Tree of Life Book III

Part I - Chapter 03

Julian began to sing.

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are gray

You'll never know dear, how much I love you

Please don't take my sunshine away…"

As Julian began to sing the same chorus again, Wendy could be heard to join in. Nearing the end of the song, Nicole had joined in too, but she sang the harmony part.

After the message was over, Nicole pressed 'stop' on the phone and put it away. She laid her daughter back. She eased the covers up to her neck and tucked her in.

She gave Wendy a peck on the forehead. "Now, go to sleep."

"Mama?"

"Yes?"

Wendy spoke with her mouth beneath the covers. "Is this your favourite song?"

She nodded. "My daddy used to sing it to me to get me to sleep. And then your daddy used to sing it whenever I got mad at him." She rolled her eyes. "Which was a lot."

"Bad Daddy!" Wendy made the meanest look she could muster. She swatted her hand through the air.

Nicole laughed.

Wendy screwed up her eyebrows tight. "How long have you had this message, Mama?"

"Oh, a long time."

"Before I was born?"

"Way before that. At least two years before that."

"Were you mad at Daddy then too?"

"No!" Nicole smiled. "What…?"

"Because he left you all alone."

"No…!" She brushed her hand through her daughter's hair. "It was important. He had to go and…" She waved her hand in the air. "…save the world."

"But he should have been here with you."

"No…!"

"Where is he now?"

"I don't know."

"Is he saving the world now? It must be something important, right?"

"It'd better be."

They both laughed.

Wendy rolled over onto her side. Her blonde waves draped over the pillow like golden fleece. She  spoke into her pillow. "How come he's not here, Mama?"

Nicole swallowed back something. "I'm sure if he was able to be here, he would be."

Wendy swung around to face her. "Do you think he misses me?"

Nicole sighed.

She took her daughter's face into her hands and pressed her own in so close that the tip of their noses touched. "He misses you more than life itself. He cannot live without you."

The baby's eyes went wide. "I'm his sunshine?"

Nicole nodded. "You are his sunshine. His only sunshine." She smiled.

~~~

After another twenty questions, Nicole finally said no and Wendy fell quiet and shut her eyes. Another two seconds after that, she was fast asleep.

Nicole wandered back outside, where Brian and Ella were still at it, hovered over the dinner table in the sunroom.

She approached the table and crossed her arms over her chest. She made beady eyes at Brian. "Are you flirting with the help?"