Wyatt
“Daddy, wake up!”
Wyatt stirred in his sleep and slowly rolled over. He knew it was early. Too early. He could tell because the bedroom window was open and the air that seeped in was cool. Also, the birds weren't even chirping yet. They were still sound asleep, just like he should have been.
“Wake up!”
His eyelids felt like they were still way too heavy to open. He was in that half-asleep state now, floating somewhere between dreamland and reality. His daughter had stopped shouting at him for just a second while she climbed onto the bed. He could feel her little feet patter across the mattress. When she got close, she started jumping up and down on the bed. Each time she landed, she dropped her hands onto his side.
“Daddy!” she shouted.
Between her yelling and jumping, Wyatt finally woke up completely. He squinted as soon as he opened his eyes. Every light in the bedroom had been turned on and it felt like he was being blinded by it.
“Maggie, what is it?” he asked, rolling over to face his daughter.
He was greeted by her smiling face, which was hovering less than two inches away from his own. Her blue eyes were open wide, staring back at him. If she wasn't so darn cute, he would have been annoyed. It was hard to get upset at a face like that, though.
“You have to get up right now,” she told him.
Suddenly concerned, Wyatt hopped out of bed. His mind always tended to go to the worst case scenario. Ever since his wife had passed away a year before, he had been on edge. He worried constantly and found himself more jumpy than he'd ever been in his life.
“Is everything okay?” he asked, turning back to the bed where Maggie was seated.
He glanced at the clock. It was barely six o'clock in the morning. Something was definitely wrong. Maggie never woke him up that early. In fact, she usually slept in later than he did. Anxiety burst into his gut, immediately pulling him the rest of the way out of the fog of sleep.
“Daddy, I can't find my swimsuit,” she said, crossing her arms. “I've looked everywhere.”
“Your swimsuit?” he asked, letting out a breath of relief. “That's what you woke me up for?”
She nodded casually, as though it should have been the most obvious thing in the world. “Yes, Daddy. Why else would I wake you up?”
She's only four and she already is way too confident, he thought, smiling to himself. God help me when she turns sixteen.
“I have swim lessons today and I need it,” Maggie explained, hopping up from the bed and strolling toward him.
Her blonde hair was a total mess. Strands stuck out in every direction and tangles of it ran down her back. It made Wyatt smile, which almost made up for the fact that she'd dragged him out of bed before the sun had risen.
“Honey, your lessons aren't until noon,” he said, taking a seat on the cushy bench at the foot of the bed. “That leaves six hours until your lessons actually start.”
“I know,” Maggie said, crawling up to sit on his lap. “But you told me not to wake up Mrs. Mildred until seven.”
That's kid logic for you, he thought.
He rubbed the sleep out of his eyes with the back of his hands and then chuckled. “I did say that, didn't I?”
“Yes,” she said, wrapping both arms around his neck to hug him.
Wyatt gently patted her back and closed his eyes.
If Caroline were still alive, she would have loved nothing more than to look for Maggie's swimsuit at six in the morning, he thought to himself. He sighed, trying not to think about what should have been. Caroline wasn't here and there wasn't anything he could do to change that.
“Alright,” he said, trying to hold back a few tears that were fighting to make their way out. Just the thought of his wife always made him cry. It didn't matter if it was a good memory or a bad one. Thinking about her and how empty his life felt without her always caused waves of emotion to wash over him. “How about we make some breakfast first and then we'll find your suit?”
“Okay!” Maggie squealed, her eyes lighting up. “Can I have my favorite?”
Wyatt brought his hand to his chin and looked up toward the ceiling, as though he was deep in thought. “Your favorite, huh? I can't remember what that is. You'll have to remind me. Is it green eggs and ham? Or was it sardines from the can?”
“Gross! You know what what my favorite breakfast is!” she squealed, not fooled by Wyatt's attempt at humor. “It's french toast with jelly on top.”
“Ah, yes,” he said. He gave her one more hug, smelling the watermelon shampoo in her hair. “That's right. I almost forgot.”
“Come on,” Maggie said, hopping off of Wyatt's lap and grabbing his wrist. “I'll help you.”
“You'll help me?” Wyatt asked, slowly standing up from his seat on the bench, with the help of Maggie pulling on his wrist. “Well in that case, how can I say 'no'?”
While Maggie escorted him out of the room, they passed the dresser. On top, was a single picture in a black leather frame. It was a photo of him, Maggie and his late wife, Caroline. It had been taken at the beach by a stranger. He stood in the middle of his small family, with his wife on one side and his little daughter on the other.
“Hold up a second, kiddo,” he said, stopping in his tracks and grabbing the picture from the dresser. “Do you remember this trip?”
He squatted down to Maggie's level, holding the photo out so that they both could see.
She nodded. “Yes, I remember. We built a sandcastle on the beach.”
“That's right,” Wyatt said. “Do you remember how bad Daddy got sunburned that day? I looked like a lobster.”
Maggie giggled. “Yeah, a big red lobster!”
Wyatt's heart ached as the memory of the family trip flooded his mind. It felt like only yesterday that they were there. It was the perfect vacation, spent on the beach in Costa Rica. He'd managed to take two full weeks off of work, which didn't happen very often. Being CEO of a pharmaceutical company didn't leave much time for the fun things in life. Still, he had organized everything so that he could get the time off and create an amazing trip for his family.
The vacation, as amazing at it had been, was also a bittersweet memory. Two days after this photo, Caroline had received the phone call from her doctor. The cancer that she had conquered five years earlier had returned and this time, had spread. It had flooded her lungs, kidneys and lymph nodes. Everything had gone so quickly after that.
“I still miss Mommy,” Maggie said, reaching forward the touch the picture.
Wyatt watched her little finger touch the face of Caroline and it broke his heart. He held back a wave of emotion, wishing that he could be a little better at staying strong for his daughter. There were times, though, when it was nearly impossible. Caroline had only been gone for a year and every single thing he looked at reminded him of her. He still hadn't been able to change anything in the house, for fear of losing her memory.
The pictures on the wall were untouched. Her walk-in closet, which was spilling over with designer clothes and shoes, still contained every article of clothing that had been there the day she'd passed away. Even her toothbrush was still in its holder in the bathroom.
He knew that he couldn't hang onto her forever. Someday, he'd have to let her go. He knew that Caroline wouldn't have ever wanted him to live like this. He was a total mess. The only thing that felt normal to him any more was Maggie and his job. Everything else felt foreign without Caroline in the picture. He'd become a walking zombie, living a painful nightmare where everything he saw reminded him of what he'd lost. He wished there were a way to take away some of the grief overwhelming him.
“I miss Mommy, too, honey,” he finally said. “I miss her, too.”
He tried not to think about Caroline. He tried not to remember the innocent way Caroline's stomach pain had started right after their wedding. How it had grown so bad she couldn't walk. He tried not to remember the doctor's face when they'd told her about the tumors in her uterus.
He tried not to think about Caroline's heartache when she agreed to the hysterectomy. When they realized she would never bear children.
At least they'd managed to have Maggie. They'd managed to find a way. They'd found a surrogate, a young woman that Caroline had adored. She'd carried Maggie and given Caroline the happiest years of her life.
Then the cancer had come back and killed her anyway.
They both stared at the photo for a moment longer, then finally Wyatt drew in a breath and stood up from the ground. He put the picture back on the dresser.
“What do you say we make some breakfast?” he asked, trying to inject some happy energy into his voice and mostly succeeding.
Maggie nodded, gazing up toward him. “Yeah, I'm hungry.”
He smiled and took her hand. The two of them walked out to the kitchen. It wasn't even daylight yet and he'd already been up and down the roller coaster of emotions. From happy to sad and from joyful to heartache. He'd been on this same roller coaster ever since Caroline's death and he feared he'd never get off of it.
Wyatt “Okay, are you ready to try my french toast?” Wyatt asked, as he topped off the meal with a generous supply of maple syrup. “I've added extra strawberry jelly and syrup to the top, just like you like it.” Maggie was waiting eagerly. She was seated on one of the stools that surrounded the center island in the kitchen. With orange juice in one hand and a fork in the other, she looked as ready as she'd ever be to try Wyatt's first attempt at homemade french toast. “I can't promise that it will be as good as Mildred's,” he said. “But just know that I did my best.” “It looks good,” Maggie said, in the cutest little voice he'd ever heard. “It smells good, too.” He set the plate down in front of her and stood by eagerly as she took her first bite. He watched her face go from a smile, into more of a frown. It was like gravity had taken an extra toll on her lips right then, pulling them down into a look of disappointment. “Well?” he asked. “It's tastes like burned,” she said, wash
Lily After working the early-morning shift, Lily finally clocked out at one in the afternoon. She was a bit tired, but there were advantages to working in a coffee shop that helped with those sort of things. One of them was that she was able to make herself as many caffeinated drinks as she wanted for free. She'd already had two mocha lattes and was working on an iced coffee as she left the building and went to her car. What a long shift, she thought, letting out a slow exhale and relaxing into the driver's seat. She closed her eyes for a bit, just enjoying the silence. Her coffee shop was one of the busiest in town, which meant that while she was working, she never had a full minute to sit down and rest. It was nonstop from the moment she clocked in until the moment she left. It was worth it, though, at least for now. The pay was decent and she got full health benefits. Still, it wasn't exactly where she thought she'd be at twenty-six years old. In fact, she thought for sure she'
Lily Wyatt’s black suit caught Lily’s eye and she glanced over toward him. He smiled at her and she waved quickly. My God, why does he have to be so damn good looking? She thought to herself, then immediately shook the thought from her mind. I can't let myself think things like that. It's not right. “Hey, Lily,” Wyatt said, as he approached her. “I'm so glad you were able to make it.” She smiled and turned toward him. “Oh, it's no problem at all. You know I love coming to see Maggie whenever I have the chance. The timing worked out pretty well, too. I had just gotten off work when you sent me that text.” “Daddy, look how high I'm swinging!” Maggie called out. Wyatt chuckled. “You're flying, Mags! You're like a super hero with pigtails.” Maggie laughed loudly and began kicking her feet in an attempt to gain even more height. “Be careful, okay?” Wyatt said. “Don't go too high. I don't want you to fly away.” “I won't, Dad,” Maggie said. Wyatt turned back to Lily. “So I wanted t
Lily In the backseat of Lily's car sat two suitcases. One was packed with the essentials, like a toothbrush, makeup and perfume. It also had about ten days worth of clothes in it, which was really more like twenty days worth, since she had the tendency to over pack for everything. In the second suitcase were some things for Maggie to play with. She had brought board games, kid's movies and had even stopped by the store to grab a few new toys for her. Just because her dad was a billionaire didn't mean that Maggie wouldn't enjoy something new. Lily wanted this week to be extra special for Maggie and wasn't about to spare any expense to make that happen. In addition to a brand new Lego set, she'd also bought Maggie a stuffed dog and a cute little doll with blonde hair. The doll reminded Lily of Maggie and it even had red bows in the pigtails. Okay, she thought, parking her car in her usual spot in front of Wyatt's garage. I'm here. I hope I don't screw this up somehow. I'm not at all
Lily Maggie and Lily spent the better part of the afternoon in the playroom. After several tea parties with stuffed animals and playing hide and seek to the point where they'd run out of places to hide, they headed back upstairs. The rest of the day they were outside on the playground. Lily pushed Maggie on the swings and went down the slides with her. They laughed and had fun the entire time. So much fun, that Lily didn't realize how fast the time had flown by. When she checked her watched, she realized it was already almost time for dinner. “Hey, Maggie, we should go in and figure out something to eat,” Lily said. Maggie agreed and they made their way back into the house. The timing was perfect, too. Wyatt was just about to leave for his gala when they stepped into the kitchen. “Hey, guys,” he said, as he clasped his gold watch around his wrist. “Have you been having fun?” “Yes!” Maggie said. “We've been on the swings and earlier Aunt Wiwee played tea party with me.” “Lucky y
Wyatt Wyatt pulled his Lamborghini up the winding road through his neighborhood. He was on his way home from his gala. After getting sick of schmoozing, he had decided to leave early and head back. He had a few things planned for the following day, not the least of which was going grocery shopping with Lily and Maggie. He wanted to be well rested and present while he was with them. What a night, he thought, as he loosened his tie a bit. Three hours of mingling and not even one contact that could eventually turn into some sales. What a waste of time. He realized, though, that it was all part of the game. He'd been playing it for most of his adult life. He attended events all the time, knowing very well that meeting people in the industry could eventually lead to growing his wealth even larger than it already was. It's who you know, not what you know, he thought. It was his father's words echoing in his mind. Even though his dad hadn't been able to accumulate one percent of the weal
Lily Stupid, stupid, stupid, Lily thought, shaking her head in disappointment at herself. What in the hell was I thinking, walking around in Wyatt's house in just my panties and a t-shirt? I should have known he'd get home early. It's Murphy's Law. Whatever can happen, will happen. Stupid, stupid, stupid. She had been blushing since the moment he had walked in and laid eyes on her a few minutes before. Her cheeks still tingled from the embarrassment, but it wasn't long before the blood drained back into the rest of her body. She felt so ashamed by the incident that it made her want to crawl out of her own skin. “I seriously can't believe that just happened,” she whispered to herself. Even though she was now in the privacy of her room, she'd torn her suitcase apart until she'd found a pair of pajama pants. Well, that's an awkward start to my week-long job, she thought, crawling onto her bed. She laid on her back and stared at the white ceiling. The overhead fan spun slowly above
Lily's Fantasy The door of her bedroom turned and she glanced toward it. Wyatt poked his head in to see her with her panties down. At first she was shocked and tried to cover herself up, but he told her not to. “It's fine,” he said. “Let me help you.” With just a towel around his waist, Wyatt stepped into the room and carefully closed the door behind him. “Wyatt, are you sure?” she asked. His eyes locked with hers, but just for a moment. Then he broke the gaze and glanced down her body, to where her fingers were still buried between her legs. His eyes dilated and he took a few steps toward her. She couldn't help but to watch him move. He was so muscular, his skin so tan and smooth. He was just perfect in every way. The definition of a true man. “What if Maggie wakes up?” Lily whispered. “I locked the door,” he said. “Plus, she's sound asleep. You really tired her out today.” He approached the bed and Lily's eyes dropped down to the towel that was around his waist. Underneath t