getting hungry so I’d better go see about
getting her some lunch. Enjoy your picnic.” He turned to walk back to where
Miranda was.
“You too Russell,” Emily smiled.
Her voice made his heart skip what
seemed like a hundred beats and his hands shook the whole time he was setting
out the dishes for their mini-feast. Russell worked diligently to get all of
their food put out and the two plates filled with fried chicken, his mom’s
famous potato salad, and garden fresh veggies and baked beans.
“Mind if I join you after all?”
Russell’s heart was doing that strange
skipping thing again as he looked up into her eyes. He quickly looked away so
she couldn’t work her evil magic on him again.
“My mother got called to the
hospital. There was a pretty bad accident on I-90 and they are taking
patients to all hospitals within a fifty mile radius.”
Russell nodded. “Yeah, I’m not
surprised, my brother Dylan is stuck behind that accident.” His emotions were
involved in a tug of war. Should he say no, should he say yes? In the end,
politeness won out. “Please, sit down.” He moved over so Emily could sit
between him and Miranda. He couldn’t very well have said no, he wasn’t raised
that way. This definitely wasn’t going to be his idea of fun though, it was
more like extreme torture. But he knew this development had just made his
daughter one really happy little girl. “That is if you think you can handle us.
We’re pretty loud some times.” Russell smiled, resigned to his fate, as Emily
laughed quietly.
“Can I help you get your food out of
your basket, Miss Emily?” Miranda asked politely.
“I would love it, sweetie.”
Miranda dug into the basket and pulled
everything out so Emily could make herself a plate.
Russell laughed. “Great minds think
alike.” Their mothers had packed the same things for them except for dessert.
Emily had her mother’s famous chocolate chip cookies, and Russell and Miranda
had his mother’s famous apple pie. Plus there were plenty of Logan’s donuts to
share.
With everyone’s plate filled, they all dug
into their food, talking about everyday things like school, work and even the
old standard - weather. Especially with steady snowfalls just around the
corner. But mostly the tasty homemade food was the star of the show. Any silent
moments were filled with enjoying the good food and were far from
uncomfortable.
Russell and Emily were cleaning up after
lunch, when they received a visitor. “Hello everyone.” Miranda’s teacher Mrs. Platski appeared before them. “Russell would you mind if
Miranda came with my daughter and I over to the Carnival? The girls would
have a great time together.”
“Can I Daddy?” Miranda asked excitedly,
which was highly unusual, she always shied away from leaving his side. She must
really like Mrs. Platski .
“Uh, yeah, I guess so darlin ’, go ahead. Here, take this.” He pulled some money
out of his wallet and gave it to her. “Don’t lose it”
“Yay.” The little girl jumped up and
walked toward the carnival with her teacher. “Bye Daddy! Bye Miss Emily!”
she hollered over her shoulder.
Russell let out a breath he’d been
holding for way too long. He found himself gasping for breath.
“You worry about her a lot when she’s
not with you, don’t you?” Emily’s voice was sympathetic.
“Yeah, I just can’t help it.” He looked
toward the mountains that still had a slight white stain of snow from the
surprise storm. “What if she has a tantrum and no one knows how to calm her
down? Oh hell, I even worry when she’s with my mother, or even now when she’s
with her teacher, someone who knows what she can be like.” He ran his hands
through his dark hair in a gesture of frustration.
“It will be fine Russell,” Emily
comforted, reaching over to take his hand. Her hypnotic powers must have been
at work because he suddenly felt better. Not one hundred percent, but much
better, anyway.
He laid
getting her some lunch. Enjoy your picnic.” He turned to walk back to where
Miranda was.
“You too Russell,” Emily smiled.
Her voice made his heart skip what
seemed like a hundred beats and his hands shook the whole time he was setting
out the dishes for their mini-feast. Russell worked diligently to get all of
their food put out and the two plates filled with fried chicken, his mom’s
famous potato salad, and garden fresh veggies and baked beans.
“Mind if I join you after all?”
Russell’s heart was doing that strange
skipping thing again as he looked up into her eyes. He quickly looked away so
she couldn’t work her evil magic on him again.
“My mother got called to the
hospital. There was a pretty bad accident on I-90 and they are taking
patients to all hospitals within a fifty mile radius.”
Russell nodded. “Yeah, I’m not
surprised, my brother Dylan is stuck behind that accident.” His emotions were
involved in a tug of war. Should he say no, should he say yes? In the end,
politeness won out. “Please, sit down.” He moved over so Emily could sit
between him and Miranda. He couldn’t very well have said no, he wasn’t raised
that way. This definitely wasn’t going to be his idea of fun though, it was
more like extreme torture. But he knew this development had just made his
daughter one really happy little girl. “That is if you think you can handle us.
We’re pretty loud some times.” Russell smiled, resigned to his fate, as Emily
laughed quietly.
“Can I help you get your food out of
your basket, Miss Emily?” Miranda asked politely.
“I would love it, sweetie.”
Miranda dug into the basket and pulled
everything out so Emily could make herself a plate.
Russell laughed. “Great minds think
alike.” Their mothers had packed the same things for them except for dessert.
Emily had her mother’s famous chocolate chip cookies, and Russell and Miranda
had his mother’s famous apple pie. Plus there were plenty of Logan’s donuts to
share.
With everyone’s plate filled, they all dug
into their food, talking about everyday things like school, work and even the
old standard - weather. Especially with steady snowfalls just around the
corner. But mostly the tasty homemade food was the star of the show. Any silent
moments were filled with enjoying the good food and were far from
uncomfortable.
Russell and Emily were cleaning up after
lunch, when they received a visitor. “Hello everyone.” Miranda’s teacher Mrs. Platski appeared before them. “Russell would you mind if
Miranda came with my daughter and I over to the Carnival? The girls would
have a great time together.”
“Can I Daddy?” Miranda asked excitedly,
which was highly unusual, she always shied away from leaving his side. She must
really like Mrs. Platski .
“Uh, yeah, I guess so darlin ’, go ahead. Here, take this.” He pulled some money
out of his wallet and gave it to her. “Don’t lose it”
“Yay.” The little girl jumped up and
walked toward the carnival with her teacher. “Bye Daddy! Bye Miss Emily!”
she hollered over her shoulder.
Russell let out a breath he’d been
holding for way too long. He found himself gasping for breath.
“You worry about her a lot when she’s
not with you, don’t you?” Emily’s voice was sympathetic.
“Yeah, I just can’t help it.” He looked
toward the mountains that still had a slight white stain of snow from the
surprise storm. “What if she has a tantrum and no one knows how to calm her
down? Oh hell, I even worry when she’s with my mother, or even now when she’s
with her teacher, someone who knows what she can be like.” He ran his hands
through his dark hair in a gesture of frustration.
“It will be fine Russell,” Emily
comforted, reaching over to take his hand. Her hypnotic powers must have been
at work because he suddenly felt better. Not one hundred percent, but much
better, anyway.
He laid
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