“Those aren’t real, Mom.” She rolls her eyes.
I take the time to step away and a young woman confirms a spot is open.
“Mommy, can we go home now? I’m done,” she begs.
Shaking my head, I explain, “The apartment’s in awful shape, kiddo. We have to find somewhere else to stay.”
“Where will we go? To Grandma’s?” Tears appear in Emily’s eyes.
I glance over to see a drawing.
“What’s that, sweetheart?”
“A picture for Damon. Can we give it to him?”
I rattle my head. “I don’t know. It’s almost seven.”
“Please. I worked really hard on it.”
Showing up unannounced at someone’s house seems improper, but maybe he wouldn’t look at it that way. Emily will simply beg until I say yes, so we might as well get it over and done with. Plus, he might enjoy knowing that we admire him for what he did today. Grapevine isn’t too big, with a population of around ten thousand or less. The residential neighborhood isn’t as substantial as you would expect, but plenty of thriving businesses set up shop here.
A couple days after the first time Damon came into the grocery store, I strolled past his house on the way home from work, but he didn’t recognize me. So, I already know where he lives.
“Let’s take it to him. But then, we must go to where we’re staying tonight. Okay?”
A grin takes over as she plucks the picture and sprints for the exit. We stroll hand in hand for the next six blocks. There, on the corner, is the refurbished house that belongs to Damon.
“You ready to give it to him?” I ask. “That’s his house right there.”
Emily is quick and gets to the door before I’m even on the porch.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
A voice resonates from inside. “Just a moment.” The door opens and Damon crouches down, his white t-shirt hugging his broad shoulders. Pull yourself together.
“Hey there, sweetheart. What can I do for you?”
“This is for you...”
As Emily reveals the picture, I recognize the three of us and my hero written across the top. “It’s beautiful. Did you do this all by yourself?”
Emily nods, drifting in for a hug.
At six, it astounds me how compassionate she is for others.
Damon’s eyes close, welcoming her. “Well, thank you. Would you like to come in and put it on my fridge?”
Emily doesn’t hesitate to walk inside before glancing back at me. “Come on, Mama.”
As they turn into the kitchen, I gape at the interior of the home. It’s refreshing. There are light-blue walls, and nothing you would conclude a bachelor’s home to look like. From the guys' houses I’ve seen, it’s usually sort of chaotic and not very vibrant. Damon’s definitely has a woman’s touch. Is he seeing someone?
“Whoever decorated your house did an outstanding job,” I say, scanning around.
I make my way through the living room to the kitchen to see Emily using a puppy dog magnet to hang the picture.
“Now you’ll see it every day,” she says, glowing.
“I’ll never take it down. It’s not very often I get a hand-drawn picture. I’ll treasure it.”