nodded. “And dolls. They’re all up there having a picnic but I’m pretty sure they’d want another guest. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”
Emily took the little girl up to the third floor and then along the corridor. She pulled down the attic ladder. Chantelle looked up timidly.
“Want me to go first?” Emily asked. “Make sure there aren’t any spiders?”
Chantelle shook her head. “Nope. I’m not scared of spiders.” She sounded proud of herself.
They went up to the attic together and Emily showed her the box of old toys. “You can have anything you want out of there,” she said.
“Will Daddy come and play?” Chantelle asked.
Emily also wanted Daniel around. She wasn’t sure where he’d disappeared to, or why he’d gone. “Let me go ask him. You’ll be okay up here for a bit, right, since you’re not scared of spiders?”
Chantelle nodded and Emily left the little girl playing. She went down through the third and second floors looking for Daniel, then down to the ground floor. She found him in the kitchen standing by the coffee pot motionless.
“Are you okay?” Emily asked.
Daniel startled and then turned. “I’m sorry. I came down for coffee and just got completely overwhelmed by everything.” He looked at Emily and frowned. “I don’t know how to do this. To be a dad. I’m in way over my head.”
Emily walked up to him and lightly rubbed his arm. “We’ll figure it out together.”
“Just hearing her talk kills me. I wish I could have been there for her. Protected her from Sheila.”
Emily wrapped her arms around Daniel. “You can’t look back and worry about the past. All we can do now is make sure we do everything in our power to help her. It’s going to be great, I promise. You’re going to be a great dad.”
She could still feel some resistance in Daniel. She desperately wanted him to soften, to accept her embrace and be comforted from it, but something was stopping him.
“She’s already starting to ask questions,” he said. “She asked me why I never sent her birthday cards. I didn’t know what to say. I mean what can you possibly say to a six-year-old that they can understand?”
“I think we just have to be honest,” Emily said. “Secrets never help anyone.”
She thought of the poignancy of her words. Her father had kept secrets his entire life. Emily had only uncovered the tip of the iceberg since coming here.
Just then, Chantelle rushed into the kitchen. She was holding a large stuffed panda bear in her arms. He was almost as big as she was.
“Look, Daddy! Look!” she said, running up to Daniel.
Emily was shocked. She hadn’t seen the bear while tidying up Charlotte’s old bedroom. It must have been in the attic already. He’d been Charlotte’s favorite. She’d called him Andy the Pandy. Seeing him now sent a shard of pain racing through her body. She wondered how Chantelle had found him amongst all the boxes.
“What’s your bear’s name?” Daniel asked Chantelle, bending down so they were face to face.
“Andy Pandy,” Chantelle said with a grin.
Emily gripped the work surface with shock. Once again, she felt strongly that it was another sign from Charlotte, a reminder not to forget about her, that she was looking down on them from above.
“Hey, I have an idea,” Daniel said, breaking through her reverie. “Do you think Andy would like to go to a parade?”
“Yeah!” Chantelle cried.
Daniel looked up at Emily. “What do you think? Shall we all go to the Labor Day parade? Our first family outing?”
Referring to them as a family snapped Emily out of her stupor.
“Yes,” she said. “Yes, I’d like that a lot.”
CHAPTER TWO
The main street was lined with people, some waving flags, others holding balloons. As with most national holiday events, Sunset Harbor was going all out to celebrate Labor Day. The town was decorated beautifully, with bunting and lights strung between lampposts and trees, streamers tied to fences, and a small carnival.
As they walked along the busy streets, Emily held on tightly to Chantelle’s hand, sensing that the little girl was overwhelmed. But every time she looked down there was a grin on Chantelle’s face. It filled Emily’s heart with joy to know she was happy. But it also filled her with much more; a sense of peace, of contentment. She’d wanted children of her own for a while, but she hadn’t realized quite how much enjoyment she’d really get from spending time with Chantelle.
Emily couldn’t help but notice that Daniel, on the other hand, seemed tense. In the busy crowds he seemed on edge, like a hawk sensing danger on every street corner. He’d certainly taken naturally to his role of protector, but he seemed to be lacking somewhat on the bonding front. Emily hoped it was just teething problems, that he would relax as time went on and learn to enjoy parenthood as much as she was. He needed to learn how to be a dad, not just a father.
Through the crowds Emily spotted her Sunset Harbor friend Cynthia Jones from the bookstore. As always, Cynthia had dressed up for the occasion in a sparkly blue skirt, sparkly red shirt, and sparkly white cowboy hat. The whole ensemble clashed horribly with her dyed orange hair.
Seeing Cynthia made Emily feel anguished for the first time in a while. Just a few weeks ago she’d called on the older woman for advice after she and Daniel had discovered that Chantelle existed. Now here she was walking down the road hand in hand with Daniel and his surprise kid, acting like a happy family. Emily couldn’t help but fear her judgment.
But when Cynthia caught sight of them all, she grinned widely and waved. Emily could see approval in her eyes.
“Chantelle, let me introduce you to a friend of mine,” Emily said.
She and Daniel took Chantelle over to where Cynthia was standing. The older woman embraced Emily immediately.
“I knew it would all work out in the end,” she whispered into Emily’s ear as she hugged her tightly.
Emily squeezed back. Cynthia had given her so much support and friendship since she’d arrived in Sunset Harbor eight months ago, and she felt a rush of gratitude in that moment.
“This is Chantelle,” Emily said finally after their embrace ceased.
Cynthia knelt down so she was eye level with the little girl. “I’m so happy to meet you, Chantelle. I think you’re going to really enjoy Sunset Harbor.”
Chantelle became shy and clung to Emily’s leg. Emily couldn’t help herself from stroking the girl’s soft blond hair, feeling an overwhelming maternal sensation inside of her. Again she was struck by how quickly and instantaneous her love for Chantelle was. And she noted how the feeling seemed to be mutual. Chantelle had gone from clinging to Daniel last night to clinging to Emily this afternoon.
Just then a young, thin man with tousled mousy hair approached them.
“Owen,”
