*Thank-you for the reviews on the last chapter. They were greatly appreciated. Thank-you all so much*
Sky is down to her final two weeks of dance class so her one hour ballet/tap class has turned into a two hour class so they can rehearse their dances so I'm taking advantage of it by going to the grocery store to do some shopping for the next week since Sky is out of school now she is home with me all day and the little girl can eat. I am walking down the frozen aisle getting her some popsicles and ice-cream when I am not paying attention and my cart runs into another. "I'm sorry," I say with a smile as I look up at the woman pushing the cart. "Ms. Flores," I say, "I'm sorry. I wasn't paying attention."
"It's okay," she says with a smile. "And you don't' have to call me Ms. Flores. You can call me Brianna."
"I'm sorry, Brianna," I say smiling back at her. "How is your summer going? Are you enjoying being out of the classroom for a while?"
"My summer is going well and while I enjoy the break I'm ready to go back. I miss my kids. How is Sky doing? Where is she?"
"She's practicing her ballet routine at her ballet class. She is doing wonderful. She's really excited to go out on the road with me in a couple weeks."
"I bet. She was talking about it the last few weeks of school. She can't wait to go travel the US and travel with her dad. She really loves you. You are probably her favorite person in the world. She speaks very highly of you and she was telling me all about her baby sister she is going to have."
"Yeah," I say, "she is pretty excited about having a baby sister. We are painting her room this weekend and getting some stuff set up. She likes being involved."
"I know she does. I'm going to miss her in my class next year. I'm trying to move up to the next grade level since they are looking for another teacher. I would love to have her in my classroom again."
"I'm sure Sky would love that. She really loved having you for a teacher. Thank-you."
"You're welcome," she says with a smile. "I told her she needs to come back to visit me and that I would love to meet her baby sister when she comes."
"Oh yeah definitely," I say. "Once the baby gets here and she's old enough I'll bring her to the school when I pick Sky up or you could come over to visit her."
"That would be wonderful," she says. "Well, it was nice running into you, Roman," she says with a smile, "but I have to go meet my mom for dinner. You have a nice evening and please tell Sky I said hello."
"It was nice running into you too," I say with a smile. "I will let Sky know you said hello. Take care."
"You too," she says before we walk our separate ways.
After I pay for my groceries I take them home and put them away before I go to pick up Sky from ballet class. I'm sitting outside in the waiting room waiting for the class to end as my cell phone starts to ring. I didn't plan to answer it until I see that it is Hunter calling me. I answer the phone right away as I step outside. "Hello," I say.
"Hey, Roman," says Hunter. "How is everything going? How's your daughter?"
"Everything is going great and my daughter is doing great," I say, "what's up?"
"I wanted to talk to you about your return," he says. "I know you told me you wanted to come back June 9th at RAW but we need you a little sooner."
"How much sooner?" I ask.
"June 1st for the Payback pay-per-view. We want you to return back after the title match to attack Orton for putting you out of action starting a feud between you two for the summer leading to a match at Summerslam where you'll defeat him for the championship."
"Hunter, I don't want the championship belt. I told you that. I have too much going on in my life right now that I don't want to do extra appearances and work more."
"It's what's best for business, Roman. The fans want the belt around your waist. We want the belt around your waist. We want you to be the face of this company."
"Hunter, I'm going to be having a baby in the beginning of October and my daughter goes back to school at the beginning of August. I can't be a champion. I am going to be taking time off in October so there is no point in giving me the belt at Summerslam."
"Roman, would you think about this? The belt means more money."
"I don't care about money, Hunter. I care about my daughters and my life with them. I don't care about a stupid belt."
"It's not up to you. It's up to creative anyway so if they want to put the belt on you they're going to put the belt on you."
"I think I should have a choice."
"I wish I could say you have a choice but you don't."
"Whatever. When did you want me back?"
"June 1st," he says.
"Can't do it," I say, "my daughter's first dance recital is June 1st in the afternoon. I can't make it to Payback."
"Roman, you're being unreasonable," he says.
"I'm being unreasonable? I agreed to come back June 9th NOT June 1st. I can't miss my daughter's dance recital she is looking forward to me going and I'm looking forward to seeing her dance."
"Roman, you'll be there June 1st or you won't have a job. Are we clear?"
"You're threatening me with my job?"
"I'm promising you won't have a job if you don't show up June 1st."
I can't lose my job it's the only source of income I have for myself and Sky. I can't just let them fire me but I don't want to miss Sky's ballet recital. I go against my better judgment and say, "I'll be there." I feel bad about it but I'm stuck between a rock and a hard place. What good of a father would I be if I don't' have a job? I need my job. I know Rachel can record it for me or Skype me in during her performance but I would much rather be there live to support Sky. "Are you happy now?"
"No need to snap, Roman," he says, "I think Steph and I have been very understanding of your situation. It's time to come back from your vacation."
"If it was your kids I'm sure you wouldn't miss it."
"When it comes to doing what's best for business we have to make sacrifices."
"I find that hard to believe," I say. "Bye, Hunter."
"Bye, Roman," he says as I hang up my phone.
I walk back inside just as Sky's ballet class is letting out. She comes running out with a smile on her face in her black leotard, pink skirt and her hair pulled up in a bun "DADDY! GUESS WHAT!" she says as I scoop her up into my arms to carry her out the door.
"What?" I ask with a smile as we walk to my car.
"I got a fairy solo in the fairy ballet for the dance recital! I get to dance by myself, Daddy!"
"That's awesome, Sky," I say with a smile as my heart breaks inside as I put her into the car. My baby girl has a solo and I'm not going to be there. I feel like the worst dad in the world. "I'm going to look so pretty. I get to wear a blue and purple sparkle fairy costume with wings. I am really excited. Are you excited, Daddy?" she asks.
"I am excited," I say, "I can't wait to see you dance. How did you get a solo?"
"Because my teacher told me that I am doing really good with my ballet and I learned the dance faster than everyone else. Then she told me I could have a solo in the fairy ballet!"
"That's great, Sky," I say as I pull out of the parking lot. "I bet you're going to be the most beautiful fairy on the stage."
"Maybe," she says as we drive home. "Did you go grocery shopping?"
"Yes," I say, "and I ran into Bri I mean Ms. Flores. She told me to tell you hi."
"Oh I miss her," says Sky. "I wish I could have seen her."
"I know," I say. "I bet you wish you could go back to school don't you?"
"Yeah but I can't wait to go on the road with you and watch you work this summer. I'll go back to school in August. I just want to spend my summer with my daddy!"
"I want to spend summer with you too," I say. "Sky, I have to talk to you."
"About what?" she asks.
"You know how I told you I would be going back to work soon?"
"Yes," she says.
"Well, while you were in ballet my boss called me. I have to go back on June 1st."
"That's when my ballet recital is. You're not going are you?"
"I don't have a choice. He told me if I'm not there he is going to fire me. I can't afford to lose my job right now, Sky."
"So you're going to miss my fairy ballet?" she asks and I can hear the sadness in her voice. "I wanted you to be there."
"I know and I want to be there. I wish I could be there. I really want to see you dance. I'm going to have Rachel Skype me in so that I can watch you perform so it's like I'm actually there when I'm not."
"It's not the same, Daddy," she says and she's right. It isn't the same but what choice do I have? "So you're really going to miss it?"
"I'm sorry, Sky. I wish I could get out of work but I can't. I'm really sorry."
"It's okay, Daddy. I understand. I just wish you could be there to see me."
"Me too," I say, "but I hope you dance your little heart out and make me proud. I'll be watching."
"I will, Daddy," she says but I can still hear the disappointment in her voice and it is breaking my heart. I need to find a way to be at the recital and be at the Payback pay-per-view. I will find a way to be at both and still make Sky happy and still have a job. I just have to figure it out.
A couple days later Sky seems to be all right with the fact I am going back to work on the day of her dance recital but I don't really know for sure because we haven't talked much about it since the other day. Today we are in the baby's nursery standing on plastic covering the hardwood floor and wearing old clothes with our hair pulled up into a bun painting the nursery walls pink and green. Sky chose the theme for the baby's room and wanted it to be a pink and green ladybug theme. I thought the bedding was cute so I went along with her idea. She is a pretty good painter for being 7 years old. "Are you having fun?" I ask as I paint the wall green and she paints the other pink.
"Yeah," she says, "my sister is going to love it. Did you and Rachel pick a name yet?"
"Not yet," I say. "We're still debating it out between two girl names. It may take a while."
"I still say Angel is a good name," she says.
"I know," I say with a smile. "But Rachel wants Talli and I want Taylee."
"I think Taylee is pretty and so is Talli but I like Taylee better."
"Me too," I say. "See this is why you're my daughter. You think like me."
"I know," she says with a smile as she paints. "I can't wait for my baby sister! I am so excited. I bet she is going to be beautiful."
"So do I."
"And I am going to play with her and help feed her. I'm going to change her diapers and help give her a bath. And I'm going to hold her a lot!"
"Are you saying you're going to change poopy diapers?" I ask with a smile.
"Not saying that. I'll leave the poopy diapers for you but I will do everything else. You won't have to do anything."
"But what if I want to do something? I want to feed her too give her baths. I want to play with her."
"We can share her," she says with a smile. "Daddy, is Rachel going to live here after she has my sister?"
"I don't plan on it," I say. "Why?"
"Then what's going to happen with my sister?"
"She's going to live here a couple days and then live at Rachel's house for a couple days."
"Wouldn't it just be easier if Rachel moved in here then my sister wouldn't have to go to her house and then our house. I think this should be her number 1 room."
"Sky, I don't think Rachel moving in here would be the best idea."
"I do and if I will be with her when I go back to school I think she should live here that way I don't have to go to her house. Don't you think that's a good idea?"
"Not really," I say.
"Please, Daddy, can you think about it? I think it would be cool if Rachel lived here because then my sister would be here all the time!"
"Sky, I'll think about it," I say. She may be 7 but she's smarter than people give her credit for. It would make things a lot easier with the baby and Sky if Rachel did live here but it would make things harder for us. I don't know if I could live with that type of temptation in the house. It's not like we would be in the same room or anything but just in the same house and I would be gone most of the time. Sky might actually be on to something here.
"And our house is big enough," she says with a smile.
"I told you I would think about it," I say with a smile. "Don't get your hopes up though."
"I'm not," she says with a smile as she continues to paint.
A/N: Roman and Sky's old teacher seem to be a bit friendly don't they? And Roman is in a dilemma; wrestling or his daughter's dance recital? Which do you think he will end up choosing? Will he be able to figure out a way to go to both or will he just choose one? How wonderful is it that Sky is so involved with her baby sister? What do you think her name should be Talli or Taylee? Then SKy hits Roman with a tough question; "can Rachel move in?" Although it seems like an easy way to solve the situation but it also seems like it could complicate things. What do you think? Should Roman allow Rachel to move in? We already know he has no interest in dating her or being with her so would it really be that bad? Please review and thank-you for reading.
