"Come
on McKenzie, it's time to go to the park." Logan searched for
his jacket and finally found it, and still McKenzie had not come out
of her room. "McKenzie?" Hoping she was not on the roof
again, he went to her room. She sat on her bed, the picture of Max on
her lap, looking intently at it.
"Is something wrong,
baby?"
"Is this really my mommy?"
"Yes.
Why?"
"I don't look like her. Jessie looks like her
mommy. Corey looks like his mommy."
"Yes, but Michelle
and Michael look more like their daddy."
"But..."
"It's
okay. Do you know that your eyes look like your mommy's? And your
hair is like my mommy's and like mine, but other than my hair, I
don't look like either my mommy or my daddy."
"My eyes
are like my mommy's?"
"Yes, they remind me of her every
time I see you."
"Wow. Can we take the picture with us
to the park? I wanna show everybody my mommy."
"Well, I
suppose we could, but we have to be very careful that we don't lose
it, because it's the only one we have. Now, did you find your jacket?
This place is a mess; we'll have to clean when we get home."
"Are
we driving?"
Logan looked at his watch, it was quarter to
ten, and they were supposed to be at the park by ten, but it took
half an hour if they didn't drive.
"It looks like we have
to, we'll be late if we don't, but I'll tell you what, I'll call
Bling and get him to meet us at the park, he can take the car home,
so we can enjoy the day."
"Ok! I'll find my coat, call
Bling!" She started scrambling around the room, throwing
clothes and toys everywhere, Logan chuckled and left the room with
Max's picture so they wouldn't forget it. After talking to Bling,
they took the elevator down to the street and drove to the park. All
of McKenzie's friends were there, playing in the sandbox, and all
their mothers were sitting on the benches, tongues wagging. Logan
shook his head and waited for Bling, while doing some research.
The
batteries were starting to die on his computer when Logan saw
McKenzie running towards him. She was dragging her coat behind her
and threw it at him as she ran by. Logan quickly turned to see who
she was running to; it was just Bling coming to pick up the car. He
picked her up and walked to Logan, McKenzie talking non-stop all the
way.
"What is this she is talking about? Her mommy?"
"Oh,
this. Logan showed Bling the picture."
"See Bling, this
is my mommy, isn't she pretty?"
"Yes she is sweetie. Why
don't you go play with the others why I talk to your daddy for a bit,
ok?"
"'Kay, bye!" She ran back to the sandbox, but
left the picture with Logan, who sat staring at it.
"Logan,
what did you tell her about Max?"
"Not much. I just
showed her the picture, she asked a few questions about looking like
her this morning, but other than that, she hasn't had much interest
except for the fact that she's pretty. And she hasn't called her
mommy, just 'my mommy'."
Bling lay down on the grass beside
Logan "Beautiful day. Sun's actually shining."
"Isn't
the grass wet?" Logan asked, looking down at his friend.
"Nope.
And even if it was, I don't care. Don't you have some work to do?"
he asked, glancing at the laptop.
"Nah, battery just died.
Nothing much to do but listen to the gossip."
"You
should talk to them," Bling said, sitting up and looking in the
direction of the other children's mothers. "Whenever I bring
McKenzie, they have a lot to say, especially about you."
"Me?
What would they have to say about me?"
"They think
you're strong to raise a child on your own. They say it was difficult
before the Pulse for single parents, and now it's even harder. Not
many single dads out there."
"I suppose they don't know
I'm loaded. They probably think I work twenty hours a day just to
keep McKenzie in clothes."
"Maybe. Remember Mrs.
Vernsa?"
"Daniel's mom?"
"Yup. She even
told me she thought you were cute. They all think you're to quiet,
and most of them think McKenzie is one of the prettiest little girls
they've seen."
"Thanks to Max and Manticore for that.
Even though she has her own look, it is still one close to
perfection."
"True." Bling looked over at the group
of children. McKenzie was one of three girls and five boys. She sat
in the corner of the sandbox with one of the boys, a younger one
named Michael. Logan knew he and his twin sister Michelle were
'related' to McKenzie, but he didn't know by whom. He could tell
because Michelle had the telltale partial barcode on the back of her
neck. Her mother tried to cover it up with makeup and by keeping her
hair long, but one day Logan caught it when she swept her hair out of
the way. Logan didn't know if it was her mother that was
Manticore-made, but he didn't bet on it, she didn't seem cautious
enough, and he saw a man peeking around one day that sort of looked
like them, but Logan didn't recognize him. He didn't say anything,
and the children didn't know that their parents considered themselves
siblings. As far as he knew, the twins' mother didn't know McKenzie
was just like her two children.
"She's going to break a lot
of hearts when she's older. Starting with that one right there, I
bet." Bling said, standing up. "I gotta go; I have a three
o clock appointment."
"Thanks for stopping by, here are
the keys; you can leave them in the mailbox, as usual."
"No
problem. See you later."
"Later." Logan opened his
laptop again, hoping the battery had recharged itself a bit. No such
luck, so he sat and listened to the ladies talking, pretending to be
absorbed in something on his monitor. Bling was right; they did have
a lot of interesting things to say. And some of it was about him.
Once again, he got the feeling that he was being watched. He
looked around the park, but the ladies were watching the children.
The only other people in the park were a couple with a child about
eight, playing over by the swings. He closed his computer and glanced
at his watch. Eleven thirty. If they left now, they could stop for
lunch on the way home. Usually he packed a lunch, but they were so
disorganized when they left that he forgot.
"McKenzie, come
on, we have to go."
"Where's Bling?" she asked,
running over.
"He had to go."
"Can I show
everyone my picture of my mommy?"
"I suppose, but you
better do it quickly, and then we'll get lunch on the way home."
He gave her the picture of Max and McKenzie ran off to show the other
children. Logan put his laptop in his book bag that he carried with
him. Also in it was a complete change of clothing for McKenzie, a few
toys and a sweet or two for if she was good and deserved a treat.
'You can tell I'm somebody's daddy.' He thought, zipping up the book
bag. McKenzie was now over showing her picture off to the other
children's mothers. Logan went over to McKenzie, and she was talking
non-stop. The mothers were smiling at her; Logan could tell they were
thinking something along the lines of 'how sweet'.
"McKenzie,
baby, it's time to go. It's time for lunch."
"Ok. This
is my daddy." She introduced.
'So she's noticed I don't talk
to the other parents.' Logan thought.
"Logan Cale, it's nice
to meet you." He said, shaking hands with some of them. "I'm
sorry we can't talk, but I have some work to do this afternoon. Come
on McKenzie. You can talk about mommy another time."
McKenzie
finally followed Logan from the park, carrying the picture with her.
"Where are we going for lunch, daddy?"
"How
about we go to the restaurant down by the beach?"
"Ok!"
She ran ahead along the near bare sidewalks, excited about eating in
her favorite restaurant. Logan didn't spoil her by going all the time
or giving into her every whim, but he tried to keep her happy, and it
wasn't hard.
"McKenzie, slow down." He called ahead
when she got a bit too far away. She stopped suddenly, Logan thought
because he yelled, but then she turned and ran back to him.
"Daddy!
I just saw my mommy!"
To Be Continued...
