Deceptive Cadence
a cadence on the subdominant, or in some foreign key, postponing the final
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Just before they could seal their declaration with a kiss, Calleigh's phone rang. Still looking into Horatio's eyes, she was tempted to let voice mail pick up, but as it rang again, she glanced over at her purse on the counter and the spell was broken. With an apologetic look, she stepped away from Horatio and answered the phone.
"Duquesne," she sighed, thinking whoever was calling had better have a good reason for interrupting.
The caller did have a good reason, and horrible timing. It was Tina from the Whiskey Stop; her father needed to be picked up.
Calleigh wanted to cry out in frustration. Her father had managed to ruin what was probably the single most perfect moment in her life. She ducked her head and turned her back to Horatio as she told Tina she would be there as soon as possible, then hung up the phone, gathering strength and resolve to say goodbye to Horatio and her perfect evening. Before she could turn, though, Horatio was behind her, running his hand along her back, asking her what was wrong.
Horatio could tell whoever was on the other end of the phone call had said something to Calleigh that had upset her. She had immediately tensed, then turned from him, as though she did not want him to see what the call was doing to her. He continued to rub Calleigh's back, waiting for her to answer his question.
Turning her around to face him, Horatio could see the wheels in Calleigh's head turning as she struggled with some kind of internal debate. He forced her to look up and meet his eyes, and Calleigh seemed to come to a decision. Her shoulders sagged and she grabbed one of his hands in her own, squeezing it in reassurance, though Horatio did not know if it was for him or her.
"I'm okay," she started, putting up a hand to silence his protest. "The call was from a bartender at the Whiskey Stop. My father is there and he won't leave, not that he's sober enough to get himself home anyway."
Calleigh looked down again and Horatio wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold her until the hurt in her eyes went away, but she backed away from him before he could move to do so. She began speaking again. "I'm really sorry, Horatio, I never thought our evening would be ruined like this."
Horatio interrupted her before she could finish her thought. "Who said anything about the evening being ruined?" he asked, grabbing her purse off the counter and turning off lights before returning to her. "As long as I'm with you, everything is perfect. We'll do this together. And on the way, you can tell me about your father."
Calleigh stood frozen in shock. "Horatio, I can't ask you to."
He interrupted again. "I'm coming," he said, pulling Calleigh into a much- needed hug. "You don't have to do this alone anymore. I'm here for you, now and always." He placed a kiss on the top of her head and walked her to the door.
As they walked to the Hummer, Horatio addressed another thing Calleigh had said. "I don't want you to ever think there's something you can't tell me or ask me for," he told her. "I told you I want to share my life with you, and that means sharing everything; the good and the bad."
Calleigh paused long enough to grab Horatio's hand. "I know that now," she said, squeezing his hand before releasing it to go around to her door. "It's just, well, all of this is still new. Give me chance to get used to it?" Horatio nodded and they climbed in. The Hummer was started and Calleigh took a deep breath, ready to come clean. "Here we go," she began, "The ten minute history of me and my father, otherwise known as the dark side of 'Daddy Knows Best'."
Just before they could seal their declaration with a kiss, Calleigh's phone rang. Still looking into Horatio's eyes, she was tempted to let voice mail pick up, but as it rang again, she glanced over at her purse on the counter and the spell was broken. With an apologetic look, she stepped away from Horatio and answered the phone.
"Duquesne," she sighed, thinking whoever was calling had better have a good reason for interrupting.
The caller did have a good reason, and horrible timing. It was Tina from the Whiskey Stop; her father needed to be picked up.
Calleigh wanted to cry out in frustration. Her father had managed to ruin what was probably the single most perfect moment in her life. She ducked her head and turned her back to Horatio as she told Tina she would be there as soon as possible, then hung up the phone, gathering strength and resolve to say goodbye to Horatio and her perfect evening. Before she could turn, though, Horatio was behind her, running his hand along her back, asking her what was wrong.
Horatio could tell whoever was on the other end of the phone call had said something to Calleigh that had upset her. She had immediately tensed, then turned from him, as though she did not want him to see what the call was doing to her. He continued to rub Calleigh's back, waiting for her to answer his question.
Turning her around to face him, Horatio could see the wheels in Calleigh's head turning as she struggled with some kind of internal debate. He forced her to look up and meet his eyes, and Calleigh seemed to come to a decision. Her shoulders sagged and she grabbed one of his hands in her own, squeezing it in reassurance, though Horatio did not know if it was for him or her.
"I'm okay," she started, putting up a hand to silence his protest. "The call was from a bartender at the Whiskey Stop. My father is there and he won't leave, not that he's sober enough to get himself home anyway."
Calleigh looked down again and Horatio wanted to gather her up in his arms and hold her until the hurt in her eyes went away, but she backed away from him before he could move to do so. She began speaking again. "I'm really sorry, Horatio, I never thought our evening would be ruined like this."
Horatio interrupted her before she could finish her thought. "Who said anything about the evening being ruined?" he asked, grabbing her purse off the counter and turning off lights before returning to her. "As long as I'm with you, everything is perfect. We'll do this together. And on the way, you can tell me about your father."
Calleigh stood frozen in shock. "Horatio, I can't ask you to."
He interrupted again. "I'm coming," he said, pulling Calleigh into a much- needed hug. "You don't have to do this alone anymore. I'm here for you, now and always." He placed a kiss on the top of her head and walked her to the door.
As they walked to the Hummer, Horatio addressed another thing Calleigh had said. "I don't want you to ever think there's something you can't tell me or ask me for," he told her. "I told you I want to share my life with you, and that means sharing everything; the good and the bad."
Calleigh paused long enough to grab Horatio's hand. "I know that now," she said, squeezing his hand before releasing it to go around to her door. "It's just, well, all of this is still new. Give me chance to get used to it?" Horatio nodded and they climbed in. The Hummer was started and Calleigh took a deep breath, ready to come clean. "Here we go," she began, "The ten minute history of me and my father, otherwise known as the dark side of 'Daddy Knows Best'."