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“Yes, Everett, we’re okay. Richard, all I can say is that he will come around. He is like me, terrified that we are losing the last piece of our daughter. Are we still welcome to come for the party?”
“Of course.”
“Everett?? One more thing.”
“What is it?” I questioned.
“If Ember is as good to Sophie as you say, we would like to meet her again, this time properly. I’d like to meet the person our granddaughter and son-in-law love. I’d like to get to know her and give her a chance, and I’d like to read that book.”
“Not a problem. I can forward it to you. Goodnight, Margaret.”
“Good night, Everett, again I am so sorry I got upset. I hope you can understand.”
“I do. Sleep well.”
Margaret hung up first, but I continued to sit there with the phone pressed to my ear. When I finally hung up, I got up and grabbed my keys, then went up to Sophie’s room. I scooped her up, blanket and all and turned to leave the room. She stirred against my shoulder.
“Daddy?” she muttered, rubbing her eyes.
“Shh, Soph. It’s okay, we’re going to go for a drive.”
“Where?”
“To fix something that I broke,” I said, kissing her forehead.
“My dinosaur,” she cried.
I went back into her room and grabbed her stuffed dinosaur and then carried her downstairs and out into the cool night and put her in the car.
“Are we going to get Ember?” She asked.
“Yeah, baby, we’re getting Ember.”
Ember lived in an old apartment building with her mother in the next town over. It was a small building with narrow stairs. I carried Sophie in my arms, and when I got to the apartment door, I questioned why the hell I was here at such a late hour. I should have waited until tomorrow, and was about to grab Sophie’s hand, but she knocked before I could stop her.
When the door opened, Ember stood there in sweatpants and an old t-shirt, her hair messy and her eyes puffy. She looked at me and then down at Sophie.
“Everett? What on earth are you doing here?” She said, moving to shut the door in my face, but I put my hand up to stop it.
“Before you shut us out, please give me a minute. I spoke with Margaret.”
“You did what?” Ember stilled.
Sophie bounced around on her toes, singing Monster Mash to herself, ignoring everything else.
“I spoke to her about what she read. I made it clear to her that the book you wrote was a love letter and that it wasn’t intended to cause harm to anyone.
“I bet she loved that.” Ember said, going to shut the door again.
“She told me Rebecca would have understood.”
Ember stood there gripping the doorframe.
“She wants to meet you, but not as Sophie’s nanny. She wants to meet the person her granddaughter and son-in-law love.”
“Ember…what is going on?” I heard a sleepy voice ask from somewhere in the apartment.
“It’s okay, Mom. It’s nothing to worry about, go back to sleep.”
