Lake I looked up from my writing, stared out at the sea, and rubbed my face and sighed. It had been eight months since I was released from prison. I often visited the lake where I used to come and practice violin.
I felt something at my legs. When I looked down to see, it was my little girl, Mhiya, who was born while I was in prison. She looked up at me with concern.
"Don't be worried. Daddy is a little sad. But he's happy, too," I told her with a smile and scratched her little head. "Because I've got you, and you know what?" I asked her.
She shook her head. I picked her up, swooped her into the air, and then smiled at her. She giggled.
"You're magic. And you're cool."
She smirked, looking thoughtful.
I set her down on the bench next to me. Peggy came to us from the water. She smiled widely.
"What is so funny that you two are talking about?"
"Peggy, I was telling Mhiya how wonderful this last week has been for me."
I waited a moment for a response and then hurried on.
"But it's been a long, long moment. And I can't expect you to... I don't expect it to be what it was before. For us to have...but maybe, if we go slowly, and you...you can..."
Peggy grew more and more anxious as I spoke.
She grabbed me by the back of the head and pressed me into a passionate kiss. Mhiya looked on, wide-eyed. Peggy pulled away to say, "Carter, I love you."
"I love you, too."
"What about me?" asked Mhiya. She pulled us apart to squeeze in between us.
"We love you more than we love each other," I said.
Peggy, with light tears running down her face, fell forward and rested her face on my shoulder.
"Oh, you're back... I have you back."
I grinned and stroked her hair, staring out at the lake. I looked down at Mhiya and hugged her. I gripped them both in my arms.
Mhiya squealed and laughed. Peggy wrapped her arms under my shirt and around my back.
Elementary School In the kitchen, like I did every morning, I made breakfast for my daughter and prepared her lunch for school. We sat at the table having some eggs, toast, bananas, and orange juice.
After breakfast, Mhiya jumped on my back and took her lunch, and we walked out.
The routine was that I carried her on my back each day to school.
