Three Wishes (Dreams Come True #3) (4 page)

“Please.” I rolled my whole head this time to remind her where her dramatic flair came from. “Time for bed, little one.” I jerked my head toward the bed.

“What if I’m not tired yet? I’ve had a very exciting day.” She giggled.

“You’re exhausting. It’s bedtime.” I lifted her into my arms and walked toward the bed. Together we dropped onto the mattress and I pulled up the covers.

“Mama?” Ollie averted her eyes and pretended to concentrate on tracing the butterflies on her sheets.

“What is it?” I held my breath. She was notorious for asking the tough questions when my guard was down right before bedtime.

“I was wondering…” She looked up at me a moment, took a deep breath, then blurted out the rest of her thought. “Does daddy know I’m sick?”

Expelling my breath, I tried to buy time for my answer. “Ollie, your daddy doesn’t even know you were born. How would he know you were sick?”

For a moment, she avoided my eyes, but then suddenly, she stared at me with an intensity that broke my heart. “The news. Maybe he saw Ben’s movie.”

I thought for a moment. “I doubt it. Your daddy didn’t really like the news. I’m sure he has a whole different life now. He might not even live in Montreal anymore.” I shrugged.

“Tell me again. Tell me why daddy isn’t here.” Ollie settled in under her blankets.

Gawd, I hated this story. There was no way to make Damien sound like a better guy. It was a terrible tale to tell even without explaining abortions and cheating. “Once upon there was a mommy who wanted a baby girl very much.”

“That’s you, right?” She whispered it, same as always.

I tickled her side and she giggled and wriggled beside me. “Of course, who else would it be?”

Satisfied with my answer, she closed her eyes and waited for me to continue. “More please.”

“So the mommy went to the doctor and found out she was having a baby.”

“The baby was me, right?”

I nodded. “Who else would it be, silly?”  She closed her eyes and yawned this time. “She was so excited to rushed home to tell the daddy.”

“Only he wasn’t ready yet. Right, Mama?” Ollie shifted onto her side, her favorite sleeping position.

“Right. So the daddy went to get ready. He still had a lot of growing to do.” I hated this part. It was far from the truth. Hell, it was a downright lie. I never wanted to lie to my daughter.

“Maybe he’ll come find us. Maybe he’ll be ready since I’m five now, almost six.” She clasped her hands under her chin.

“I don’t know, Olls. I don’t think you should wait for him.” I hugged her once, extra long before sliding off the bed.

Rolling toward me, she asked, “You’re waiting for him, aren’t you?”

Shaking my head vehemently, I frowned. “Not at all. Why would you think that?”

“I’ve never seen any boys around you. Maybe a doctor or nurse, but…” She shrugged.

“I don’t need anyone but you, Ollie.” I leaned down and kissed her on the temple.

This time, she frowned. “You need someone, Mama. You know, for when I’m gone.” Then she rolled away.

“Don’t talk like that. Ever. You’re not going anywhere.” I wrapped my arms around my chest and hugged myself tightly. It took everything in me not to show Ollie how much her words frightened me. Slowly, I backed out of the room. “See you in the morning. Sleep well.”  She didn’t respond, didn’t move. I hoped she was asleep.

Rushing out to the living room, I picked up my cell phone and called my father’s cell, but he didn’t answer. Less than fifteen seconds later, my phone chimed. He’d sent a text.

Dad: What do you need?

Well, that made me feel terrible, even if it was true. I usually only reached out when I needed something. With a sigh, I typed my response.

me: What time tomorrow will you know?

Dad: Tomorrow at 10am. The film student will be at your place to start.

Once more, tears filled my eyes. This time, it was a combination of happiness and relief that had them rolling down my face. I sniffled and tried to hold myself together. After all, I only had fourteen hours to prepare and this apartment needed at least sixteen hours of work.

me: Thank you! This means everything to us.

Then I set the phone down and danced around the room while I worked on cleaning up. It wasn’t that the place was dirty. On the contrary, it was practically sterile, but for the clutter. Ollie and I left our projects out. If she wanted to work on a scrapbook, we’d start it on the table. If she wanted to make a clay project, we’d paint it on the coffee table. There was a lot of half finished, organized chaos around. It had been just the two of us forever. We never even had visitors. Most of all, I was tired, so the place was more practical than pretty. Take the living room. The landlord had allowed me to paint. I bought everything. I managed to do a great job on one wall…and then I ran out of energy and time. Ollie ended up in the hospital with a cold. It never seemed the right time to finish so the ceiling and baseboards were still taped off, even though six months had passed. Even now, knowing we’d have company tomorrow, I couldn’t rally to finish painting the room.

There was always something to do and me with never enough energy to do it all. The perfect example was the basket of laundry sitting beside the couch and the new freelance assignment I’d been emailed earlier. Collapsing onto the couch, I figured I should fold now. After all, I wouldn’t want the film student to see the place a mess. I had managed to start a nice neat stack of matched socks when my eyes started to burn. Maybe if I closed them for a minute, I’d feel better. At least, that’s what I told myself. Then there was a knock on the door, and I realized light was streaming in through the blinds.

Chapter Four

Ben

I slept badly. Maybe that’s an understatement. Never in my entire life have I had such a terrible time falling asleep and staying that way. Through the years, I’ve had a lot of cause for potential rough nights. This, however, worrying about being late and my need to see Charlie again seemed to be the formula for utter insomnia. It didn’t help that I tried to fall asleep in a foul mood brought on by the realization all my friends were leaving me behind. They didn’t mean to, but clearly our lives were going different directions and these guys who I thought would be lifelong brothers are now about to become fathers, while I couldn’t even get a date. Needless to say, at four thirty in the morning, I decided to give up and start my day.

Desperate for something mindless yet necessary to accomplish, I chose laundry. Then while the machine was running, I opted to workout. I bought myself one of those Total Gym machines when I looked around the newsroom one weekend and realized I’d selected a sedentary profession. Every camera guy in there was a heart attack waiting to happen, overweight and out of shape. Determined to break the mold and not the scale, I started exercising. I like the look I’ve achieved, lots of lean muscle. In the first month, I lost my handlebars. The second month, I grew an eight pack. By my third month I had those v-things in my pelvis that make smart girls get stupid. Now, I just maintain.

After I threw the wet clothes in the dryer, I took a shower, and agonized for a while over what to wear. Already, I knew I was trying too hard. Then I worked on my blog using some of the video I’d captured a few days ago while I was on campus. It was the story of the hot dog vendor. I’d seen him a few times, but we’d never really spoken because I’m not much of a hot dog guy. Still, I was drawn in by the smile on his face. He maintained a pleasant demeanor I wasn’t sure anyone could under those circumstances. The kids on campus were notorious for being assholes to anyone they thought to be a loser. Enter the guy passing out dogs, grinning like a fool. Yet, he seemed impervious to their insults. I had to know his secret. It was a doozy.

“I worked on Wall Street,” he began with a chuckle. “I had it all. Manhattan Penthouse, arm candy for a girlfriend, fancy car, the vacations, all the perks. Then I realized my life was built on a lie, a series of them even. It was completely superficial.”

“What did you do? How did you end up here?” The fascination in my voice was evident as I interviewed him.

“Well, it was my Jerry Maguire moment.” A huge smile broke across his face. “I broke up with the girl. She wasn’t sad, more pissed. I’d messed up her big plans.” He shrugged. “Then I sold everything and thought about what I really wanted to do with my life.”

“Hot dogs?” I remember how my eyes had widened as I asked.

He shook his head. “Nope. I wanted to travel. The hot dogs are the way I earn some scratch. I bought a truck and a travel trailer.”

Suddenly my hand appeared in the frame as I gestured to the cart. “And this?”

The guy laughed. “Yeah. And the cart.” Then he leaned in conspiratorially. “I have a plan of sorts. I’m going to visit every state, every territory, every bit of North and South America. I’ve been doing this now for nearly three years.” His eyes shone with excitement.

“Wow. Where have you been so far?”

“I’ve seen the forty-eight contiguous states. I figured it was time to head north. And here I am.” The grin spoke of genuine happiness.

The longer we talked, the more I realized taking my blog on the road was the right idea. It wasn’t only this conversation though. Really it was everything. The more I looked around, the more obvious it was there was no life left for me here. It made me sad in new and unexpected ways. With a sigh, I posted the video and my editorial, a little behind the scenes information, then I shared it and glanced at my watch.

Even now, I had to find a way to kill another two and a half hours. The laundry needed folding. Then I ran to get groceries, since I’d spent my Sunday working. By the time I returned and put them in the cupboards, I’d whittled another hour and fifteen minutes off the time. Finally, I gave up. Maybe I should just pick up some breakfast and surprise Charlie and Olivia.

It was a crazy idea. A stupid idea. A poorly planned, and even worse executed idea. At the moment, it was all I had.

My first mistake…was not calling ahead. In my defense, I had an address, but no phone number. So I thought I was doing the right thing, being considerate even by buying pretty much everything on the menu. It was a great idea, in theory, but as I struggled to carry it all out to the car, and then up the stairs to the apartment, I knew I might have gone just a tad overboard. A smidge, really.

For a moment, I stared at the door as I stood before it struggling to catch my breath. Don’t judge. Three stories with all this food is a lot even for a guy in great physical shape. Plus, I’ve clearly developed muscles and not stamina. So there’s that. Finally, I seemed to pull it all together, when I realized there was no doorbell. How did they know when someone was here? With some maneuvering, I managed to balance the food and drinks on one hand while knocking with the other. Then I pasted a smile on my face in an effort to hide the fear. I was reasonably confident Ollie would be pleased to see me, but Charlie was a bit of a wild card. So, I focused on the bigger picture. If I could just teach this little girl to make a movie in the next two and a half months, I could graduate and be on my way.

The first knock did nothing. A good thirty seconds passed and I was still standing there. So, I knocked again, this time, harder and longer. It may have seemed more like pounding, which could explain why the little old lady in the next apartment opened her door a crack to glare at me. Before she could speak, however, the door in front of me flew open and Charlie’s tiny form filled the opening.

If the neighbor had made me uncomfortable, the look I now received pretty much scared the shit out of me. “I can come back. If now isn’t a good time, I can just drop these off.” I held out the food and drinks, the boxes, bags, and carriers. “I can come back at ten.” She had once again effectively rendered me a spluttering imbecile.

“What do you want?” She gritted out, flames still shooting from her eyes.

“I’m here to grant your wish?” Even this had come out all wrong.

Her arms crossed over her chest and her foot started tapping. “Just how do you plan to do that?” Her lips pursed angrily.

“I was told by Professor Morceau…” Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed some movement. When I glanced that direction, I saw her stumbling out into the living room. “Ollie!” I called to her and smiled. She smiled even as she stumbled and collapsed onto the couch.

Charlie whipped around in time to see Olivia and rushed to catch her. Her scowl only deepened. With the doorway now empty, I let myself in and walked over to the kitchen table. It was currently covered with craft project, so I moved them just enough to accommodate the food. When I turned around to offer my assistance, I found Ollie lying on the couch with her eyes closed and Charlie seemed busy tending to her. Creeping toward the door, I decided this might be the best time to grab my equipment. Naturally, my motives were misinterpreted.

“Typical guy. Muck everything up and then leave,” Charlie muttered under her breath.

Wheeling around, I shook my head. “I’m getting my camera. I couldn’t carry everything in one trip.” I sighed. “I’ll be right back, despite my better judgment.” Then I exited the apartment and made my way down the stairs feeling pretty lousy.

When I returned, so had my Crying Girl.

***

Charlie

Historically speaking, my Mondays tend to be Mondays to the nth degree. This one was shaping up to be truly terrible. My tears were always so close to the surface that most of the time, it took very little to set them off. This morning was too much. I collapsed on the floor beside the sofa as two rivers washed down my face.

“Mama, don’t cry!” My daughter wrapped her little fragile arms around me and hugged me close with surprising strength.

Sniffling, I swiped at the tears and my nose. I had barely made a dent in the damage when the handkerchief waved in front of my face. This was the last straw. Here I was being straight up mean, miserable, and ungrateful, yet Ben still offered me more…in the form of a monogrammed linen square. Naturally, I started crying harder.

Horrified and confused, Ollie released me, sat back and stared a moment.  I could see she was about to burst into tears herself, but I couldn’t even speak in between sobs. Before I knew what was happening, Ben hauled me up off the floor and into his arms.

“Shh…calm down for Ollie,” he murmured into my hair.

Slowly, I nodded against his chest as I struggled to take in deep soothing breaths. “I’m…sorry,” I moaned between hiccups. “I’m just so…” Words escaped me. I didn’t know what to say, how I could possibly make this man, a stranger in my life, understand. Only a moment later, he spoke and I knew somehow he already did.

Gently, he pushed me away so he could see my face, ducking low so we were eye-to-eye. “You’re worn out. You’re doing everything alone. You have the weight of the world on your shoulders.” Ben shook his head as he took the handkerchief from me and started to dab at my eyes. “Anyone else would’ve broken by now. You just need some rest. And food.” He nodded to the table where he’d set the Dunkin Donuts boxes, bags, and drinks. Turning me, Ben playfully pushed me toward it while gesturing for Ollie to join us. “Let’s eat.”

Somehow, this was all it took for my day to turn around. The few times I’d run into him on campus, he’d never seemed like he had much personality. Every time, he wore this deer in headlights look. The man here with me now was nothing like I expected in all the very best ways.

My shoulders slowly relaxed. “Donut or munchkin?” I looked down at Ollie. Already, she seemed to have recovered from my meltdown, which was more than I could claim.

“Why must I choose?” Ollie fell to her knees and clasped her hands in front of her chest. “Please, mother!”

I rolled my eyes. “You can be so dramatic.” Then I turned to Ben. “I have no idea where she gets it from.”

He snorted. “I mean…me neither.” He winked at me and made my stomach flutter.

Whoa. Focus, Charlie. He’s here for Ollie, not you.
Then I realized I was still staring at him. I shook my head and addressed my daughter, still on the floor. “Get up. I suppose you could use the calories. Just don’t eat yourself sick.” I gave her my most serious, scolding look.

Olivia held out her hands. “Help!”

Grabbing them, I carefully aided her as she struggled to her feet again. “There. Now eat.” I gestured to the table.

A smile broke across her face and Ollie moved to open everything. Ben took a step closer. “I’ll help. I’m starving.” He chuckled. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a horse.” He raised an eyebrow as he waited to see if my girl was interested in playing.

Apparently, she caught on. Instantly, her hands were on her hips. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a hippopotamus.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Ben continued the challenge. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a herd of elephants.”

Laughing, Ollie was already prepared. “I’m so hungry, I could eat a megalodon.”

“Hey!” Ben smirked. “There are no megalodons!”

Ollie whirled around on him. “Yeah, well with all the poachers, good luck finding a herd of elephants!”

“Touché.” He held out a hand, an offer to call it even.

Hesitating, Ollie looked to me for guidance. I nodded and tugged on his shirt. “Ben, you need to sanitize first.”

Immediately, he slapped his forehead. “I’m sorry. I wasn’t thinking. Show me the ropes. I’m totally trainable.” He smiled at me, but I still read the worry and guilt in his eyes.

“Eat.” I gestured for Ollie to prepare some food. “I’m going to break Ben in.” I offered her an exaggerated wink and earned a giggle. Then I motioned for Ben to follow me.

Once inside our tiny kitchen, I pointed out the hospital grade soap and sanitizer. “We wash for three minutes, then we dry and sanitize.” Then, before he could ask, I picked up the cow timer I had sitting beside the sink. “Use this.”

He took a deep breath and expelled it slowly while staring at the soap. Then he carefully met my gaze. “I’m sorry. Really I am. About everything.” He shrugged. “I couldn’t sleep. I was eager to get to working with Ollie. I…should’ve known better.”

His mouth was open as he continued to struggle to explain. Without thinking, I set a finger against his lips. “It’s okay. How could you know? No harm, no foul, and all that jazz.” I offered a shy smile. “If anyone should apologize, it’s me. Thank you for doing this for Ollie. She needs this.” I sighed. “I need this. She’s my whole world, you know?”

His next move was completely unexpected. Leaning in, Ben’s lips grazed my forehead. “I know.” He whispered the words against my skin, making me break out in goose bumps. Just as quickly, he turned to the sink, started running the water, set the timer, and went to work cleaning his hands like nothing had happened.

Maybe for him, nothing had, but for me everything changed. This man stirred in me memories of a life I’d had, hope for a life I still yearned for. Maybe Ben would fulfill more than one wish while working with Ollie. Maybe she’d find something worth fighting for and he’d save her life and mine.