CHAPTER 8
"Momma, we played at the park, and I did the moneky bars all the way across for the first time. Gramma helped me though. Danny couldn't do them. He's too little." Emma was bouncing up and down on her mother's lap.
"That's great honey. I'm so proud of you. Did you have fun?" Dana sounded somewhat distracted.
"Yes, momma. I like the park here more than the one by our house. It's way, way more fun."
"Ok, sweetie. You want to go play with Danny? Momma's trying to talk to her friend here."
"Okey dokey Momma." She kissed the little girl on the head, and Emma jumped down and ran into the house.
"Mulder, I . . ."
"Scully, I have to go," he interrupted. "I have to pick up Sierra."
"Is it that late already?" Dana said looking at her watch.
"Yeah. If I'm not there, she'll be worried."
"Of course."
Margaret and Emma walked out the sliding glass door just as the two were standing up.
"Fox, are you leaving?" Margaret asked.
"Yeah, I need to go get Sierra. Thank you for having me for lunch."
"Well, thank you for coming dear. Just know that you and Sierra are always welcome here. I would really like to meet her."
"I'll bring her by some time." He hugged the older woman.
"I'm going to walk him out," Dana said.
They walked to the foyer. Neither spoke for a few moments.
"Mulder, there's really something I need to talk to you about. When can we . . ."
"Soon, Scully. Do you have a cell phone? I'll give you a call."
"It's 555-0174."
"I'll call, I promise. I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you again."
She started crying when he said that.
"I've missed you so much, Mulder."
He stepped toward her and pulled her into his arms. She let herself forget everything that was worrying her and just feel the warmth of his arms, the cool smoothness of his cotton shirt against her cheek, the reassuring pressure of his chin resting on the top of her head. It all felt so right.
But then he pulled away.
"I really have to go. Good bye Scully."
He walked out the front door and she was left feeling cold and alone. She watched his car back down the driveway and drive out of sight. When she couldn't see it anymore, she shut the heavy wood door and leaned against it, wrapping her arms around her body. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
* * * * * *
That evening, Dana was tucking her kids in. Danny surprised her by not asking about his father. Instead, he asked a question out of the blue.
"Mommy, are Emma and me going to get a new Daddy ever?"
"Sweetheart, I don't know. Why are you thinking about that?"
"Emma said."
"Oh darling, I don't know what's going to happen. Don't worry about it, dear. Go to sleep."
She kissed him on the forehead and turned the lamp next to his bed off.
In Emma's room, things started as usual. She said her prayers, asking God to look after her family and her baby in heaven. Then, just before she said amen, she asked God to send her a new daddy.
"Emma, honey, where did you get this idea about a new daddy? Did you tell Danny something?"
"Momma, Macy Reiner get a new daddy when her daddy moved away, and now she has two daddies. And this boy at the park today, he got a new daddy when his daddy died. So why shouldn't we get a new daddy. Macy gets two daddies. I only want one."
She started crying. Dana leaned down and hugged her.
"Honey, don't cry. I don't know if you'll get a new daddy. I just don't know. But we're going to be okay."
She smoothed her daughter's hair back from her forehead.
"Go to sleep darling. Don't worry about it."
Dana kissed her on the cheek and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
"Sleep tight, Em."
"I love you Momma," Emma said sniffling.
"Love you too, baby."
Dana walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. She was walking down the stairs when she heard her cell phone ringing from the bedroom.
"Hello," she answered.
"Scully, it's Mulder." Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard it on the phone for so long.
"Mulder," was all she could get out.
"We need to talk."
"When?"
"What are you doing now? You could come over here. We could talk. There's still things that need to be said."
"I'm not doing anything. I just put the kids to bed. Just give me directions."
She wrote down the directions and promised to be there in twenty minutes. She pushed the end call button and just stood there, holding the phone. Then she grabbed her purse off the nightstand and walked down the stairs.
"Where are you going, Dana?" Margaret asked from the den.
"To Mulder's. I'm not sure when I'll be back. The kids are already in bed. I'll check in on them when I get back."
"Ok, be careful dear. I love you."
"Bye mother."
"Momma, we played at the park, and I did the moneky bars all the way across for the first time. Gramma helped me though. Danny couldn't do them. He's too little." Emma was bouncing up and down on her mother's lap.
"That's great honey. I'm so proud of you. Did you have fun?" Dana sounded somewhat distracted.
"Yes, momma. I like the park here more than the one by our house. It's way, way more fun."
"Ok, sweetie. You want to go play with Danny? Momma's trying to talk to her friend here."
"Okey dokey Momma." She kissed the little girl on the head, and Emma jumped down and ran into the house.
"Mulder, I . . ."
"Scully, I have to go," he interrupted. "I have to pick up Sierra."
"Is it that late already?" Dana said looking at her watch.
"Yeah. If I'm not there, she'll be worried."
"Of course."
Margaret and Emma walked out the sliding glass door just as the two were standing up.
"Fox, are you leaving?" Margaret asked.
"Yeah, I need to go get Sierra. Thank you for having me for lunch."
"Well, thank you for coming dear. Just know that you and Sierra are always welcome here. I would really like to meet her."
"I'll bring her by some time." He hugged the older woman.
"I'm going to walk him out," Dana said.
They walked to the foyer. Neither spoke for a few moments.
"Mulder, there's really something I need to talk to you about. When can we . . ."
"Soon, Scully. Do you have a cell phone? I'll give you a call."
"It's 555-0174."
"I'll call, I promise. I just got you back, I'm not going to lose you again."
She started crying when he said that.
"I've missed you so much, Mulder."
He stepped toward her and pulled her into his arms. She let herself forget everything that was worrying her and just feel the warmth of his arms, the cool smoothness of his cotton shirt against her cheek, the reassuring pressure of his chin resting on the top of her head. It all felt so right.
But then he pulled away.
"I really have to go. Good bye Scully."
He walked out the front door and she was left feeling cold and alone. She watched his car back down the driveway and drive out of sight. When she couldn't see it anymore, she shut the heavy wood door and leaned against it, wrapping her arms around her body. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
* * * * * *
That evening, Dana was tucking her kids in. Danny surprised her by not asking about his father. Instead, he asked a question out of the blue.
"Mommy, are Emma and me going to get a new Daddy ever?"
"Sweetheart, I don't know. Why are you thinking about that?"
"Emma said."
"Oh darling, I don't know what's going to happen. Don't worry about it, dear. Go to sleep."
She kissed him on the forehead and turned the lamp next to his bed off.
In Emma's room, things started as usual. She said her prayers, asking God to look after her family and her baby in heaven. Then, just before she said amen, she asked God to send her a new daddy.
"Emma, honey, where did you get this idea about a new daddy? Did you tell Danny something?"
"Momma, Macy Reiner get a new daddy when her daddy moved away, and now she has two daddies. And this boy at the park today, he got a new daddy when his daddy died. So why shouldn't we get a new daddy. Macy gets two daddies. I only want one."
She started crying. Dana leaned down and hugged her.
"Honey, don't cry. I don't know if you'll get a new daddy. I just don't know. But we're going to be okay."
She smoothed her daughter's hair back from her forehead.
"Go to sleep darling. Don't worry about it."
Dana kissed her on the cheek and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders.
"Sleep tight, Em."
"I love you Momma," Emma said sniffling.
"Love you too, baby."
Dana walked out of the room and slowly closed the door. She was walking down the stairs when she heard her cell phone ringing from the bedroom.
"Hello," she answered.
"Scully, it's Mulder." Her breath caught in her throat at the sound of his voice. She hadn't heard it on the phone for so long.
"Mulder," was all she could get out.
"We need to talk."
"When?"
"What are you doing now? You could come over here. We could talk. There's still things that need to be said."
"I'm not doing anything. I just put the kids to bed. Just give me directions."
She wrote down the directions and promised to be there in twenty minutes. She pushed the end call button and just stood there, holding the phone. Then she grabbed her purse off the nightstand and walked down the stairs.
"Where are you going, Dana?" Margaret asked from the den.
"To Mulder's. I'm not sure when I'll be back. The kids are already in bed. I'll check in on them when I get back."
"Ok, be careful dear. I love you."
"Bye mother."