Page 131 of Punishing His Runaway Bride
My daughter.
When those words came from her mouth, something slammed hard into my chest.
"Next Saturday," I said, "she wants to go to the Natural History Museum."
Her brow furrowed. "Ezio..."
"I won't go every time," I said. "You can take her yourself."
She stared at me for a long time, like a rabbit cornered by a predator, every hair standing on end. Then something more complicated crossed her face.
But she turned away quickly. I didn't catch it in time.
I stood by the car, watching her figure disappear at the parking lot exit. She walked fast, like she was fleeing.
As the car left the lot, Juliet woke in the back seat. She rubbed her eyes, looked out the window, realized we were already on the road, and shot up from her seat.
"Where's Vivi?"
"She left."
"How could she leave?" Juliet's voice trembled with tears. "I didn't say goodbye."
"She'll come next week."
"Really?"
"Really."
Juliet quieted, then leaned back in her seat, hugging her rabbit to her chest, and started talking. She talked about everything, from the carousel to the flying elephants, to that blue fish, to how Olivia's embrace felt.
"When Vivi held me, it was different from Daddy," she said. "Like the garden in the afternoon, the sun warm on your skin, warm and sweet-smelling."
"Is that so."
"Yeah." Juliet buried her face in her rabbit and took a deep breath. "I wish I could smell it every day."
I gripped the steering wheel tighter.
"Daddy," Juliet suddenly said, "you really like Vivi, don't you?"
I glanced at her in the rearview mirror. "Why do you ask?"
"Because you kept looking at her today."
My fingers tightened on the wheel.
Juliet's tone was serious, like an adult who'd discovered some incredible secret. "When you look at her, it's different from when you look at other people."
"How different?"
"When you look at others, you're like this." She pulled her face tight in a very serious expression, then changed it, corners of her mouth lifting, eyes crinkling. "When you look at Vivi, you're like this."
I choked.
"So," Juliet leaned forward, using a negotiating tone, "marry Vivi, Daddy. Then Vivi can stay with us forever."
"Juliet!"
