Logan visited everyday that week, each time bringing a gift of something he thought Jamie might like.
The first time it was a Winnie the Pooh bear and a new coffee maker for the house, since he thought it would be wrong not to get anything for Marie and Kara, but flowers always made his head feel like a ticking time bomb.
After a few weeks, Marie decided to let Logan take Jamie the following Tuesday.
She came back that night with an Xbox 360 and the Finding Nemo video game she’d wanted.
Marie lost it.
While Kara helped Jamie set up the console in their living room, Marie took Logan out into the hallway and went off.
“Why did you get her that?!”
“Because she asked.”
“She asked for a pony last Christmas, do you think I bought it for her?! God, I bust my ass on a daily basis for lousy tips… I can’t afford to get Jamie expensive toys, but I do with what I got. Now you mosey on in like some kind of year round Santa and give in to her fantasy. I worked hard to teach my daughter the value of things that money can’t buy… you’re ruining that. Stop trying to buy her… she needs a father, not an ATM machine!”
Logan felt like Marie had kicked him in the balls… hard.
The part of her speech that stuck with him the most was when she said ‘her’ daughter instead of their daughter.
He couldn’t blame her though, he hadn’t known about Jamie, but it didn’t change the fact that during those tough times; it was a friend who’d been there instead of him.
Logan didn’t show up the next day or the day after that.
“Mommy, where’s Daddy? He said he was gonna let me draw a picture of him.”
“… He had to go away for a little while… he’ll be back in a few days.”
“Are you lying again?”
“… Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because honey, I yelled at your Daddy and hurt his feelings. I don’t know if he’s coming back.”
“I think he will.”
“Ya’ do huh?”
“Yup… my friend Jody’s Mommy yells at her Daddy all the time and he always comes back.”
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Kara came home from work to find Marie in the kitchen crying.
She had put Jamie to bed already and sat blubbering over an ashtray full of half smoked cigarettes.
“What happened?!”
“…”
“M, what happened?”
“… Remember the other day, when I chewed Logan up for buying Jamie that Xbox thing?”
“Pssft. How could I forget?… Had to turn the volume way up on the game to drown you people out… Good thing Jamie was too into it to notice.”
“Yeah well, now Jamie’s askin’ why he hasn’t been back.”
“Don’t worry, she’s got him wrapped around her little finger… he’ll be back.”
“But, what if- what if I fucked things up? …She had a real chance at havin’ a Dad and I went and drove him away. If I was him, I wouldn’t come back.”
“Yes, you would. You didn’t drive him away, but I’ll tell you what you did do.”
“What?”
“You misplaced your anger.”
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“Simple… I think maybe you wanted him to buy you a few extravagant gifts.”
“No K, you’re way off.”
“Am I? I mean, this guy you meet by chance turns out to be Jamie’s father and naturally you assume that because you’re single and he’s single, that you guys are gonna magically turn into this little family. That’s why you overreacted… and I do mean overreacted.”
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The next week there was a knock at the door in the middle of the day.
“Hi.”
“Hiya’ Logan… I’ll go get Marie. Come in.”
When Marie walked out into the hall, Logan was leaning against the door frame; pretty much ready to be thrown out.
She frowned.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Silence reigned for some time before anything else was said. Logan spoke first.
“… I uh… came by to apologize about the gift… I shouldna’ gone and bought it without asking you first.”
“No, it’s okay… I was a real bitch, I know you were just being nice… uhm… Jamie’s been askin’ about you.”
“Really?”
“Can I still uh… see her?”
“Yeah, of course… I’m sorry if I made you feel like you didn’t deserve to be a part of her life as much as I do.”
“No… I don’t blame you.”
“Thanks.”
“Is it okay if I see Jamie now? I mean, if you’re busy or something I could-”
“No, I mean yes, we’re not busy or anything, but-… can I ask you something?”
“… Sure, anything.”
“Okay… this is gonna sound really selfish, but I gotta know… Why didn’t you ever ask- why didn’t you ever try an- why….”
“What?”
“Why didn’t you ever ask me out?… you know, try and make a go of it with us… I can’t believe I just fuckin’ said that. Forget it, I mean, you've been so great with Ja-”
“I never asked because I was just happy you let me see Jamie… I didn’t wanna push my luck. It’s not because I never thought about it.”
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An Unspecified Number of Years Later
“Jamie!”
“What?!”
“Are you dressed yet?!”
“Yes!”
“Then come down here, we gotta go!”
“Okay!”
Three Minutes Later
“Ah, you look beautiful!”
“Yeah, yeah… I feel bloated.”
“Well, you don’t look it.”
“What’s the big deal with this wedding anyway?… I mean, Aunt Kara and Uncle Dominic have always been just that… why do we gotta get all dolled up to celebrate it?”
“Because they were separate before, now they’re together… Come on, this is supposed to be a happy day, get with it.”
“Fine… but I’m not dancing in this thing.”
“Just go pry your father away from the T.V., he’s been watching that hockey game since I woke up.”
The Living Room
“Come on, come on… YES!”
“Dad?”
“Yeah baby?”
“Mom sent me to uhm… pry you away from the T.V.”
“But the game’s just getting good.”
“Well then, just set the Tivo.”
“I can’t.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know how.”
*sighs* “Gimme’ the remote.”
“Here.”
“… You hit this, this and this, and you’re all set.”
“That’s it?”
“That’s it.”
“I knew there was a reason I liked you.”
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Back in the Kitchen
“Mommy, Mommy!”
“What baby?”
“This shirt itches.”
“Does it? Where?”
“Back here.”
“… That’s because the tag’s there… hold still… let me cut it off.”
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At 2:30 pm, a half hour later than they were supposed to have left the house for Kara and Dominic’s wedding.
Logan, his wife Marie and their two children Jamie and Jake got into the family car.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah kiddo?”
“I have to go to the bafroom.”
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Author's Chapter Notes:
No more rage issues... it's over. This has been kinda cathartic for me. I'm proud that I finished something as long as this, hope you guys enjoyed reading my fic.