Davis The Daddy

Chapter #2:

"Hi." He said obviously nervous. "I. um. I ugh, I'm here to apologize." Mimi didn't say anything and didn't look him in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"You already said that, the day you left." Mimi said coldly. Roger looked a little stung by that.

"I know. Mimi, leaving that day was the biggest mistake I've ever made in my life. I'm so big of a moron that it took me 4 years to realize that I need you Meems. I'm sorry for leaving, for abandoning you, and our daughter. I know that I have absolutely no right to be here and to be asking this of you but I am, and I wanna be a part of her life."

"Of course you have a right, you are her father." Mimi replied crossing her arms and looking at the ground.

"Yeah but I haven't acted like one. I know I don't deserve to have either of you in my life because Meems you're the most am amazing person I know, and I'm sure you did an incredible job raising her, she's got to be one hell of a kid. I haven't done anything to make you think that I still cared all of this time but I have. And I made a decision that I wasn't going to leave you guys hanging. But by the time I made that decision I was in bad shape. I was broke, bag on multiple drugs, and I did some bad things but I've changed. Look I've gotten clean, I went to rehab. I've been clean for a year now. I've got money, I was in Santa Fe. I did some bartending like I did here and I played some gigs. I did it for you, for her. I'm ready to be a Dad now. Please Mimi, I'm sorry. I, I don't know how else to say it so that you'll see how much I mean it but I love you. I've always loved you, I always will. I'm a jackass I know. You always told me to forget regret, and I regret leaving but I couldn't forget it so I came back. I didn't go a day without thinking about you, or her, or here, home. I've missed you so m…"

"Mommy!" A little voice called from the bedroom.

"I'll be right there stay in your room sweetie!" Mimi yelled back.

"Ok."

"Is that…?"

"Yeah."

"Whoa." Roger was quiet for a moment before asking "What's her name?".

"Look. Now's really not a good time for us to talk. So why don't you head to a hotel room or something." Mimi walked to the kitchen and picked up a pen and a paper. "Here's my number, call me at 2 so I'll try to find someone I can drop her off with and if I can't we'll just find another day, okay?" Roger nodded and took the paper from her.

"You cleaned up the apartment. It looks nice. So do you." He said nervously. She smiled weakly. "Thank you Mimi." Mimi could tell that he really meant it. "Thank you so much. I, I, thank you." Mimi nodded and walked back inside, closing the door. Mimi walked back to her daughter's room. "Ready for breakfast?"

"Mommy who was that?"

"Just an old friend, hey how would you like to go over Aunt Joanne and Aunt Maureen's house tonight for dinner?"

"Yay!" Mimi laughed, "I thought so, you eat I'll give them a call."

2p.m:

RING!RING! The little blonde girl ran for the phone "Hewo?" She asked but Mimi snatched up the phone.

"Hello."

"Hey it's Roger."

"Hi, so um I'm dropping her off at Mo and Joanne's tonight…."

"They're still together?"

"Yeah believe it or not!" Roger laughed. "So why don't you come over at around 5?"

"Sounds good. Thank you Mimi, this means the world to me."

"Okay, well bye."

"Bye."

"Mommy who was that?"

"Just my friend babe."

"Your boyfriend!?" The girl asked excitedly. Mimi laughed.

"Mmmm no not my boyfriend."

"But he's coming over for a play date?" The girl asked winking and smiling.

"Come here you!" Mimi cried chasing her daughter around the loft until she finally caught up in her arms and blew raspberries on her cheek.

5p.m:

Mimi looked over her outfit in the mirror. She didn't want Roger to think it was a date, but maybe in the back of her mind just a tiny bit she wanted it to be. She'd known the whole time Roger was gone that he wasn't a bad guy, she always knew, or at least always hoped he would come back and face his mistakes. Mimi was dressed very simply just a navy blue velour sweat suit and a white tank top. Her daughter had asked when she dropped her off at her Aunts' house

"Aren't you supposed to wear a dress on a date Mommy?"

"I told you babe it's not a date."

"Sure it isn't." Her daughter said smiling deviously and raising her eyebrows. Joanne laughed and sent the girl inside to play with her Aunt Mo.

"So you're going on a date?" She asked.

"No, I'm just um having dinner with an old friend."

"A male friend?"

"Yeah."

"I think it would be good for you to date Mimi…"

"I did in the beginning…"

"Yeah but you knew none of it was going to turn into something, you wouldn't let it. You deserve to fall in love again Mimi, and she needs a father figure."

"Hello? Uncle Mark and Uncle Collins."

"You know what I mean."

"I do and you're right. That's why I'm having dinner with my old friend." Joanne smiled and they waved to each other before Mimi headed back to her apartment.

Mimi swiped a nude lipstick over her lips and coated them with gloss and then swiped a musty brown eyeshadow over her eyes and lined them lightly with light brown liner. She spritzed herself with perfume. KNOCK! KNOCK! Mimi took one last look before walking to the door and swinging it open. He was wearing a crisp white button down shirt and jeans, and he was holding a box from the bakery and a single red rose. "Hey." She said.

"Hey. I um I brought you a um… not that this is a..um." He stuttered, handing her the rose and blushing.

"Relax Roger. And thank you."

"I also brought um brownies. You always liked them and I figured little girls like them too."

"That's really sweet Rog, come in." She said he walked in and she closed the door, taking the brownies from his hands and putting them on the kitchen counter and the rose in a glass with water. "Chicken parm is in the oven, so we can just sit." Mimi said gesturing towards the couch.

"This is weird, you're not cooking Spanish food and it still smells good, boy things have changed." Roger said playfully as he sat down. Mimi smiled but rolled her eyes. "I'm wrong, what's changed is this apartment." He said looking around.

"No what's changed is your hair." Mimi said giggling. It was short, pale blonde and spiked with gel.

"You like it? It's the new "it" look." Roger said with a grin on his face.

"Oh the "it" look what did your music career and rockstar dream go down the toilet so you went for modeling instead?" Mimi asked smirking. Roger's mouth dropped open at her insult.

"Ouch that one hurt. But hey you're ballerina career is the one that went down the toilet little miss Cat Scratch." They both laughed. "So what do you do now?" Roger asked.

"I work at a day care, that way she can be with me after preschool in the afternoons."

"Oh that's good, must pay good cause this apartment is seriously really nice."

"Would you get over the apartment!?" Mimi asked. Roger laughed.

"You look really beautiful too Meems."

"Thanks."

"So um. I came here to apologize.."

"You already did and I know that you're sorry Rog."

"No I. Me leaving couldn't have been a more stupid thing to do. I should have known that even with everything I was feeling and thinking, and doing, and going through if I had just been honest with you, you would've understood and changed my mind. Everything that I did to better myself while I was gone I could have done here. With you and her."

"I still don't understand why you left, what made you leave?"

"Well I guess I thought that whole time you were pregnant that I was just going to make the worst father. I knew that I would screw up disappoint you. About a month before I left I turned to the drugs. I knew that only made things worse and I felt like, like, I don't know. But I had to leave. I couldn't face it. I just, I was a coward a stupid coward." Roger's eyes had tears in them, and Mimi's did too. "I'd never cared about anyone the way I cared about you Mimi. I loved you so much, more than I ever loved any other girl, even April. And I started feeling angry that this baby was making me doubt myself, doubt us. The way I felt just made me sick, and I thought it was all the baby's fault. I wanted it to disappear so we could go back to the way we were before I went back to the drugs. And what kind of person wishes for their kid do not be born? To disappear? I couldn't stay it wasn't good for me, or for you, or for her. But Meems you've gotta believe me when I say that I've missed you like crazy. That I think about her everyday of my life. That I love you and I'll never forgive myself for leaving that day. I think about that day every night. It kills me. I missed out on 4 years on my life, yours and hers. But the whole time I was gone I thought about the 2 of you. That's why I got clean and made some money, so I could come back and take care of you. Of her. I'm a coward I know, and that was the biggest mistake I'll ever make Mimi." He was full on sobbing now. "I love you." He whispered. Mimi wiped away her tears.

"I can't just, let you back into my life after you hurt me like that!"

"I know."

"I've been waiting for this day since the day she was born. Wanting you to come back. I'm so glad you did."

"Really?" Mimi nodded.

"But I we need to ease into this. Okay? I want her to meet you."

"Really?" She nodded again. Roger leaned in and hugged her.

"She deserves to meet her Dad. But I don't know how she'll take it but we'll set a day for you to meet her."

"Thank you, you'll never know how much this means to me Meems." The oven timer went off and Mimi got up to go get it. "Need help?" Roger asked as she put on the oven mitts and lifted the chicken out.

"No I'll just let it cool for a few minutes." She said, she walked by the kitchen desk and picked up a picture and brought it over to Roger. "Here she is, Sophie Marcella Davis." The photo was Sophie standing on top of a swing in central park. She had a big, bright happy smile on her face.

"Davis?" he asked taking the picture from her hands. Roger knew that Mark had taken the picture because it looked like a professional had done it.

"Yeah I mean you're her father, you're on her birth certificate."

"I am?" Mimi nodded.

"Thanks."

"Mhmm."

"She's gorgeous, adorable." Mimi knew that he was right. She had medium toned skin, and a few little freckles. She was very petite, only about 2 feet and 5 inches tall. Sophie's mouth was small but her smile was big, and she had 2 irresistible dimples. She had glimmering, big, adorable brown eyes like her Mom, and soft wavy blonde hair down to her chest. She had a sparkly, pink butterfly clip in her hair.

"Yeah. Do you wanna see her birth certificate?"

"Yeah thanks… when was she born?" He called as Mimi walked into the other room.

"Her due date, January…"

"18th 1992." Roger finished as she walked back in the room. She smiled and handed him the framed certificate. He looked at it and smiled. "Thanks." He handed it back.

"Do you want a copy? And of the picture?"

"Really? I'd love that Mimi, thank you."

"Mhmm. I'll be right back." He nodded and got up and looked at some of the other pictures that were hanging on the walls and refrigerator. There were lots of pictures with her and Mimi, a school picture, and photos of her as a baby. Some pictures were her doing silly things, or pictures of her with members of the gang. One picture, Roger found extremely adorable, a photo of her on her birthday. Her hair was in pigtails and she had a pink, unicorn party hat on her head. She was sitting in front of her unicorn cake with 4 candles on it smiling up at the camera.

"Here I'll just put this here." Mimi said putting a yellow mailing envelope with the 2 things inside on the counter.

"Thanks, she's really beautiful." Roger said.

"Yeah, she is. So um why don't you sit down at the table." Mimi said.

"No here I'll get our drinks, what do you want?" He asked getting glasses from the cupboard. Mimi was slightly surprised that he remember where everything was. She didn't even feel uncomfortable around him, it felt like nothing had changed, like he'd never left. But Mimi knew that he had left, and a lot of things have changed.

"Water please." She cut them both some chicken and put the salads in salad bowls and walked them over to the table. They both sat down and dug into their food and a conversation. "Not beer?" Mimi asked, gesturing to Roger's glass of water.

"Yeah I um stay away from alcohol too."

"That's good."

"So um, tell me about her."

"What do you want to know?" Roger shrugged.

"Anything."

"Okay um she likes to color, and draw, and paint. She likes artsy stuff like that. Her favorite color's pink, she's terrified of dogs. Um she's really sweet, and funny. She wants to learn how to play guitar…" Roger smiled and laughed. "She has this little like battery operated Barbie one, and she puts on these old star shaped glittery sunglasses that Maureen gave her and stands on her bed and plays it." Roger laughed. "She has quite the imagination, I have a picture of her doing it in my room we can look at after diner."

"She's in preschool?"

"Yeah. She loves it, and I hate to brag but she's so smart. Her teachers love her and she has so many friends my god that girl has quite the social calendar." Roger chuckled. "Yeah you can laugh when you have 30 four year olds running around in here eating chocolate cake over my white rug!" Roger laughed harder. "She's obsessed with The Nanny and she always tries to imitate Fran's voice." Roger spit out his water. They both cracked up. "And she's really small, but don't be tricked she can kick like a monster when you take away her barbies. We spoil her to death, but she's so appreciative and polite."

"She sounds awesome." Roger said.

"She is."

"I've missed out on quite the girl. Well girls, both of you." Mimi was silent. Roger was too for a few seconds before asking. "Do you think she'll be like upset about meeting me, or scared, or…"

"She asks about you every once in a while, which is expected. Sometimes she gets a little sad that you're not here but most of the time I just tell her the good things about you. And when I talk about you it's like the only time she listens without interrupting and giving commentary." Roger chuckled. "There's really no telling how she'll act but I think she'll be excited, when she first got that guitar and I told her how you used to play her eyes just lit up."

"She has your eyes."

"Really?" Mimi asked sarcastically.

"It was always so hard to fight with you because your eyes are so pretty and puppy dog-ish, she must be hard to say no to."

"Oh yeah especially with that brand new pout Aunt Mo taught her." Roger laughed.

"So you're still close with all them?"

"Yup, Mo, Jo, Mark, and Collins."

"How are they doing?" Roger asked sincerely.

"Pretty good, Collins is healthy." Roger nodded.

"And you?"

"Good, you?"

"Good. Is she um positive?"

"No."

"Thank god." Roger said smiling a little bit. Mimi nodded.

"So let's go look at that picture of her."

"Do you want me to clean up?"

"No it's fine."

"Sure?"

"Yes, c'mon." He got up and followed her into her bedroom. The room was filled with photos, on the wall, and the dresser. The first thing Roger noticed was a frame that held 3 pictures of him and Mimi. One of them kissing, one of them with their arms around each other at the park, and one Mimi in his lap and him kissing her cheek back at the old loft. It was on the wall right in front of him and it made him smile. Mimi looked embarrassed when she saw him looking at it.

"I keep pictures of you too Meems." Roger said when he saw her blush. He dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. He opened it up and let about 10 pictures unfold from the pockets. One was of him and Mark at their high school graduation, there were some of him Collins, Mark, and Benny. One of the whole old crew at the Life Café. One of him and his old band The Well Hungarians on stage, with April in the audience smiling and waving at the camera. A few more of the gang, and 3 of him and Mimi. And one was a copy of the sonogram of Sophie they got at one of their appointments. Mimi smiled when she saw that one, Roger really did care.

"This is my favorite." She said picking up a frame on the nightstand of Roger and Mimi from the chest up, arms around each other simply smiling. He smiled when he saw it. "Oh wait, no this is my favorite, hold on." She began digging around in the closet and pulled out a small photo album and skipped through a few pages before landing on one and pointing to a photo. It was of Roger with makeup on, with Mimi and Angel in drag on either side of him smiling while he made an annoyed look.

"I remember that!" He said laughing.

"It took so much begging to get you to let us do that."

"I do make a pretty girl." Mimi laughed. "Not as pretty as you." He said, she smiled sweetly at him. "We had some good times back in the day."

"Back in the day!? It wasn't very long ago." Mimi told him.

"It feels like nothing's changed, I know it has but….

"I know I feel it too."

"Look Meems, I know it's you know none of my business, at all. But um are you like with someone?" Roger asked nervously, biting his lip.

"Um yeah actually. My um girlfriend Emily." Mimi lied, trying her best to look a little nervous and embarrassed. Roger's mouth hung open, his eyes wide.

"Oh um that's good…."

"I'm kidding Roger." Roger let out a sigh of relief and laughed nervously while Mimi cracked up. "You should've seen your face!" She exclaimed. "But no I'm single, what about you?"

"Same. So um let's go have those brownies." They cleared away their dishes and sat down with milk and the bin of brownies. Mimi reached into the bin to take one out when Roger noticed something on the inside of her wrist.

"Mimi what's that?" He asked, pointing to the cut. He watched as her face become ashamed, and she blushed.

"I um, after you left, right after. I was just really upset, I thought maybe I did something, and I guess I figured it was the only way that I could hurt myself without hurting the baby." She said quietly. Tears slowly brimmed in Roger's eyes. He gently reached for her hand across the table and lightly ran his thumb over the cut.

"You could never do anything to make me leave. It was all on me Mimi, I did it for you but nothing you could ever say or do would make me not love you enough to leave. It was different, I left because I did love you." He was quiet. "I'm sorry." He said.

"I know. I forgive you."

"You're amazing Meems. You really are." He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the top of it romantically but turned it over and ever so gently kissed the cut.

"Well whenever I kiss Sophie's cuts they magically become better so I guess I'm all better now too huh?" She said. He continued holding her hand in his until they finally meshed their fingers together and were holding hands as Roger softly let his thumb run over her hand. A key turned in the apartment door and busted it open at that very moment. Mark and Collins walked in but froze when they saw Roger and Mimi. Mark couldn't believe his eyes. Roger was back? Roger was back with Mimi? What? Collins was thinking too. Davis? Davis is back? Why the hell is he here? With her? Roger didn't know what to do and neither did Mimi so they both just froze, hands joined looking worried and surprised at the 2 angry men standing in the doorway glaring at Roger with their arms crossed.