Chapter 2: Happy Father's Day
The following morning the sun filtered through the widow, reflecting of Vincent's golden locks. He sighed, not ready to awaken just yet. Stretching his arms he reached for the solid warmth that normally curled beside him, but all his hand met was an empty mattress. His eyes shot open to discover himself alone. Vincent puzzled how this was possible. For a moment he panicked, thinking the past year of his life had only been a dream. He was quickly reassured when he saw the cabin walls and oak furniture, opposed to his the carved stonewalls and patched furniture in his chamber. Now, all he needed to figure out was how Catherine had been able to leave the bedroom, let alone his embrace, without Vincent knowing. Usually he awoke earlier than everyone else.
Suddenly the bedroom door opened and in burst Jacob and Rosie yelling, "Surprise! Happy Daddy's Day!"
"What's this?" Vincent barely got a word in as his children clamored into the large bed and hugged him.
"Did we surprise you Daddy?" Rosie asked.
"Yes, you did, but what on earth is going on?"
Jacob answered, "Rosie and me wanted to do something special for you on Daddy's Day."
"And I membered you like coming to da cabin," Rosie added.
"So we asked Mommy and she ask Grandpa if we could come here and surprise you."
Vincent could only smile. To think his family had done this all for him was too much. He hadn't even thought about Father's Day being celebrated for himself. Since he was a boy Vincent would spend this particular holiday watching the other children giving special gifts to their fathers. Of course orphaned children like Vincent and Devin would make cards for Father. After Devin left Vincent continued the tradition and he would also play chess with Father. This habit had stayed with him through adulthood. That is, until Catherine's disappearance and the arrival of their son, Jacob. Of course, Vincent had not known Jacob was his son at the time. Now that he knew the truth, he could finally feel the joy all fathers around the globe felt on this day.
Vincent looked down and smiled at his children. "I don't know what to say."
Just at that moment Catherine entered with a rather large tray in her hands.
"Hey you two. Did you forget something."
There was a double "Oops" and the twins quickly rushed to their mother and relieved her of her burden. Carefully they brought the tray over to the bed and set it down on Vincent's lap. Vincent's eyes widen at the amount of food laid before him. A stack of eight blueberry pancakes with four slices of bacon, two eggs, and a steaming mug of Vincent's favorite tea.
"Mommy made it but me and Rosie help," Jacob stated proudly.
"Did you now?" Vincent raised a skeptical eye at his wife who was smiling as she walked to the bedside.
"If by help you mean made a mess of the kitchen, then yes, they helped. Now hop to it kids. You come help clean up your mess so your father can eat his breakfast in peace." With a quick goodbye the children were gone. Catherine was about to join them when Vincent grabbed her wrist and pulled her down for that morning kiss he had yet to receive.
"Morning love," he said when their lips parted.
"Morning to you too. Sorry for not waking with you this morning, but Jacob and Rosie wanted to surprise you with a breakfast; I had to sneak out."
"And just how were you able to manage such a feat without my knowledge?"
"Now that's my little secret," she said with a mischievous gleam in her eye, "And I don't plan to reveal it." Catherine slipped from his grasp and made her way out the door. Vincent's eyes never left her, puzzling over her devious trick and, more importantly, thinking how beautiful she looked with the morning sun shining in her hair.
Just before she left his sight Catherine turned back to say, "Oh, when you're done, just leave the tray on the nightstand and get ready for the day. Jacob and Rosie insist that you choose all the activities, but there will be other surprises." She blew him a kiss and then left to help her children clean up the kitchen.
Vincent smiled and then turned his attention to his bountiful breakfast. While he ate he mused over what the day might entail. He was used to doing whatever his family wanted to do. Perhaps he would do what the children had suggested the day before. Soon enough he devoured the banquet and set to dressing. Not sure what to wear, Vincent dressed in clothing suitable for getting dirty in. He slipped on a part of worn-out jeans, a red flannel shirt, some wool socks, and his boots. He chuckled, thinking how in the past he would never have worn such casual clothing, let alone clothes with few layers. Once he was dressed Vincent joined his family downstairs.
While Vincent was making his way to the kitchen, Catherine and the children were hard at work cleaning up. There was pancake batter all over the counter, blueberries and cracked eggs on the floor. The twins were collecting the eggshells while Catherine was using the mop when Vincent walked in. He smiled as he walked up to his wife, and tried to take the mop from her. But Catherine would have none of that.
"Vincent, don't you dare. This is your day to relax and let us do the work."
Vincent chuckled. "Catherine, if today is about what I want, then let me help you clean up. Something I want to do."
Catherine sighed in defeat and handed him the mop. After they cleaned up the kitchen, Vincent suggested they go for a morning hike. The twins were excited and quickly ran upstairs to change into proper hiking clothes. Vincent was sent to the living room to wait while Catherine put together a picnic basket.
Soon the family was all set to go. They went for an hour-long hike in the woods, which led to a picnic lunch in the glen. Again Vincent was surprised by the food: fresh corn salad, fruit, lemonade, and William's peanut butter cookies. After that Catherine pulled out a Frisbee disk from the picnic basket. Jacob and Rosie squealed in delight and started tossing the Frisbee back and forth to each other and Catherine. After some egging on, Vincent finally got up and joined his family. After a few attempts (and Vincent rushing off after a disk he'd thrown too far) Vincent finally got the hang of the game.
When Frisbee got to be boring the twins convinced their parents in starting a game of tag. There was squealing and laughter as they ran around chasing each other. Vincent had to try his best not to use his abilities to find and tag his family. Although that proved difficult whenever he tried to catch one of the twins. Catherine hid behind a tree and laughed as she watched her husband try to catch one of the children. She got so distracted that she never noticed Vincent had spotted her and slipped into the brush. With Catherine thinking he had gone after Jacob, Vincent was able to stealthily stalk up behind her. He grabbed her from behind and pulled her against his chest, causing Catherine to gasp. He then kissed her just below her right ear.
"You're it," he whispered, his warm breath tickling her ear and neck. He quickly released her and took off. Catherine followed until she lost sight of him. Jacob and Rosie ran out, unaware their mother had become "it." Instead of tagging one of the children, Catherine called her children to her. She whispered in their ears and with a nod and a giggle, the twins sped off. Catherine chuckled and went to gather the picnic items before going off in search of her elusive husband.
Meanwhile, Vincent had found himself by the lake, awaiting Catherine's attempt to catch him. His attention focused on Catherine, Vincent paid to mind when Jacob and Rosie came out of the woods. Seeing their father was distracted, the twins chuckled and began sneaking up on him. Vincent heard the children's laughter. It was then he realized that he had been set up. Before he could do anything the children tackled him to the ground.
This was the scene Catherine walked in on. The sight made her smile. Vincent was on his back, laughing, with Jacob and Rosie on top, tickling him. Catherine set her burden by the lakeside and walked over to stood over Vincent's head.
She laughed. "Nice work kids. Now let your dad up or you won't get to go swimming."
Jacob and Rosie got up and ran over toward the lake, leaving Vincent lying on his back, trying to catch his breath. Catherine walked around to his side and offered him her hand, but instead of letting her pull him up, Vincent pulled down, causing Catherine to land on top of him. His arm snaked around her, imprisoning her in a vice-like grip, while the other hand started tickling her as she tried to escape.
"Vi-Vincent, s-sto-ha-ha-p that... ha-ha-ha." Then, before she could further protest, he paused only to press his unique mouth to her own for a long kiss. Her struggling ceased and Catherine let herself be swept away in the moment. Vincent's hand traveled from her wait to entangle his fingers in her long, silky hair. After about a minute or two, they parted out of a need for air.
"So," Catherine asked, looking into his eyes, "as much as I'd like to continue, the twins need to be supervised." Vincent sighed in agreement and allowed Catherine to stand. He joined her by her side and took her smaller hand in her, quickly brushing her knuckles with a kiss. Soon Catherine and Vincent were walking hand-in-hand toward the lake.
When they arrived they found the twins already in their swimwear and eagerly waiting for their parents to join them. Catherine released Vincent's hand and began to remove her clothes to reveal a black one-piece suit underneath. She then helped Jacob and Rosie into their floaties before releasing them into the water. When she returned to Vincent's side she produced a pair a navy blue swim trunks. Knowing their outing would lead to the lake, Catherine had packed Vincent his swim trunks and retrieved them after sending Jacob and Rosie after him.
Thanking her for the trunks, Vincent rushed off into the woods and returned shortly wearing the trunks, and carrying his clothes in one hand. Still feeling playful, Vincent set his clothes by the shore and quietly crept up behind Catherine as she waded into the water. Jacob and Rosie, spotting their sneaky parent, tried to warn her but it was too late. Vincent had scooped his startled wife into his arms and began to carry her deeper into the water. When it was just past his hips, Vincent smiled wickedly and threw Catherine into the water. Catherine came up to the surface, looking around in shock and surprise until her eyes landed on Vincent. This meant war!
Soon Catherine and Vincent were splashing each other and laughing hysterically. The game looked like so much fun that the twins soon joined in. This went on for a while until Jacob asked if his father would throw him into the water. Not to be left out of the fun, Rosie also insisted on being tossed. Without question Vincent began scooping his children up one at a time, and tossing them into the water. This was followed by a contest of who could make the biggest splash by jumping off the dock. Everyone was having so much fun that no one noticed how quickly the time had gone by.
As the sun began to set, both Catherine and Vincent knew it was time to end the water fun.
"Ok everyone, out of the pool," Catherine called to her children.
The twins groaned but didn't fight as their parents brought them in from the water. Catherine took out the towels she brought and began to dry the children. Once everyone was dry, Vincent gathered the children in his arms while Catherine took care of the picnic and swimming supplies. They walked back to the cabin and Catherine insisted everyone clean up because dinner would be soon.
Once everyone was dried and dressed it was around four o'clock. The twins went to play in their rooms and Catherine headed to the kitchen to get started. Catherine complied when Vincent insisted on helping make the dinner, and showed him what they were having: steaks, mashed potatoes, and green beans. Catherine showed Vincent how to broil the steaks in the oven, then heated the green beans on the stove. While the steaks were cooking, Catherine tried to mash the potatoes. She was starting to get tired when two large furry hands placed themselves over her own.
"Let me help you with that, Catherine," Vincent said. With his hands on hers, Vincent and Catherine finished mashing the potatoes together. The only paused once to check the steaks. The twins weren't old enough for medium-rare, so theirs had to cook a little longer. When they were done, Catherine called the children. While Vincent cut up the children's steaks, Catherine and the children gathered up the potatoes and green beans.
When Vincent brought Jacob and Rosie's plates into the dinning room, he was surprised to see the table had been set. When Vincent and Catherine were mashing potatoes, the twins had snuck into the dinning room and set the table. Vincent took his seat and soon everyone was enjoying the meal.
When everyone was finished, Vincent and the children were sent to the living room, while Catherine cleared the table. Vincent had tried to assist her, but she declined and sent him to the living room. Vincent sat down on the large couch with his children and waited for Catherine to join them. When she finally joined them, Vincent noticed she was carrying a platter of what appeared to be eight stacks of light brown cookies.
"What is that?" Vincent asked.
Catherine smiled as she placed the treat on the table. Rosie began to get very excited, but one look from Catherine told the child not to say a word. So she whispered it in her brother's ear instead, causing him to become equally as excited.
"This is an Old Fashioned Chocolate Icebox Dessert," Catherine explained. "I learned how to make it while I was working for Katie. But knowing how much you like chocolate, I made you the extra chocolaty version."
Catherine placed one stack on a plate for Vincent. He took a piece and placed it into his mouth. He was surprised by the creaminess and crunchiness of the dessert. Soon his family was joining him, all happy with how it had turned out. When the dessert was finished the twins rushed upstairs to get their Father's Day presents. While they waited Catherine and Vincent cleared the dishes, then walked to the living room where Jacob and Rosie were waiting. They instructed Vincent to sit on the couch. Once he sat down Jacob and Rosie presented him with their gift, shouting, "Happy Daddy's Day, Daddy!"
Vincent tore back the paper to reveal a concrete circle with two small handprints, one blue and one pink. Jacob and Rosie had their names written above each handprint.
"Do you like it, Daddy?" Rosie asked.
Vincent looked at his children with a warm smile. "It's wonderful. Thank you both for such a lovely gift." Vincent then placed the gift on the coffee table and opened his arms to embrace his children. The twins eagerly jumped into Vincent's arms and hugged their father. Vincent felt such a warmth in his heart. How had someone like him been lucky enough to have two beautiful, loving children such as these?
"Can we watch a movie Daddy?" Rosie asked.
"Yeah, can we?" Jacob pleaded.
Looking over at Catherine, Vincent smiled and told them to pick something out. The children squealed and rushed to the movie cabinet to pick out a movie. Watching videos was another experience in his life since meeting Catherine. Catherine took the opportunity to take a seat next to Vincent on the couch. She sat down beside him as he placed his arm around her shoulders, placing a kiss to her temple.
The children choose the film adaption of Frances Hodgson Burnett's The Secret Garden. After placing the movie in the VHS player and hitting the play button, Jacob and Rosie scrambled up the couch and sat down on Vincent's lap. Sitting there, watching a movie with his family, Vincent couldn't have asked for a more perfect way to end the evening. Little did he know what else lay in store for him.