Chapter Two: Losing His Little Girl
Ross and Rachels
Later that night, Ross stepped inside the apartment and crashed onto the couch. He was exhausted, but that was old news, considering he always worked overtime.
God, I hope Rach isn't upset, Ross thought. However, it came as no surprise when he heard the bedroom door shut behind him and his furious wife storming out.
"You're late," said Rachel smugly.
Ross immediately started apologizing. His mouth seemed to be overflowing with sentences pleading for forgiveness. Phrases such as: 'I didn't have a choice, the money was good', 'Rach, honey, I thought you would understand', and 'Come on, what do you want me to do to make it up to you?' were said repeatedly.
"Sweetheart, you know I wouldn't try to upset you or Summer," Ross said sweetly.
"Then how come you did?" she spat in reply.
"I..I.I don't know, I really didn't mean too honey. Please, please, I promise I'll never let you guys down again," he pleaded.
"That's all it is, Ross! Promises, promises, promises! I'm sick of you making promises when you don't really mean them!" yelled Rachel, almost in tears.
Ross looked down at his shoes like an abused puppy. If he knew that he was going to end up hurting Rachel, he wouldn't have spent so much time at work. Why couldn't she understand that?
Rachel continued, "Do you realize that your daughter hasn't seen you for over fifteen minutes the past month!? She doesn't understand who her father is anymore, Ross; and I can hardly blame her. Do you know what she said to Chandler yesterday?"
Ross squinted his eyes, "I really could pass on hearing that..."
"She asked him to tie her shoe, but she called him 'daddy'. Do you understand how confused she was when she finally realized that it was her Uncle Chandler looking back at her?" Rachel cried, remembering that moment which had taken place only a few days ago.
Flashback (a few days ago)
Ross and Rachel's
Chandler knocked on the door of Ross and Rachel's apartment.
"MOOMMMY!" Summer screamed from the living room.
"One sec, sweetie, Mommy's taking a shower," Rachel replied. "Could you be a big girl and answer the door, please?"
Summer smiled happily, "Sure, Mommy."
She skipped across the room to the front door. I love being treated like a big girl, she thought to herself.
"Hey, Summer, it's your Uncle Chandler," said a voice on the other side of the door.
"How can I be sure that you're really my Uncle Chandler?" inquired his niece.
God, why did her mother have to teach her to be so cautious? Chandler questioned himself.
"I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable around people," Chandler replied.
In an instant the door snapped open, and Summer leaped into her Uncle's arms.
"Are you going to daycare today, Summer?" asked Chandler.
"Yep, I'm ALL ready, except I need to get on my sneakers. Will you help me tie my shoelaces, daddy?" she asked sweetly.
Chandler's face turned pale, and just as he was about to open his mouth in reply, he noticed Rachel standing behind him.
"Honey, what did you just say?" Rachel asked her daughter.
Summer turned to face her mother, "I was just asking Daddy," she turned around to designate Ross as her father, when she stopped mid-sentence to notice that she was staring at her Uncle Chandler. The young girl snapped her head around and looked helplessly at her mother, then once more at her Uncle.
"I..I, I didn't me..mean to," Summer stammered, as she started to cry.
"Sweety," Rachel started to console her daughter, but noticed her running back towards her bedroom sobbing.
End of Flashback
"Honey, I'm so sorry, I..I didn't know," Ross said, apparently shocked.
"Don't tell me Ross, go tell your daughter," said Rachel sadly.
"She's still awake? Honey, I know we decided to start treating her like a big girl, but I think this is taking it a bit too far," Ross said in a serious tone.
"Last time I checked she was reminiscing her childhood memory book," Rachel said.
"I.. g... guess I'll see her, then," Ross said, obviously ashamed.
He turned towards Summer's room, when Rachel spoke; "Ross, honey, I'm sorry I got so mad, I just want our daughter to understand how much her father loves her."
"Come here, baby, I knew you were just thinking about the best things for our little girl," Ross said, embracing her in his arms and kissing her neck softly. He ran his hands through her thick, dirty blonde hair, and gently rubbed her face.
"I'll be in.. ecch.emm... the bedroom," said Rachel, winking at him, then softly closing their bedroom door.
Ross nervously approached his daughter's room. With shaking, sweaty hands, he turned the doorknob and quietly opened the door. There she was... his little angel. He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was over the past month. She looked just like her mother, but had his smile. Watching her there, her breathing slow and steady, he was almost relieved that she was still asleep. He never wanted to hurt his daughter, and it pained him to confess that he had upset her.
However, he felt he needed to express his thoughts, rid himself of the guiltiness. So, he slowly knelt beside her bedside, and stroked the side of her face lovingly.
"Summer, sweetheart... I know you can't hear me right now, but... I just had to tell you how sorry I am. You're my angel, and I never meant to hurt you. I just wish you could understand how much I love you, and how much you mean to me. Every morning," Ross started to get teary. "Every morning... I wake up realizing that I have the most beautiful, caring daughter in the world. And I always want to make you happy. But I guess that, lately, I haven't been really thinking about you, honey. I've been too busy worrying about myself, and being a selfish loser. I...I. I, just wish you knew how special you are to me.." he turned away and started to cry.
"I know, Daddy," said a quiet voice behind him.
"Honey, I thought you were asleep?" Ross said, wiping away the tears from his eyes.
"Oh, Daddy, it's taken you such a long time for you to catch on to my sleeping acts. I'm a pro now," she giggled.
"Do you forgive me, Sunshine?" Ross asked, holding his breath.
"Yes, Daddy, I love you," the little girl replied forgivingly.
Ross squeezed his daughter, wishing he could stay in that moment forever. Tears of joy started to slide down his face. Little did he know that his wife was right outside the door, doing just the same.
Ross and Rachels
Later that night, Ross stepped inside the apartment and crashed onto the couch. He was exhausted, but that was old news, considering he always worked overtime.
God, I hope Rach isn't upset, Ross thought. However, it came as no surprise when he heard the bedroom door shut behind him and his furious wife storming out.
"You're late," said Rachel smugly.
Ross immediately started apologizing. His mouth seemed to be overflowing with sentences pleading for forgiveness. Phrases such as: 'I didn't have a choice, the money was good', 'Rach, honey, I thought you would understand', and 'Come on, what do you want me to do to make it up to you?' were said repeatedly.
"Sweetheart, you know I wouldn't try to upset you or Summer," Ross said sweetly.
"Then how come you did?" she spat in reply.
"I..I.I don't know, I really didn't mean too honey. Please, please, I promise I'll never let you guys down again," he pleaded.
"That's all it is, Ross! Promises, promises, promises! I'm sick of you making promises when you don't really mean them!" yelled Rachel, almost in tears.
Ross looked down at his shoes like an abused puppy. If he knew that he was going to end up hurting Rachel, he wouldn't have spent so much time at work. Why couldn't she understand that?
Rachel continued, "Do you realize that your daughter hasn't seen you for over fifteen minutes the past month!? She doesn't understand who her father is anymore, Ross; and I can hardly blame her. Do you know what she said to Chandler yesterday?"
Ross squinted his eyes, "I really could pass on hearing that..."
"She asked him to tie her shoe, but she called him 'daddy'. Do you understand how confused she was when she finally realized that it was her Uncle Chandler looking back at her?" Rachel cried, remembering that moment which had taken place only a few days ago.
Flashback (a few days ago)
Ross and Rachel's
Chandler knocked on the door of Ross and Rachel's apartment.
"MOOMMMY!" Summer screamed from the living room.
"One sec, sweetie, Mommy's taking a shower," Rachel replied. "Could you be a big girl and answer the door, please?"
Summer smiled happily, "Sure, Mommy."
She skipped across the room to the front door. I love being treated like a big girl, she thought to herself.
"Hey, Summer, it's your Uncle Chandler," said a voice on the other side of the door.
"How can I be sure that you're really my Uncle Chandler?" inquired his niece.
God, why did her mother have to teach her to be so cautious? Chandler questioned himself.
"I make jokes when I'm uncomfortable around people," Chandler replied.
In an instant the door snapped open, and Summer leaped into her Uncle's arms.
"Are you going to daycare today, Summer?" asked Chandler.
"Yep, I'm ALL ready, except I need to get on my sneakers. Will you help me tie my shoelaces, daddy?" she asked sweetly.
Chandler's face turned pale, and just as he was about to open his mouth in reply, he noticed Rachel standing behind him.
"Honey, what did you just say?" Rachel asked her daughter.
Summer turned to face her mother, "I was just asking Daddy," she turned around to designate Ross as her father, when she stopped mid-sentence to notice that she was staring at her Uncle Chandler. The young girl snapped her head around and looked helplessly at her mother, then once more at her Uncle.
"I..I, I didn't me..mean to," Summer stammered, as she started to cry.
"Sweety," Rachel started to console her daughter, but noticed her running back towards her bedroom sobbing.
End of Flashback
"Honey, I'm so sorry, I..I didn't know," Ross said, apparently shocked.
"Don't tell me Ross, go tell your daughter," said Rachel sadly.
"She's still awake? Honey, I know we decided to start treating her like a big girl, but I think this is taking it a bit too far," Ross said in a serious tone.
"Last time I checked she was reminiscing her childhood memory book," Rachel said.
"I.. g... guess I'll see her, then," Ross said, obviously ashamed.
He turned towards Summer's room, when Rachel spoke; "Ross, honey, I'm sorry I got so mad, I just want our daughter to understand how much her father loves her."
"Come here, baby, I knew you were just thinking about the best things for our little girl," Ross said, embracing her in his arms and kissing her neck softly. He ran his hands through her thick, dirty blonde hair, and gently rubbed her face.
"I'll be in.. ecch.emm... the bedroom," said Rachel, winking at him, then softly closing their bedroom door.
Ross nervously approached his daughter's room. With shaking, sweaty hands, he turned the doorknob and quietly opened the door. There she was... his little angel. He had almost forgotten how beautiful she was over the past month. She looked just like her mother, but had his smile. Watching her there, her breathing slow and steady, he was almost relieved that she was still asleep. He never wanted to hurt his daughter, and it pained him to confess that he had upset her.
However, he felt he needed to express his thoughts, rid himself of the guiltiness. So, he slowly knelt beside her bedside, and stroked the side of her face lovingly.
"Summer, sweetheart... I know you can't hear me right now, but... I just had to tell you how sorry I am. You're my angel, and I never meant to hurt you. I just wish you could understand how much I love you, and how much you mean to me. Every morning," Ross started to get teary. "Every morning... I wake up realizing that I have the most beautiful, caring daughter in the world. And I always want to make you happy. But I guess that, lately, I haven't been really thinking about you, honey. I've been too busy worrying about myself, and being a selfish loser. I...I. I, just wish you knew how special you are to me.." he turned away and started to cry.
"I know, Daddy," said a quiet voice behind him.
"Honey, I thought you were asleep?" Ross said, wiping away the tears from his eyes.
"Oh, Daddy, it's taken you such a long time for you to catch on to my sleeping acts. I'm a pro now," she giggled.
"Do you forgive me, Sunshine?" Ross asked, holding his breath.
"Yes, Daddy, I love you," the little girl replied forgivingly.
Ross squeezed his daughter, wishing he could stay in that moment forever. Tears of joy started to slide down his face. Little did he know that his wife was right outside the door, doing just the same.