No matter what they did or where they are, dads always know. – "Hoosier Daddy"
June 24, 1975
Mary shrieked as the crackle of thunder pierced the air. Lightning flickered through the gaps in her closed shades and she pulled her blanket closer. Seconds later, another boom echoed through the house and Mary ducked underneath her covers with a squeak; all the while hugging her knees and her teddy bear tight against her body.
"It's okay, Biscuit," her voice was shaky and uncertain; "it's only a thunderstorm. Daddy says that once in a while the angels like to go bowling and God cries because he's all alone."
Minutes passed and Mary remained completely under the covers. Her door creaked open and she heard the familiar sound of her father's bare feet making their way across the room to her bed. She felt the mattress dip as he sat beside her and stroked her blanket-covered head.
"Sweetheart, are you okay?" James's voice was calm and soothing. Mary relaxed instantly as she poked her head out from beneath the covers.
"The storm woke me," she wiped at the tears that had dried on her cheeks, "Biscuit was scared and I was keeping him company."
"I see," James's expression turned serious and Mary squinted her eyes in suspicion. "Biscuit has every right to be afraid. He knows what thunderstorms turn Daddies into."
"What?" Mary clutched the covers close to her chin; prepared to duck under them at a moment's notice. Her eyes widened as her Daddy's hands turned into claws and he stood up to loom over her. Lightning flashed and she could clearly see the green of his eyes.
"They turn Daddies into…" his voice grew deeper and he spoke slower as he began to sound more and more frightening, "Tickle Monsters!"
Mary shrieked for the second time that night as he began to tickle her on her sensitive ribs. Her breaths came in shallow bursts as he continued his assault. She completely forgot about the storm raging outside. Eventually he took his post at the head of her bed and held her to him. He ran his fingers through her long blonde hair as she cuddled closer to him. The storm had subsided by now and Mary was at peace again.
"Feeling better, princess?" She nodded against his stomach. They laid there for a few minutes before James shifted. Mary moved away and looked on with curiosity. He reached into his pajama pants pocket and took out something small and gold. He held it out to her in the palm of his hand.
Mary looked up at him with wide, questioning eyes. She'd never received anything so pretty before. "Is this for me?" she whispered. James nodded and she picked it gingerly from his hand. "What is it?"
"It's called a medallion. When it's daytime out you'll be able to see a picture of a woman on it. Her name is Mary too. She will protect you as long as you let her."
"Thank you, Daddy!" Mary closed her fist around the medallion and launched herself into his arms. She smiled as he hugged her tight. Mary yawned during their embrace and James pulled away.
"Ok, time for bed!"
"Wait!" Mary stood up on the bed, "Close your eyes, I need to put this somewhere safe!" James chuckled as he complied. Mary shimmied under the bed and pulled up the loose floorboard that was there. She wrapped the medallion in a tissue and placed it in the box that lived under the floor. After securing the floorboard back in place, she crawled out from under the bed to stand in front of her father. She giggled as he made a show of peeking through his fingers as if he'd been spying on her. "It's okay, Daddy! I'm done!" She pulled his fingers away from his face and looked into his eyes. "Will you tuck me in?"
"Now what kind of Daddy would I be if I didn't?"
Mary squealed with glee as he hoisted her up over his shoulder and deposited her back onto the bed. She bounced a couple of times before settling down and allowed him to put the covers over her. His stubbled chin brushed against her nose as he kissed her on the forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Princess."
"I love you, Daddy."
"I love you too, Sweetness."
Mary watched him until he closed her door all the way before turning onto her side and snuggling Biscuit.
"Biscuit, how could you not tell me that thunderstorms turn Daddies into Tickle Monsters?"
October 2, 1975
"Mary…" James nudged his sleeping daughter's shoulder. Mary merely grumbled and rolled over. He chuckled; his Princess had never been a morning person.
Not that it was morning, mind you. Ginger had fallen asleep and James thought he was long overdue for some "Daddy/Princess Bonding Time". He sighed as he tried to think of a more creative way to wake her up. Grinning, he moved to the foot of her bed where he gently pried the covers from between the mattress and the box spring.
Mary stirred in her sleep but did not wake. James's grin spread to his ears as he slipped his hand beneath the covers and made contact with her bare foot. Grasping it lightly in his hand, he used his other hand to fling the covers off of her to reveal her lamb pajama-clad body. Her eyes flew open as he began tickling the arch of her foot and she shrieked while kicking her foot towards her assailant.
James simply pulled her closer to the edge of the bed so that only her back laid on it. Mary tried unsuccessfully to grab onto the headboard to prevent being pulled off the bed.
"Daddy!" she yelled, "What are you doing?"
"Well, I tried to wake you the normal way but you wouldn't have any of it," James smiled down at her, "come on, grab your shoes and coat. We're going on an adventure." With that, he left the room and closed the door behind him.
Mary looked around in confusion. She rubbed her knuckles into her bleary eyes as she yawned. She slid off the bed and shuffled her feet across the carpet to her closet. She pulled out her white and pink Velcro sneakers and her favorite jean jacket with the purple unicorn emblazoned on the back. After fastening the sneakers and buttoning her jacket, she slowly opened her bedroom door. Looking down both ends of the hall, she saw no one in sight.
The floorboards creaked beneath her feet and Mary winced as the sound echoed off the hallway walls. She still wasn't entirely sure that she was awake. Just in case it was real, she sat on the top step and slid down one stair at a time until she reached the bottom. A faint light came from the kitchen and Mary stood up.
"Daddy?" she whispered as she tiptoed through the living room. No answer came and Mary continued her trek across the carpet. She reached the kitchen and pushed open the door.
There at the kitchen table, sat James. He twirled his keys around his finger as he stood up from the chair. He tossed the keys in the air and caught them with a flourish before holding his hand out for Mary to take.
Mary broke out into a grin as she started to run towards him but stopped short as he whirled around with his index finger pressed against his lips. She skidded to a stop and began tiptoeing towards the door. James bowed and made a grand, sweeping gesture to usher her out the door.
Thirty minutes later, James and Mary were sitting in the bed of the truck with chocolate ice cream cones. It was dark and the only light came from the streetlamps lining the parking area of Saddle River Park.
"Can we go to the water, Daddy?" Mary looked up at him.
"Not tonight, Princess," James chuckled at his daughter's ice cream-covered face, "I have something I need to tell you." He gulped as her eyes locked onto his in eager anticipation. "You know I'll always love you, right Sweetheart?"
"Right! Because I'm your Princess!"
"That's right," James said as he hugged her to his side, "How would you like a little brother or sister, though?"
"Am I getting one?" Mary's eyes grew wide with excitement.
"Yes, Sweetheart," he smiled, "in another six months, you are going to be a big sister."
Ice cream cone forgotten, Mary launched herself into her daddy's arms.
November 27, 1975
James watched from the porch with a mug of coffee in hand as his daughter ran through the piles of leaves that he had spent all morning raking up. His daughter was so full of energy and it made him smile to see her so happy. She had taken the news of Ginger's pregnancy really well and was getting into the big sister role early.
Then again, Mary was never less than gung-ho about anything she found important. In many ways, she was her mother's daughter: hardheaded, stubborn, and breathtakingly beautiful. She melted the coldest hearts and could wrap the most hardened of souls around her little pinky finger with a single bat of the eyelashes.
She caught notice of him watching her and waved to him enthusiastically before diving into the last of the neat piles. James waved back as he took a sip of his coffee.
"Hey, Mare!" he called out to her and suppressed a chuckle as a head popped up from the leaves, "come here!"
Without a word, she climbed out of the leaf pile and sprinted towards him.
"Yeah, Daddy?" she looked up at him with twigs sticking out of her long blonde hair. James found himself longing for his camera.
"It's almost potato mashing time," he said in a singsong voice. Mary loved to mash the potatoes. Her glee was evident in her eyes that sparkled golden hazel at the mention of her favorite Thanksgiving activity. "Go get washed up, brush the twigs out of your hair and I will meet you in the kitchen." James smacked Mary on the behind as she scampered past him into the house.
"Don't run in the house!" Cheryl, Ginger's mother, yelled after Mary as she climbed up the stairs to her bedroom. James gave her a pointed look as he shuffled into the kitchen. The only reaction from Cheryl was a long drag from her cigarette and the exhalation of smoke in his direction. He entered the kitchen without a word.
There at the stove stood his Ginger. Her long auburn hair was tied into a neat ballerina's bun at the nape of her neck. She wore a white skirt that extended to mid-calf, and a forest green peasant blouse underneath her pink apron. He sidled up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist; all the while amazed at how petite she was at four months into her pregnancy.
"What's cookin', good lookin'?" James hugged her tight from behind while covertly observing her cooking. Nothing seemed destroyed as of yet.
"Pies are in the oven, I've got frozen vegetables cooking and I think the potatoes are ready to mash. Is Mary coming down?" Ginger spun around in his arms and wove her arms around his neck.
James couldn't resist a kiss before answering. "She is brushing the leaves and sticks out of her hair as we speak… or things other than speaking…" he growled that last part before lowering his lips to her neck.
"James, my mother is in the next room and your daughter will be coming in here any minute," Ginger smacked him on the head.
James pouted as he stepped back. He moved to the oven to check on the turkey and basted it while stealing some stuffing. He began to drain the potatoes then grabbed the milk and the potato masher. He had just finished setting it up on the counter as he heard Cheryl yell at Mary for running and Mary's casual "sorry, Grandma!" before she burst through the kitchen door.
"Hi, Mama!" she held out her arms for a hug. Ginger picked her up and kissed her cheek as she brought her over to the counter space that James had set up. He took Mary from her mother's arms and sat her down on the countertop.
"Inspection time, Miss Shannon," James stood before her with a stern expression on his face and his arms clasped rigidly behind his back, "hands out!"
Mary put on her serious face as she did as she was instructed. Simultaneously, Ginger moved to put Mary's hair into a quick braid.
James leaned forward to look at Mary's hands, "Satisfactory. Good job, soldier," he handed her the potato masher; "here is your weapon. I trust you know how to use it?"
Mary merely nodded as she looked at the pot of potatoes with a predatory gleam in her eyes. She shifted to her knees and held the masher above her head with both hands. The impact brought out a battle cry as she unleashed fury upon the potatoes.
Enough was enough when bits of potato began flying from the masher. "Stand down, soldier!" James took on the drill sergeant persona once more. Mary stopped in mid-smash before shifting back to let her legs dangle from the counter. He heard a muffled laugh behind him and noticed bits of the starchy vegetable clinging to her bangs.
"Come on, sweetie," Ginger stepped forward to pick her up from the counter, "let's see if you remember how to set the table."
James watched fondly as his girls left the kitchen. Once they were in the dining room, he turned to the pot to finish the potatoes.
Suddenly, there was a crash in the dining room followed closely by a sob from Mary and incomprehensible cursing from Cheryl. He ran to the doorway and was greeted by the sight of Mary standing over a broken plate and Cheryl looking at her accusingly.
"Stop it, Mother!" Ginger's voice was shrill as she attempted to calm the older woman. She had taken the rest of the plates from Mary and was clutching them to her bosom.
"Clumsy girl!" Cheryl yelled, "Go get the broom and dustpan!"
Mary was frozen in fear. James followed her gaze to the floor and noticed a little bit of blood seeping out from beneath her big toe. He looked at her bare feet and saw no way for Mary to sidestep the shattered porcelain without cutting herself again.
"Don't just stand there!" Cheryl moved closer. James saw this as his cue to intervene.
"Go sit down, Cheryl," he said calmly as he picked Mary up, "it was an accident. Accidents happen; especially with four year olds," he turned to Ginger, "I'm going to get her cleaned up. We will be back in a few minutes." He kissed her and hugged his daughter as he climbed the stairs.
Up in the bathroom, James set her on the sink as he inspected her foot. She began to cry as he applied pressure to the wound.
"I'm sorry, Daddy," she sniffled, "the plates were so heavy and I was trying to not smell Grandma and the top one slipped and…" Mary began to sob.
"Oh, Sweetness, don't worry about it," James brush an escaped strand of hair behind her ear, "Grandma is just hungry and cranky. You know she gets." His words did nothing to silence her cries. He would have to resort to more drastic measures. He picked her injured foot and weighed it in the palm of his hand. Bringing his other hand to her injured toe, he lightly pinched it. "This little piggy went to market," he moved to pinch the next one, "this little piggy stayed home," then the next toe, "this little piggy ate roast beef while this," he tapped the fourth toe, "little piggy had none."
Her sobs had stopped save for a couple of tears on her cheeks. She was biting her lip in what James could only imagine was anticipation. He pinched her pinky toe in his thumb and forefinger, "And this little piggy went 'wee wee wee!' all the way home!" His fingers were dexterous as he tickled his daughter. Laughter replaced any remaining sadness in the bathroom.
The shouts from the living room could be heard through the bathroom door. Albeit muffled, it was enough for James to not want to take Mary back downstairs. He rummaged through the medicine cabinet for a band-aid while catching snippets of 'you're always too harsh on us,' 'you failed as a dancer,' and 'I hope your next child helps to bring some balance to this family'.
He shook his head and sighed. Cheryl was a hardened woman. She chain smoked and constantly belittled Ginger. Gin needed to leave Julliard due to an injury but all Cheryl saw was failure and wasted tuition money. Mary was born a year later.
Mary began kicking the heel of her good foot against the cabinet under the sink. Usually she was good at blocking out the yelling but something about the way her grandma yelled was different. She turned her attention to her dad as he searched the cabinet.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, Sweetie?" came the echoed voice from below.
"Why is Grandma always yelling at Mama?"
"A ha! Ouch!" James muttered as he banged his head on the door upon exiting the cabinet. "Princess, there's a lot that Grandma doesn't understand."
"Well why doesn't she try to?"
"Because she doesn't realize that she doesn't understand it," James explained as he finished cleaning the cut and gently smoothed a band-aid over it.
Mary tilted her head in confusion, "What do you mean?"
"Grandma thinks she's right," James said as he picked Mary up from the sink and rested her on his hip.
"Oh," Mary wove her arms around his neck and buried her face into his collared shirt. The yelling seemed to have subsided and James determined that it was safe to go back downstairs.
"Ready to eat?" James bounced her in his arms, "I'll let you have extra potatoes since you were such a big girl today."
"Mmmhmm!" Mary nodded vigorously as her smile stretched from ear to ear, "Can I have two slices of pie today?"
"We'll see," he laughed. His girl sure did love her pie.