the check which had somehow made it back to her side of the table. “Changing the subject won’t get me to take that check.”
“Tell you what – you take the check, and you owe me nine more clown sessions.”
“No way! I’m retiring.”
“Is there no way I can convince you to take the money?”
“No.” She took the check, ripped it neatly into a few pieces and pushed the confetti towards him. “Put the money in the girls’ college fund instead.”
Nick gave her a look that had her make mental note to check the precise amount of her paycheck at the end of the week.
She stood, and he followed her to the door and held out her raincoat. She got her things together, and then noticed the small bag she’d left by the front door. “Damn! I forgot.” She held up the green plastic bag with the R&R logo on the side. “I brought a present for Lana, and then forgot to give it to her. Is she still awake?”
Nick leaned sideways and peeked into the living room. “I have a sneaking suspicion they’ve fallen asleep.”
“Oh.” Sylvie found she was disappointed. She’d wanted to see Lana’s face when she opened it. Her smiles were so rare, but all the more precious. “Okay. I’ll just leave it, then, and she can open it in the morning.”
“Let me check if her eyes are still open,” Nick said, and was gone before she could open her mouth. She groaned. Had he read her mind? Was he going to wake the little girl up for this?
He returned shortly, a yawning Lana in her arm, and she felt a stab of guilt. “We caught her just in time,” Nick said. “Lana, Iffy’s got another present for you.”
The little girl’s eyes opened wide, and she didn’t look sleepy anymore. She wriggled, and Nick let her slide to the floor. Sylvie dug out the big parcel out of the bag, and handed it to her. “Happy birthday, Lana,” she told her, and the child whispered a shy thank-you.
She unwrapped the gift slowly, methodically, and this time she was allowed, no little sister to urge her on, ‘helping’ to rip the paper away.
Then the plastic box was revealed. Lana stared at it, turning it this way and that.
“It’s a clown kit,” Sylvie explained. “It has a jester’s hat, and a plastic nose, and lots of other fun stuff. And face paints. You can use it to turn yourself into a clown. Or Emily. Or your daddy,” she added, grinning as she gave Nick a sideways glance.
“No problem,” Nick said. “I’ll be your clown anytime, Lana. Just as long as you don’t make me into a giant Barbie doll like your sister did.”
Lana wasn’t listening. She opened the box, and her small hands vanished into a pile of multi-colored stuff. She withdraw a big red nose, and Sylvie finally got to see that smile. The wait was worth it. Lana giggles as she turned the tiny switch at the base of the nose, and a tiny light went on, the nose blinking red when she put it on.
“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Sylvie said. “If I’d had one of those, maybe your sister wouldn’t have found it necessary to stuff my nose with snow.”
Lana dug deeper into the box, her eyes shining. “Thank you,” she said, looking up shyly.
“You’re welcome, Lana,” Sylvie said, swallowing an unexpected lump in his throat. No wonder Nick was ready to do anything to make his daughter smile.
“Can I show Emily?” Lana whispered. Sylvie had noticed she seemed to whisper most of the time. But at least she was speaking.
“She’s asleep. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. You know she’ll never get back to sleep when she sees that box. Okay?”
Lana nodded, and Nick ruffled her hair. “Great. Now, go brush your teeth while I say goodbye to Iffy.”
“Bye, Iffy,” the child whispered, and then put her thin arms around Sylvie’s neck in a very brief hug. Then she ran out of the kitchen, and they could hear her footsteps on the stairs.
“That’s quite an honor,” Nick said, looking stunned. “She rarely even hugs me on her own
“Tell you what – you take the check, and you owe me nine more clown sessions.”
“No way! I’m retiring.”
“Is there no way I can convince you to take the money?”
“No.” She took the check, ripped it neatly into a few pieces and pushed the confetti towards him. “Put the money in the girls’ college fund instead.”
Nick gave her a look that had her make mental note to check the precise amount of her paycheck at the end of the week.
She stood, and he followed her to the door and held out her raincoat. She got her things together, and then noticed the small bag she’d left by the front door. “Damn! I forgot.” She held up the green plastic bag with the R&R logo on the side. “I brought a present for Lana, and then forgot to give it to her. Is she still awake?”
Nick leaned sideways and peeked into the living room. “I have a sneaking suspicion they’ve fallen asleep.”
“Oh.” Sylvie found she was disappointed. She’d wanted to see Lana’s face when she opened it. Her smiles were so rare, but all the more precious. “Okay. I’ll just leave it, then, and she can open it in the morning.”
“Let me check if her eyes are still open,” Nick said, and was gone before she could open her mouth. She groaned. Had he read her mind? Was he going to wake the little girl up for this?
He returned shortly, a yawning Lana in her arm, and she felt a stab of guilt. “We caught her just in time,” Nick said. “Lana, Iffy’s got another present for you.”
The little girl’s eyes opened wide, and she didn’t look sleepy anymore. She wriggled, and Nick let her slide to the floor. Sylvie dug out the big parcel out of the bag, and handed it to her. “Happy birthday, Lana,” she told her, and the child whispered a shy thank-you.
She unwrapped the gift slowly, methodically, and this time she was allowed, no little sister to urge her on, ‘helping’ to rip the paper away.
Then the plastic box was revealed. Lana stared at it, turning it this way and that.
“It’s a clown kit,” Sylvie explained. “It has a jester’s hat, and a plastic nose, and lots of other fun stuff. And face paints. You can use it to turn yourself into a clown. Or Emily. Or your daddy,” she added, grinning as she gave Nick a sideways glance.
“No problem,” Nick said. “I’ll be your clown anytime, Lana. Just as long as you don’t make me into a giant Barbie doll like your sister did.”
Lana wasn’t listening. She opened the box, and her small hands vanished into a pile of multi-colored stuff. She withdraw a big red nose, and Sylvie finally got to see that smile. The wait was worth it. Lana giggles as she turned the tiny switch at the base of the nose, and a tiny light went on, the nose blinking red when she put it on.
“Pretty cool, isn’t it?” Sylvie said. “If I’d had one of those, maybe your sister wouldn’t have found it necessary to stuff my nose with snow.”
Lana dug deeper into the box, her eyes shining. “Thank you,” she said, looking up shyly.
“You’re welcome, Lana,” Sylvie said, swallowing an unexpected lump in his throat. No wonder Nick was ready to do anything to make his daughter smile.
“Can I show Emily?” Lana whispered. Sylvie had noticed she seemed to whisper most of the time. But at least she was speaking.
“She’s asleep. Maybe we should wait until tomorrow. You know she’ll never get back to sleep when she sees that box. Okay?”
Lana nodded, and Nick ruffled her hair. “Great. Now, go brush your teeth while I say goodbye to Iffy.”
“Bye, Iffy,” the child whispered, and then put her thin arms around Sylvie’s neck in a very brief hug. Then she ran out of the kitchen, and they could hear her footsteps on the stairs.
“That’s quite an honor,” Nick said, looking stunned. “She rarely even hugs me on her own
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