Calleigh came out of the bathroom after applying her makeup and looked at the clock. Horatio would be here any minute and her dad was passed out at the kitchen table once again. For seventeen year old Calleigh, this was a nightly occurrence whenever she stayed with her dad Calleigh was just glad that she usually lived with her mother and the only reason that she was at the little house across town was because the court system told her she had to be.
She walked up to her dad and placed her hand on his shoulder and shook gently, "Daddy….Daaadddyy! Wake up. Go to bed. PLEASE?!" All she got in response was a groan. She shook a little harder and he said "Yeah." Calleigh did not want Horatio to see her dad like this. She and Horatio had been dating for ten months, but had only met her father one time and that had been prom night when her mother had called her father and told him that he could come over and get some pictures of his only daughter. He had come over and was still sober because he had just gotten off work. Calleigh glanced at the clock again and sighed as she shook him a little harder. She wanted to let him sit there and let his face fall in his uneaten dinner plate. That is what she would have done but she was afraid that the mashed potatoes would suffocate him. "DADDY! WAKE UP!" She was screaming now, and all she got in return was "Yeah, Okay." Horatio would be here in less than five minutes and even if she met him at the door he would still see her dad in all of his drunken glory.
She shook him one more time, only this time maybe it was a little too hard. Calleigh was five foot six and a hundred and twenty pounds, her father was six foot three and over two hundred and fifty pounds, and he was falling out of the chair. Calleigh tried to stop him, but he was just too big for her. He hit the floor with a groan but never opened his eyes. Something inside Calleigh snapped. Calleigh dropped to her knees and grabbed his shirt yelled at him "Wake up! Did you ever think that this is why mom and I left? You always ask me to spend more time over here, but when I come over you drink yourself silly! Wake up! If you love me at all you will wake up and go to your room before Horatio gets here to pick me up!" He was still passed out and Calleigh had tears streaming down her face. She heard screech of the screen door as it opened and she knew that it was too late. Horatio was going to see her father in his normal state and he was going to break up with her, this realization just made her cry harder.
Horatio knocked on the door and then walked in and he stopped with his hand still on the handle. He looked at Calleigh, his beautiful Calleigh. She was so pretty, even now with eye liner and mascara streaked down her face. Then his eyes slid to the body that was behind her and his breath caught in this throat, "Calleigh, baby, what happened? What did you do to him?" as he slowly moved closer. Calleigh let out a tortured sob and said "I didn't do anything to him Horatio, he's drunk. I was trying to wake him and get him to bed so you wouldn't see him and he fell out of the chair, but it doesn't matter anyway because you have done seen him now." Horatio looked at the big man's chest and could see that he was still breathing. Horatio sat down in the floor in front of Calleigh and took her hands in his and said, "Baby, I know this is embarrassing, but why did it matter if I saw him or not? I don't care about your parents, I'm crazy about you, I love you!" Calleigh wiped at her nose as she sniffled and said "I didn't think that you would be the type to put up with a drunk, and I thought that you would break up with me." Horatio wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tightly and said, "Well, you are right about one thing…I am not going to put up with this. Why don't you go get your stuff and get ready to go; I am going to take you back to your mom's place." Calleigh nodded, got up, and walked back to her room to get her bag.
While Calleigh was gone Horatio opened the refrigerator and started digging around. At first all he could find was beer, but soon he found a pitcher of ice cold tea and he had the best idea ever. He pulled the tea picture out of the fridge and placed it on the counter, next he pulled out his phone and he started snapping photos of Calleigh's dad as he was sprawled all over the kitchen tile, he needed evidence to show the problem that was really going on .
Shortly after Horatio finished with the phone, he picked up the tea pitcher. He bent down and placed his hand on Duke's shoulder shaking him. "Duke, wake up. Come on…get up out of the floor, you've hurt your daughter enough for one night." Horatio realized it was no use and stood up now. Once he reached his feet he began to pour the cold tea all over Duke's face and chest. He jerked up and started yelling, "Calleigh! Have you lost your damn mind?!"
Just as Calleigh finished gathering her things she heard her father start yelling. She cringed not knowing what to expect. When she came around the corner and saw her father sitting in the floor drenched to the skin.
She watched as realization set in and Duke struggled up out of the floor to face Horatio, who was looking down at him with his hands on his hips. When he stood up he poked his finger into Horatio's chest and asked him, "Who in the hell do you think you are? Coming into my house and pulling some stunt like this?" Horatio spoke quietly saying, "I must be the only man in this house that loves Calleigh, because if you did then you wouldn't make her endure your drunkenness." Duke's face turned bright red and as he started to speak Horatio cut him off saying, "I am taking Calleigh home and I am showing her mother these pictures that I have taken of you. Calleigh does not have to come back over here unless she wants too…right?"
Duke looked over to Calleigh and saw that she had been crying. He hung his head and spoke to Calleigh, "Lambchop, I'm so sorry. Can you ever forgive me?" Calleigh's eyes welled again as she said, "Dad, we have been over this time and time again. I can't handle to be around you like this. I'm going home. I'll come and see you but it will be to go to an AA meeting with you. If you can't do that for me and get sober then I can't come and see you." Duke nodded his head and said "Okay Lambchop. That sounds good. I'm gonna go change my clothes and go to bed. Um…young man, I'm sorry but I never got your name?" Horatio looked at him and said, "Horatio, now if you will excuse us I think Calleigh has had a rough night and she needs her rest so I am going to take her home." Duke nodded and shook Horatio's hand and replied, "Thank you Horatio for taking care of my little girl when I couldn't." With that he said good night to Calleigh and excused himself.
Horatio turned to a still crying Calleigh and pulled her into a tight hug as he smoothed her hair and whispered, "Sshh…I'ts okay. It's all gonna be okay. I still love you, and I always will." He whipped her tear stained face with his thumbs as he caressed her face. He stooped down to pick up her bag and grabbed her hand. He gave it a gentle tug and he went with him out the door.
Once they made it out to Horatio's car Calleigh turned to look at him and said, "Horatio, please don't take me home yet. I'm not ready to deal with that battle yet." Her dad was a drunk, but her mom was not much better seeing as she always had an opinion and tended to voice it quite loudly. Horatio smiled and reached over to hold her hand and said "Yeah, that's fine. I would love to spend some time alone with you anyway."
Horatio drove down to the beach. He knew that she loved it there and it always relaxed her. They walked along the waterline for a while just holding hands. When they finally set down Calleigh sat down in between Horatio's legs and leaned against his chest, and just started talking. She talked about all the fights that her and her parents had over the years, and how she had never truly been happy until she met him. Calleigh just sighed and relaxed back into his chest. Horatio looked up to the stars in the sky and said a silent thank you. The timing for what was about to happen could not have been better. He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a small box as he leaned in close to Calleigh's ear and asked, "Do you really mean that? Do I make you the happiest that you have ever been?" Calleigh giggled as his warm breath caused her to have goose bumps and said, "Of course I do Horatio! You make me feel loved in a why that I have never felt before!" "Well then, if that's the case," he said, "will you please do me the honor of becoming my wife?" as he held the open box in front of her.
Calleigh let out a gasp as she realized what was happening. She turned to him with huge tears in her eyes and asked, "Are you serious?" He simply smiled and nodded. All Calleigh could do was nod her head back to him. He took the ring out of the case and slipped it on her finger as he spoke to her. "Calleigh, I know that you are only seventeen and we can't get married until your birthday, but I have no doubt that we are made for each other. I can't wait until I can tell the world that you are my wife and I am your husband. I love you so much." Tears streamed down her face and she leaned in and kissed him. "Handsome, I love you too!" Shortly there after they walked back up to Horatio's car and he took her home. He mother was happy when they told her the news. Calleigh thought that had to be the first time that she had ever known her mother to be at a loss for words. Calleigh realized that night had been a pivotal turning point in her life, and she also knew that things were turning for the better.