For Fiona

34. Sick Day

Fiona never needed an excuse to go to the police station where most of her aunts and uncles worked, so she was excited about her mom walking her into the building. She started waving at everyone immediately whether she recognized them or not.

Lucy clasped her daughter's tiny hand, and as Fiona tugged, she said, "Honey, this way. We have to find your daddy."

"I want to say 'hi' to everyone."

"After. I really need to find your daddy."

"Why?"

She was a bit on edge, so she let out a breath and bent over to look at her daughter to admit, "I have this feeling that I need to see him, and I don't really know how to explain it. It's just a gut feeling."

"Does that mean we're surprising Daddy?"

"We are. Can you make sure you give him a really big hug as part of the surprise?"

"I love hugs!"

"Me, too." Our of the corner of her eye, she saw Angela and asked, "Hey, have you seen Tim?"

"Not really," Angela answered. "I think he's' been holed up in his office all day."

Lucy nodded. "It's been a rough week."

"You didn't come to our mom wine night last night. We could've talked about it."

She shook her head. "There's nothing to really talk about, you know? All this waiting just sucks."

"At least the interviews went well," Angela offered as brightly as she could. "That documentary team asked us pretty much all of the same questions Social Services, did, so making that dumb movie was great prep. We didn't lie either time just so you know."

"I'm glad the interviews went well at least. That helps."

"Doesn't look like it." She studied Lucy's expression that was less than sunny, which greatly concerned her.

Lucy exhaled, and her eyes dropped to her daughter, who was smiling and eyeing both of the adults, utterly clueless yet somehow happy. "We have the best kid in the world. I haven't lost sight of that no matter how stressed out I've been." She grinned at Fiona. "Let's go find your daddy in his office and give him lots of hugs."

"And kisses! I can deliver a kiss to him for you," Fiona offered enthusiastically.

She pressed her lips to her daughter's cheek and said, "Give that to him for me."

"Yay!" She cheered and dragged her mom along as she went to the stairs and took them as fast as her legs would carry her. Once she reached the second floor, she started shouting, "Daddy! Daddy! Daddy!"

Tim's ears perked up at the sound of that distinct, high pitched voice, and his lips twitched upwards immediately. His office door bursted open, and then there was Fiona rushing in with a huge smile on her face.

"Daddy! Surprise!" She screamed.

"Shh, shh, Fi, people are trying to work," Lucy said, as she had been trying to shush her daughter for the entire run down the hallway.

"That's alright," he replied and wheeled back in his chair, then hunched forward as he opened his arms, ready for his little girl to charge right into them, which she did so with a giggle. He squeezed her tightly, feeling a sense of relief that he could still manage to hold his daughter, which was a thought he hated having. Trying to wrap his head around the idea that his girl was not going to always be his made his heart break, but Fiona hugs made those negative thoughts go away for a while.

Lucy's stomach felt heavy watching them together and seeing the way he clung to their daughter desperately, so she waited, giving them as long as they needed.