"Where we going?" Kenzie sing-songed as she skipped along between Jamie and Flack.
"Hmm, I dunno," Flack replied. "What do you think Jamie? Maybe... The zoo? Or, a museum? Or how about... Times Square?"
"Yeah!"
Flack grinned. He knew that Kenzie adored Times Square with the bright lights, billboards and a certain large toy shop. As soon as they arrived at Times Square, Kenzie stopped, her eyes like saucers, drinking everything in. Flack loved watching her, the simple childish delight triggered by the bright lights. Then she came back to life, dragging them forwards.
"Come on," Kenzie called impatiently, waiting in the doorway of the large pink castle for the adults to catch up. Her stance and tone of voice reminded Flack so much of Stella.
"I think that's more your department," Flack said turning to Jamie.
"Do I look like the kind of girl who played with Barbie dolls?" she replied.
"Come on," Kenzie whined.
"Okay I'll make you a deal, you go in there with her, and I'll take her on the ferris wheel, done?"
Jamie studied him through narrowed eyes.
"Done," she replied eventually.
After spending almost an hour looking at the different dolls – which cost Flack a dinner and a movie; Jamie was not a Barbie girl – Flack and Kenzie were seated on the ferris wheel. Kenzie was hugging onto the bag which contained her new doll, which had taken her over forty five minutes to choose. As the wheel stopped for more passengers to get on, she leaned over the edge to wave to Jamie.
"Are you and Jamie going to get married?" she asked suddenly.
"What?" Flack asked, sure he must've misheard her.
"Are you and Jamie going to get married? Cause I think you should."
"You do, do you?"
"Yes. And then she'd be my auntie. So are you going to?"
"None of your business," he replied, ruffling her hair affectionately.
XOXOXOX
"I wonder how many toys Kenzie's conned Flack into buying her by now," Stella said, pulling a chopping board out of a cupboard. Mac, leaning against the counter, raised his eyebrows. Noticing his expression, Stella asked, "You've never been shopping with her, have you?"
"No."
"She can be very persuasive when she wants to be."
"Takes after you then," he teased. Stella threw a dishcloth at him, before beginning to chop an onion. "Are you sure I can't help?" he asked.
"With one arm?"
"I'm right handed."
"I can manage."
She continued chopping the onion, and he continued to watch. Suddenly the knife slipped, cutting into her thumb. Stella yanked her thumb away, taking a sharp intake of breath, shaking her hand. Instantly Mac was at her side, pushing her gently towards the sink. She winced as the cold water hit the wound.
"Sorry," he murmured. "Where d'you keep the band aid's?"
"Top right," she replied. Using his uninjured arm, Mac retrieved the first aid box. He carefully held the hand towel round Stella's hand until the bleeding stopped. Deftly he pulled a band aid out of the box with one hand, pulling off the wrapping with his teeth then smoothing it over her thumb. Except once the band aid was in place, he didn't let go of her hand. Uncertainly she looked up into his face.
"Mac?"
He met her eyes, then leaned forward and kissed her. As surprising as it was, it also felt completely natural to Stella. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she kissed him back. It was only when they broke apart that she started to worry. In the silence the air felt thick. However they were interrupted – or saved – by a knock on the door.
"Stella," Mac said quietly. She slipped out of his embrace and walked away to answer the door. Closing his eyes, Mac leaned against the counter. What had he been thinking? The answer was, he hadn't been thinking. Living with Stella and Kenzie during the last week had been, well, brilliant. Apart from his injury of course. It had given him a taste of a life that he longed to be part of permanently.
"Hi sweetie, did you have fun?" Stella asked, hoping her voice sounded normal.
"Look what uncle Flack bought me!" Kenzie replied excitedly.
"Oh wow," Stella exclaimed. "Did you say thank you?"
Kenzie nodded before running past her.
"Daddy, look what uncle Flack bought me!"
"Hey look who it is," Flack grinned. "Back on your feet? How you feeling?"
"Better," Mac replied, trying not to focus on the way Stella moved away from him, or on how it made him feel.
"Keep getting better. See you back at work soon," Flack said. "Oh by the way, Jo said that they thought they had a lead on Ulster, but it turned out to be nothing. Apparently his cousin used to live in New Orleans, but they haven't spoken since they were kids."
"Thanks Don."
XOXOXOX
"What did Flack mean earlier about a lead on Ulster?"
Alarm bells instantly went off in Mac's head. Stella's voice may have been casual, however he knew her well enough to know that there was a very real and very dangerous possibility that there was about to be a very big fight. That and the fact that she hadn't brought it up until after Kenzie was fast asleep in bed. Time to face the music.
"I thought that the Ulster case was closed," Stella continued.
"There's still some... unanswered questions," he replied.
"What kind of questions?" Stella asked, crossing her arms. Preparing for battle.
"He knew Kenzie was my daughter."
Stella stared at him. The longest few seconds of his life passed. Then she began to shake her head.
"No," she said quietly. "No. He couldn't. I never told anyone."
"He knew. He had a DNA test done under false names almost as soon as he left prison."
"Why didn't you tell me?" The hurt and accusation was clear in her voice.
"I didn't want to scare you," he replied honestly. Mac stepped forward. "Stella..."
She moved away, shaking her head.
"No Mac. No. You should've told me the truth. She's my daughter."
"She's my daughter too," he shot back. Stella glared at him before storming out of the room.
She didn't say another word to him all evening. In fact, she went straight to bed, and when Mac eventually followed, Stella was lying on her right side, facing away from him. He was in no doubt that she wasn't asleep but equally that she did not want to talk to him. From experience he knew that it was better to allow Stella to cool off a little.
XOXOXOX
When his eyes opened he found he had a face full of curls. He smiled. He'd only been asleep for a couple of hours, there was still some time before she had to leave. Moving closer to her, he whispered "I love you."
Perhaps in the morning he would finally have the courage to say it to her face.
When he woke again, he was alone. Okay, so she was in the bathroom, or the kitchen. Except she wasn't. He tried calling her. No answer. Suddenly he began to worry. If she was already at the airport, perhaps her phone was already off. Grabbing his coat he ran downstairs.
Although it was early, the traffic was already horrendous. Perhaps dangerously so. What if he didn't get there in time? He didn't want to stop her, but he had to see her. He had to tell her.
He ran into the terminal, looking around. No sign. He ran up to the information desk.
"I'm looking for the Delta airlines flight to New Orleans."
"The flight's boarding now."
"If I buy a ticket for any flight, I can go through security, right?"
"I'm sorry sir, by the time you reach the gate, the New Orleans flight will've gone."
Mac's eyes snapped open. He flopped over onto his back, wincing slightly as his left arm hit the mattress. He found he was shaking and breathing heavily. Turning his head to his right, he assured himself that Stella was still there, that it wasn't four years ago. Seeing the outline of her back and hair in the dark, his heart rate slowed a little.
He slipped silently out of bed, heading down the corridor to the bathroom. Before he reached it, a voice called out to him.
"Daddy?"
His daughter was peeking out from behind her bedroom door.
"Hey Kenz, you okay?"
"Had a bad dream."
For the first time Mac noticed her eyes were rimmed with red. She was clutching her teddy bear tighter than usual too.
"Come on," he said. "Time to go back to bed."
"Will you tell me a story?"
"Of course."
Settling Kenzie back into bed and pulling the covers back over her, Mac sat down next to her, leaning against the wall.
"What book do you want?" he asked.
"Don't want a book. Can you tell me a story?"
Stella turned over, half asleep. A second later she opened her eyes, frowning. Mac was gone. Despite their fight earlier, she was still worried about him. Climbing out of bed she began to search for him. To her surprise she heard his voice coming out of Kenzie's room.
"Once upon a time there was a soldier who was very sad."
"Why?"
"Because he loved his wife very much and she'd died. And he missed her every day. He thought he'd never be happy again. But then he met a beautiful princess and she made him smile again. Then the soldier wasn't so sad anymore. Eventually he realised that he loved the princess. But then the princess went away. And the soldier missed her. Until one day he was walking when he ran into someone."
"Was it the princess?" Kenzie asked sleepily. Stella smiled. It was their story.
"It was. The soldier was so happy that he told the princess how much he loved her," Mac continued, glancing down, he saw Kenzie drifting off to sleep. "And they all lived happily ever after," he whispered, kissing her. A hand touched his shoulder, causing him to jump. It was Stella. She gave him a small smile which he understood to be a peace offering.
"She okay?"
"Bad dream," he replied.
"Come back to bed."
And so, he followed her back to the bedroom and into bed, both falling asleep a little closer together than usual.