The icy cold air nipped at my cheeks in a gentle manner. The sky was as clear as it could be during the winter months, not a single cloud in the sky, which for me was a blessing. I was currently kneeling in front of a giant slab of stone that had engravings on it, the name on it was "June Anne" and the date below read "1956-1990". I placed the bright pink roses down in front of it as if I was setting down my newborn baby, I missed her. I really did. If only heaven had visiting hours I
would be up there every day with her, only to come back down when visiting was over. Cancer was what had taken her from me, and I had to watch as her health deteriorated. While I'm glad she wasn't in pain anymore, it still hurts to think that she could've lived longer.
The trip back home was spent in silence, I didn't want Zalena to see me like this. She was a sweetheart and was wise way beyond her years, though there was still that childishness that every eight year old has. The thought of her caused the corners of my mouth to tug up into a small smile. But I was brought back to reality when I saw the first few snowflakes begin to drift down to the frozen ground. It wasn't a far walk but I know that snowstorms can get nasty quick. Once I had made my escape into the warmth of the apartment complex, I sighed in relief.
"Daddy!" I heard a girl call out which caused me to chuckle quietly as the head of messy red curls came into view.
"Hey sweetie." I smiled as she hugged my legs, she was a lot smaller than most of the kids her age but she was okay with it because, and I quote, "I can hide in better spots during hide and seek at recess!"
"Ms. Tilly from next door brought out some fresh sugar cookies for us!" She squealed, looking up at me with her chocolate eyes wide with excitement as she tugged on my pants leg in enthusiasm.
"Oh really now?" I questioned as I scooped her up into my arms, she giggled and wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. With a smile I began to make my way up the steps.
"Yes! And she even brought over two Christmas gifts! One for me and one for you!" She added on after a moment of thought.
"Well that was very nice of her, did you say thank you?" I asked her as I unlocked the door to our apartment and stepped inside. The scent of freshly baked cookies drifted throughout the small apartment.
"Of course! Just like you taught me to daddy. She said I was a very polite little girl." She smiled as I set her down, she instantly took hold of my much larger hand into her small one as she lead me to the kitchen.
"Good girl Zalena." I praised, stopping in the doorway of the kitchen once she released my hand. She walked over to a tin cookie container and removed it from the kitchen table, she then walked over to where I was standing and held it up.
"Try one! They're really good!" She said in a bubbly tone while looking up at me with a smile. I sighed in defeat and popped open the lid, taking out a Christmas tree shaped cookie I bit into it. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't the greatest either.
"Well?" She questioned me with excitement written all over her face.
"It's good..." I said with a smile as to not disappoint her.
Before she could respond with anything, a loud knock echoed throughout our apartment, without a second thought she smiled and took off towards the front door.
"I got it!" She shouted as I heard the doorknob turn. I briskly walked over to her as she opened the door and gently moved her so she was standing behind me.
Standing just outside of the stained, wooden doorframe was a women with ginger hair and freckles that littered the bridge of her nose and underneath her eyes. Her bright blue eyes looked up at me as tears filled them.
"Hi, I'm so sorry to bother you but you were the first apartment I saw and... I need some help. I caught my boyfriend cheating and I don't have a phone... can I please borrow yours to call my parents?" She spoke quickly enough that I almost didn't catch what she was saying.
"Oh..." I turned over the question in my mind before stepping aside. "Of course you can. The phone is in the kitchen."
She walked inside and headed into the kitchen, Zalena was clinging onto my pants leg as she watched the young lady walk inside and into the kitchen.
"Daddy... I need to tell you something." She whispered up to me, which wasn't really all that much of a whisper.
"Okay sweetheart." I scooped her up and she leaned against me.
"Daddy... she might be the angel I wished for last night... I saw one of those shooting stars and you always told me that when I see one I need to make a wish. And I wished that a girl angel would come and be my mommy for the winter." She whispered as quietly as an eight year old could.
I could hear the lady talking from the kitchen as I processed the information that my daughter just told me. It hurt a bit to know that she missed her mom that much, actually it hurt a lot. But I found the idea that she had wished for one cute, despite everything that happened with her mom.
"Maybe..." I spoke to her softly as I listened to the girl speaking in the other room. "You should offer her one of your sugar cookies that Ms.Tilly made you."
Zalena gave me a cheeky smile as I set her down, I heard the telltale click of the phone turn off as Zalena scooted herself right on into the kitchen. I stood there in the doorway of the kitchen watching the scene unfold in front of me. Zalena had offered her one of the cookies excitedly and at first the girl had refused but she eventually gave me, once she spotted me her eyes widened like a deer in the headlights.
"How did it go?" I tentatively asked her, watching as she hesitantly bit into the cookie once she relaxed enough.
"I..." she sighed softly and ran her fingers through her hair. "My parents won't be able to come and get me until tomorrow... Do you know any nearby hotels I could stay at...?"
"You could stay here with us!" Zalena chirped happily with a broad smile adorning her features.
"Oh no honey I couldn't do that." She spoke softly to Zalena.
"Actually... you could if you wanted to, we have a guest room that we don't use, and it's better than spending the night in an old hotel room." I offered.
"Are you sure...? I don't want to be an intruder..." she quickly responded.
"I'm positively sure." I said in response, tucking my hands into my jean pockets.
"Thank you Mr...?" She said unsurely.
"Please, just call me Clayton." I responded easily.
"Well thank you Clayton." She responded.
"No problem. The guest room is down the hall, second door on the right." I said.
"Thank you, again, I can't thank you enough." She said and then added on. "My name is Mabel." While gathering the small bags she had and then headed down the hallway and into the guest room.
Zalena tugged on my pants leg while smiling up at me. "We should make her some of your famous fet... fet..."
"Fettuccini?" I questioned her as I smiled.
"Yeah that! It'll make her want to stay longer!" She squealed in delight.