/AN/ Lots more Jack in the next chapters, I promise. I've been stuck on this chapter for a while. It had been a babysitting chapter but that wasn't working. Anyway. Coming up: more info about our precious snowflake and the life he leads while not in the company of Katelyn Harrison.
"Hello?" Kat finally answers the phone.
"Katelyn! How are you this fine evening?" Kat can hear the smile in Markus' voice. She walks into her basement suite as he continues. "I meant to call earlier but Tab took my attention, clueless as to what she was supposed to do after eating bad sushi."
"Poor thing. But we've told her so many times not to eat discount sushi." Kat sits on the couch, welcoming an already purring Amber onto her lap.
"Yes. This time I believe she got held up and accidentally left her meal in her hot car. I never thought she was a genius but I at least hoped she would know better than to eat spoilt sushi." He tries to cover his laugh with a cough, failing miserably. "It's not funny, is it?"
"Nope. I think I've learnt from her mistakes though. I've kind of been scared straight."
"Ah, so I take it you didn't have sushi tonight?"
"Nope. Lasagne."
"You had lasagne on a Saturday?" He knows her usual food schedule. Thursdays are pasta, Saturdays are whatever her landlords have in their fridge.
"Jack's back in town." Kat explains. "He took me to Olympia."
"That's a nice place. Not five-star nice..." He trails off. "Isn't it a family restaurant?"
"Yeah, but it's also a bit of a romantic spot. Apparently. It was my first time there." She absently strokes Amber's fur. "It was pretty great aside from the waitress. She was nice... to Jack. To me? It was as if I was some leech attached to his side but she couldn't say anything because he needs me to keep his blood pressure in check or whatever."
"Does he ever notice when someone treats you like that? I mean, as though you're not as important as he is?"
"Always asking the important questions." Kat sighs, silently thanks him for it. "Not really. But that's probably a good thing. He'd never be able to take me out again. I still get stared at like I'm the scum of the Earth. If he ever asks about it I'll have to tell him everything."
"Still hard to talk about?"
"Yeah. Anyway. Change the subject or hang up. I don't wanna talk about this right now." She smiles into the phone. She may not want to talk about it, but she's happy to know that he's someone she can talk to about anything comfortably.
There's silence on the other end and Markus says to Janessa, "I'll be there in a minute, sweet bun. Want me to tell Kat you said hi?" More silence. "Kat, Janessa says hello."
"Well tell her I said hello, and also goodnight. And sweet dreams. And good morning, you know, in the morning."
"I will. Do you want to come over tomorrow to say good morning in person? Eight? I'll make breakfast. Do you mind walking?"
"Not even a little bit. What's on the menu? I hope it's eggs cause you make the best eggs." Kat laughs, remembering the morning he'd made eggs several different ways because he wasn't sure which way she liked them. "And I only need one kind of egg this time. I'm thinking omelette? Or sunny side up on toast with... Whatever it was you used last time."
"Tomorrow. Eight. Be really hungry because I intend to feed you. Also there are too many snacks in the house and plenty of family friendly games so- Yes, Nessy! I'm coming! Gotta go, Kat. See you tomorrow."
"Yup. Goodnight, Markus."
"I am so glad we're finally on a first name basis. Sweet dreams, Kat." He says, a smile in his voice, before hanging up.
Kat changes into her pjs, settles onto the couch with blankets coccooning her body, and clicks on her favorite late night show. With a sip of her hot rose tea she texts Jack because she knows he's probably wondering what happened in her conversation with Markus.
Markus invited me to breakfast. I told him how well our date went.
Did you tell him you love me? He texts back moments later, adding to Kat's certainty that he'd been waiting for her. Cause I think we need to set him straight.
He knows, Jack.
I hope so. How could I measure up?
Shush, you. Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that unfortunately the ever so handsome and ever so rich doctor has not proposed to me yet.
Yet? Are you waiting on it?
I'm waiting on you. When's our third date, Mr. Jealousy?
Monday.
Kat frowns. We'll have to coordinate schedules if you're serious. I work in the afternoon.
Lunch?
Lunch would be great. 11?
11. Should we coordinate outfits too?
I'll be wearing blue.
So will I. I'll text you tomorrow. Goodnight, my manta ray
Sweet dreams, snowflake
_N_E_X_T_D_A_Y_
"Kat!" Markus greets as she walks into the kitchen. She'd let herself in the front door with one of the many keys attached to the green snowflake Jack had given to her. "As punctual as ever."
"Good morning." Kat smiles at him as he flips one of the omelettes. She kneels on the ground in front of Janessa and embraces the child. "Hey, Nessy! How are you?"
Janessa hasn't spoken a single word in her three-and-a-half years. And she doesn't seem to be ready to. Markus has asked a friend of his, a child therapist, if he should be worried. There's nothing wrong with her, medically, she just refuses to speak. Markus wants to give her time. Without her mother, the therapist mentioned, Janessa is missing a vital piece of trust. While she has her aunt Tabitha, it's not the same as having a mother who is always there.
"Sweet bun ate too much candy yesterday." Markus announces. "So she's a little sick."
"Oh no!" Kat pulls the little girl into her lap and runs her fingers through her hair. "I guess you should stay away from candy for a while."
"I don't think that'll happen." Markus laughs. "Her aunt Tab likes to treat her a little."
"Your aunt Tab should know better. And you," Kat pokes her in the tummy gently, "are a big girl who knows when to stop. Right?" Janessa nods, a light blush on her cheeks. "Good girl. You're smart enough to teach your aunt Tab a few things."
"She's smart enough to teach me a few things." Markus plates an omelette, sprinkling some extra toppings onto it and the hashbrowns surrounding it. "Breakfast is ready, Kat. And I'll pour your cereal in a second, sweet bun."
Kat picks Janessa up and puts her in her favorite chair at the dining table. She kisses the little girls forehead and smiles, "You're lucky to have a dad like that, Nessy. He's amazing."
"That I am." Markus hands the plated omelette to Kat.
"Thanks, Markus."
"You are very welcome, little Kat."
Markus sets Janessa on the floor in the living room with a coloring book and some crayons. She reaches up to hug her father around his neck. "I love you too, sweet bun. We're going to have lots of fun with Kat, right? Make sure she has fun at least. We want her to like us."
Kat smiles, watching the exchange. Markus is an incredible father, and he has an amazing little girl that Kat just adores. "Come on, Markus. You know I always have fun with you two."
"Yes, I know. Just wanted to make sure." He kisses Janessa's forhead and walks over to Kat. "If you don't mind, there's something I need to talk to you about later."
"Yeah, for sure."
He seems pleased with her answer, kissing her forehead gently. "Can you watch her for a minute? I distinctly remember leaving her favorite toy upstairs."
"Which one? The trumpet?" Kat smiles, touching his arm.
"That's so last week." He rolls his eyes. "Her favorite toy this week is that mini piano. Keep up, Kat." He jokes, walking away.
Kat sits down next to Janessa, who's already scribbling a page with a brown crayon. "What are you coloring today, Nessy?" The little girl holds up the page, pointing at it excitedly. A cow in a meadow stares up at Kat, half its body scratched brown. "Excellent choice. Can you find a picture for me to color, please?"
Janessa searches through several pages and pulls out one with a very large butterfly outline printed on in. Janessa smiles as Kat picks up a purple crayon, and hums something. It's the first noise that Kat has heard from the little girl that wasn't crying or the occasional laugh she can't hold in. Kat understands that silence is the girl's choice, she just wonders how long it will last.
Kat sees the look on Janessa's face; embarrassment, fear, a look that does not want to explain itself. Kat knows better than to ask Janessa what she had tried to say, or if she could say anything else. Instead she simply ruffles Janessas hair, kisses her forehead, and starts coloring.
There's a 'click' that Kat recognises as a camera. She turns to look in the doorway and Markus is there with a wide grin on his face and the piano tucked under his arm. "I couldn't resist. You two look so cute together."
"Want me to take a picture of you with your daughter?" Kat offers, already getting to her feet. He passes her the digital camera and sits on the loveseat, gesturing for Janessa to sit on his lap.
"Make me look good, Kat." Markus holds onto his daughter, poking her cheeks to convince her to smile. "I know Janessa will look good no matter what so it's really only me you need to worry about."
"You look great." Kat smiles and takes several pictures of the two. They pose in different ways, always with a smile. Kat's heart aches thinking of her own father, and she swallows around the lump in her throat. These two are nothing like how she was with her father. She shouldn't be thinking about him.
It's late afternoon when Kat eventually leaves Dr. Carter's home. He'd asked her to stay for dinner, but she politely refused. Sunday was dinner and Scrabble with her landlords, Lana and Gregory. After the previous night she didn't want to cancel last minute again.
Markus ruffles her hair as he says his goodbye. They'd had their chat shortly before Kat announced she was leaving and he seems tense as she hugs him. "I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Yeah." He says with a slight frown.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
"Thanks for today, Markus. I had lots of fun and... And I needed that talk."
He relaxes slightly. "That's good. I was worried you'd be upset with me."
"I'm not."
Markus kisses her cheek. "Thank you for coming over. Goodbye, Kat."
"Goodbye for now." She smiles at him and leaves, waving at Janessa when she pulls back the curtain. The two had already said their goodbyes, though Kat's was more vocal.