Part Three: Just Good Friends
Margaret Houlihan watched as her baby pulled a face.
"Ben, as much as I love it, I don't think that Miranda likes your fruit cream." Ben laughed, and picked up the little spoon,
"Everyone has different tastes," he said, having a mouthful of his whipped cream and fruit puree mix. "I know what not to feed her this weekend, are you sure that you'll be okay?"
Margaret nodded, "You never worried when I went to Seoul dear, why are you worrying now?"
Ben smiled, "Because, you're leaving behind the little girl who relies on you and I want you to come back in one piece." He touched Margaret's face briefly. Margaret blushed, unaware of Daniel watching them. She was going to visit her parents, and unable to take the six-month-old Miranda, she was leaving her with the Pierces, who were more anxious than she was.
"Umm, Ben?" Margaret whispered, "Your face," He put his hand to his cheek, feeling for what was wrong and Margaret delicately wiped off the cream on his chin. "Oh," Ben nearly blushed. He studied the yellowish blob on her finger, before taking her wrist and guiding her hand to his lips.
"Yum," he whispered. "You taste nice," he murmured, as their faces got closer. They were about to kiss when Miranda let out a yell. She began to fuss in her highchair, struggling to get free and both people rushed to release her.
Margaret set Miranda down on the floor and smiled as she crawled a few unsteady paces.
"She was slow rolling, but she's an early crawler." Daniel observed. "And Maggie, if you want to make the flight, we'll have to leave now." Daniel called Margaret Maggie, and she liked it, however, he was the only one who could get away with it. Margaret straightened her hair hastily.
"Thanks for driving me Daniel, Miranda, come here," She lifted her daughter.
"Be good little baby," She kissed her and handed her to Ben.
"Thanks Ben, I wouldn't have been able to go, if it weren't for you taking my little girl for me. There's a list of all the numbers upstairs, now take good care of my baby." She hugged them both tightly and after a goodbye kiss on her forehead from Ben, she was ready to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret pulled her car out of the driveway and Ben watched it go. Margaret had been an almost constant visitor to the Pierce household in the last month, after she had returned from visiting her family.
"Maggie sure likes you," Daniel commented, as she drove off, tooting her horn.
"Dad, Margaret and I are just good friends, that's all, nothing more." Daniel rolled his eyes, and picked up a toy that Miranda had dropped.
"Good friends who call each other 'sweetie' and 'darling' and 'love' all the time. Good friends who leave poor old me with Miranda so they can have a private date out at a restaurant somewhere. Good friends who get so close and nearly kiss." Ben scratched his cheek, embarrassed, his dad could read him like a book.
"Dad, Margaret and I are friends, and we've never tried to be anything more." Daniel chuckled at his son's defensive manner.
"Whatever you say son, whatever you say."
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Margaret squealed as Ben lifted her and swung her around.
"Ben! Put me down!" Margaret demanded as Ben dropped her on the picnic blanket. Daniel laughed, Margaret looked so happy and beautiful, that Daniel had to wonder why Ben and she were still just friends.
Ben after all, had practically raised Miranda with Margaret since she was four months old, now she was nine months and was extremely attached to Ben.
"Drink?" Ben called, handing Miranda a small bottle. The baby grasped it in her hands and started to drink.
"Juice, thanks Ben honey," Margaret called.
"Juice all round!" Ben announced, pouring three drinks and handing them around. It was August and they were enjoying the last of Maine's summer weather with a picnic in the park.
Margaret looked amazing, wearing a light print dress. She had initially refused to come as Hawkeye was wearing his shirt, combined with a pair of white shorts, but eventually her sense of humour got to her and she agreed to let him wear it.
They were having fun, the accident and hatred put behind them, and as it started to rain, they regretfully packed up and went home, sorry their fun day was over.
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Ben smiled and offered Margaret his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, coming forwards so fast that Ben felt he had to wrap his arms around her. They stood on the sand for a while, Ben's arms holding Margaret tightly.
"Ben?" Margaret pulled back, and pointed behind them. Daniel was coming up the beach, Miranda in his arms, whom as he got closer appeared to be crying.
"What's the problem my little Sweet Pea?" Margaret ran toward Daniel and took her daughter whose sobs subsided once she was safe in her mother's arms.
"She'd just had enough, I think someone's tired." Daniel said, as Miranda gave an enormous yawn. It was still quite warm for autumn, especially in Maine and the four people had just spent the day on the beach.
"I guess we should head back, Miranda's near exhausted." Margaret smiled and gave Daniel the 11-month-old baby, who sighed and cuddled into his chest.
"She's not the only one," Ben chuckled and lifted Margaret. Surprised, she put her arms around his shoulders.
"I'll take you up to the car," Ben offered lovingly, and Margaret found nothing better to do than to rest her head on his chest and, like her daughter, was nearly asleep by the time they reached the car.
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Daniel chuckled as Ben escorted Margaret upstairs to her apartment; he followed at a distance, watching as Ben helped Margaret put Miranda to bed.
"She's had a big day, I mean, she crawled all the way along the beach and back," Margaret smiled at her daughter.
"And dad helped her walk on the pier," He rested his hand on the edge of the crib.
"Goodness, she's been a busy girl," Margaret's hand lay on top of Ben's, her fingers curling over his hand ever so slightly.
"Hmm, dad sure loves her." Ben shifted his hand under hers and somehow they wound up holding hands.
"She's very lucky," Margaret nodded as they turned away. Miranda was now sound asleep. They left the room, holding hands ever so lightly.
'Take care Ben, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Margaret and Ben smiled and bid each other farewell, stretching their arms to remain holding hands.
"Okay Margaret dear, look after yourself." Ben whispered as her hand slipped from his grasp.
"See ya Maggie!" Daniel called as they left. Margaret went to her window, and watched the street as the car pulled away, and continued watching it long after the car was gone.
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"So, are you still just friends?" Daniel teased, and his son gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Yes, we are, we're still just very good friends." Ben insisted, turning left.
"Of course you are. You're just such good friends that you hold hands, and she lets you carry her and call her 'dear' wow, I wish I could be friends with a woman like that." Daniel teased gently, and Ben had to smile, he and Margaret were very close.
"I know it looks like more, but Margaret is my friend and work colleague okay?"
"Okay son, if you're that sure I'll believe you." Daniel said as Ben stopped the car.
Ben was glad, but to be honest, he wasn't that sure.
Margaret Houlihan watched as her baby pulled a face.
"Ben, as much as I love it, I don't think that Miranda likes your fruit cream." Ben laughed, and picked up the little spoon,
"Everyone has different tastes," he said, having a mouthful of his whipped cream and fruit puree mix. "I know what not to feed her this weekend, are you sure that you'll be okay?"
Margaret nodded, "You never worried when I went to Seoul dear, why are you worrying now?"
Ben smiled, "Because, you're leaving behind the little girl who relies on you and I want you to come back in one piece." He touched Margaret's face briefly. Margaret blushed, unaware of Daniel watching them. She was going to visit her parents, and unable to take the six-month-old Miranda, she was leaving her with the Pierces, who were more anxious than she was.
"Umm, Ben?" Margaret whispered, "Your face," He put his hand to his cheek, feeling for what was wrong and Margaret delicately wiped off the cream on his chin. "Oh," Ben nearly blushed. He studied the yellowish blob on her finger, before taking her wrist and guiding her hand to his lips.
"Yum," he whispered. "You taste nice," he murmured, as their faces got closer. They were about to kiss when Miranda let out a yell. She began to fuss in her highchair, struggling to get free and both people rushed to release her.
Margaret set Miranda down on the floor and smiled as she crawled a few unsteady paces.
"She was slow rolling, but she's an early crawler." Daniel observed. "And Maggie, if you want to make the flight, we'll have to leave now." Daniel called Margaret Maggie, and she liked it, however, he was the only one who could get away with it. Margaret straightened her hair hastily.
"Thanks for driving me Daniel, Miranda, come here," She lifted her daughter.
"Be good little baby," She kissed her and handed her to Ben.
"Thanks Ben, I wouldn't have been able to go, if it weren't for you taking my little girl for me. There's a list of all the numbers upstairs, now take good care of my baby." She hugged them both tightly and after a goodbye kiss on her forehead from Ben, she was ready to go.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret pulled her car out of the driveway and Ben watched it go. Margaret had been an almost constant visitor to the Pierce household in the last month, after she had returned from visiting her family.
"Maggie sure likes you," Daniel commented, as she drove off, tooting her horn.
"Dad, Margaret and I are just good friends, that's all, nothing more." Daniel rolled his eyes, and picked up a toy that Miranda had dropped.
"Good friends who call each other 'sweetie' and 'darling' and 'love' all the time. Good friends who leave poor old me with Miranda so they can have a private date out at a restaurant somewhere. Good friends who get so close and nearly kiss." Ben scratched his cheek, embarrassed, his dad could read him like a book.
"Dad, Margaret and I are friends, and we've never tried to be anything more." Daniel chuckled at his son's defensive manner.
"Whatever you say son, whatever you say."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Margaret squealed as Ben lifted her and swung her around.
"Ben! Put me down!" Margaret demanded as Ben dropped her on the picnic blanket. Daniel laughed, Margaret looked so happy and beautiful, that Daniel had to wonder why Ben and she were still just friends.
Ben after all, had practically raised Miranda with Margaret since she was four months old, now she was nine months and was extremely attached to Ben.
"Drink?" Ben called, handing Miranda a small bottle. The baby grasped it in her hands and started to drink.
"Juice, thanks Ben honey," Margaret called.
"Juice all round!" Ben announced, pouring three drinks and handing them around. It was August and they were enjoying the last of Maine's summer weather with a picnic in the park.
Margaret looked amazing, wearing a light print dress. She had initially refused to come as Hawkeye was wearing his shirt, combined with a pair of white shorts, but eventually her sense of humour got to her and she agreed to let him wear it.
They were having fun, the accident and hatred put behind them, and as it started to rain, they regretfully packed up and went home, sorry their fun day was over.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Ben smiled and offered Margaret his hand. She took it and he pulled her to her feet, coming forwards so fast that Ben felt he had to wrap his arms around her. They stood on the sand for a while, Ben's arms holding Margaret tightly.
"Ben?" Margaret pulled back, and pointed behind them. Daniel was coming up the beach, Miranda in his arms, whom as he got closer appeared to be crying.
"What's the problem my little Sweet Pea?" Margaret ran toward Daniel and took her daughter whose sobs subsided once she was safe in her mother's arms.
"She'd just had enough, I think someone's tired." Daniel said, as Miranda gave an enormous yawn. It was still quite warm for autumn, especially in Maine and the four people had just spent the day on the beach.
"I guess we should head back, Miranda's near exhausted." Margaret smiled and gave Daniel the 11-month-old baby, who sighed and cuddled into his chest.
"She's not the only one," Ben chuckled and lifted Margaret. Surprised, she put her arms around his shoulders.
"I'll take you up to the car," Ben offered lovingly, and Margaret found nothing better to do than to rest her head on his chest and, like her daughter, was nearly asleep by the time they reached the car.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Daniel chuckled as Ben escorted Margaret upstairs to her apartment; he followed at a distance, watching as Ben helped Margaret put Miranda to bed.
"She's had a big day, I mean, she crawled all the way along the beach and back," Margaret smiled at her daughter.
"And dad helped her walk on the pier," He rested his hand on the edge of the crib.
"Goodness, she's been a busy girl," Margaret's hand lay on top of Ben's, her fingers curling over his hand ever so slightly.
"Hmm, dad sure loves her." Ben shifted his hand under hers and somehow they wound up holding hands.
"She's very lucky," Margaret nodded as they turned away. Miranda was now sound asleep. They left the room, holding hands ever so lightly.
'Take care Ben, I'll see you at work tomorrow." Margaret and Ben smiled and bid each other farewell, stretching their arms to remain holding hands.
"Okay Margaret dear, look after yourself." Ben whispered as her hand slipped from his grasp.
"See ya Maggie!" Daniel called as they left. Margaret went to her window, and watched the street as the car pulled away, and continued watching it long after the car was gone.
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"So, are you still just friends?" Daniel teased, and his son gripped the steering wheel tightly.
"Yes, we are, we're still just very good friends." Ben insisted, turning left.
"Of course you are. You're just such good friends that you hold hands, and she lets you carry her and call her 'dear' wow, I wish I could be friends with a woman like that." Daniel teased gently, and Ben had to smile, he and Margaret were very close.
"I know it looks like more, but Margaret is my friend and work colleague okay?"
"Okay son, if you're that sure I'll believe you." Daniel said as Ben stopped the car.
Ben was glad, but to be honest, he wasn't that sure.