For the first time in months, Jarod and Parker were snuggled in each other's arms fast asleep. It was early morning when Katherine walked into their bedroom. Since her father's absence, at times, she joined her mother in bed. With her eyes barely opened, and her pillow in hand, she climbed in and took her position only to find someone she had not expected. She stared at the man who slept next to her mother.
"Daddy," she whispered. She touched him lightly. "Daddy? Daddy!" She squealed. "Mommy! Mommy!" She threw her little body on her father and sat on him. "Daddy!"
"Ouch! I'm up. I'm up, sweetie."
"Daddy! Mommy!" The excited little four year old pointed to her father. "Daddy's here! My daddy's back!"
"Yes, baby. Daddy's back." Parker sat up, yawned and stretched.
"Give me a hug, sweetie?" Jarod held out his hands to his daughter.
"All the time forever, daddy?"
"Forever, sweetie." He hugged her tenderly as she laid her tiny figure on him.
JMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMPJMP
Several Months Later...
The children tiptoed into the bedroom. They climbed onto the bed and joined their mother as she breast fed her newest addition. Parker cradled her youngest child as he gently sucked on his mother's breast.
"Baby," Taylor pointed to his little brother.
Katherine kissed him lightly on the forehead. "Mommy, was I ever this small?"
"Smaller, sweetie. You were even smaller than Taylor."
"Big boy," Taylor pointed to himself.
Parker was happily married to the one person she had been assigned to capture. Jarod walked in and stood silently as he watched his wife, the once cold-hearted woman of "The Centre". There were no dreams in his heart except for emptiness, sadness and loneliness back then, which were now things of the past.
Parker looked up and smiled at her husband. "Hi. You want to join us?"
"Hi." His eyes twinkled.
"There you go, precious, that'll hold you for a couple of hours." The mother of three pulled down her shirt. "Do you want daddy to burp you, my little one?"
Jarod stared at them.
"Sweetheart, is something wrong?"
"I'm fine, honey. I just wished I could freeze this moment."
"You want to join us in bed? Zachary needs burping."
"I'll do it, mommy. I'll burp him," Katherine piped out.
"Me," Taylor pushed his sister aside.
"Tayyyy-lor. No, I'll do it. Tayyyy-lor. Mommy, make him move."
"Hey, hey, you two. I'll decide who, okay?"
"Me? Right, daddy?"
"Me!" Taylor echoed.
Jarod shook his head. "Nooo, me! I'll burp your little brother. Me, me, me!" Their father imitated their bickering. The children laughed.
Sometimes the best things in life are those you least expect. She was once his "Huntress". He, her "Pretender". The contentment of a family completed Jarod's life. All he could do now was to just hold on to them and promise never to let them go.
The End
