Chapter 4: Explaining Daddy's Job

4 years later

"Mom, Mommy, Mama, Mom." Quinn woke up to the sound of her daughter's voice. Squinting her eyes open she saw Beth sitting next to her on her staring at her. "Mommy you're awake! Good, now you need to get up and get dressed! Daddy's coming home today and we have to pick him up!"

Quinn sat up and ran an exhausted hand through Beth's sunny blonde hair. "B it's six in the morning. Daddy's flight doesn't get in until three in the afternoon babe. There is no rush."

"Why is it gonna take so long Mama?" Beth pouted

"Well baby," Quinn sighed, pulling Beth into her lap, snuggling her, knowing that her baby missed her Daddy a lot, "because Daddy has to fly all the way from a faraway place called Afghanistan."

"Like Aladdin flies?" Beth asked, having been obsessed with Disney movies over the last six months.

"Kind of," Quinn chuckled, imagining Puck in a vest flying on a magic carpet. "Only instead of a carpet it is a big airplane."

"Why is he over there Mommy? Didn't he want to stay home with us?"

Quinn mentally groaned. She knew Beth was going to start asking these questions sooner or later. 'It's not fair.' She thought. 'Puck is the one over there yet I am the one here answering the tough questions.' Quinn couldn't be mad though. She knew this is the price she'd eventually have to pay when Puck had told her he was joining the military. She couldn't help but be proud of him.

"Well you see Bumble Bee, sometimes things happen in the world, and bad people hurt good people. Well Daddy went over to a faraway place to help the good people be free of the bad people." Quinn started

'God, please help me to explain to my four year old daughter that her Daddy is a soldier.' Quinn silently prayed. 'Pull yourself together Quinn. You are majoring in Law at Yale University. You can do this. Tell her on her terms.'

With that in mind Quinn tried to think of a good fairytale to compare it too. "You know how in Sleeping Beauty, Maleficent casts the spell over the whole kingdom, hurting people who never did anything to her?" Quinn asked praying that this would work.

"Yes Mama, I remember. But Phillip comes and saves the kingdom."

"Right. Okay. Exactly Beth. So Daddy is like Prince Phillip. He helps the other people in the world live safe and free. Quinn tried to continue with her analogy. "But now Daddy has to come all the way to New Haven just to see you."

"But Mommy, if Daddy is Prince Phillip does that mean that he is going to marry you when the dragon is slayed?" Beth asked looking up at her mother with her big hazel eyes.

"Elizabeth Puckerman! Why would you ask that?" Puck and her's failed relationship was still a touchy subject.

"Because you're the pretty princess Mama. You even have yellow hair like Sleeping Beauty. And 'sides the Prince always marries the Princess in the fairytale."

"In a fairytale Bee bug. Not always in real life. Okay enough chit-chat. Grandma Ruth and Aunt Sarah will be here soon and then it will be time to go get Daddy." Quinn was hoping the mention of her aunt and grandmother would distract Beth.

It worked. With that Beth leapt off the bed and ran into her room to get ready.