Page 68 of Little Last Words
“Hey, sweetie,” I said. “I brought you something.”
She walked over to me and tipped her head toward my handbag.
I reached inside, pulled out a doll, and handed it to her. “This is Sabrina, but you can change her name if you want.”
She pressed it to her chest, giving it a squeeze. “I like her dress.”
“Good, because I got you one that matches.”
Her eyes widened. “You did?”
I reached into the bag again and handed her a yellow dress with tiny blue flowers all over it.
She held it up, showing it to Sergio. “Can I try it on now, Papa?”
“You sure can,” he said.
Sadie skipped down the hall, the doll dangling from her hand as she went. She changed clothes and returned to the kitchen, giving us a little twirl.
“It’s perfect,” I said. “Do you like it?”
She nodded. “Oh, yes.”
Seeing a smile on her face meant everything to me, and based on the look Sergio gave me, it meant a lot to him too.
I tried not to tear up as I looked at her, thinking about all she’d been through in the past week.
A dead mother.
A grandmother facing criminal charges.
And a father who’d been shot by her grandmother and had just undergone major surgery.
“How are you doing?” I asked.
“I’m sad. I miss Mommy.”
“I bet you do. It’s okay to miss her. I’m sure she misses you too.”
“Papa says Mommy sits at the end of my bed at night. I just can’t see her because she lives somewhere special now, where everyone is an angel. Can I play with Luka again?”
“Sure,” I said. “I can bring him over, as long as it’s all right with your papa.”
“Oh, it’s fine by me,” Sergio said.
My phone buzzed. I looked at the name on the caller ID, and my heart raced. I said a quick goodbye to Sergio, hugged Sadie, and made my way to my car.
“Hey, Foley, what’s up?” I asked.
“What’sup?” he asked. “Is there anything you want to tell me? If there is, now would be the time.”
He was agitated, which told me he was aware I had information I hadn’t given him yet.
“I was just about to head over to the police station,” I said. “I stopped in to see Sadie first.”
“If you think you can save yourself with excuses, you can’t.”
“I can fill you in on everything now if you’d like.”