Hayden watched me.
“Do you like it?”
“I love it.”
She smiled.
“Are you really my grandpa?”
“I love it.”
I glanced at Antonio.
He nodded.
I turned back to Hayden.
“If you’d like me to be.”
She thought for a moment.
“Okay.”
Then she hugged me.
For the first time since Ashley died, I felt something besides grief.
I felt needed.
“If you’d like me to be.”
It’s been eight months.
I still miss Ashley every day.
Sometimes, I reach for my phone before remembering I can’t call her.
But my days don’t feel empty anymore.
Antonio and Hayden moved closer.
I help with school pickups, homework, and Saturday breakfasts.
It’s been eight months.
Antonio’s a good father.
But he’s glad to have help.
Last month, I taught Hayden to ride a bike.
She fell, scraped her knee, and cried.
I carried her inside.
