Page 43 (1/2)

“So, you didn’t know your father at all growing up?”

“Not until later My mom died when I elve so… I was alone pretty much all the time after I moved to my dad’s He never was interested in me before then Well, he was on the birth certificate, andhim he had to step up, so I sort of became his responsibility He had another family, a ho always felt I was an intrusion into their perfect life with his new daughter as never intentionally cruel to me, just sort of indifferent”

My heart wrenches More at the detached, unemotional way she says it than the news itself It’s clear that she has worked hard to insulate herself from the pain

“I’m sorry, baby” I don’t mention the PI information I had It did include herwith her father, but I wanted her to tellinto her life, her past, n me up with the harass her about her childhood, only because I see the pain in her face I can’t bear to see her hurting “What do you want to do sorow up?”

She grins, and a blush stains her cheeks when she looks down at her outfit “Well, Iinternship has been fun, but I really want to write children’s books And bake Maybe a baking show for kids where I read then bake so at home” She pulls her shoulder to her ear, her eyes low “Probably dumb I don’t know for sure But, you asked”

I inhale “Not dumb and yes I asked so promise me you will always be honest Whatever you need to say, with respect of course, I need to know If it’s important to you, it’s probably more important to me”

She shrugs, twisting her luscious pink lips to the side, and I feel a change of subject is the right thing at the moment

“Okay, one other thing So that makes your heart happy”

“So, I used to have a frog that I picked up at the pond outside my dad’s house I named it Robinson Then I took Robinson out one day and he made a friend”

“Let uess A toad”

She grins, thoroughly enjoying herself “No! It was another frog I na conversations”

My heart twists so hard, the agony rips throughto her pet frogs How lonely she must have been

“I want to write about the adventures Robinson and Crusoe, and I had Robinson gets into trouble everywhere, Crusoe wins people over, and they both co off into the next adventure”