Lili thought about it for a second and frowned. She took a step backward and looked down at her shoes. I could see the wheels of thought turning in her five-year-old mind.
“Am I going to live with him now?” she asked.
“No,” I shook my head. “You’ll stay with me. I promise.”
“Is he nice?” she asked.
“You’ll love him,” I told her with a smile. “He’s really nice.”
“Okay,” she nodded. “Then, I want to meet him.”
Twenty- Four
Piper
Logan walked up the stairs slowly. He looked like he was heading for trial. I could see his hands shaking as he stuffed them nervously in his pockets.
“She doesn’t bite,” I promised. “You don’t have anything to be afraid of.”
“If she’s anything like you, I do,” he said softly.
“Ha. Ha.” I said.
Logan reached the top step and turned into the playroom. I walked up behind him and waited until Lili turned around to face us. When she did, her eyes went straight to Logan’s face.
“Lili,” I said. “This is Logan. This is your dad.”
“Were you really a soldier?” she asked immediately. I chuckled.
“Something like that,” he nodded. “I was what you call a Navy SEAL.”
“A seal?” Lili laughed. “Like the animal?”
“Not exactly,” Logan laughed.
“Where did you live?” Lili asked.
“All over,” Logan answered. He took a step closer to her. She kept staring at him with wide, thoughtful eyes.
“How come you never came to see me?”
Lili’s question made my stomach tighten. I waited with bated breath for Logan to answer. He didn’t owe me anything, he didn’t have to protect me. I knew I only had myself to blame if Lili got angry with me.
“I wish I could have,” he said. “But, I was so busy being a SEAL that I didn’t have enough time. That’s why I retired. So, I could spend time with you.”
“Really?” Lili asked, her eyes lighting up with excitement.
“I didn’t know it at the time,” Logan said. “But, that’s exactly why I left. It was time for me to meet you.”
“That’s cool,” Lili smiled.
Logan glanced back at me with a kind look in his eyes. I had tears falling down my cheeks as I mouthed a “thank you” to him. He nodded slightly and turned his attention back to Lili.
“So,” he said. “Tell me, Lili, what’s your favorite game to play?”
“I like to play dolls,” she said. “But not Barbie dolls or princesses or anything like that. Doctor dolls.”
“Doctor dolls?” he asked. “What’s that?”