"Hello," said a man wearing a United States Naval Officer's uniform at the front door, "I'm sorry to disturb you at this hour. I'm looking for a Miss Paige Matthews. I was told she lives here."
"I'm Paige Matthews," said Paige.
"Do you work for the Bay Area Social Services?" asked the man.
"Yes," said Paige. "I'm a social worker there."
"My mother gave me your address," said the man. "My name is Lieutenant Carl Porter. And I understand you're handling a case for an Amanda Kriegg."
"Yes," said Paige. "Are you connected to the case in some way?"
"You might say that," said Lieutenant Porter. "Amanda is my daughter."
Everyone just stared at the man in amazement. Paige invited him in and they all went into the living room. Paige introduced everyone to Porter, introducing Patrick only as a "friend of the family".
"Well," said Porter, "it's a little complicated. Madelaine, Amanda's mother, and I were involved for a couple of years. But she had trouble accepting the fact that I kept getting sent overseas. A little over five years ago, when I got assigned to an aircraft carrier, she couldn't take it anymore and broke it off. I never heard from her again."
"So how do you know you're Amanda's father?" asked Phoebe.
"Apparently," said Porter, pulling an envelope out of his pocket, "she wrote and told me. She said I at least had a right to know I had a daughter. Unfortunately the letter got lost in the mail system and I never received it."
He handed the letter to Paige.
"A short time back," he continued, "it was found and forwarded to me. That's the first I learned I had a daughter. When my ship got into San Diego, I took leave and came right here to find them. That's when I found out Madelaine had died. My mother lives in San Francisco and when I visited her, she told me about what was going on with Amanda."
"He seems to be telling the truth," said Paige, after reading the letter. "This letter is dated just after Amanda's birth. And it does say that he's Amanda's father."
"Yes," said Porter. "As I said, I only recently received this letter. Anyway, my mother tells me you need proof of her claim to be Amanda's grandmother. As Amanda's father, I'm willing to submit to any test the judge will accept to prove I'm her father. And that my mother is her biological grandmother."
"That shouldn't be hard," said Paige. "A simple DNA test would prove you're Amanda's father."
"She also gave me this," said Porter, pulling another piece of paper out of his pocket and handing it to Paige. "I guess she figured I should have this, too."
Paige looked at the paper and broke out in a big smile.
"It's a birth certificate," she explained to the others. "Listing Mr. Porter as Amanda's father. And it's a certified copy. Not even Judge Carter can argue with this."
"More than that," said Cole. "Amanda's grandmother doesn't have to petition for custody of Amanda. Under the law, if the biological mother dies, custody automatically reverts to the biological father. Once a DNA test proves that he's Amanda's father, he'll be able to walk out of the courtroom with her."
"Are you a lawyer?" asked Porter.
"Kind of," said Cole. "I haven't practiced for a while."
"Cole's right," said Paige. "As the biological father, you get custody automatically. I'll talk to one of the lawyers first thing in the morning. We'll make arrangements for a DNA test. Can you be in court in the morning? To tell the judge what you just told us?"
"Sure," said Porter. "If it means a chance to get custody of my daughter, I'll be there."
"Great," said Paige. "Your mother can make sure you're in the right place at the right time. I'll go into work early tomorrow and make the arrangements with one of the lawyers. Mind if I keep these? The lawyer will want to see them."
"Sure," said Porter. "Just be careful with them. They're all I have left of Madelaine. Besides Amanda, of course."
"Okay," said Paige. "Do you have a car?"
"Yes," said Porter. "My mother let me borrow hers."
"Up for a little ride?" asked Paige. "It's kind of late, but under the circumstances, I don't think Amanda's foster parents will object to a visitor. So, feel up to meeting your daughter?"
"Yes," said Porter, smiling. "Absolutely."
"I'll be back soon," said Paige. She leaned over and kissed Patrick on the cheek. "And thanks. This is more than I ever hoped for."
"My pleasure, darlin'," said Patrick, smiling.
After Paige and Porter had left, Piper looked at Patrick.
"Well now," said Patrick, anticipating her question, "she asked for something incontrovertible. Any piece of paper, no matter how well documented, can be contested. This way, there can be no question who is the wee ones father. Besides, every girl should be having her father around."
Piper kissed Patrick on the cheek.
"It seems I misjudged you, Patrick," said Piper. "I'm sorry about that. And that myopic dwarf comment? I'm sorry about that, too. I should never have said it."
"Well now," said Patrick, removing his square framed spectacles, "I am just a bit myopic. That's why I wear these. And in my day we were called dwarves. It wasn't considered an insult. So from a certain perspective, I suppose I am a myopic dwarf."
"Still," said Piper, "it was wrong of me and I'm sorry."
"Apology accepted, darlin'," said Patrick. "Oh, now I'm the one who's sorry."
"Don't worry about it," said Piper. "I guess I understand that those little terms of endearment are just your way of talking."
"That it is," said Patrick. "And as far as the insult goes, I have to tell you it was really rather bush league, so to speak. You should hear some of the things I've been called. Some I would not be able to repeat in the presence of such pretty young ladies.
"I suppose it's time I should be on me way. Quite a number of people out there that be needing me help, don't you know? And it's been some four years that I've been cooped up here waiting for you to fine me chest."
"Where are you off to?" asked Phoebe.
"It seems there's a young boy in Texas," said Patrick. "Needs some medical treatment which his parents can't afford. I'm thinking it's time that his mother found a small chest of gold in her garden out behind the house."
With that, Patrick went into the kitchen, picked up his chest under one arm, and then tipped an imaginary hat to the girls. Then, smiling, he simply vanished from the kitchen.
"Well, that was one interesting evening," said Phoebe.
"Very," said Piper. "I just hope we don't have any more unwanted guests dropping by to offer us any more wishes."
"I doubt that will be happening any time soon," said Leo. "Leprechauns' almost never visit the same place twice. As a rule, only one wish to a customer."
"Good," said Piper. "I've had all the wishes I can stand for one lifetime."
The End
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