Just then there’s a knock at the door. “Jamie will you let Carter in, please,” I ask as I sit down on the floor in front of Danny.
Jamie looks at me, then Daniele, before she walks to the front of the diner. I haven’t had time to talk to her yet. I haven’t had time to absorb the past twenty-four hours, let alone try making sense of it.
“I’ll make you a deal. I’ll wash them tonight so you can wear them tomorrow.” She shakes her head, pushing her bottom lip out even further.
Jamie kneels next to me. Taking the purple socks from me she says, “Princess Danny has a visitor. Let’s get these socks on so you see who it is.”
Danny forgets about sulking and lets Jamie put the socks on. It’s times like this I feel like a failure.
I stand up and pulling my ponytail a little tighter, I turn, but I’m stopped in my tracks by the look on Carter’s face. His eyes are filled with worry as they lock with mine.
Dammit! He just saw how I couldn’t even get socks on his daughter’s feet.
“I’m a princess,” Danny starts to sing. She starts to spin around so her dress fans out around her.
Carter crouches down and slowly a smile spreads over his face. His eyes are glued to his little girl. I can see that he’s fighting to hold himself back.
“Danny,” I say as I kneel beside her again.
She stops spinning and gulps in huge amounts of air. “That was a lot of work.”
I take her hand and pull her tiny body closer to mine. I don’t know how to introduce her to her father, so I just spit the words out. “This is Carter Hayes.”
Her little face lights up and suddenly she’s very interested in Carter. “Hey, that’s my name. You can’t have the same name, silly.”
Carter sucks in a harsh breath of air and tears start to well in his eyes.
“You’re my little girl,” he whispers as he struggles to keep control over his emotions.
Daniele’s eyes go wide and she looks from me to him. She pulls away from me and walks right up to Carter. She places her tiny hand on his shoulder. “Shh, it’s okay. Don’t cry. You can have the same name.”
A sob shudders through him and he grabs her to him. He buries his face in her dark curls.
I cover my mouth with a trembling hand when she hugs him back. She pats him and gently brushes her hand over his hair. “It’s okay,” she whispers.
I take a deep breath and get up. I walk closer to them and placing my hand on her back, I get her attention.
“Daniele, this is your daddy.”
She pulls away and her tiny hands cradle his face. “I have a daddy?”
I can’t hold it in anymore. I get up and turn away from them as the tears burst free.
“Yeah, I’m your daddy,” he says.
“Where did you come from?” she asks with all the innocence in the world.
Quickly, I wipe the tears from my face and I turn back to them. I can see the lost look on his face. He has no answer for her.
“Your daddy had to fight a dragon so he could come save his princess,” Jamie suddenly says.
I’ve never loved my sister more than I do in this moment.
Carter looks at Jamie from over Danny’s head and he mouths thank you.
“You’re a king?” Danny asks.
Carter nods and smiles at her with all the love only a father can have for his little girl. “Yeah.”