Aaron's Patience by Tiffany Patterson

Author:Tiffany Patterson [Patterson, Tiffany]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-05-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nineteen

Aaron

“Daddy, will you read to me?” Kennedy asked, jumping up and down on her bed, her curls and long nightgown flailing about as she did.

“Only if you stop jumping.”

She plopped down on the bed, grinning up at me. My entire chest warmed with just that look. She was so much her mother’s daughter. I was sure both had me wrapped around their pinky fingers.

“Which book is it tonight?”

“Where the Wild Things Are!” she shouted.

I plucked the book from her white wooden bookshelf and brought it with me to her bed, climbing in. She cozied up to me and I began reading, only for her to take over halfway through the story. She read for as long as she could, but eventually fell asleep against my chest. I waited until she was deep in sleep to ease out of the bed and pull the sheets and blanket up to cover her. I knew there was a good chance that somehow throughout the night that blanket would end up on the floor and the sheets would become all twisted up due to my little girl’s sleeping style.

I gave her one last look, before turning off the light and shutting the door. Checking on Kyle, I found him fast asleep in his bed. I started to make my way down to the kitchen but got the urge to head to the bedroom. When I opened the door, I found Patience staring at a piece of paper. She looked up at me and my heart squeezed. The tears in her eyes ripped at my soul.

“Kyle made this.” She turned the paper to me.

I could see his drawn images of Thiers, Kennedy, and himself, playing in a park. It had been a week since the funeral and Patience had barely mentioned her father. I hadn’t brought it up much either, not out of fear but something else stopped me.

“Did you know my father and yours went on annual fishing trips?”

I squinted, easing fully into the room and shutting the door behind me. “Yes.”

She gave a humorless laugh. “I didn’t. He wanted to be an astronaut all the way up through high school. Did you know that?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“Me either. Not until the funeral, at least. He and Wilhelmina really were just friends. She’s actually married. I didn’t know that either.”

“Patience—”

“I didn’t know him.” She pushed out a frustrated breath and slammed Kyle’s picture on the dresser. “How could I be this upset over someone I didn’t even know?” Her voice broke on a sob.

My legs carried me to her before my mind even registered the movement. “Patience,” I consoled, going to wrap my arms around her.

“No,” she stated, moving back and away from me. “I’m fine. I’m fine,” she reiterated, heading toward the bathroom door and shutting it behind her.

I watched, wanting to go to her, but my anger kept me rooted in place.

“You’re angry.”

My jaw tightened. Against my better judgment I turned to see Emma standing in the middle of our bedroom, same long white nightgown and all.

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