Love Rekindled (Love Surfaced) by Michelle Lynn

doesn’t want to be buckled in.” I point to her and everyone’s eyes shift to her. She’s still enthralled with the belt, now trying to strap herself in.
    “It doesn’t appear like that, sir.”
    I dig my phone out of my pocket, click on Taylor’s name, and hand Cindy the phone. “Here.”
    She looks down at it and then holds it up to her ear.
    “Hi, Taylor. This is Cindy Gregory. I’m working and there’s this man here stating he’s Em’s dad.”
    I wait, my eyes on Emerson the whole time as the pimply security guard stares me down. As if he could intimidate me.
    “Oh, okay.” Now her eyes appraise me in a whole other way. As though Taylor caught herself a fine stud or something. “I thought Sam was her dad.” Another pause. “Okay, I’ll have Billy call them right now. Just watching out for Em.” Cindy smiles at me, her one finger twirling a lose strand of her blonde hair. “Yeah, gotcha. I’ll tell him.” She laughs. “Bye.”
    Cindy hands me the phone. “Billy, call off the police. He’s legit.” Billy walks away, pulling his phone out of his pocket. “Sorry about that. I live down the street from Taylor and thought you were a kidnapper or something.”
    “Okay. Mind if I get my shopping done now?” I motion toward Emerson, who almost has the buckle fastened.
    “No, but Taylor said she’s sorry,” she says, and a smile creases my lips.
    “Sorry, huh?”
    She chomps on her gum. “Yeah, sorry.”
    I nod. “Thank you, Cindy.” I place my hand on her shoulder to slide her away from the front of the cart. “I’ll be doing our shopping now.”
    “Yep, have at it. There’s a sale on diapers,” she calls out, but I help Emerson finish the clasping and we cheer as though she did it all by herself.
    “Let’s go check out the sale,” I tell the small girl and lean over the rail of the cart. Her small hands rub along the prickly one-day beard growth. My heart has never felt as full as it does in this moment, and that’s without her mother admitting to herself we belong together. She’ll get there in time, though, because I know I’m supposed to be right where I am.
    I mosey around the story, enjoying my time with Emerson. She fiddles with the belt, I buy her a pretzel, and we buy those diapers on sale. Finally, I make my way to the toy section. Emerson instantly starts pointing to toys, repeating want over and over again. She wiggles her body, swinging her legs through the openings, trying to pry herself from the restriction of the belt.
    “Hold on.” I unclip her and pick her up. Reluctantly, I place her feet on the floor and she scurries over to a bin of stuffed animals. She sits down, pulling each one out on the floor. She’s so excited, it makes me excited for her.
    Crap, I’d buy her the whole lot if I didn’t think Taylor would shoot me. Then my mind flashes to two lost years. Years when she grew into this amazing little girl, and I missed it. I sit down next to her and she climbs into my lap. Could my life be any better in this moment?
    She picks up little princess characters with pink crowns and purple hair. Each one is adorned with a sparkly dress and fancy shoes sewn on.
    I pluck each one that’s different and put them in her arms.
    “I get?” she looks up at me, those small teeth shining, eyes bright with question.
    “Yep.” I kiss her forehead and she pulls them into her body, hugging them tight. I scoop her up and place her back in the cart with her array of new friends.
    As I make my way to the check out, I intently watch her play with the dolls, and there’s this proud feeling bursting inside me because she loves something I bought her. She doesn’t know who I am, and as much as I hate to admit it, she probably does think Sam is her dad, but damn this warm feeling in my heart just grows more intense the more I’m with her.
    By the time I snap Emerson into the car seat, unload the cart, and drive back to Taylor’s, I realize, other than the pretzel, I