Page 34 of Remember Me
“You won the bet.”
I flash him a smile. “It’s going to hurt to sit tomorrow.”
Twenty-four hours later, my husband is sporting a tattoo identical to mine.
CHAPTER 21
Skye
The memory of that flower tattoo on Finn’s buttock is cut short. Maddie’s sweet voice brings me back to the present.
“Daddy, my new teacher issopretty!” She can’t take her sparkling eyes off me nor can I take mine off her. Her gaze darts to her father. “Don’t you think so?”
Finn’s eyes soak me in. A slow, dimpled smile spreads on his lips. “Yes, she is, sunshine.”
I feel myself blush, flush all over. “Thank you.”
“Daddy, can Kangy and I show Ms. Callahan my room?”
Kangy must be the stuffed animal she’s holding. I cast my eyes down. For sure, it’s the toy kangaroo I cherished as a child. The one my father bought after my mother gave birth to me in Australia. Now lovingly worn and minus the joey that used to be in her pouch. Another melancholic smile forms on my lips.
“If you’d like, you can call me Scarlet.”Or Mommy. My heart clenches at that thought.
“That’s such a nice name! S-C-A-R-L-E-T.”
“Wow! You know how to spell it?”
She nods proudly. “Yup! My daddy has a tube of paint called scarlet red.”
Finn smiles proudly. “I told your teacher you’re super smart.”
An ear-to-ear grin lights up her face. “I am!”
God, she reminds me so much of myself at her age. Bold, confident, and precocious.
Her eyes stay on Finn. “So, Daddy, is it okay if I show Scarlet my room?”
“Sunshine, I think she might want to get settled in first. Unpack her bags and relax a bit.”
I quickly correct him. “Actually, Finn, I’d love to see your daughter’s room.” In truth, I desperately want to spend time with her and I need to get away from him. The devastating effect he’s having on me is almost unbearable. The urge to tell him who I really am makes me want to jump out of my skin. And fall into his arms.
Finn agrees and an elated Maddie jumps up and down, shouting “Yay!” On my next breath, she takes my hand, coaxing me to stand up. The warmth of her little hand in mine melts my heart like chocolate, the sensation so overwhelming I stagger to my feet like a drunk.
“C’mon, Scarlet. It’s upstairs. I’ll show you.”
Finn’s amused eyes stay on us as she eagerly leads me out of the room to the winding stairs, her plush kangaroo still dangling from her other hand. We march up the steep steps side by side. When we get to the landing, she bolts down a long hallway. I quicken my gait to keep up with her, amazed how energetic my asthma-stricken little girl is. Her room is almost at the very end.
“Here it is!” she says brightly.
I stand at the doorway as still as a statue, her hand still in mine. Truthfully, I’m not sure if I can let go of it. It belongs to me. Now and forever. The connection is so strong it’s as if they’re melded. A whirling dervish of emotions swirls through me.
Joy.
Excitement.
Love.
Shock.