Stay For Me - Megan Smith Page 0,35

they could see it. The looks on their faces was priceless.”

I turn around and face Layla on the bench. Her eyes are even glassier now than they were before.

“They painted the little house that was big enough for the four of them to sit in. Mrs. Foster made them little curtains for the windows and planted little flowers in the flower boxes that hung off of the railing of the porch.” Her smile grows. “I watched the little girls bring their baby dolls up in a little box that they would pull up, like their dad used for the roof. Mrs. Foster even made them a picnic basket at dinner time, too.”

A little tear escapes the corner of her eye and I watch as it runs down her cheek. She doesn’t even bother trying to wipe it away. Being this close I notice the freckles sprinkled across her nose and I suddenly want to kiss each and every one of them.

“Layla?”

“Hmm,” she mummers.

“I’m sorry you never got your tree house.”

She smiles a sad smile. “Me too.”

It sounds like Layla didn’t have a great childhood, maybe she didn’t have a dad like me or maybe she did and he just couldn’t be bothered with her. I don’t want to ask because it’s a personal question and Layla doesn’t give away much about her life. So for now I’ll take what she’s willing to give me and vow that if I ever have a little girl, I will build with my own two hands the best damn tree house ever seen.

Layla

I wake up with a start early Sunday morning. I glance over to Fallon’s bed remembering she slept at Mrs. Stein’s house. I really don’t know what I would do without her sometimes. Mom still hasn’t been seen since taking off with my money. This is a new record for her; normally it’s just a few days that she is gone.

After Mrs. Stein spent a few hours with Fallon yesterday afternoon for me I knew there was no way I could ask her to watch her while I went out to dinner with Eli. To my surprise though, I didn’t have to ask because Mrs. Stein asked if I minded that Fallon slept over. They were going to have a pajama party, order pizza and watch movies for the rest of the night. I had a few dollars left that I offered Mrs. Stein for watching Fallon and for pizza but she, of course, wouldn’t take it.

I haven’t seen or heard from Brian since Tuesday. I thought for sure I would have heard from him last night but I didn’t. He hasn’t gone to any of his classes either because I’ve been looking out for him. It’s almost too good to be true that he might be moving on but in the pit of my stomach I know something is brewing.

I slowly climb out of my bed loving that I only have to worry about myself for once. I go into the kitchen to make myself some coffee. My phone that is sitting on the kitchen table is blinking. I walk over to pick up.

Eli 3:48 am: Thanks for going to “dinner” with me.

I get a goofy smile and my heart flutters at how sweet he was after dinner was over. I’m so glad it was his sister and niece and not a girlfriend and daughter. That would have made things so much more difficult and that is something I don’t need in my life. I’ve never told anyone how badly I wanted that tree house when I was little. It’s like the girls got to escape reality and have their own independence while they were in there. They didn’t have to worry about the rest of the world. I didn’t have that but I wanted that for Fallon just as much as I wanted that for myself.

After I sit and enjoy the peace and quiet for a little while I go to take a shower and get ready to pick up Fallon. On the way back home, Fallon tells me everything her and Mrs. Stein did yesterday and asked if she could do it again someday.

My heart bleeds for her. Mrs. Stein is the closest thing she has to a mother. She looks up to her and she needs that at this age. She needs to know that not all the people in this world are like our mother. Not every situation is like walking around with a dark cloud over