Page 37 of Hunting Little Hope
Her laugh got lighter. Freer. She stopped correcting him. Started agreeing with the ridiculous shapes just because it made him grin.
“That one’s a bunny,” she said suddenly, sitting up a little. “See? The ears?”
Perry gasped. “You’re right!”
She beamed at him, pure and bright.
And then?—
“Daddy, look?—”
The word slipped out of her like it had always belonged on her lips. Everything stilled. Hope froze first. Then Perry. Her eyes went wide as she realized what she’d said.
I didn’t hesitate.
I reached over and brushed my fingers gently through her hair. “I see it, button,” I said evenly. “Big floppy ears.”
Her breath left her in a shaky rush.
Lee shifted closer without comment, resting his hand on her ankle. Perry, sweet Little that he was, just laced their fingers together tighter.
We didn’t make it a thing, so it didn’t become one.
Hope slowly melted back down into the blanket before pointing out a daisy-shaped cloud.
By the time the sun started dipping lower, the golden light turning her hair into something almost unreal, Perry had drifted quiet beside her.
Hope was still staring at the sky, but I could see it creeping back in.
The heavy thoughts.
“Walk with me,” I said softly.
She blinked at me, then nodded.
Perry didn’t protest when she got up. Just smiled sleepily and stayed where he was with Lee.
I took her hand and led her a little ways from the blanket, toward the edge of the field where the trees cast long shadows.
For a minute, we just walked, then her fingers tightened in mine.
“I feel like I keep messing this up,” she whispered. “Like I don’t know what I’m doing.”
There it was. The brave face cracking.
I stopped and turned to her. Her eyes were shiny again, but not from panic. From feeling too much. “You don’t have to know,” I told her.
Her bottom lip trembled just slightly. “I don’t want to mess this up.”
“You won’t.” I wanted nothing more than to pull her into my embrace and hug away all her fears, but I knew it wasn’t the time yet. We weren’t quitethereyet.
“But what if I do?”
Oh, the poor, pretty girl was breaking my heart. I stepped closer, cupping her face carefully, giving her every chance to pull away.
“Then you trust us to fix whatever you broke.”
Her breath hitched.
