"Wait so you didn't grow up in Darnell?"
"Well I did but then I moved to Syracuse when I was fifteen." Calleigh said.
"So you completely left out an entire chapter of your life." Ashley accused. Calleigh rubbed her forehead with one hand while she held the phone in the other. "So tell me about it."
"Okay I met this kid..."
"Oh my lord Calleigh. You didn't do something stupid did you?"
"This was twelve years ago. He's our age Ash."
"Oh. Well go on. Was he cute?"
"Very. Anyway... we dated until we were twenty."
"He's Sarah's father." Ashley said. "Dull Cal. Why did you call?"
"He's a CSI at the Miami crime lab."
"Oh Calleigh. Get a boyfriend, make him jealous."
"Ashley..."
"Hey, he ran away from you. Don't give into him. Just make him jealous. Believe me. He'll want to forget all about those five years y'all spent together. I gotta go. Brody is getting on my case that I'm not working."
"Bye." Calleigh hung her cell phone up and stared down at the photo album in her lap. She knew Ashley was right, let him go but... Calleigh didn't want to let him go. She walked out of her bedroom and smiled, seeing Sarah forcing Tim to play with a Barbie. She had finally agreed that Sarah needed to know Tim and she took easily to the idea.
---------S/C----------
That night...
"Daddy?"
Tim looked up, still shocked to hear someone calling him that.
"What?"
"Do you love Mommy?"
"Um..." Tim paused for a second. "Why?"
"Just wonderin'." Sarah shrugged.
"Yeah. I do." Tim finally said.
"Why don't you tell her?"
"It's a lot more complicated than it seems Sar. Eat your food."
"I don't like the guy Mommy's with."
Tim did a double take. Guy? Calleigh asked him to take Sarah for the night to hang out with Alexx and Yelina. Guy?
"What guy?" he asked.
"I dunno." Sarah shrugged, biting into her cheeseburger.
"Well you're not being much help." Tim smirked. "Who is he?"
"I think his name is um..."
"His name is um?"
"Daddy," Sarah giggled.
"Hey, don't choke on your food." Tim warned. "Your mom will be very mad at me."
'Not that she isn't already.' he added to himself.
"Jake!" Sarah finally said. "His name is Jake. He's... too happy."
"Jake huh?" Tim leaned back in his chair and popped a french fry into his mouth. He chewed on it for a second then choked on it. "Jake!"
Sarah gave her father a questioning look. Tim smiled, though he wanted to strangle something. Jake Evans was a DNA technician, who Tim noticed, had eyes for Calleigh. But Tim never thought that Calleigh would date him. He had figured they'd get back together but after the past few weeks Tim realized that it was only wishful thinking.
"She went out with him?" Tim asked. Sarah nodded.
"He was in the car when Mommy dropped me off."
"Oh."
---------S/C--------
"Night Sar."
"Night Daddy." Sarah rolled over as Tim shut the light off and closed the door behind him. He went into his living room and sunk back into his leather couch. He couldn't believe it. In two weeks his whole life had changed, in a good way, and now slowly, it was taking a turn for the worst again. Tim knew he was acting stupid. When he and Calleigh were together, they were teenagers.
-------flashback-------
"I thought you were going back to Darnell." Tim said. Calleigh shrugged as they walked, snow crunching under their shoes.
"I was. My mom wants me to stay up here."
"What about you?"
"I'd rather stay away from there. It's a small town and it gets boring after a while. My parents, well my dad can,"
"Sarah's told me about it." Tim interrupted.
"Yeah well Sarah was lucky." Calleigh said bitterly. "Besides I like it a lot better up here. I mean, I'd come and visit. But... that would only be like once a year and... I don't think I could stand being away from you. I mean, everyone."
"Yeah I know what you meant." Tim grinned.
"Oh you're so egotistical!" Calleigh laughed, throwing a snowball at him.
"Hey, watch it!" Tim ducked from her aim and tripped over his shoelace, forcing him to land in the snow. But he grabbed Calleigh and pulled her down with him. She squealed as she landed in the snow next to him. Tim laughed breathlessly and rolled on top of her. "You know, that was very mean. You hurt my feelings."
He gave her a sad look, which made Calleigh burst out laughing.
"Oh please." she drawled.
"What are the guys gonna say when they hear that my girlfriend made me cry?" Tim asked. There was a moment of silence that felt like ages to Tim.
"Is that what I am?" Calleigh asked, ignoring the question.
"I'd like you to be." Tim said quietly. "Cal..."
He dipped his head slightly and Calleigh moved her head, making Tim kiss the snow.
"I'm sorry." he mumbled around a mouthful of snow. He turned his head the other way and spit it out.
----------end---------
Tim chuckled, remembering that day. It didn't really go as planned. The doorbell rang and Tim went to his door, peeking out the peephole. He frowned and opened the door.
"Hi." Calleigh smiled. "I'm sorry if I'm interrupting anything."
"Wha? Uh. No. I was just... thinking, er... remembering." Tim said. "I thought I was keeping her the night."
"Yeah well I felt bad and decided to take her off your hands."
"She's my daughter too Calleigh."
"I know but..."
"You don't trust me?"
"Let me just say I'm surprised she's not bouncing off the walls."
"She's asleep." Tim informed. "Why don't you think I can take care of a kid?"
"Christmas Eve, 1989." Calleigh stated. Tim thought for a second and groaned.
"That was one time."
"Tim, you let your little brother set your Christmas tree on fire."
"He was... like... four..." he mumbled. "So I hear you went out on a date tonight."
"I went out with Alexx."
"Is Alexx six feet tall, painfully blonde with blue eyes, and is named Jake?"
"How much did you pay her?" Calleigh asked.
"I got her a Happy Meal." Tim smirked. "I know a way to a girl's heart."
"That you do." Calleigh murmured.
"You want to come in? Or is Jake waiting downstairs in the car?"
"I can spare a few minutes."