"Momma! Look at what me an' Daddy got!!"
I looked up from my desk to see my soft angelic little 4- year- old shuffling towards my desk with a golden retriever puppy in bear hug, swinging it's back feet casually between her spread legs, it's shoulders almost passing it's soft head as it was being held by two little pudgy arms from under it's armpits. I folded my arms and raised my eyebrows. Emily flopped the puppy down on the floor and hectically pushed her long dark hair out of her eyes and behind her ears before adjusting her backwards Celtics hat. She looked up at me hopefully and when she realized I didn't share in her enthusiasm, her sparkling blue eyes widened.
"Uh-oh." She whispered and pulled the puppy possessively back into her arms.
Just as I was about to reprimand her, my husband came flying around the corner and smiled at me as he picked Emily and the puppy both into his arms easily.
"Jordan! Heh heh…" he said smiling charmingly. "How's your day going?" He asked casually as the puppy began to excitedly lick his face and Emily giggled.
"Just got more interesting." I said matter-of-factly and shifted my eyes towards the door. This was our code for 'get the kid outta the room so I can murder you without her hearing the screams' . Woody nodded and narrowed his eyes at Emily.
"I thought I told you to wait for me in the hall?" Woody said quietly out of the side of his mouth. Emily just leaned back in his arms and looked at him like he was nuts.
"Have we met?" She asked earnestly and I had to bite my tongue not to
laugh. Woody put her down and patted her little faded jean bottom as he scooted
her out the door.
"Go show him to Uncle Nigel…"Woody said and Emily grounded her feet
and turned her head to her father. "But he's 'Lergic ta dogs!" She
called as Woody continued to guide her into the hallway.
"Yeah, I know…and he's the one that reads you Clifford books and puts ideas of puppies in your heads…he'll love it…go show him!" Woody said excitedly and I rolled my eyes as he turned and slowly crept back into the room.
"Hi." He said cringing. I folded my arms and sat back in my chair.
"So you know those talks we have about making decisions 'together' Wood?" I asked and Woody smiled twisting his wedding ring nervously on his finger.
"This was one of those decisions huh?" He asked and resigned himself to the couch in my office. I just nodded.
"So what exactly compelled you to "just get" a puppy for our
4-year-old who can't pick up her own messes much less the messes of a
dog?" I asked and Woody shook his head.
"I…I don't know we were at the farm with her preschool class and…and…on the way out she saw a bunch of kids standing around something at the guy who owns the farm's feet…and…and…before I knew it she was dragging a little puppy towards me spouting out prices…and…and ages…and what kind of dog it was…"He suddenly remembered something and smiled the dreamy, butter smooth smile of an honest to God Daddy and said, "And…and then she said the CUTEST thing…" I rolled my eyes and said,
"Uh oh." Every story Woody ever told me trying to explain purchasing something absolutely ridiculous for our daughter had the line 'and then she said the CUTEST thing…'.
"She said, "Daddy! His name is Archibald J. Snuffaluffagus and he wants to live in my room!!" He said wiping tears of laughter away from his eyes. I snorted, trying to hide my amusement. She certainly knew how to get him.
"And…and then she just bombarded me…'So can I get em' Daddy!? Can, I!!? Can I take em' home with me!? PLEEEEEEEEAAASSEE Daddy?" He shrugged his shoulders and ran a hand through his hair.
"I think I blacked out…the next thing I remember I'm saying 'of course you can, Baby' and handing 50 bucks over to Old MacDonald!" I couldn't help it. She got him. She got him good. I looked at Woody sheepishly watching Emily chase the clumsy puppy down the linoleum hallway.
"Well…then I am not going to yell at you." I said closing a folder and standing from my desk. Woody snapped his head towards me.
"You're not?!" He asked hopefully. And I nodded.
"I think that it'll be punishment enough for you when you realize that YOU, a Lieutenant Detective, who deals with the scum of Boston on a daily basis…" I walked around my desk and plopped down on Woody's lap, wrapping my arms around his neck as he rolled his eyes, already knowing what was coming." And who has been known to keep suspects in interrogation for 10 plus hours, are no match for a teeny little girl." I said and kissed him, still smiling.
Woody kissed me back and then turned his eyes towards the door. "Jordan." He said between kisses.
"What?" I said holding onto the back of his head.
He wagged his eyes toward the door and I snuck a peek at the threshold. Emily stood there, doubled over dramatically, two fingers in her mouth as she pretended to gag.
"Can we help you with something baby? Are you feeling sick? Need some cough syrup?" I asked and Emily quickly stood and took her fingers out of her mouth.
We smiled at her and she stepped into the room.
"Where's Archie?" Woody asked looking out the door as Emily froze and her bright blue eyes popped out.
"Aw come on!! Who peed on my floor!!?" we heard Garrett bellow down the hallway. He appeared at my door a moment later and Emily was hiding under my desk. Garrett walked in holding Archie under one arm.
"Where is she?" He asked and I looked at Woody from where I still sat on his lap.
"We don't know where Emily is Garrett…" I said and Woody and I both pointed towards the desk. "She was hear JUST a minute ago but…ah…now she's gone." I said as Garrett handed me the puppy and walked over to my desk. He leaned on the edge.
"Emily Jane." Garrett said sternly. There was a moment where no one moved.
"She's NOT HERE! She left a long time ago!!" Emily yelled from under the desk. Garrett reached under the desk and pulled Emily out by the back of her pants. He stood her up and she looked up at him smiling sweetly.
"Did you meet Archibald J. Snuffaluff…" Garrett cut her off and handed her a couple of rolled up paper towels.
"Sell cute somewhere else…We're all stocked up here." He said and
Emily gave Woody and I an appalled look.
"Daddy?!" she said and Woody shook his head and looked away.
"Sorry babe, he's your godfather…they're allowed to tell you what to
do." He said and Emily slumped her shoulders and plodded out of the room
with Garrett right behind her, tugging on the tips of her long hair from behind
to let her know he wasn't really mad.
I lifted the puppy up in front of me and looked it over. It yawned and it's tail began to wag.
"Archie, huh?" I said cutting my eyes at Woody. He just nodded and I shook my head and stood from his lap. I held the puppy up one last time and then put him in Woody's lap.
"He's not sleepin' in MY bed." I said and headed out the door to supervise Emily.
The next week, Dad was away and we worried we might have to switch off between who had Emily at work with them after she got out of preschool. One of our neighbor's kids was in Emily's class and she was nice enough to watch her from Monday to Thursday but Thursday night they were leaving for vacation and we needed to decide who would watch her on Friday.
We ultimately decided that she would fair best at work with Woody because he was a Lieutenant now and spent the better part of his day in the precinct. And Emily's school was also only 3 blocks from the station. He could get her on his lunch break. Besides, she knew I worked in a morgue but she really didn't know that dead bodies were only feet away from her every time she came there. If she were to mistakenly peek under a sheet or wander into the crypt, it might traumatize her for life. Little did I know, having Woody go and get her could be just as bad.
It all started because Woody was running a little late in getting to Emily's school. He knew to pick her up around back where the playground was and he trotted around the corner as he heard the laughter and giggles of other children waiting to be picked up. He was relieved that he at least wasn't the last parent, Emily always made it a point to lay the guilt trip on him when he wasn't at her school the exact second he said he would be. The first thing he saw as he went through the side gate was Emily's backpack lying against the fence. He picked it up and then searched the play yard for Emily. He saw her teacher kneeling beside a little blonde haired boy who was crying as she sprayed his leg with some sort of wound cleanser. The poor little guy was in near hysterics and the teacher was trying her best to calm him down, but in doing so, was neglecting to keep an eye on the rest of the children. Woody strolled over to ask the teacher where Emily was. She stood quickly and glanced around the yard.
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"She's…well…she was just right there on the see-saw I saw Fred standing by the fence, but he's harmless…"she said casually, pointing to the back corner of the yard. Woody's paternal subconscious kicked in and he felt his pulse speed up.
"EMILY!" he called for her and several of the children turned their heads. Woody headed toward the back of the playground.
"She just went with the man." One of the children said matter-of-factly. Woody's heart caught in his throat.
"What man Sweetie?" he asked bending down to one of Emily's friends.
"Fred… he lives back there behind the school…He's allowed to come in and read to us sometimes…he's funny." the girl said pointing to the alley on the other side of the playground fence. Woody looked over at the gate and noticed it was short enough for a tall man to reach over. He stood and ran towards the fence, hopping over it like it wasn't even there.
He looked down one end of the alley and then the next. He saw a man walking down the alley towards the street. At his side was Emily holding his hand. Woody knew if he chased after this guy, he would probably just let go of Emily and take off running. That's what the cop in Woody told him. But unfortunately, the Dad in Woody thought maybe this guy would pick his child up and take off, never to be seen again. He spotted one of his officers standing across the street and slowly lifted his radio from his back pocket.
"Michaels, this is Hoyt do you read?" He saw Michaels bring his radio to his mouth.
"Yeah boss, I hear ya." He said casually. Woody took a deep breath and brought his radio back to his mouth.
"I want you to listen very carefully Michaels, I want you to look across the street…there's a guy walking North on Walton…he's…he's got a kid at his side." Woody dropped his arm heavily to his side.
"Yeah boss, I see him…hey boss ain't that your kid?" he asked concerned. Woody lifted the radio.
"Yeah, he just lifted her from the preschool…I didn't wanna startle him
and send him running off with her." Woody said and Michaels was already
making his way across the street.
"Don't you worry boss, I got em'." Michaels said and Woody could see him taking quicker steps. Woody hurried down the alley and turned the corner when he heard a commotion.
"Hey what are you doing!!?" he heard a man that wasn't Michaels yell as he rounded the corner. Woody saw Michaels set Emily down from where he had the man pressed against the wall. Emily walked backwards slowly, beginning to panic and not knowing what was going on.
"Emily!" Woody yelled and she turned to him.
"Daddy!" Emily cried and ran to him. Woody scooped her into his arms and held her tightly to his chest.
"You picked the wrong kid to swipe buddy!" Michaels said holding the man forcefully as he struggled to cuff him. "That little girl you took is the daughter of a Lieutenant Detective and MY boss." Michaels said and the man stayed quiet. Woody moved as quickly as he could away from the man, patting Michaels on the shoulder as he passed him. He set Emily down around the corner.
"Emily why would you EVER go with someone you didn't know!?" He asked
sternly but trying not to upset her. Emily had felt her daddy shaking as he
carried her though, she began to cry.
"But I DO know him daddy, his name is Fred! He lives behind my school…everyday we talk to him and…"She was sobbing and threw her arms around Woody's neck. He held her tightly and let her cry. She was scared, and he knew she would never go with anyone again.
"He said that he came to pick me up and I told him my daddy was picking me up but…he…he said you couldn't make it and you told him to come get me!" She sobbed and wiped her nose and eyes on the shoulders of his suit coat.
"But baby, we told you, you don't go home with anyone but Mommy or Daddy or Grandpop unless we tell you that somebody different is picking you up. You might have gone away and Mommy and Daddy would never see you again, and that would make us very, very sad. You know?" he asked fighting back tears of his own.
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Emily was now sitting on his knee like a chair and burying her face in his coat. She nodded against his chest and Woody stood with Emily in his arms. He opted not to tell me until that night.
"SHE WHAT!?" I yelled across the table as we were clearing it from dinner that night.
"Keep it down Jordan…she's already been reamed out enough today…and I don't just mean by me and Michael's. The captain and chief gave her hell and told me they were gonna send a patrolmen over to her school next week to talk to all the kids about strangers and stuff." Woody said taking some plates to the sink. I rolled my eyes.
"I can't BELIEVE she would do something like that!…and for that matter…why the HELL did you wait to tell me this!?" I said looking to the stairs where I knew Emily was safe and sound in her bed. I wrapped my arms around my middle and shook my head, a million possible outcomes for what happened playing like a horror movie in my mind. I closed my eyes and a chill ran down my spine. Woody came from behind me and wrapped his arms around me.
"Hey hey, it's alright. She's fine, a little scared but no worse for wear." He said and I pulled away I knew it was true but I couldn't help the concerns.
"We gotta start learning to roll with the punches Jordy…"Woody said trying to laugh. "What if we have more kids one day?" he said and my eyes opened slowly.
"I really don't wanna talk about this with you right now…I wanna go see my baby." I said and left him standing in the middle of the kitchen as I hurried up the stairs. I couldn't believe that he hadn't told me about this. He must have done something wrong for it to happen because he had even gotten Emily to keep it a secret. I crept into Emily's room and to the side of her bed. She was sleeping soundly, and I took her Sox cap off and laid it on her dresser. I watched her sleeping and then crawled into bed with her. I felt a chill run up my spine. I couldn't ever imagine losing Emily. Her and Woody were my life, I was thinking at that moment of taking Woody out, but I still loved him. I was sure he was late to pick her up and that was the big cover up he had talked Emily into. I wouldn't tell him that I was late picking her up MOST days, but I decided to let him sweat it out and sleep alone.
When I came downstairs in the morning, Woody was already up and standing outside the back door with the puppy on the leash. Perhaps, he'd never gone to sleep.
I watched him, standing out there in his underwear…in October, and he looked angry, pathetic, not to mention cold…and oddly enough sexually frustrated. Hey, I had bailed on him last night. No worries, he would be "forgiven" by lunchtime.
"When you bring him in you might wanna clean up the puppy poops he slipped by ya on his way out." Woody looked up at the sky and growled loudly. This caused Archie's ears to perk up and he bounded towards Woody yipping ferociously.
"Get in the house!" Woody yelled at the puppy as he shooed him into the house. I suppressed a smile, still playing angry.
Emily came bounding down the stairs and slid across the floor, avoiding the little mess as she jumped up onto the kitchen counter and began opening cupboards looking for cereal.
"I wasn't here when he did it! I don't have to clean it up!" she said with her head stuffed in the pantry.
"Good morning to you too Miss." Woody said taking some paper towels from the counter. He looked at the mess then me then back to the mess and then to me again. I think he must have been trying to decide which he'd rather deal with first.
"Jordan…" He said gently. I turned from my coffee to look at him. I didn't answer, just raised my eyebrows. He looked at me with that wounded puppy dog look and I just kept staring back. "Are…are we okay?" he asked seriously. I think he was genuinely a little afraid of what I might do.
I allowed him a subdued smile. "We will be…" I said and looked down at the paper towels in his hand. "Once you clean that up." I said and Woody smiled. He walked over and kissed my lips gently.
"I'm sorry baby," he whispered and laid his forehead to mine. "I'll never keep anything like that from you again." He said and I kissed him back. I smiled sadly looking at the floor.
"Better not…" I said and smiled sadly. "Kick your ass." I teased and Emily chimed in.
"I heard the A word." Emily said sing-song. I growled and looked over at her.
"And YOU miss…" I said placing
my hands on my hips as Woody bent down to pick up Archie's surprise. "We
need to talk about some things later." I said and Emily's eyes grew wide.
"Is it the secret we can't tell Daddy yet!?" She asked excitedly.
Woody looked up from the floor as Emily bound across the kitchen and climbed up
my side.
"Secret?" Woody asked looking at me hesitantly as he pulled a little garbage bag out of the pantry. "What secret honey?" He asked Emily as he placed the paper towel in it and tied the bag 4 times. I looked at Emily and shook my head.
"Bad timing girlfriend." I said and Emily bowed her head.
"Jordan…" Woody said and I looked at the ceiling innocently. "Do you have something you wanna tell me?" He asked and I looked at the floor.
"Well…it was…just that…it's a good thing your brushing up on your poop-duties." I said and a smile broke out on my face. Emily looked up, smiling too.
Woody was lost.
"Huh?" he said standing frozen in front of us. There was a moment of quiet and the only sound was the morning breeze through the crisping leaves outside. I smiled.
"I'm pregnant." I said and Emily bounced in my arms.
"Isn't it great Daddy! We get a puppy AND a baby!" She said and I chuckled. "Huh Daddy, isn't it!? Huh?!" she exclaimed.
"Baby, give Daddy a minute to think." I said and Woody nodded.
"A…a…a baby? We're gonna have another baby?" he asked as his eyes filled with tears. I nodded and he stepped toward us and wrapped his arms around Emily and I. He laughed and pulled back to kiss us both.
"Does it feel like a boy!?" he asked excitedly. I rolled my eyes. "Does it?! Huh Mommy? Does it, does it?!" he said mocking Emily who gently punched him in the shoulder. He grabbed her from me and turned her upside down, tickling her.
"We'll see." I said joining Woody in tickling Emily.