Second Edit: More Les.
What possesses a woman to drive more than two thousand miles across country with a six year old child? I can’t imagine. I know it wasn’t me. If I’d had my way we’d have flown. The whole thing would have taken a long afternoon.
Every hundred miles or so my sweet little charge wanted to get out and stretch her legs or go to a restaurant or needed a bathroom break. I’d be perfectly willing to live another life, just to be able to murder whoever came up with the fifty-five mile an hour speed limit.
For most of the first day I sat in the front passenger seat and stared at Leigh. I kept Robin entertained by telling her things she couldn’t possibly know about the woman and having her relay the messages.
By the time we stopped at a hotel for the night, I had Leigh fully convinced that Robin was talking to a ghost, or at least reading her mind. She was tired and shaken by the time the door closed behind us.
“Can you do me one small favor, Robin?”
“Sure.”
“Please, stop talking about Les. Les is beginning to give me a headache.”
“Oh. He says he’s sorry.”
I stare at the brat. “I said nothing of the sort.”
“It would be nice,” she whispered at me.
“I’m not here to be nice.”
“Why are you here?” She said it directly to me as if she had any right to ask.
“What?”
“I wonder how come you’re here? Nobody else I know has a guardian angel. I figured maybe you were waiting until she came to get me. You were always talking about it. She’s here, now. Why are you still here?”
I have never told her I was an angel of any kind. I have never really told her anything, except that something was going to happen to change her life and finally that someone would be coming for her. She has never asked me about it before.
“I’m here to make sure things go smoothly. Of course, you can ask me to leave, anytime you want.” I lie, knowing I’m tied to her, until --
“No! I don’t want you to leave! Not ever!”
She runs at me, full force and I wrap her up as we both fall to the ground. “You can’t ever leave me! Promise me!”
Without lying, I put my mouth close to her small ear and promise, “I’ll never leave you.”
