Finding the Missing Piece: Book 5

Chapter Sixty-Nine

"Hi, sweet girl." I say softly and take her with me downstairs, letting Carter get some rest.

Willow is already into the food when I get down there. I put Carson in the high chair and go over to Willow.

"These are mine and yours and these ones are for Carson and Carter." Willow says, pointing to two separate piles of food.

I smile, "You want yours warmed up?" I ask her.

"Yes, please." She sighs.

I take the foil off of both of our pastries and stick them in the toaster. I take Carson hers and then Willow and I sit down at the island, waiting for the food to finish.

"How many hours till Momma is back?" She asks me.

I look at the clock which reads 9am.

"About six more hours until she's here." I say.

She frowns, "That's a really long time." She says, sounding like she's about to cry again.

"But it will go by quick, I promise." I say, wishing she would quit acting like this or else this is going to be a really really long New Years Eve.

Willow sighs, "Daddy, and I don't want to go back to school."

"Why not?" I ask her as the toaster pops out two freshly hot tarts. I take them out and place them both on plates and then bring them over to where we were sitting.

"Because that means that me and Mommy don't get to spend the whole days together no more." She frowns.

I look at her and wipe away her tears, "Summer isn't too far away. Then you get to stay with Momma at home for three months."

"Will the baby be here by then?"

"I doubt it but maybe."

She groans, "I hope so because I want to help you guys with it."

"When it does get here that means I get to be home a lot more. I haven't told anyone yet but when the baby is born, I'm leaving the bakery for a few weeks or longer to help Momma." I say.

"With me?" She asks.

"Yep and I think that all next year I'm gonna take you to school for Mommy and then we can all three pick you up afterwards. Do you think that sounds good?"

She shrugs, "Yeah, but I don't want the baby to spend all it's time with Momma. I wish it went to school too because I want to stay with Mommy." She frowns.

"What? You're already jealous." I tease her.

She makes a face.

"Yeah because it gets to be with Mommy and her is my mom too." Willow says angrily.

"I know but you've gotten to spend so much longer with her than this baby has. Don't you want it to be with Mommy too because she such a good mom?" I ask.

"Yeah but while I am at school you and Momma and the baby are here without me and what if I miss something?"

"What would you miss, Princess?" I ask.

She thinks a second.

"What if the baby started to walk or talk or something? I want to see it."

"Sweetheart, the baby won't be doing that for a really long time so I bet you won't miss it."

She groans, "How come I got to go to school? I don't want to."

"Because it's the law, sweetheart. Mommy and I had to go to school too, even when we didn't want to. Mommy had to go to school even after her sister was born." I tell her truthfully.