Don't Go Read Online Free PDF Page A

head back and forth, then opened her eyes and looked directly at him, something she hadn’t done as a newborn. He felt a bolt of sheer joy and on impulse, reached into the crib and scooped her up. “Hi, Emily, it’s Daddy!”
    Emily started to cry, and Danielle rushed into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. “Don’t hold her like that. Support her head.”
    “Okay.” Mike tried to support Emily’s head, but she twisted in his arms. She seemed strong for a baby, and it felt great to hold her, despite the decibel-level. She was tangible proof of life, of Chloe, of family.
    “Don’t do that.”
    “What am I doing wrong?” Mike supported the baby’s head, but she kept turning away from him.
    “Here, give her to me.” Danielle reached for the wailing baby, who stretched her tiny arms to her.
    “Can’t I do something?” Mike asked, but before he could stop her, Danielle had taken Emily.
    “Em, it’s all right, it’s okay, that’s your Daddy.” Danielle cuddled Emily, and the baby quieted quickly.
    Mike felt oddly rejected, though he knew he was being silly. He would’ve given it more of a try. “What can I do?”
    Danielle shushed him, and Emily twisted around, saw him, and started to cry again. “Do you see her pacifier in the crib? It’s pink.”
    Mike crossed to the crib and moved some plush toys around, but didn’t see the pacifier. He wanted to hold Emily and comfort her, on his own. “Can I give it another chance? When she was little, I could get her to stop crying.”
    “Not now, Mike. She’s tired.”
    “What if you turn her around and let her see me, and we turn on the light?”
    “I don’t think so. Another time, okay?” Danielle kept rocking the crying baby. “You go, and I’ll get the binky. She’ll be fine in the morning, you’ll see.”
    “You sure I can’t try again?”
    Emily wailed loudly.
    “Okay, right, I’ll go.” Mike fled past them for the door, opened it, then closed it behind him. Flop sweat had broken out under the heavy cotton of his ACUs, and Bob was coming down the hall, frowning.
    “Uh-oh, you woke the baby. Danielle will kill you.”
    “I know, sorry. I have to be calmer, next time. I got too excited. I guess I held her wrong.”
    “Don’t feel bad, Danielle’s got the touch.” Bob gestured to the bedroom, where the crying was subsiding. “See? Emily loves her. You have to look it at from Emily’s view. You’re a stranger to her.”
    I’m her father, Mike thought, but Bob was right. He was a stranger who was also Emily’s father.
    “She’ll come around. Give her time.” Bob touched him on the arm. “You look like you need a drink.”
    “No, thanks.” Mike felt lost, dislocated. He belonged with Chloe, but she was gone. He belonged with Emily, but she didn’t know him. He found himself thinking about their cat, which was pathetic. “Bob, what happened to Jake, the cat?”
    “Sara took him, and her boys love him already. We couldn’t take him. Danielle hates cats.”
    “Sure.” Mike hid his dismay. Sara was Chloe’s best friend, and he’d never get the cat back now. “You know, I think I want to go home.”
    “To your house, now? Why?” Bob frowned, surprised. “Aren’t you tired?”
    “No.” Mike was still on Afghanistan time, eight and a half hours ahead. “Can I borrow your car?”
    “Don’t go, it’s not a pretty sight.” Bob placed a firm hand on Mike’s shoulder. “There was a lot of blood. Danielle cleaned up what she could, then she got professionals in, and even they couldn’t get it all.”
    Mike blinked, horrified. He couldn’t picture Chloe’s blood, in their home, in her kitchen.
    “I know, it’s tough, and you’ll need a good night’s sleep tonight. There’s a lot to do in the next few days. We didn’t get a chance to talk schedule, but you have to pick out a casket tomorrow.”
    Mike couldn’t listen, thinking of Chloe’s loving heart, leaking blood until it stilled. He thought of Emily’s