Chapter One
"Father." The pretty little girl yanked insistently on the man's shirt. He turned smiling and she held up her arms. He took the hint and swung her up, "Daddy? Can I get some candy? The mint kind!"
Her father smiled indulgently and tickled her stomach. She giggled pleading for mercy before tightly winding herself around his neck.
"You want to lose your womanly figure?" He teased running some fingers through the young girl's long, raven hair. She leaned in against him and sighed tired.
"Daddy!" She pursed her lips and looked at him with large, dark hazel eyes.
"Megumi, how about we just go home and I'll buy you some sweets tomorrow before I go back to work? Sound like a deal to you honey?"
Her lips trembled and tears started forming in her eyes. She turned away while still clinging tighter to his neck. He found he could feel her breath flutter as she worked herself up. Sighing softly to himself he went into tantrum prevention mode. Not for the first time he wished the girl's mother hadn't left him with a four year old daughter. Even now, two years later.
A slight sniffle rippled through the small frame and her voice was choked up, "You promised! No more work."
"Sweetie, Daddy has to work. Otherwise we would have no money. I'm very sorry that our weekend is cut short, but Daddy has responsibilities."
"I'm a responsibility!" Megumi sobbed. He was surprised at how accurately she hit the nail on the head.
He sighe, hugging her to him. Her small body was tense with mild anger, but after a few seconds she melted into him. Her anger, dangerous when raised, was thankfully short lived. Provided one knew how to defuse it properly.
"You had fun today though, right? So why don't you focus on what a great time we had at the amusement park." He suggested. Something that sounded suspiciously like a cynical snort issued from deep within his shoulder.
Once they were in his navy blue Toyota Camry and she was all buckled in she decided to talk again. He sighed again; she was learning the game of getting-what-I-want a bit too well. Only the fact that she lacks patience and polish saved him. Her mother was exactly the same way.
"Daddy, can I have a puppy?" She glared at him as though he ought to get her a puppy just to make her happy. Like it was his fault she couldn't understand he had to work. Being a doctor was not something that could be put on hold. People's lives depended on him.
He checked his mirrors before clipping his seat belt and easing the car into reverse. The car slid easily out of the confining parking space and he nudged it through the rows of other waiting cars. Tapping the brake at the toll booth he dug out his parking ticket and paid the five dollar fee. Gently touching the gas he pulled into mainstream traffic. Flicking on the radio soft jazz filled the vehicle.
"Daddy? So can I?" A little voice piped up from the back insistently.
He jerked out of his thoughts and answered, "What?"
He risked a glance in the rearview mirror only to see her face screwed up in childish annoyance.
"A puppy Daddy!" Her voice was chiding as if that should be the only thing on his mind. She continued on, "A nice, cute one. Really fluffy like a little teddy bear! Ann's doggie had puppies, she said I could have one if you said yes."
He should have known she had a plan. She was amazingly canny for a six year old.
"Ann's dog is a Pomeranian. They aren't very nice puppies." He replied, and mentally added, not for little girls anyway.
"But Daddy..."
"Remember responsibilities? A dog is a big one. I don't have time to take care of one for you."
She was silent for a moment before her quivering was barely heard above the soft jazz, "Like me? You don't want me because you don't have time to take care of me..."
He knew he had to pull over right away and set her straight. Her weak accusation struck through him painfully because, wasn't it true, if only slightly? Did he regret her? Wished she wasn't so needy, wished she was like a plant? A bit of water, some sunlight to make her grow, no love required, no time taken. Wasn't parenthood supposed to be joy, shouldn't he be unfailingly grateful to see his little girl grow up? Imagine if her mother had taken his baby away, he'd never see her again. How dare he even let the slightest thought of her being a hindrance!
Pulling the car into an empty parking lot he placed it in park and flicked the engine off. Abruptly the music cut off with the silent purr of the car's engine leaving only soft sobs from the back.
He ripped off the seat belt and opened the door. That was as far as he ever got.
"Father." The pretty little girl yanked insistently on the man's shirt. He turned smiling and she held up her arms. He took the hint and swung her up, "Daddy? Can I get some candy? The mint kind!"
Her father smiled indulgently and tickled her stomach. She giggled pleading for mercy before tightly winding herself around his neck.
"You want to lose your womanly figure?" He teased running some fingers through the young girl's long, raven hair. She leaned in against him and sighed tired.
"Daddy!" She pursed her lips and looked at him with large, dark hazel eyes.
"Megumi, how about we just go home and I'll buy you some sweets tomorrow before I go back to work? Sound like a deal to you honey?"
Her lips trembled and tears started forming in her eyes. She turned away while still clinging tighter to his neck. He found he could feel her breath flutter as she worked herself up. Sighing softly to himself he went into tantrum prevention mode. Not for the first time he wished the girl's mother hadn't left him with a four year old daughter. Even now, two years later.
A slight sniffle rippled through the small frame and her voice was choked up, "You promised! No more work."
"Sweetie, Daddy has to work. Otherwise we would have no money. I'm very sorry that our weekend is cut short, but Daddy has responsibilities."
"I'm a responsibility!" Megumi sobbed. He was surprised at how accurately she hit the nail on the head.
He sighe, hugging her to him. Her small body was tense with mild anger, but after a few seconds she melted into him. Her anger, dangerous when raised, was thankfully short lived. Provided one knew how to defuse it properly.
"You had fun today though, right? So why don't you focus on what a great time we had at the amusement park." He suggested. Something that sounded suspiciously like a cynical snort issued from deep within his shoulder.
Once they were in his navy blue Toyota Camry and she was all buckled in she decided to talk again. He sighed again; she was learning the game of getting-what-I-want a bit too well. Only the fact that she lacks patience and polish saved him. Her mother was exactly the same way.
"Daddy, can I have a puppy?" She glared at him as though he ought to get her a puppy just to make her happy. Like it was his fault she couldn't understand he had to work. Being a doctor was not something that could be put on hold. People's lives depended on him.
He checked his mirrors before clipping his seat belt and easing the car into reverse. The car slid easily out of the confining parking space and he nudged it through the rows of other waiting cars. Tapping the brake at the toll booth he dug out his parking ticket and paid the five dollar fee. Gently touching the gas he pulled into mainstream traffic. Flicking on the radio soft jazz filled the vehicle.
"Daddy? So can I?" A little voice piped up from the back insistently.
He jerked out of his thoughts and answered, "What?"
He risked a glance in the rearview mirror only to see her face screwed up in childish annoyance.
"A puppy Daddy!" Her voice was chiding as if that should be the only thing on his mind. She continued on, "A nice, cute one. Really fluffy like a little teddy bear! Ann's doggie had puppies, she said I could have one if you said yes."
He should have known she had a plan. She was amazingly canny for a six year old.
"Ann's dog is a Pomeranian. They aren't very nice puppies." He replied, and mentally added, not for little girls anyway.
"But Daddy..."
"Remember responsibilities? A dog is a big one. I don't have time to take care of one for you."
She was silent for a moment before her quivering was barely heard above the soft jazz, "Like me? You don't want me because you don't have time to take care of me..."
He knew he had to pull over right away and set her straight. Her weak accusation struck through him painfully because, wasn't it true, if only slightly? Did he regret her? Wished she wasn't so needy, wished she was like a plant? A bit of water, some sunlight to make her grow, no love required, no time taken. Wasn't parenthood supposed to be joy, shouldn't he be unfailingly grateful to see his little girl grow up? Imagine if her mother had taken his baby away, he'd never see her again. How dare he even let the slightest thought of her being a hindrance!
Pulling the car into an empty parking lot he placed it in park and flicked the engine off. Abruptly the music cut off with the silent purr of the car's engine leaving only soft sobs from the back.
He ripped off the seat belt and opened the door. That was as far as he ever got.