Chapter 4: Wally world

I picked up Sarah in my arms and swung her around in the air. She and I both were euphoric. I ran off the front porch with her on my shoulders to my truck.

"Hey! Where the hell are you taking my daughter?"

"Get your thong out of you a** Ash. I'll bring her back in one piece. We've gotta get ready."

"Damn right you will, and what do you mean ready?"

"We have to go shopping at Wal Mart!"

I yelled back to her. The grin on my face was probably wider than Sarah's.

I opened the passenger door for my daughter, and she was surprised of the way it opened backwards.

"Wow! It’s like a space ship daddy!"

"Well young lady, you better not go on any other spaceship rides until you are old enough."

I said joking with her. I shut her door then jogged over to the drivers side.

"All right, let’s blast off!"

Ashley yelled from the front porch and waved at the car to her baby.

"You be careful now!"

I floored the petal before Sarah could answer.
I spun out of the yard leaving dirt flying behind me. I was tearing up the yard knowing I would have to fix it when I got back. I didn't care though, because I was with my little girl. I reached over and twirled my fingers in her silky blonde hair.

"I love you Sarah."

She looked up at me and grinned. Her little missing tooth made me smile too.

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We got about half way down the road until her voice interrupted the silence.

"Daddy can we listen to some music?"

"Alright."

I reached into the glove compartment and pulled out my Evanescence Cd and she put her tiny fingers over mine.

"And not your kind, my kind?"

"Sure sweetheart...what kind exactly?"

My eyebrows arched warily.

"You'll see."

She pulled out a little pink nano Ipod and plugged it in as if she were a pro. It made me wonder if her mother was trying to make her a technician.

At first when she turned it on I couldn't hear it so I turned it up a little. My stupid mistake. Out of the speakers I heard the annoying perky voices.

"Hiya Barbie." "Hi Ken. You want to go for a ride?"

"Oh Lord no!"

Sarah's giggles vibrated in the car.

She started to sing along to the pop queen Brittany. She pulled at my elbow and told me with a no nonsense face that I had to be the Ken parts. Of course, loving my daughter I complied.

But I'm still a man.

And no man sings Brittany spears at the top of thier lungs for the world to hear.

To make sure no one could hear us, I rolled up the windows. The minute I did so the pout formed on her face. I didn't have the heart to let it stay on her face, so down they went.

After listening to the song about ten times and being stared and laughed at, we finally made it to Wally world.
Thank God for small miracles.

I rolled up the windows and got out of the truck. I reached to ruffle her hair and caught only air. I stopped in the middle of the road, the strange feeling of an empty space beside me. I turned around and she was standing next to the truck her little face set in a frown.

"What did I do?"

"Momma told me to always hold someone's hand when I cross the road."

I smiled relieved.

"Well then get up here silly bear."

She skipped across the road to me and held my hand while we crossed the road. The sliding glass doors opened for us and she giggled hopping on and off the carpet.

"Haha daddy look! Its a magic carpet!" She beamed up at me and I just shook my head.

"You strange child."

I grabbed a cart and lifted her up and into the cart like it was her personal chariot.

She smiled and waved at the passerby's like royalty and they all smiled back.

I walked over to the vacation area and picked up an oversized bag. I'd seen Ashley carry them before trying to smuggle candy into theaters like they were drugs.

I chuckled at the irony.

I grabbed a visor from the toddler section and popped it onto Sarah's little head.

"Alright squirt what else do we need?"

I said, looking up at the signs above our heads describing the contents of each aisle.

"Pee."

My eyebrows furrowed together.

"Why would we need- OH."

I looked down and took one good look at her face that was twisted around in agony and understood. Her hands were between her knees and she was rocking back and forth in the cart.

"Daddyyyyyy."

"Ok, just hold on squirt we're about to blast of right to the bathrooms."

I sped down the aisles narrowly avoiding an old woman carrying a bag of chips.

"Sorry!"

"Faster daddy, faster!"

I slammed on the brakes and pulled her quickly from the cart in front of the restroom. I took off her Visor and tossed it into the cart, and then looked up at the sign on the door.

Men’s room. Women’s room.

S***.

I looked down at her as a man walked out and the putrid smell of urine escaped the public restroom. Her nose wrinkled up and she doubled over looking ready to explode.

"Jesus. Where’s Ashley when you need her?" I muttered under my breathe.

I looked around and spotted a teenage girl working one of the registers- or rather hardly working the register. She was lounging behind it with a magazine and flipping idly through the pages.

"Excuse me, would you mind taking my daughter into the women's restroom? The men’s isn't exactly well, clean."

She blew a bubble and let it pop. She glanced down at Sarah a bored look on her face and sighed.

"Sure thing pop."

She threw down her magazine and took hold of Sarah's hand.

I watched as she disappeared behind the door and got in line to pay.

After the clerk handed me back my change, I stuffed it into my pocket and grabbed the two plastic bags. I looked over to where the candy bars were and grabbed a candy ring. Cherry, her favorite and mine.

"Two of these please."

The woman behind me complained, and I just ignored her handing the lady the change she had given me.

I walked over to the bathroom again and searched for the register that Sarah was supposed to be waiting for me at.

"Where is my daughter?"

She stopped reading and lifted her magazine and looked under it. The half concerned look came onto her face.

"She was here a minute ago..."

My heart stopped and dropped into my stomach.