Warning-Jess is a bit out of character this chapter
My little baby girl
Amber stretched when she awoke from a long sleep in on Saturday. She groggily rose from bed and slowly shuffled her way to the kitchen. She had hoped that her dulled senses from sleep would have blocked out her memory of what happened yesterday, but Amber had no such luck. She still remembered the breakup and it still made her feel horrible.
"Hey, baby girl."
Amber jumped slightly at the sound of her father's voice as she passed through the living room, not seeing or expecting him because she was lost in her own thoughts.
"I was wondering when you were going to get up."
Amber grunted tiredly in response.
"Why don't you sit down and talk to your old man for a while," said Jess, nodding to the seat next to him n the couch.
Amber plopped down and yawned, "Yeah?"
"Are you okay, baby girl?" asked Jess, again using Amber's pet name he gave her when he realized she had become a teenager and he was not found of the fact that she was growing up. Despite Amber's dislike for the nickname at first, it somehow stuck.
Amber shrugged, "I'm fine."
"So I don't need to beat up anybody, your ex-boyfriend perhaps."
"No."
"You sure?"
"I'm sure," replied Amber with an eye roll.
"If you say so, but if you change your mind you know who to come to," insisted Jess.
"Dad…" Amber whined.
"Honestly, are you really okay?" asked Jess again.
"Honestly? No," Amber shook her head. "I feel," she sighed, "Miserable. I don't know what to do or what to say. It's like everything made sense before but now… the world is full of blurred lines and uncertainties. Is it totally irrational to feel this way over a stupid breakup?"
Jess shook his head, "No, when you're hurt you are allowed to feel mixed up."
"I guess," shrugged Amber, "But is it okay to feel …scared?"
Jess didn't answer for a moment.
"Did I ever tell you about the first night I brought you home from the hospital?
Amber shook her head.
"You were just this little thing. Six pounds, eight ounces, yet you scared me more than anything in the world."
Amber grinned slightly, "Well I am scary if I say so myself."
"And that first night," Jess continued, almost nostalgically, you just kept crying and crying so I tried feeding you, changing you, burping you, rocking you, nothing worked, and I just couldn't figure out how to make you shut up."
"Hey!"
"But then," said Jess, eyes lighting up, ignoring Amber's offended protest, "I was so tired that I had to sit down, and when I did I held you against my chest my heartbeat lulled you to sleep. Of course, then I fell asleep too. So that first night, we fell asleep together."
Amber smiled, "That's sweet…but what does that have to do with anything?"
"Well, the point is that world can hurt and scare us, that's life. But no matter what happens you will always be my little baby girl and we will able to get through it together."
"Thanks, Dad," smiled Amber as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he hugged her back, not wanting to let her go.
After a minute Amber asked, "Dad?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I go now?"
"Oh, 'course," said Jess letting her go and watching her exit to the kitchen.
Even though Jess had told Amber that he was scared the day he brought her home, there was no why he could explain how utterly terrified he had been. How frightening it is to suddenly be responsible for the life of another human being, especially one so small and delicate that had no way to take care of itself or protect itself from the world. Back then Jess had not honestly known how he would make it through.
He was happy for the young lady his daughter was turning into, but he was experiencing a new kind of fear. She was entering a world were he couldn't always protect her, a world that she had to face on her own. Even more, Jess was scared of letting Amber go. He knew it was still a long way off, but everyday it seemed to be more rapidly approaching.
Jess planned to live up to his word from earlier. Always Amber was going to be his little baby girl…always.
And nothing could change that fact.
Next chapter- enter Lorelai