Chapter 1
Patrick was exhausted the night before he had worked a double shift at the hospital. Since Emma was obsorbed in a Disney movie he figured he could take a quick nap before dinner. "Hey Em's daddy will be upstairs if you need anything ok."
"Alright daddy," the little girl said not even bothering to looking away from the screen.
An hour later he woke up and went downstairs to make them some dinner. "Are you hungry?" He called out as he came down the stairs. The tv was still on but his daughter was no where to be found. He went back upstairs to check her room. "Emma you in here?" But she wasn't in there either. He was a little worried now, where could she be. He went back downstairs and checked the kitchen and the bathroom with no sign of his daughter anywhere. "Emma are you hiding from daddy again?" He called out loudly. She wouldn't go outside would she, he checked the backyard and then went around to the front. "Emma!" He yelled.
"Over here daddy." She called from the porch next door. He let out a sigh of relief when he saw her sitting on a porch with a woman who he assumed was their new neighbor.
"Emma you were supposed to stay inside." He said walking over to them.
"I'm sorry daddy our new neighbor moved in and I wanted to say hi."
"Hi Mr. Drake my names Sabrina, Sabrina Santiago." The woman said standing up to shake his hand. She was shorter than him with wild curly brown hair that was braided down her back. After letting go of her hand she reached out to adjust her glasses.
"It's nice to meet you. You can call me Patrick."
"Sweetie next time you need to tell daddy where you're going. You can't leave without me ok." He said hugging her to him. "Promise me ok."
"I'm sorry daddy. I promise." She said sipping a small glass of lemonade.
"Would you like some lemonade?" Sabrina asked pointing to the glass pitcher beside her.
"Sure." He said taking a seat next to his daughter as she handed him a glass.
"So you just moved here?" He asked taking a sip.
"Yes from Chicago."
"What brings you to our small town?" He asked with a smile.
"I start work here next week."
Just then his phone rang, "Oh I need to take this." He said excusing himself to answer the call. It was the hospital they had an emergency and needed him to come in right away. "Alright Epiphany I'll be in soon." He made his way back to where his daughter and Sabrina were sitting. They were laughing about something. "Sorry about that, that was work I need to go in. I'm sorry I need to cut this short, it was nice to meet you Sabrina." He said shaking her hand once again. "If you need help moving in boxes or furniture later I'd be glad to help out."
"Thanks."
"Come on Em. I need to drop you off with your grandma for a few hours ok." He said walking down the steps and starting back across to their yard.
"But daddy can't I stay here with Sabrina?"
"Honey Sabrina seems really nice but she's just moved in and I'm sure she's really busy." He said bending down in front of his daughter. "Come on daddy needs to hurry."
"But.."
"Come on you can see Sabrina later when we come back home again ok."
"Alright. Bye Sabrina," the little girl said waving at their new neighbor.
"Bye Emma it was really nice to meet you. You too Patrick." She said with a smile.
She had just pulled into the driveway when a little girl had raced up to her car. She was the cutest little girl she had ever seen, with long brown hair pulled into pigtails. "Hi I'm Emma Drake." The little girl said with a smile as soon as she opened the door.
"Hi I'm Sabrina."
"I live next door with my daddy."
"Oh well it's nice to meet you. Would you like to sit on the porch with me so we can talk?"
"Ok." Emma said taking a seat on the top step.
"How old are you Emma?" Sabrina asked.
"I'm six but I'm gonna be seven soon."
"Oh are you going to have a big party?"
"Yeah daddy said I can have some friends over and a big cake."
"That sounds like fun. Hey Emma would you like something to drink, I was going to make some lemonade." Sabrina asked as she stood up from where she was sitting. She hadn't unpacked anything yet but she went to the car and grabbed the box labeled for the kitchen and brought it inside. She was planning on making some lemonade after unpacking but now seemed as good a time as any.
"Sure." Emma followed her into the house. The rooms were all empty but the walls had been painted prior to her moving in and the electricity and water had been turned on the week before. The house had been empty for a few years prior to her moving in.
"You don't have a couch or chairs." Emma said as she stood in the middle of the living room.
"Nope not yet I need to buy some furniture and unpack all my boxes to make this feel like home."
"Maybe I can help you."
"That's very nice of you." Sabrina said picking out some glasses and the pitcher she had packed in newspaper. She washed them out and then started making the lemonade. "Emma would you like to stir?" Sabrina asked lifting Emma up onto the counter so she could stir the water in with the lemon juice and sugar. "Your a very good little helper." Sabrina said with a smile as she helped Emma down again and poured them two glasses.
"Daddy says that all the time."
"Where is your daddy?" Sabrina asked her.
"He's sleeping. He works a lot."
"Oh does he know your outside?" She asked her as they went back out the porch.
"No but im with you so I'm with an adult." Emma said taking a sip.
She couldn't really argue with that logic. But she knew he might be wondering where she was if he woke up and his daughter was gone. So she kept an eye out for him next door.
"Where did you come from?" Emma asked moving closer to Sabrina's side.
"I moved here from Chicago."
"I've never been there."
"We'll maybe you'll go there one day."
Just then she heard a mans voice calling, "Is that your daddy?" Sabrina asked the little girl.
"I'm over here daddy." Emma replied just as he spotted them. He walked towards them his hair a little messy from his nap and she noticed that he was barefoot. After introducing herself to him she offered him something to drink and he sat down with them on the porch. She couldn't help but stare he was the most handsome man she had ever seen. He was the epitome of the phrase tall, dark and handsome. Whenever he caught her staring she would shyly look away. They talked for a few minutes before his phone interrupted and he excused himself to answer it.
"Sorry about that, that was work I need to go in. I'm sorry I need to cut this short, it was nice to meet you Sabrina." He said shaking her hand once again. "If you need help moving in boxes or furniture later I'd be glad to help out."
"Thanks." She answered as they walked across the lawn back to their house.
After they left she went to her car to start unpacking some things, she wanted to get the house ready this week so next week she would be all ready to start work at the hospital. She was finally going to be a nurse just like her mother had been and she couldn't wait to start.
