Jack took care of the dishes, shooing both Sam and Gina away when they offered to help. Gina needed to get ready to go, since she was still wearing her pajamas, and Sam could take a chance to relax and read the paper, he said. Really, he just needed a little time alone, although he never would have admitted it to either of them just then.
The zoo. Jack hadn't been to the zoo in years, and there was a very good reason for it. Charlie's favorite place had been the zoo, and Jack had spent more afternoons there than he could even count. Happy afternoons, of course. There was nothing more enjoyable for a parent than to watch your kid running from animal to animal, shouting for you to come see what this critter was doing, or to see what that critter was eating. He'd known all the animals by heart, knew many of them by name, and had spent endless hours in the petting area, cuddling lambs, calves, goats, llamas and every other animal under the sun. Jack hadn't been back since Charlie had died.
He thought about all this as he rinsed dishes and put them into the dishwasher. Tried to sort through his feelings as he cleaned the griddle, and wiped off the tables and counters. He couldn't, though. They were too complex for him to sort, too jumbled for him to straighten into one straight thought or feeling. It was just one of those things he'd have to face as it came to him, and just hope he could face it.
"I'm ready, Jack!"
He was pulled out of his brooding thoughts by Gina's cheerful voice, and Jack turned to look at her, clearing his face of any expression that might have given away the darkness of his thoughts. He was good at that, after all.
"How do I look?" She posed for him, and Jack smiled as he hung up the towel he'd been using.
"You look perfect."
Sam came into the kitchen as well, coming up behind Gina and scooping the little girl up into a hug.
"You're ready?"
Gina squealed happily. "Yup!"
"Then we'd better get going."
She set Gina down and the little girl ran for the door, leaving her and Jack alone for a moment.
"You sure you want to come?" Sam said, softly. "You don't have to."
"It's okay, Sam." He gave her a sad smile, although she was certain he'd intended for it to be a cheerful one. "I like the zoo."
"You're sure?"
He nodded and put his arm around her, walking with her to the door, and stopping just long enough to grab his keys and his wallet.
"I think a day out with my two best gals is just the thing I need after a big breakfast. Don't you, Gina?"
"Yup!"
Sam didn't look quite a convinced as the little girl, but it didn't matter. He'd made his decision, and he wouldn't turn back from it, now.
"We'll take my truck."
.......................
The storm that had rolled through the area the night before left in its wake a beautiful morning. There were very few clouds in the brilliant blue sky, and the air was fresh and clean. It was a little chilly, maybe, but it'd warm up before too long, and the day was far too beautiful to sit inside and wait. Jack loaded Gina into the jump seat behind the passenger seat of hi truck, then watched as she buckled herself in before he moved so Sam could get in as well. As she passed him, Sam reached out and touched him gently. It was just a reminder that she loved him, nothing more. He flashed her a smile, and waited for her to get in before he closed the door behind her, and went around to the driver's side.
"Ready?"
"Yup!"
"You sure?"
"Yup!"
"Positive?"
"Jack!"
"Gina!"
Sam smiled, and Jack started the truck.
They weren't the only ones who'd decided that the zoo was the place to spend a clear bright morning. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was always a bustling place. Jack remembered that from before, and it was no different now, years later. Finding a spot to park took a lot longer than he remembered, and eventually he ended up dropping Sam and Gina at the front gate, and telling them he'd meet them in a bit. He didn't want to wear the little girl out just running in the parking lot, after all. He parked way out in the boontoolies and walked to the entrance where they were waiting for him with passes already in hand. Jack took Gina's left hand, Sam took her right hand, and the three of them went in.
...................
It wasn't as bad as O'Neill had thought it might be. There were only a few times his mind had wandered back into the past, and only a few times that he'd found himself staring bleakly at a particular spot that he and his son had frequented more than others. The elephants had been one of them. While Gina and Sam oohed and ahhed over the big creatures, Jack swallowed a lump when he realized that most of them were the same ones that he and Charlie had oohed and ahhed over. He found he remembered their names, as if he'd been here only yesterday. And that had hurt.
Another spot was the Carousel. It was an impressive thing, with its bright animals and loud music, and it had been another favorite. And now it was another memory that made Jack stop and take a moment while Sam and Gina went on ahead and rode without him.
Sam didn't know for sure what was wrong, but she suspected it was something to do with Charlie, and whenever she saw the faraway haunted look in his eyes, she'd take hold of Gina to distract the girl, and give Jack the space he needed without him asking for it. It didn't happen many times, and it never lasted for too long, and the rest of the time he was wonderful company and it was a wonderful day. He knew the zoo very well, and pointed out things that Gina and Sam would definitely have missed. He even took them over so they could feed the giraffes, something that had enthralled Gina.
Carter had only intended for them to spend the morning there, but with Jack as tour guide pointing out everything around them – and even better, willing to carry Gina on his back or shoulders when she got tired of walking – the three of them spent the entire day there, stopping only for drinks and lunch, and bathroom breaks. The sun was well on its way towards the western part of the sky by the time they finally called it a day and headed for the gates. A short wait while Jack brought the truck to them so a sore-footed Gina and slightly weary Sam wouldn't have to trek across the parking lot, and they were heading for home.
"What's for dinner?" Jack asked as he pulled the truck onto the highway. Might as well ask and see if they needed to stop somewhere.
"I have chicken in the freezer. We can have that." Sam told him. She turned to look at Gina, who was sitting behind Jack this time. "Chicken okay with you, Gina?"
"I love chicken."
"Jack?"
"Are you cooking?"
Sam smiled. "Yup."
"Then chicken sounds great."
He could make a chicken soup in the crock-pot, but that was about it.
The zoo. Jack hadn't been to the zoo in years, and there was a very good reason for it. Charlie's favorite place had been the zoo, and Jack had spent more afternoons there than he could even count. Happy afternoons, of course. There was nothing more enjoyable for a parent than to watch your kid running from animal to animal, shouting for you to come see what this critter was doing, or to see what that critter was eating. He'd known all the animals by heart, knew many of them by name, and had spent endless hours in the petting area, cuddling lambs, calves, goats, llamas and every other animal under the sun. Jack hadn't been back since Charlie had died.
He thought about all this as he rinsed dishes and put them into the dishwasher. Tried to sort through his feelings as he cleaned the griddle, and wiped off the tables and counters. He couldn't, though. They were too complex for him to sort, too jumbled for him to straighten into one straight thought or feeling. It was just one of those things he'd have to face as it came to him, and just hope he could face it.
"I'm ready, Jack!"
He was pulled out of his brooding thoughts by Gina's cheerful voice, and Jack turned to look at her, clearing his face of any expression that might have given away the darkness of his thoughts. He was good at that, after all.
"How do I look?" She posed for him, and Jack smiled as he hung up the towel he'd been using.
"You look perfect."
Sam came into the kitchen as well, coming up behind Gina and scooping the little girl up into a hug.
"You're ready?"
Gina squealed happily. "Yup!"
"Then we'd better get going."
She set Gina down and the little girl ran for the door, leaving her and Jack alone for a moment.
"You sure you want to come?" Sam said, softly. "You don't have to."
"It's okay, Sam." He gave her a sad smile, although she was certain he'd intended for it to be a cheerful one. "I like the zoo."
"You're sure?"
He nodded and put his arm around her, walking with her to the door, and stopping just long enough to grab his keys and his wallet.
"I think a day out with my two best gals is just the thing I need after a big breakfast. Don't you, Gina?"
"Yup!"
Sam didn't look quite a convinced as the little girl, but it didn't matter. He'd made his decision, and he wouldn't turn back from it, now.
"We'll take my truck."
.......................
The storm that had rolled through the area the night before left in its wake a beautiful morning. There were very few clouds in the brilliant blue sky, and the air was fresh and clean. It was a little chilly, maybe, but it'd warm up before too long, and the day was far too beautiful to sit inside and wait. Jack loaded Gina into the jump seat behind the passenger seat of hi truck, then watched as she buckled herself in before he moved so Sam could get in as well. As she passed him, Sam reached out and touched him gently. It was just a reminder that she loved him, nothing more. He flashed her a smile, and waited for her to get in before he closed the door behind her, and went around to the driver's side.
"Ready?"
"Yup!"
"You sure?"
"Yup!"
"Positive?"
"Jack!"
"Gina!"
Sam smiled, and Jack started the truck.
They weren't the only ones who'd decided that the zoo was the place to spend a clear bright morning. Cheyenne Mountain Zoo was always a bustling place. Jack remembered that from before, and it was no different now, years later. Finding a spot to park took a lot longer than he remembered, and eventually he ended up dropping Sam and Gina at the front gate, and telling them he'd meet them in a bit. He didn't want to wear the little girl out just running in the parking lot, after all. He parked way out in the boontoolies and walked to the entrance where they were waiting for him with passes already in hand. Jack took Gina's left hand, Sam took her right hand, and the three of them went in.
...................
It wasn't as bad as O'Neill had thought it might be. There were only a few times his mind had wandered back into the past, and only a few times that he'd found himself staring bleakly at a particular spot that he and his son had frequented more than others. The elephants had been one of them. While Gina and Sam oohed and ahhed over the big creatures, Jack swallowed a lump when he realized that most of them were the same ones that he and Charlie had oohed and ahhed over. He found he remembered their names, as if he'd been here only yesterday. And that had hurt.
Another spot was the Carousel. It was an impressive thing, with its bright animals and loud music, and it had been another favorite. And now it was another memory that made Jack stop and take a moment while Sam and Gina went on ahead and rode without him.
Sam didn't know for sure what was wrong, but she suspected it was something to do with Charlie, and whenever she saw the faraway haunted look in his eyes, she'd take hold of Gina to distract the girl, and give Jack the space he needed without him asking for it. It didn't happen many times, and it never lasted for too long, and the rest of the time he was wonderful company and it was a wonderful day. He knew the zoo very well, and pointed out things that Gina and Sam would definitely have missed. He even took them over so they could feed the giraffes, something that had enthralled Gina.
Carter had only intended for them to spend the morning there, but with Jack as tour guide pointing out everything around them – and even better, willing to carry Gina on his back or shoulders when she got tired of walking – the three of them spent the entire day there, stopping only for drinks and lunch, and bathroom breaks. The sun was well on its way towards the western part of the sky by the time they finally called it a day and headed for the gates. A short wait while Jack brought the truck to them so a sore-footed Gina and slightly weary Sam wouldn't have to trek across the parking lot, and they were heading for home.
"What's for dinner?" Jack asked as he pulled the truck onto the highway. Might as well ask and see if they needed to stop somewhere.
"I have chicken in the freezer. We can have that." Sam told him. She turned to look at Gina, who was sitting behind Jack this time. "Chicken okay with you, Gina?"
"I love chicken."
"Jack?"
"Are you cooking?"
Sam smiled. "Yup."
"Then chicken sounds great."
He could make a chicken soup in the crock-pot, but that was about it.