Total pages in book: 76
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 72617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 363(@200wpm)___ 290(@250wpm)___ 242(@300wpm)
I scooted a little closer, keeping my camera ready, hoping to catch a candid moment. "Do you want to see how this camera works?"
I held it in front of her as I told her, “It makes funny sounds when I press this button."
I pressed the shutter button, causing the camera to click loudly. Willa's eyes widened in surprise, momentarily forgetting her grumpy demeanor. I did it again, and her chubby cheeks dimpled as she let out a giggle, a sound that instantly melted my heart.
It was the perfect opportunity, and I quickly snapped a photo, capturing her infectious smile. Hoping to keep the moment going, I pointed to her mother’s garden. “How ‘bout you show me your garden? We might find some pretty flowers to take pictures with?"
“Okay.”
I slowly stood up, keeping my camera at the ready, and led Willa to the back of the yard. As we strolled along the colorful pathway, I pointed out different flowers, hoping to captivate her attention. Willa's expression softened slightly, and she reached out to touch a velvety rose petal.
"It’s so pretty. Just like you.”
Willa paused for a moment; her gaze fixed on the camera. And then, in a sudden burst of sweetness, her pout vanished, replaced by another precious smile. I quickly snapped a series of shots, capturing her toothy grin and twinkling eyes.
Despite her initial resistance, I’d managed to get some pretty incredible shots. I was taking a few more just to be sure when Hadley came out with our lemonade. She sounded more than a little concerned as she asked, “How’s it going?”
“I don’t know.” I flipped the camera around so she could see some of the images I had taken. “Why don’t you tell me?”
As soon as she saw the picture of Willa standing next to her pink roses, she gasped, “Oh. My. God. That’s it! That’s the picture!”
“You like it?”
“Like it? Are you kidding? I love it!”
“Oh, great. I’m so glad.”
“Mia, you are a lifesaver.” She reached over and gave me a big hug. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for this.”
“You just did.” I glanced down at my watch and sighed when I saw the time. “I better get going.”
“What? So soon?” She looked so disappointed as she said, “I was hoping you could stay for dinner.”
“I’d love to, but I’m wiped and I have a full day tomorrow.” I placed my camera back in the bag as I told her, “Maybe some other time.”
“Absolutely.”
I patted my bag as I told her, “I’ll get these edited and send them to your email by tomorrow afternoon.”
“That’ll be great. Thank you so much, Mia.”
“I was glad to do it.” I turned and gave Willa a quick wave. “I’ll see you later!”
She waved back, and I took that as my cue to go. I slipped through the back gate and followed the brick path back to my car. I tossed my bag onto the passenger seat, and seconds later, I was on my way. By the time I got home, I was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go straight to bed.
So, that’s exactly what I did.
I didn’t even bother taking a shower. I just took off my work clothes, put on my pajamas, and crawled into my bed. I hadn’t been lying there long when I realized the familiar hum of my ceiling fan had returned. I quickly turned on the bedside lamp, and I was stunned to see that my busted fan was no longer there.
It had been replaced with a brand new, super-duper fan with gleaming blades that spun effortlessly in the air. I couldn’t believe my eyes. When I left for work, it was still broken. I hadn’t called my maintenance department, so I had no idea how it had gotten fixed. I just knew someone had been in my apartment.
That thought led me to get out of bed and take a look around. That’s when I spotted the pillows on the floor. I hadn’t paid any attention when I’d pushed them off the bed, but after a closer look, I could see that they weren’t the same pillows that were on my bed when I left for work. I thought my imagination was playing tricks on me, so I ran my fingers across the smooth fabric and checked to see that all the tassels were there.
And sure enough, they were.
I sat back down on the bed and tried to think of who could’ve been responsible for the unexpected changes. It was possible that maintenance had come in to do a check and saw that the fan was broken. Or maybe my father had come by, and he noticed that it wasn’t working.
Neither option seemed all that plausible.
I sat there for a moment longer, and then it hit me.
Wrath.
I had no idea how he’d managed to get into my apartment, but there was no doubt in my mind that he was the one behind it. I wasn’t sure if I should thank him or scold him, but I knew I had to say something. I grabbed my phone from my dresser and dialed his number. It rang several times, and then it went to voicemail. It wasn’t all that late, so I decided to call again.