D.J. and Stephanie had been doing homework in their rooms. Now, they peeked out, to see their dad actually putting Michelle - dressed in sweats over her bathing suit - in her room for timeout. It was just like D.J. had been doing for over a year. It was very hard for both, for Danny because he'd waited so long, for Michelle because she was used to always getting away with things if he caught her, and not being punished, unlike when her sisters caught her. She'd seemed to sense something like this would happen, though, with the butterfly kisses she'd been giving Danny as he carried her upstairs.
With a mix of sadness and relief that Danny was finally doing his job, the girls walked up to him in the hallway.
"Deej, I'm glad you're here," Danny said, relieved. It was still hard for him - he still wished Pam was there to help. And, that made him think about how sad Michelle was, and sadness reminded him of Pam, which made him think of the loss, since Michelle had that great smile and laugh of Pam's. It was a vicious cycle he knew would come the first time he punished Michelle, and he just had to fight it.
"Look, Deej, would you watch the door…awww, look at those cute fingers sticking out from under the door."
"Michelle, you know to go when I send you," D.J. said simply but firmly. "It's Daddy's turn now to punish you when you're naughty. You obey him like you have me." The fingers left.
After a moment, his heart melting thinking about the whimpering girl behind the door, Danny said, "Thanks, Deej, for being here for me." He knew she'd done it herself, and struggled a little the first time. But, she wasn't doing it while feeling alone like he was. At least with D.J. standing there to help, it lessened the blow of not having the woman he'd hoped to spend fifty, maybe seventy years with. It was so hard for him, seeing Michelle as a big girl, and not as the baby she was when Pam was alive. Things would be so much easier with Pam - they always had been.
"It wasn't going to get any easier," Stephanie stated truthfully. Indeed, even their Uncle Jesse had said Michelle was out of control. While he normally could talk to Michelle in a motherly way, sweetly yet firmly, about her behavior, and she'd listen, she hadn't the last coupe times he'd tried. Now, however, he would be able to again. At least, for a couple years, till she realized Jesse would never enforce rules either, just play around and tickle her.
"I know. Maybe it would have been easier doing it right away, instead of waiting this long. The longer I waited, I thought it would be easier, but…well, I'm glad you made me do it now. I know, it's been harder with school starting up again, and you want to do a lot with the school paper. And, as you say, it is my turn, huh? Look, wait there while I put on some dry shoes and socks." He'd stepped into the wading pool which Michelle had brought into the house and filled; she was in timeout for disobeying Danny after he'd said it was too cold, and for bringing it into the house.
The older sisters waited, and told Jesse what had happened as he came upstairs.
"Oh great, thanks, I'll go tell Joey. Right now I hafta write a check to Kimmy, of all people. You know that National Liver Council ad we had to do? Well, we tricked Kimmy into taking a bite for the ad on camera, thinking she'd hate it, and she didn't. We didn't need to put a lid on the plate again and do a second take, but she wouldn't have minded if we did." He shook his head and went into his room to get the company checkbook. "Figures she'd like something that disgusting," he said, the look on his face showing just how bad he thought liver was.
Once Danny came back, D.J. reported, "I told Uncle Jesse, he's telling Joey. We didn't hear a peep from her."
"She knows we mean business."
"Well, thanks, Steph, I…" Danny opened the door to see Michelle on her bed, head in hands, looking very sad. "Oh, honey, I'm sorry I sent…no, I can do this myself. Although, I'm glad you're here, Deej."
"Hey, no problem. It's a big load off my mind."
Danny understood. He realized, however, that Michelle needed D.J. here, too. D.J. was still the one who had always done it, and there needed to be something of a smooth transition. It seemed, however, like there would be one now. And, D.J. would be needed less and less to help Danny.
He asked if Michelle understood why he'd punished her, and she did. "No swimming in the kitchen."
"Well…" The girls agreed as Danny let Michelle out of her punishment. Before letting her go downstairs, he added, "Yes. That's part of it." All went downstairs. Once they were in the kitchen, as Kimmy sat at the table, and Jesse and Joey returned from emptying the pool outside, Danny continued. "You didn't listen to what I told you about not swimming today. And, I know why; you hadn't had to before, unless D.J. was there to make you if you decided not to listen. But, the truth is, Michelle, D.J. reacted when things got bad because she knew I wasn't ready to see you as my big girl. She did things just the way I should have done them. Only, now it'll be me setting limits, and punishing you by putting you in your room, or taking away some privilege if I have to."
"You got it, Dude," Michelle said sadly, holding up a thumb.
Danny wasn't sure if he wanted to correct this or not - it wasn't very polite for someone who had just been punished to say. But, he never corrected her "bad attitude." Jesse and Joey also looked unsure of how to respond.
"Do you want to get her to respond nicely?"
"Yeah, yeah, thanks, Deej." Jesse broke out of his momentary confusion, and said, "See, it's like this Michelle, this is how you should talk." He turned to Joey and smiled sweetly, knowing Michelle wouldn't know the real meaning of the big words. "Joseph, there's an absolutely revolting piece of liver that I just know you, my dear friend, will find positively disgusting. Won't you please eat it?"
Joey talked much more sweetly, shaking his head with a huge fake grin while patting Jesse on the shoulder. "Oh, no, thank you, Jesse. I appreciate the offer of being able to barely digest that repulsive looking meat that reminds me of old shoe leather. I insist that you, my good friend, sample that atrocious food."
Jesse got an even bigger phony grin and returned the pat on the shoulder. "Oh, thank you, Joseph, but I could never take away my dear partner's chance to consume that vile and disgusting liver. It's just sitting out there waiting for you."
"What? You left a piece of meat out to rot in my...!" Danny caught himself, remembering who he was doing this for. He went from the shocked, eyes bulging look to a silly grin and an extra sweet voice. "I mean, gentlemen, while you debate who will eat the rest of that dreadful meal, I must insist that you please put it in the refrigerator so it won't spoil and look worse than it already does."
"Are they nuts?" Michelle could tell they were faking it.
"Michelle," D.J. explained, "what they're trying to do is to get you to stop saying 'you got it, Dude' when they correct you, just like I correct you when you say it. You should say 'Yes, Daddy.'"
"Oh. Yes, Daddy," she uttered politely.
All three men breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Oh, thank goodness," Jesse spouted. "I don't think we could have held on much longer talking about that liver."
"So, how'd you get suckered into that one, anyway?" Kimmy asked.
"Well, we heard they needed us to do an ad, and I jumped at it, thinking it was an organization that fought liver disease or something," Joey enlightened her. "I figured it had to do with the body part."
"That's what it looks like," Jesse said.
Stephanie couldn't resist a chance to tease Kimmy. "Of course, you probably don't even know there is a body part called that."
"Hey, watch it, squirt, I happen to know the liver is a very important part of the body." Not being content to sound intelligent, Kimmy continued. "It's what makes you live, that's why they call it that."
Kimmy turned her attention to D.J. next. "So, Michelle really wasn't allowed to have a pool party in the kitchen? I guess that makes sense. You people don't do things like roller blade in the house like my family does. Sorry I helped get you in trouble for that," she told Michelle.
"What do you mean?" Jesse wanted to know.
"Well, I came looking for D.J., and when I came in the back door, Squirt Junior here was dragging the hose in to fill her pool. I figured she might make a mess, so I asked if she was allowed to do that in here. She said she was, so I filled the pool for her, and then checked the basement. That's when you two saw me and got me to do that ad," she said to Jesse and Joey.
"You listened to her!" Danny asked incredulously.
"Kimmy," D.J. said, trying to sound diplomatic as they prepared to leave the kitchen, "the next time a three-year-old tells you they're allowed to have a pool party in the kitchen, don't believe them."
With her familiar shrug, Kimmy spoke as they left. "Whatever you say, Deej. You've always had good advice for when I was babysitting. Like what you told me this summer after you had to come get me untied…"
For a moment, the men, Stephanie, and Michelle stared at the door Kimmy and D.J. had gone through. Jesse finally said, "I don't really want to know what those kids did, do you?" Everyone else shook their heads.
"I'm just glad our little princess will never be like that," Danny said as he picked her up.
The rest of the day passed rather uneventfully, except for Michelle testing the limits a few times. She didn't outright disobey Danny yet, though, as she was a little timid about what would happen now that he was punishing her.
However, she was still a little out of control, and she was especially anxious to see if the limit extended to bedtime. She had gotten totally out of having a bedtime the previous night. So, once she'd gotten her bath, donned her purple nightie, and been put to bed, she got up again.
After the men tried for a while to get her to stay in bed, Danny knew he had to go to D.J. for help. He wanted to show Michelle he was in charge - indeed, he'd wanted to since she was two, and he was explaining to her - with D.J.'s help - that he was simply letting D.J. punish her. He just hadn't been ready to do all that the boss had to do, so had turned to the most Pam-like replacement there was for that part of the mission, just as he'd trusted Jesse and Joey to help with everything else.
If she saw him going to D.J. now, though, she might start to wonder if D.J. was the real boss. And, while things hadn't been that hard for D.J., he knew they still could be if she had to back him up every time like she had earlier today. Doing it sometimes was important - and would be for a few months after this, until she started using dares for her chores and privileges as a sort of backup for Danny, and until he got totally used to punishing Michelle himself.
But, for now, he wanted to look totally natural. So, after taking her back to bed once, he stopped talking to her as Michelle sat on the couch watching TV. "Guys, let's take a break, I'm going to go dust D.J.'s room."
"What!" Jesse and Joey followed him out to the kitchen, where he grabbed a dust rag. "How can you think about cleaning at a time like this? I mean, I know you always think about cleaning, but isn't there something more important right now?" Jesse asked for both of them.
"Look guys, it's not the fact I'm cleaning, it's where I'm cleaning," Danny said in a low voice, so Michelle couldn't overhear if she walked in. She wouldn't have anyway, though, she was sitting down, happily watching the Discovery Channel well past her bedtime.
Jesse and Joey slowly nodded their understanding as Danny walked up the back staircase.
He knocked - when D.J. said to come in, as both older girls had their pajamas on, Danny stepped inside with the dust rag, then looked behind him. "Good, the coast is clear," he said before closing the door behind him. "I figured I'd look natural if I came in with a dust rag."
"That part I get," Stephanie said while reading in bed. D.J. was checking her homework at their table. "But, why?"
"Well, it's Michelle. She got up and won't go back to bed."
"And, you need my help? I thought we went over this. You were going to be the boss now," D.J. said.
"I know, Deej, but this is so tough and new for me yet. What have you done when she wouldn't go?"
D.J. hated to break it to him, but, "Truthfully, Dad, I never had this problem. I might not have bonded with her as much as Uncle Jesse has, but she does know I'm a loving enforcer of the rules. So, she always went and stayed when I said."
"Oh boy," Danny said, sitting tiredly in one of the chairs the girls used. "Look, could you at least tell me what you would have done, if you'd had to do it, so I can do it, and make Michelle think I'm doing it because it's what you did and what I should have been doing; or rather, what you would have done that I should have done if you'd had to do it?"
"Well, one thing's for sure Dad. You don't need to worry about Michelle following that. I'm having a hard time," D.J. said with a smile. She thought for a moment, and finally hit upon an idea. "You know, it is like something I experienced a while back. She'd done something naughty in her room, I forget what. But, I couldn't send her to her room; she was already there. So, I made her sit in the corner instead.
"If I were you, I'd sell it; that usually works very well with her. I'd give her a choice. She can lay in a warm, cozy bed, and close her eyes, and think happy thoughts and dream fun dreams. Or, she can sit in a cold, boring corner, and just look straight ahead, and have to think about the fact she was naughty and was being punished, and it will be no fun at all."
D.J. looked strangely at Danny; he'd grabbed a sheet of her paper and a pencil. "Dad, what are you doing?"
"Getting all that down; it sounded really good."
"Dad, it has to come from the heart. Go down there, give her that choice, and if she won't listen, well… I'll be there for you," she said, smiling sadly as she touched his shoulder. She'd hoped her dad would start punishing and that would be it. Now, she worried that it was always going to be a little hard for him.
Danny thanked her and left the room, the gesture reminding him of Pam. Indeed, it reminded him that Michelle wasn't the only one in whom he saw Pam. There was a little of Pam in each of the girls. And, thankfully, D.J. had enough of Pam in her to see him through tough times such as this. Indeed, he decided that Michelle had stalled enough, and he would sit her in the corner as punishment now - though he'd actually put her against a bookcase when he got up there with her. He was still a little lax yet. It would be something of a struggle, but he would get used to it eventually. And, when he was lax later, D.J. would be there to keep Michelle's behavior from getting way out of control.
Stephanie got out of bed before turning out her light, and walked over to D.J.'s bed. Both sat on it, and Stephanie complimented her. "That was a great idea, letting Dad see that pool there so he'd start punishing her.. You really are a genius."
"I don't know, Steph. I really think I almost blew it. If Dad doesn't step in the pool, his shoe isn't wet, and then if Michelle doesn't boast that he let her get away with everything, she sees me lose that confrontation and things might have been even worse. Whereas, I could have found some way to just take him off to the side and talk to him. I mean, he knew I had more pressures with school now, and all that stuff. But, if he refuses here, I might have really had to be just like Mom."
"Whoa." Stephanie's eyes grew wide. "You mean you would have had to quit school so you could stay home with her?"
D.J. chuckled. "Okay, not quite like Mom. She had almost graduated high school before she got married and then had me, anyway; I can't imagine dropping out in eighth grade. But, you know, just making sure I was there to watch her like a hawk when I wasn't in school."
"It didn't matter, though. Michelle was going to brag about that, anyway. That's just the way she is."
"You're probably right, Steph. Thanks. And, I guess Dad's going to be able to get through this well enough. It's been a few minutes, so either she went back to bed, or at least is staying in timeout. I just wonder if it's always going to be a little hard for Dad."
"Yeah, at least she's not like those kids Kimmy had. Did they really tie her up?"
"They did, Steph; Michelle's friend Aaron and his one cousin, who's a few years older, were really bad that day. I didn't tell anyone anything more than that so I wouldn't embarrass Kimmy. But, these cowboy wannabes…well, let's just say I told her not to believe a really wild kid if he tells her to sit real still and not look behind her, and he has a rope with him. They just tied her to a chair, but she was near a phone and it was loose enough she could get one arm kind of out enough to call."
"Man, I almost feel sorry for her. Notice I say almost," she hastened to add.
"Well, let's just say she falls for things she shouldn't. Things you wouldn't."
"I'll bet you really had a cow at those kids."
D.J. nodded slowly. "I did. I hate to say it. But, they'd done enough other bad stuff, and had been so naughty since tying her up, I actually mentioned the word 'spanking,'" she said lowly, confiding in Stephanie. "It's never been considered by anyone in our family. But, while I would be gentle, especially with Michelle, there were times lately I worried it might come to that in a few months if things didn't get better. But, as long as Dad's consistent now I'm sure I'll never have to think about it." And, while Danny's inconsistency would cause her to mention the possibility a couple times over the next few years, she would never have to do it. And, even if she had, she always knew she could just hurt Michelle's feelings.
Stephanie's eyes grew wide, as she wasn't that certain of what D.J. was thinking. "You wouldn't really hurt her, would you?" she asked with a frown.
"Of course not, Steph," she said, putting an arm around her. "I probably feel the exact same way you do about that; neither of us could ever hurt Michelle's body. I'm just talking about light fwaps - pretty much psychological warfare. You know how when you were younger, you'd get so nervous before getting a shot, even though it hardly hurt." Stephanie nodded her understanding. "Only my slaps wouldn't even feel that bad. But, she'd she know she was being punished."
"I don't even want to think about you doing that."
"Me neither. And, I shouldn't have to. Dad should be consistent now; it seems like he has things under control. But, even if he'd start getting really lax again, there are so many options before I'd even threaten that. She raked those leaves today when we made her, before Dad told her not to; and he was right, it was our punishment. But, we've got other things we can make her do. I can trick her out of any privilege, too. I could start using the corner instead of her room for timeout, and even hold her down if I had to. She's sensitive to my lectures, after all, since I don't yell a lot. And, if all else fails, she's a little girl, and pretty timid. I could always scare her into listening if I had to; that even worked talking about it with those kids who tied up Kimmy." And, D.J. was right. Then, after three straight weeks as boss over Michelle at camp, Michelle was finally in the habit of obeying the more lenient Danny for good.
"True. I guess sneakiness is part of raising kids sometimes, huh? I guess that means you're always going to be able to handle Michelle if Dad can't."
D.J. agreed as she lovingly squeezed her again. "You're right. We've been through the worst, hopefully. And, even if there's tougher times later, I'll never have to actually hurt her. In fact, I'll probably never even have to worry about it. Becky says sometimes those worries come because I'm a teen and I haven't been through a lot of things, so I wonder if it'll get worse. But, even if Dad would struggle later, we've done great with Michelle so far. She really is good overall."
Stephanie nodded in agreement. But, the idea still nagged at her. She always needed to know what was going on, it seemed. She was certain that D.J. wouldn't hurt Michelle now. But, she also knew that she might get nervous if Michelle ever got threatened by D.J.. So, she said, "If it ever happens…tell her she can come and cuddle with me afterward."
"Sure, Steph. I remember what you said about the different tears you can cry when Uncle Jesse thought I'd been drinking; you said you could tell mine were 'I didn't do it' tears, not 'I'm in big trouble' ones. You want to make sure Michelle's only crying 'I'm a bad girl' tears and not 'it hurts' tears, huh?" Stephanie nodded. "Well, I promise, it would scare her and be sad for her, but I'll do my best to make sure it only hurts her feelings."
"Thanks, Deej."
Stephanie went back to bed and turned out her light. She was confident now, too. She knew D.J. wouldn't hide anything from her. But, Stephanie would still be much happier after the major times of testing came and went, and D.J. hadn't had to do it. She was annoyed by Michelle sometimes, but deep down really cared for her and could never stand to see her hurt. In her own way, she could be just as protective as Danny.
D.J. picked up her homework from the table and put it in her backpack, then sat back on her bed as Danny entered again. "Came back for your dust rag, huh?"
"Right." He reported to D.J. that her solution had worked. "I had to sit her in the corner, but when I went back in, she was still there, and she'd learned her lesson. Went to bed right away." He smiled wistfully. "Deej, I can't thank you enough. I guess I might still turn to you a little bit from time to time," Danny related. "But, she knows now I mean business, too. She said the lesson was 'no swimming in the kitchen' - I think she figured her doing that was what started me punishing her at all. But, I explained the real lesson was that she needed to listen to us and, well, you're probably tired, and tomorrow is a school day. Just suffice it to say she knew she needed to go to bed, and she's stayed. And, well, here I go talking on and on again. I know I used to do it a lot even before, but maybe it's just one more sign how much I still miss Mom."
"We all do, Dad." Stephanie added, "But, you can do a good job with Michelle, even without her."
"Thanks. I really appreciate it. When Mom died I didn't know how I would make it. With Uncle Jesse's and Joey's help, and even yours, we're making it. But, if you ever see me slacking off with her again, Deej, feel free to step in."
"Don't worry, Dad. I have enough tricks up my sleeve, chores she can do, ways to get privileges away from her, things like that. I remember Mom hosting Steph's toddler playgroup on a summer day when I was eight. I asked how she ever did it, and she told me, 'By the time you get older, D.J., you'll know all the tricks they can pull. And they'll all fall for something.'"
"You're right. Mom was always so good at keeping things running smoothly, maybe that's part of what I miss, too." Indeed, even after getting her under control now, there would be times, especially when she dove into Jesse and Becky's wedding cake samples and gobbled them up, when he'd just watch for a moment, amused but also thinking that this kind of thing wouldn't happen if Pam were there. But, as he noted to D.J., "I know with your help, we can make it through, anyway."
"We sure can, Dad." They embraced, and Danny left.