Nine months later, Parker walks in her father's office.
"Hello, Angel."
"Daddy, would you please quit sending men to me? I told you I
don't need any help in my love life."
"Honey, I know I never cared what you did in your love life
but my granddaughter needs a father."
"She has one!" she replies sternly.
"Then where is he? I want to meet him."
"I don't want to get into this again." she says as she turns
to walk out.
"Angel, wait."
She just kept going like she didn't hear him. She meets
Sydney in the hall.
"Hey, where are you going?"
"Back to my office before heading home." she replied.
"Are you okay? You look like something happened in there."
"I'm fine. Is there something else?" she replied as Sydney
just stood there like he had something to say.
"No. I better be going." he responded. He turned back to
Parker and whispered, "If you want to talk you know where to
find me." Then he left.
She went back to her office and gathered her things. Arriving
at home, she played with her daughter. She watched her crawl
and try to stand but fall.
"Dada." Catherine kept saying.
"No say, mama." Parker said. She tried to get her daughter to
say it but she wouldn't.
Parker held her tight and kissed her from top to bottom. She
missed her so much, even though she wouldn't say mama. Before
long it was time to go to bed. Parker knew it was going to be
a fight to get her to sleep. Catherine missed her father and
didn't like to sleep at night knowing that is usually when he
came home.
"Mama." Catherine finally said as Parker fixed her a bottle.
Shocked that she finally said it she turned around and
noticed Catherine trying to walk toward her. "Mama is
coming." she answered.
"Dada."
"He is not here." Parker said frustration. "Say mama again."
Then she picked her up. Catherine let out a cry as Parker
tried to rock her. "You need to go to bed."
Catherine moved until she came out of her mother's arms. She
went to floor and crawled over to the teddy bear Jarod gave
her. Parker watched as her daughter rubbed her eyes. "Come
on." Parker said as she held out her hands to Catherine.
Catherine held on to the coffee table and said, "Dada" as
she cried.
"He's not here. Come on, Catherine." Parker said again with
her hands held out. Parker knew it was going to be long
night. She went through this every night but tonight seem
worse. Maybe if was because she had another fight with her
father or maybe it was just because she missed him too.
Catherine walked closer to her mother and said, "Da Da" as
she rubbed her sleepy eyes.
Parker grabbed Catherine and started to rock her when Jarod
slipped in quitely. Catherine saw him over her mother's
shoulder and said, "Da Da."
"Catherine, he's not here. Come on, mommy has to sleep too."
Jarod walked over to Parker, bend down and whispered, "Yes,
he is."
She turned around and saw him standing there. She got up and
said, "Good, you get her to sleep. I'm going to bed." she
handed him Catherine and she headed to the bedroom.
"What's wrong with you? You are usually glad to see me." he
replied as he held Catherine. He sat down and rocked her.
Catherine looked up at her daddy and said, "Dada."
Jarod looked down at her and gave her a kiss. He held her
tight as he rocked her to sleep. She still wasn't sure if she
wanted to go to sleep as she rubbed her eyes again.
"It's okay. Daddy will be here in the morning." he replied as
her eyes got heavier. Jarod kept on rocking. It wasn't long
until she was asleep. He got up and laid her in the crib.
Then he walked over to his wife.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
She didn't turn around. Jarod put his hand on her shoulder
and said, "I know you are not asleep."
Parker just kept her back to him. He got up to change
clothes. He turned off the light. He crawled in the bed. He
laid as close to her as he could. He didn't say another word.
He missed her and just laying beside her was enough to make
him happy.
Parker rolled over and said, "Why didn't you tell me you were
coming home?"
"It' happened so fast I didn't have time to call. Is this
what the silent treatment is about?"
"No!" she said angrily.
"Then, what? If you not tell me, I don't know what is
bothering you."
She didn't say another word. She rolled back over and fell
asleep. Jarod didn't want to fight. He figured she would tell
him when she was ready.
It was 3:00 am and Parker woke up to Catherine crying. Jarod
didn't move. She went to Catherine's crib and picked her up.
Catherine was content to being held. Even though she wasn't
ready to go back to sleep.
Parker tried everything she knew to get her back to sleep.
She walked her around and rocked her but nothing helped.
Finally, she put her in the bed with her.
"Catherine, mommy has to get up 3 hours." she replied as
Catherine seemed to be wide awake. She didn't care if her
mommy had to be up or not. She just wanted to be held.
The next thing Parker knew the alarm went off. She came
straight up from bed. She hit the alarm clock until it went
off. She rolled over and noticed Catherine finally went back
to sleep in her father's arms. Parker got ready for work
while Catherine slept. After getting ready, she walked over
to get Catherine. Jarod woke up and said, "Go, I will take
care of her. I don't want you to be late." He reached up to
give her a kiss and Parker turned and walked away.
Sydney sees Parker walking in as he heads for his office.
"Rough night again." he said as he could see her red swollen
eyes.
"I'm not in the mood, Syd." she said as she walked by him.
He followed her to her office and said, "When is Jarod coming
home?"
"He came in last night."
"And you are in a bad mood?" he asked not understanding why.
'Jarod always puts her in a better mood.' he thought to
himself.
"Do you want something or you did you come to bother me?"
she said hasty.
"I came to check on you because I am worried about you."
"Well, you don't have to be." she smarted off.
"Fine." he said as he headed out the door.
"Syd, wait." she replied before he made it out the door.
He turned back and said, "What?"
"I'm sorry. It was just a bad night."
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"Maybe later."
"Okay, you know where I will be." Sydney walked out.
Later in the day Parker walked to Sydney's office. He was on
the phone.
"I have to go." he said to Jarod as Parker walked in.
"Syd, I don't know what to do."
"About what?"
"About a lot of things."
"Well, what is bothering you? I will help you all I can."
"Well, it all started with my father. He won't leave me
alone about getting Catherine a father. I can't tell him the
truth."
"I will see what I can do."
"No, that is okay. I will come up with something."
"What else is bothering you?" he asked as he could see she
was jumpy.
"I have to fight with Catherine every night to get her to go
to sleep. I know she misses him. I do too. I can't really
blame her for that. Then he came home last night and I didn't
treat him fair."
"Did you tell him what was wrong?"
"No, I was to tried." She sat there for a minute and said, "I
have to go. I have something to take care of." Parker walked
over to Sydney and gives him a kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."
she whipsers. She walks out and goes home.
She walks in the door to find Jarod standing in the kitchen
with an apron on. He doesn't say a word. He just smiles
hoping she is in a better mood. Catherine is standing up in
her play pen reaching up for her mother and says. "Mama."
Parker smiles, walks over to her, and picks her up. She
walks over to Jarod.
"I'm sorry about last night." she said as she kissed him.
"I'm glad you are in a better mood." he responded.
"What are you cooking? It smells good." she said as she put
one arm around him.
"Spaghetti with garlic bread and to drink a red wine."
He kissed her cheek and the top of Catherine's head as Parker
walked off. "I'm going to change clothes. I'll be back."
Jarod finished up in the kitchen about the time Parker came
back. She sat Catherine down in her play pen and walked over
to Jarod. She put her arms around his neck and gave him a
kiss. He wrapped his arms around her tight and didn't let go.
She said, "I love you."
He looked at her and said, "I love you too." as he moved his
head closer to her. Then he helped her to the table and
poured the wine.
He couldn't help but watch her for the rest of the night.
Catherine started to get fussing and Jarod said, "I'll get
her."
He brought her back and sat down. Catherine wanted to help
her daddy eat. She put her little hands in his plate and went
for her mouth. Then she held her hands up to his mouth. He
kissed her little fingers. She started gigling. Jarod wiped
her hands and feed her. She was okay with that for a little
while. Then she wanted her mother. Parker took her back and
watched her rub her eyes.
"Someone is getting sleepy." Jarod replied.
"I will be back." Parker replied as she headed for the
rocking chair.
"I will do it." Jarod replied.
"That's okay." Parker replied softly.
She held her daughter close to her. As she gave her a bottle
Catherine reached up to her mother with her little hands and
curled her tiny fingers around Parker's hair. Then she kissed
Catherine's fingers as she rocked her to sleep. It wasn't
long until Catherine was out. Parker laid her in her in the
crib and went back to Jarod. She walked over to him and sat
in his lap. She gave him a kiss.
Jarod said, "What happened last night?"
"It was nothing. Can we talk about it later?" Parker replied
as she kissed him again.
Jarod licked his lips and said, "That was good. Can I have
another one?"
Parker kissed him again. Then his ear before moving to his
neck. Jarod kissed her soft lips and said, "I'm sorry you had
spaghetti there. I just wanted to get it off."
"Oh, I did." she said very softly as she continue to kiss him.
He moved his hands up her body. She took his hand and got up.
She lead him to living room. They got as far as the couch
when he kissed her neck and turned her around. He gave her a
kiss and they fell on the couch. They were there til morning.
A few days past and Jarod left again. She hated telling him
good bye. She didn't know what was worse for her or
Catherine. It wasn't long before Parker got back into her
daily routine without Jarod.
The End!