Monday morning.

Delilah has always picked up very well on other people's emotions.  This morning she felt such a sadness from her teacher.

"Ms. Jessie, are you okay? You seem sad."

"I'm okay, sweet girl."

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure!" She smiles.

"Okay.. Ms. Jessica, are you married?"

"No, honey, I'm not married."

"Do you have a boyfriend?"

"No.."

"Perfect!" She smiles.

"What?" Jessica chuckles.

"Nothing!"

***

November 22nd.

"Daddy, can I invite my teacher to dinner tonight?"

"Uh.. I guess you can."

"Do you not want me to?"

"No, that's fine! I just have to clean the house now."

"You can do that while I'm at school!" Delilah laughs.

**

"Misssss jessieeee!"

"Yes ma'am?"

"Would you like to come to my house tonight for dinner? You can tell my daddy how smart I am!"

Danny chuckles and says, "Plus I'm a pretty good cook! Right, Didi?"

"Yep! He's the best! And he's handsome!" Delilah smiles.

"Alright." Danny chuckles awkwardly.

"Sure! I'd love to have dinner and talk about how smart you are!" Jessica chuckles.

"Yay! You know where my house is already.
Be there at six!"

"Haha, Yes ma'am!"

**

"Daddy! Fix your hair!" Delilah shouts.

"What's wrong with my hair?"

"It looks a mess! Fix it!"

"Okayyyy.."

"Here, I picked some flowers from Mommy's garden.
Give them to Ms. Jessica."

"Heh! Okay."

Just then the doorbell rings and Delilah gasps.
"She's here! Go open the door and tell her she looks pretty!"

"Calm down, Lilah." Danny chuckles as he walks to the living room.

"Hello! Come in, Ms. Lange!"

"Ms. Jessica!" Delilah corrects him.

"Ms. Jessica." He smiles.

"Tell her she looks pretty." Delilah whispers loudly.

"Shh."

Delilah rolls her eyes.

"Come in, Ms. Jessie!  My daddy wants to give you something!"

"What?" Danny asks.

"The flowers!" Delilah whispers loudly.

"Oh yes!  Here you go." He chuckles and hands them to her.

"They're from my mommy's garden!"

"Oh wow!  These are beautiful.  Thank you!"

Delilah smiles up to both her father and teacher.
She prayed her mother would help her with her plan for the evening.

**

"It's yummy, isn't it?  Daddy's a really really good cook!"

"He is!  This is delicious, Mr. Huston."

"Just call him daddy!"

Danny chokes on his food and Jessica laughs.

"Are you okay?" She pats his back.

"I'm fine!" He chuckles.

"Would anyone like some wine?" Delilah asks.

"Delilah!"

"Heh!  No, I'm good, sweetie.  Thank you though." Jessica smiles.

"Okay!  Well why don't we move this into the living room?" She asks.

"Uh.. okay?" Danny says.

"Stand up!"

They listen, and Delilah takes both of their hands.
Then, in a not so sneaky way, she brings their hands together, making them clasp.

Both Danny and Jessica look at their hands, then into each other's eyes.
They both chuckle and release their grip.

"Have a seat and I'll play some music to get things feeling more romantic!"

"Romantic?" Jessica looks at Danny.

"Uh.. I don't know what she's up to."

Just then one of Delilah's musical toys starts to play.
She then walks over and shuts the lamp off.

"Have fun!" Delilah smiles and leaves the room.

"Um.."

"I'll go see what she's up to."

Danny walks into Delilah's room and she gasped.

"Why aren't you in there kissing my teacher?"

"Kissing her?! Honey, what are up to?"

"I saw you at my birthday party.  You like her.
And she likes you!"

"Did she tell you that?"

"No."

"Then how do you know?"

"I can just feel it!"

Danny chuckles.
"Honey, your teacher and I are not going to be together."

"Why not?"

"Because she's your teacher."

"Then I'll quit school!"

"No, you're not quitting school."

"But you need a wife.. and I need a mommy." Delilah looks down.

"Baby girl, you have a mommy."

"But I want one I can talk to.."

"You can still talk to your mother.  She's always listening, remember?"

"Daddy, you don't understand!  I want a mommy that I can see and touch!"

Danny sighs and takes her in his arms.

"I'm sorry I did this.. I thought you liked each other."

"Don't apologize.  We do like each other.  As friends!"

"Oh.. okay.."

"Don't be upset, cupcake."

"I'm not.
.. You can tell her she can go home if she wants.  I don't want to go back out there."

"Why not, baby?"

"I just want to go to sleep."

"Okay.. well if you want to come back out thennn.. come on out!" He chuckles softly.

"Okay.."

Danny kisses her forehead and says, "I love you.  Thank you for trying to find me a wife." He smiles.

"Your welcome.  I love you too.  Now go away I don't want to talk to you right now."

Danny chuckles. "Okay, honey."

He then left her and walked back to the living room.

"Is she okay?" Jessica asks.

"Yeah.." Danny sits beside her and says, "She.. she thought we were in love, and she really wants us to be together because she needs a mom, and I need a wife."

"Aw!" Jessica places her hand on her chest.

"I'm sorry if this is weird."

"No, no it's not weird!  She's very sweet.
Actually, I feel honored she even saw me that way."

"You're very special to her..
I just feel bad.  I try to be enough for her but.. I can't be her mother.  That's all she wants is her mother"

"I'm so sorry.."

Danny grabs his head and says, "I feel a breakdown coming on and I try my best to hide those. If you want, you can leave and pretend you never saw me tearing up."

"No. Let's talk about it. It's not healthy to go through this alone."

Danny turns to Jessica with tears in his eyes.

"You don't have to do this."

"I'm here. Talk to me."

"I've never really talked about it.. with anyone!
It happened and that was it."

"That's not good.  You have to talk about stuff like this."

"Where do I start?"

"... What happened on October 4th, five years ago?"

Danny sighs.

"She was thirty eight weeks pregnant. Everything was fine.. everything was perfect.
It was a normal morning.. I spoke to the baby, felt her kick.. it was fine.

She and I went to a pumpkin patch before I had to be at work.  She picked one special for Delilah.
She planned on painting it.. she was quite the artist." Danny says with a soft smile on his face.

"That's one of her paintings." He points.

"That's beautiful." Jessica smiles.

"Thank you..
Anyway.  We had lunch, and then I took her home before going in late for work.
.. Grace.. that's my wife.
She wanted to go to the store and.. I couldn't— I had to work. I told her to stay home and to relax.
I'll go to the store later. I'll do anything for you!
But she was determined. She wanted to leave the house.  So she did.."

Jessica listens intently and let's him continue.

"Around three o'clock.. I got a call from the hospital.
Grace was in an accident.. and I needed thank get to the hospital as soon as possible.. because she was.." Danny sighs and looks down.

"It's okay.." Jessica rubs his back to comfort him.

Danny takes a moment before he continues.

"I had to get there as soon as possible because she wasn't going to make it, and they needed to get the baby out immediately."

"Oh my gosh.."

"I dropped everything and I got there within ten minutes.
.... They started the csection and I just wouldn't get off of her. I was kissing her and talking to her.. and she.. she was so weak. She was lifeless.." Danny sniffles.

"They pulled Delilah out.. and Grace passed away.
I heard a flatline.. and the sound of my baby's cry at the exact same time." Danny cries.

"No.."

"My life had completely changed.. and this person that I vowed to love and to care for.. she was gone.
And now here's our baby. She's so beautiful, and so innocent.. and her mom would never be there for her! And she wanted to, Oh God did she want to!

I had help when she was first born, but.. I promised both Grace and Delilah that I wouldn't depend on anyone else. I promised that from then on it was just her and I against the world.

.. but now she's getting older, and she's asking questions, and.. I can't handle this. I just wish she were here for her!
I wish I had gone to the grocery store the day before like I was supposed to! She would have been home.. she would still be here now!"

"Mr. Huston, I believe everything that is supposed to happen.. happens. You lose people you love for no reason.. You feel like it's the end of the road but it isn't! You had Delilah and you had to keep fighting. You're an incredible father and I really really admire you.
I'm so sorry you had to go through all of that. I truly am."

Danny wipes his tears and chuckles.
"Every time you and I talk, I get super deep.
I'm so sorry!"

"Stop apologizing, it's fine!  Come here."

Danny moves a little closer and she wraps her arms around him.

"You don't have to take my advice but, maybe talk about her a little more.  Show her pictures of her.
Show her pictures of her pregnant.  Tell her that that's her in there.  Show her videos!  Keep Grace alive."

"I will.  I need to do that for her.  For the both of them."

Jessica rubs his back and closes her eyes.
"I'm here for you whenever you need me.  Okay?"

"Okay.. Thank you."

"Anytime, Mr. Huston."