"Daddy no!" The small blonde child came running out onto the deck shrieking
and laughing, "Behave Daddy! Be good now!"
"Somebody's gonna get it!" came a loud, happy voice from inside the house. "As soon as I find my shoes..."
Four-year-old Amy Lindley laughed at the game. She skipped around the deck and teased, "Daddy's too slow to get me! Too slow! Too Slow! Like a turtle slow!"
"Like a turtle huh? I'll show you!"
The second he stepped onto the deck, Amy squealed again and darted down the stairs to the beach laughing and calling out, "Daj! Save me!"
Jack laughed and called after his two favorite people, "Amy, run! He's coming! Doug, she just had her bath don't let her get filthy!"
"Typical Wednesday night?" asked Andie with a grin.
"More or less. Ever since the day she learned to walk, Amy's favorite thing in the whole world is to have one or both of us chasing her," Jack smiled at his sister. Andie had come back to Capeside for her first visit in over three years. Jack was glad she had finally found the time. Sometimes he forgot how much he missed his sister.
"Wait 'til she gets a car," joked Andie.
"I don't even want to think about it. I can't believe she's growing up as fast as she is!"
From the beach Jack and Andie could hear the echoes of laughter and a small voice calling out, "Daj! Daj! Come on! It's time!"
"What's this Daj business? How come Amy calls Doug Daddy and you Daj? You lose a bet or something?" asked Andie impishly.
Jack smiled, "No, it just sort of happened. We used to refer to each other as Daddy Doug and Daddy Jack and when she started to talk she just shortened it to dah-d and dah-j."
"That's so cute!" laughed Andie
"I know. Plus I like it. I figure if I ever need to go under cover I'll call myself Dodge Smith."
"Why Smith?"
Jack shrugged, "Sounds good."
The small, happy voice called from the beach again, "Daj! Now please! Daj!"
"If, you'll excuse me, I believe I'm being summoned." said Jack as he got up and headed for the stairs to the beach.
"Go for it," replied Andie with a wide smile.
She stood and leaned against the deck railing watching Jack race down to Doug and Amy. For a minute the two men just ran after her as she tore around in circles. Their laughter floated on the breeze up to Andie. Once Jack fell down and Amy ran and jumped right over him. She very nearly ran into the waiting arms of Doug but managed to scoot out of his grasp at the last second. Doug pulled Jack back to his feet and off they went after her. This time however, they circled Amy until she had nowhere to go. Doug made a grab for her but lost his balance and fell into the soft sand. Jack scooped up Amy and hugged and tickled her into submission. Not one to be left out, Doug grabbed Jack and pulled them both down to him. Amy relaxed in Jack's arms and Jack relaxed into Doug's. They sat that way for awhile; the three of them intertwined and watched the sunset.
------------
Later, when everyone was brushed free of sand and tired, Jack carried Amy up to her bedroom. As he tucked her in she asked, "Story please Daj?"
"Amy, seashell, it's late. You don't need a story."
"Oh I do Daj! I do! Just one though."
Jack looked into her big blue eyes that looked so much like Jen's that it took his breath away, "Ok. One story and none of your tricks young lady..." Jack tried to look stern but couldn't hide a small smile.
Amy threw her chubby little arms around Jack's neck and said, "Thanks you! Thanks you!"
Jack untangled her arms and tucked her back into bed, "Now what story do you think? The one about the crazy ham sandwich?" Amy shook her head forcefully. "Maybe the one about the little girl who kept hiding spoons all over the house even though she's been asked not to?" Amy looked a little taken aback but shook her head again. "Hmm, maybe the one about the tax codes in the great state of Massachusetts?"
"No Daj!" Amy shook her head some more and giggled.
"Well, Miss Amy, what story shall it be?"
"The one, the one about Mommy and me!" answered Amy happily as she squeezed her purple stuffed bunny tight.
Jack smiled; this was currently Amy's favorite story. Both he and Doug had told this story dozens of times in the last two months. It seemed to make sense to Amy and it made her feel better.
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess but unlike many princesses, this princess was more than just beautiful. She was also wise and kind and full of spirit. She was also prone to getting into trouble sometimes but she always learned from her mistakes. The princess had some hard times and for a long time she was very sad and lonely. She didn't know about love at all. She hated being lonely more than anything in the world! One day, she rode her big yellow horse away from her sad life and into the arms of her fairy grandmother. The fairy grandmother and the princess didn't know each other well at first but they stuck together. The fairy grandmother loved the princess very much and helped her learn about love. They were a real family just the two of them. And when you are a part of a real family, then you know that you are loved no matter what and they know that you love them no matter what.
"No matter what..." whispered Amy.
"And so the princess was less lonely and there were a few more good times. But still, the bad times would return and the princess had to work very hard to keep them away. Sometimes she thought she only had bad luck and sometimes she thought she was cursed. But deep down inside, she knew that that wasn't true. Deep down, she believed in something very special and powerful. Do you know what that was?"
"Love!" chimed in Amy without hesitation.
"That's right. She believed in love. And that belief gave her hope and made her strong. Time passed and the princess found certain special kinds of love, like the love of learning and the love of friendship. These loves made her strong and brave. But she knew there was something else waiting for her. A big amazing love just for her. She went in search of her big amazing love. A long the way she got hurt by people and things that looked kind of like love but ultimately weren't. Her friends, who loved her very much, worried about her, but she told them that she was fine and that she knew her special love would be worth all the trouble. She just had to find it. A long time passed and still she searched. Her fairy grandmother, who had taught her about love so long ago, got very sick. And for a moment the princess despaired but she held on tight to her belief and courage. She met a charming prince and he said all the right things and did all the right things and she thought that maybe this was her special love. But one day the prince had to go away. It made the princess very, very sad. But she just would not give up! She took care of her fairy grandmother and told herself to be patient just a little longer. And what do you know? The fairy grandmother got well and the princess found the very thing she had been looking for for so long!
"That's me!" said Amy with a sleepy smile.
"That's right! She found you and she was so happy! No one had ever been or ever will be as happy as she was the first time she laid eyes on you. The fairy grandmother and the friends who loved her were happy too! No one could believe that such a beautiful baby could exist outside of stories. But there you were! The princess named you Amy because it means beloved and she knew that she had finally found her perfect destiny – her darling daughter. And she was right – all the trouble and hard times had been worth it! There was much rejoicing and celebration and we thought it would never end.
"But then she went away..." interjected Amy sadly.
"That's right sweetie, she did. She didn't want to, but she did. And that's one of the hardest lesson anyone has to learn. It's hard for you and it's hard for me. It's hard for everybody. But the fact is, life isn't fair. If it was, your mom would be here and we'd all still be dancing and celebrating. But you know what? Your mom was so determined that you would be happy and loved every day of your life that she made sure you had lots of people around you who loved you and would take care of you and you'd never be lonely. She knew no one could take her place but she wanted you to be happy. So she gave you to Daddy and me and she said, "She belongs to you now and you belong to her. Be happy together, for me." And we all cried, your mom and me and you, but I promised her I would take care of you and love you always and forever. And so even though she didn't want to go, she knew you'd be ok.
"I wish she was here..." sighed Amy looking at the picture of Jen that sat on the nightstand next to her bed.
"Me too baby, me too." Jack stood up, hoping Amy wouldn't see the tears in his eye, "I love you seashell." He bent down and kissed the top of her curly blonde head, "You get some sleep."
"I love you too Daj, forever and a-ways."
Jack smiled at the mispronunciation but didn't correct her, "Forever and a- ways Amy."
"See you tomorrow." Amy always said see you tomorrow rather than good night or good bye. No one knew where she picked it up. Amy turned onto her side and snuggled down into the covers. Just before Jack clicked off the bedroom light she whispered it again, "See you tomorrow." And then the picture of her mom disappeared into the dark.
pronounced: dodge
"Somebody's gonna get it!" came a loud, happy voice from inside the house. "As soon as I find my shoes..."
Four-year-old Amy Lindley laughed at the game. She skipped around the deck and teased, "Daddy's too slow to get me! Too slow! Too Slow! Like a turtle slow!"
"Like a turtle huh? I'll show you!"
The second he stepped onto the deck, Amy squealed again and darted down the stairs to the beach laughing and calling out, "Daj! Save me!"
Jack laughed and called after his two favorite people, "Amy, run! He's coming! Doug, she just had her bath don't let her get filthy!"
"Typical Wednesday night?" asked Andie with a grin.
"More or less. Ever since the day she learned to walk, Amy's favorite thing in the whole world is to have one or both of us chasing her," Jack smiled at his sister. Andie had come back to Capeside for her first visit in over three years. Jack was glad she had finally found the time. Sometimes he forgot how much he missed his sister.
"Wait 'til she gets a car," joked Andie.
"I don't even want to think about it. I can't believe she's growing up as fast as she is!"
From the beach Jack and Andie could hear the echoes of laughter and a small voice calling out, "Daj! Daj! Come on! It's time!"
"What's this Daj business? How come Amy calls Doug Daddy and you Daj? You lose a bet or something?" asked Andie impishly.
Jack smiled, "No, it just sort of happened. We used to refer to each other as Daddy Doug and Daddy Jack and when she started to talk she just shortened it to dah-d and dah-j."
"That's so cute!" laughed Andie
"I know. Plus I like it. I figure if I ever need to go under cover I'll call myself Dodge Smith."
"Why Smith?"
Jack shrugged, "Sounds good."
The small, happy voice called from the beach again, "Daj! Now please! Daj!"
"If, you'll excuse me, I believe I'm being summoned." said Jack as he got up and headed for the stairs to the beach.
"Go for it," replied Andie with a wide smile.
She stood and leaned against the deck railing watching Jack race down to Doug and Amy. For a minute the two men just ran after her as she tore around in circles. Their laughter floated on the breeze up to Andie. Once Jack fell down and Amy ran and jumped right over him. She very nearly ran into the waiting arms of Doug but managed to scoot out of his grasp at the last second. Doug pulled Jack back to his feet and off they went after her. This time however, they circled Amy until she had nowhere to go. Doug made a grab for her but lost his balance and fell into the soft sand. Jack scooped up Amy and hugged and tickled her into submission. Not one to be left out, Doug grabbed Jack and pulled them both down to him. Amy relaxed in Jack's arms and Jack relaxed into Doug's. They sat that way for awhile; the three of them intertwined and watched the sunset.
------------
Later, when everyone was brushed free of sand and tired, Jack carried Amy up to her bedroom. As he tucked her in she asked, "Story please Daj?"
"Amy, seashell, it's late. You don't need a story."
"Oh I do Daj! I do! Just one though."
Jack looked into her big blue eyes that looked so much like Jen's that it took his breath away, "Ok. One story and none of your tricks young lady..." Jack tried to look stern but couldn't hide a small smile.
Amy threw her chubby little arms around Jack's neck and said, "Thanks you! Thanks you!"
Jack untangled her arms and tucked her back into bed, "Now what story do you think? The one about the crazy ham sandwich?" Amy shook her head forcefully. "Maybe the one about the little girl who kept hiding spoons all over the house even though she's been asked not to?" Amy looked a little taken aback but shook her head again. "Hmm, maybe the one about the tax codes in the great state of Massachusetts?"
"No Daj!" Amy shook her head some more and giggled.
"Well, Miss Amy, what story shall it be?"
"The one, the one about Mommy and me!" answered Amy happily as she squeezed her purple stuffed bunny tight.
Jack smiled; this was currently Amy's favorite story. Both he and Doug had told this story dozens of times in the last two months. It seemed to make sense to Amy and it made her feel better.
"Once upon a time there was a beautiful princess but unlike many princesses, this princess was more than just beautiful. She was also wise and kind and full of spirit. She was also prone to getting into trouble sometimes but she always learned from her mistakes. The princess had some hard times and for a long time she was very sad and lonely. She didn't know about love at all. She hated being lonely more than anything in the world! One day, she rode her big yellow horse away from her sad life and into the arms of her fairy grandmother. The fairy grandmother and the princess didn't know each other well at first but they stuck together. The fairy grandmother loved the princess very much and helped her learn about love. They were a real family just the two of them. And when you are a part of a real family, then you know that you are loved no matter what and they know that you love them no matter what.
"No matter what..." whispered Amy.
"And so the princess was less lonely and there were a few more good times. But still, the bad times would return and the princess had to work very hard to keep them away. Sometimes she thought she only had bad luck and sometimes she thought she was cursed. But deep down inside, she knew that that wasn't true. Deep down, she believed in something very special and powerful. Do you know what that was?"
"Love!" chimed in Amy without hesitation.
"That's right. She believed in love. And that belief gave her hope and made her strong. Time passed and the princess found certain special kinds of love, like the love of learning and the love of friendship. These loves made her strong and brave. But she knew there was something else waiting for her. A big amazing love just for her. She went in search of her big amazing love. A long the way she got hurt by people and things that looked kind of like love but ultimately weren't. Her friends, who loved her very much, worried about her, but she told them that she was fine and that she knew her special love would be worth all the trouble. She just had to find it. A long time passed and still she searched. Her fairy grandmother, who had taught her about love so long ago, got very sick. And for a moment the princess despaired but she held on tight to her belief and courage. She met a charming prince and he said all the right things and did all the right things and she thought that maybe this was her special love. But one day the prince had to go away. It made the princess very, very sad. But she just would not give up! She took care of her fairy grandmother and told herself to be patient just a little longer. And what do you know? The fairy grandmother got well and the princess found the very thing she had been looking for for so long!
"That's me!" said Amy with a sleepy smile.
"That's right! She found you and she was so happy! No one had ever been or ever will be as happy as she was the first time she laid eyes on you. The fairy grandmother and the friends who loved her were happy too! No one could believe that such a beautiful baby could exist outside of stories. But there you were! The princess named you Amy because it means beloved and she knew that she had finally found her perfect destiny – her darling daughter. And she was right – all the trouble and hard times had been worth it! There was much rejoicing and celebration and we thought it would never end.
"But then she went away..." interjected Amy sadly.
"That's right sweetie, she did. She didn't want to, but she did. And that's one of the hardest lesson anyone has to learn. It's hard for you and it's hard for me. It's hard for everybody. But the fact is, life isn't fair. If it was, your mom would be here and we'd all still be dancing and celebrating. But you know what? Your mom was so determined that you would be happy and loved every day of your life that she made sure you had lots of people around you who loved you and would take care of you and you'd never be lonely. She knew no one could take her place but she wanted you to be happy. So she gave you to Daddy and me and she said, "She belongs to you now and you belong to her. Be happy together, for me." And we all cried, your mom and me and you, but I promised her I would take care of you and love you always and forever. And so even though she didn't want to go, she knew you'd be ok.
"I wish she was here..." sighed Amy looking at the picture of Jen that sat on the nightstand next to her bed.
"Me too baby, me too." Jack stood up, hoping Amy wouldn't see the tears in his eye, "I love you seashell." He bent down and kissed the top of her curly blonde head, "You get some sleep."
"I love you too Daj, forever and a-ways."
Jack smiled at the mispronunciation but didn't correct her, "Forever and a- ways Amy."
"See you tomorrow." Amy always said see you tomorrow rather than good night or good bye. No one knew where she picked it up. Amy turned onto her side and snuggled down into the covers. Just before Jack clicked off the bedroom light she whispered it again, "See you tomorrow." And then the picture of her mom disappeared into the dark.
pronounced: dodge