Burned(28)

“Baby, that is awesome,” Hauk exclaimed. “I’m so proud of you.”

“Thanks. So I want to practice reading it in front of people, and I want you guys to be my first audience.”

“We would be honored,” Vic answered for them both.

With no more encouragement needed, Sophie unfolded the paper and began reading to her audience of four.

“Whispering Cove. From its rocky shores and up the cobbled streets, past the colorful buildings and vibrant people, it’s all I’ve ever known. It’s home.”

Suddenly it seemed okay that he had never followed his dream of packing Sophie up and moving away to a different life. He was content, but Sophie loved her life. That was all the assurance he needed that he’d made the right choices.

“I think it’s as impossible to come to Whispering Cove and not fall in love as it is to not take a piece of it with you when you leave. I guess that’s not right. You can resist falling in love with Whispering Cove, but you still take something with you when you go. At least that’s what I’ve heard Dad say. And that we’ll always have our family.”

His throat tightened. He had said that once when he had been talking about her mother. He hadn’t told her everything, but neither had he kept the truth from her. She had never again asked about the woman who left them both, tried to muddy his name and then died.

“I’m lucky. My family is bigger than me, Dad and my grandparents. My family is Mr. Mitchell who makes me laugh when I’m sad. My family is Dr. Dani who helps me feel better when I’m sick. My family is Mrs. Wilson who bakes my birthday cakes when Dad burns them.”

He smiled about the ruined cakes. A baker, he was not.

“My family is Vic who cuts my hair and tells me I’m pretty and helps me with my homework when Dad works late, and says she loves me.”

The tightness in his throat became a stinging force that jumped to his eyes. His heart trembled. Vic hooked an arm through his and leaned against him. It was a simple gesture of support, the kind they’d shared in middle school when her mom passed. He couldn’t decide if the closeness and her instinct that he’d be hurting made him feel better or worse.

“My family is everyone who works together every year to breathe life into the Fall Festival, and my family is even the tourists who visit and stay to play games during the festival.”

Sophie paused for a breath. Vic seemed to be holding hers. He knew he was.

“The Fall Festival. It’s important to the town, I know, but it’s always fun. And it always has me making the same wish. A wish for a bigger family.”

Vic tightened her hold. Her fingers rubbed soothingly across his arm. She had to know what was coming.

“In a way, I think the Fall Festival is a member of the family. It brings us together for fun, games, dancing and food. We stay out late and eat too many sweets and our parents let us ignore our chores.”

Hauk chuckled. Sophie didn’t have a lot of chores, but she loved skipping the ones she did. She said it was like Christmas came early.

“I think my favorite part of the Fall Festival though is the dancing. When the music is playing we get to forget for a little while about what we wish we had. We get to live in the joy of the moment. We kids get to watch the parents take their turn on the dance floor.” She looked up with a small, sad smile.

Vic moved her arm so she instead had it around his waist. Her other hand moved to rest on his biceps.

“Of course, most kids tell their parents they think they’re gross and embarrassing. Personally, I would like to see my dad dance. I think if he did it would mean he heard my wishes, but more, it would mean his heart healed.”

The tears pressing against his eyes spilled over. Suddenly, Vic’s support made all the difference. Without her taking his weight, he would have collapsed with the grief of the hurt his daughter never mentioned. He’d known she needed a mom, just as he’d known he couldn’t give her one. His hope that he’d be enough, though, was eroding.

Sophie sniffled a little, but continued. “The festival is coming soon, and I am already wishing the same wish. I wish Dad would grow our family. I wish Dad would find a mom to dance with.”

With a long sigh, Sophie folded up the paper and tucked it back into her pocket. Mrs. Mitchell and Carmen sniffled as they went on a search for tissues. Hauk stepped away from Vic, avoiding her gaze for fear of what he might see there, and dropped to his knees before Sophie. “Honey, I had no idea you felt quite that way.”

“It’s just something I think about every once in a while.” She wiped the tears off his cheeks and shrugged. “It doesn’t make you mad, does it?”