top of my head in a messy knot. When I arrived at the park, Sadie was gingerly climbing a little ways up the monkey bars. I bounded toward her, feeling my energy return with the excitement of seeing them.
She gave me a nervous smile. “I wanna hug you but I’m up high!” she said, her brow crinkled.
“Sadie Lady, I’ll come to you,” I said, going to the monkey bars where she was only about three feet off the ground.
“Will you get me?” she asked.
“Nope. But I’ll help you go higher. You can jump off from where you are and be fine, or you can climb more. I know it feels high, but you’re safe, I promise. Daddy and I are right here, and we’d never let anything happen to you. You wanna go higher?”
“I wanna get down,” she said.
“Okay, go for it,” I said brightly.
“I want you to pick me up,” she said.
I slid a look at Max, who stood close by. He gave a shrug. I knew he wanted to rescue her, but he was holding back, letting me handle it.
“I can’t hold on!” she moaned. I wanted to hug her and laugh because the drama in her voice was so funny, but it wasn’t funny to her, and I’d never laugh at her fears.
“Put your foot down one bar.”
“I can’t!”
“Try for me,” I said. “I promise, I’ve got you.”
She bit her lip and I saw tears in her eyes. I was gonna cave. I couldn’t handle her crying. I knew little kids cried when they had big emotions, but those big, pretty eyes with tears in them gutted me. I looked at Max again, this time frantic.
“How about if I help?” he said, stepping in. I was grateful. I wanted her to climb down on her own and be proud of herself, but I also didn’t want to make her do something she was scared of.
Max stepped up behind her and put his hands on the bars beside hers. He tapped her little fist with one finger and said, “Watch me. Move this hand over and stretch that leg down till your toe bumps the bar. Then stand on the bar. I’m here and you won’t fall.”
She sniffed and gave a whimper but moved her hand like he said. She flailed around with her foot and panic swept over her face. She met his eyes, steadied, and found the bar with her foot. Joy flooded her face, “I did it! I got it!”
“You did! You were awesome,” he said. “Now do the other foot. Same thing.”
Sadie stretched down and stepped her other foot onto the lower bar. She unfastened first one hand and then the other from the bar and moved them to one below it. Then, gingerly, she stepped onto the ground. She hugged Max. I wanted to hug them both. Sadie turned and barreled into me, hugging me hard.