After Karen left, Will and Stan sat in silence for several minutes. Stan cleared his throat.
"Will, do you think she means it? Is she really going to keep Caitlyn from me?"
Will looked at Stan. "First of all, it's Cailyn, not Caitlyn. Second of all, I don't know, Stan. She's very upset with you. I haven't seen her yell like that since before Cailyn was born. She's become an entirely different person. Loving, nurturing, kind and affectionate. She's a great mother, and she feels that she's protecting her child."
"But I'm her father. I have rights."
"Yes you do, Stan. But once you die, you lose those rights. And in Karen's eyes, you're dead."
Stan looked down at the conference table, he had nothing. Will was right.
"Listen, I'll talk to her, but I'm not promising anything." Will said after a few minutes, beginning to walk towards the door.
"Thanks Will. Did you really do all those things?" Stan asked after a moment's hesitation, not sure if he really wanted to know.
Will stopped and turned to Stan, staring him straight in the eye. "Yes. I did."
Stan nodded. "Thank you. You didn't have to do that."
"I didn't have to, but I wanted to. Karen and Cailyn are my family, and I would do anything for them. Watching Karen mourn after you were gone was the hardest thing I've ever had to witness, and I promised that I would always be there for her and her child. And I intend to keep that promise."
Will walked out of the conference room, leaving Stanley sitting alone.
"I'm sure you do." Stan muttered to himself, feeling his eyes cloud over as thoughts of never knowing his child invaded his mind.
"Cailyn! Rosie! I'm back!" Karen shouted as she entered the penthouse. Cailyn came running through the foyer toward Karen with her arms lifted up.
"Mommy!"
Karen swept her up in one smooth motion and balanced her on her hip, kissing her cheek several times. Rosario appeared in the doorway, looking worn out from her afternoon with the baby.
"Were you a good girl for Rosie?"
Cailyn nodded as Karen put her down. "Peekboo!"
Rosario rolled her eyes. "That's all we've done for the last forty-five minutes. Play peek-a-boo."
"Alright, sweetie. Mommy will play with you, let me change and then we'll play."
"Come with!" Cailyn said forcefully as she grabbed Karen's hand.
She smiled down at her daughter. "Okay, come on!" Lifting her onto her side, Karen walked up the stairs with Cailyn. After changing, they played peek-a-boo until Cailyn got distracted by one of her stuffed animals.
Karen stood up and sat in her armchair in the corner, still watching over the baby. She heard footsteps in the hallway and walked toward the door, only to come face to face with Will.
"Hey Kare."
"Hi Wilma. What's up?" Karen said, trying to sound breezy.
"Karen, you know why I'm here. Can we talk?"
Karen looked at Cailyn who was still sitting on the floor with her toys. She nodded her head and walked into the hallway, standing in a way so that she could still see Cailyn.
"If you're even going to try and persuade me to let him back into this house, you're wasting your breath. He is not welcome in my home."
"Karen, I'm not on his side, alright? I only want what's best for you and Cailyn. And I think that maybe it would be a good idea for her to see Stan."
Karen's mouth dropped open and she went to yell, but Will held up his hands in an attempt to stop her.
"I'm not saying all the time. I'm just saying, maybe for a few hours one afternoon."
"I am not leaving my child alone with that man!" Karen said through gritted teeth.
"You don't have to. I'll go with her, or Jack or Grace. Or even you, if it would make you feel more comfortable. Maybe just an afternoon out so he can see what he's missed and how much he screwed up."
Karen tore her gaze from Will and stared at Cailyn. She wanted her to have the best life possible. She had spent so much time mourning Stanley, that he would never meet Cailyn or be involved and now here was her chance, and she was fighting against it.
Taking a deep breath, she looked at Will. "Alright. Tomorrow afternoon in the park, but you're coming with us, and we'll see how it goes from there."
"Thank you, Karen."
She nodded and looked at Cailyn before speaking softly. "I only want what's best for her. I don't want her to feel the way I did when he was gone."
Will pulled her into a hug and wrapped his arms around her tiny body. He rubbed her back and kissed her cheek, trying to soothe her pain. She pulled away and wiped at the tears that had begun to flow down her face.
"Come on, honey. You play with her for a while. I can't say 'peek-a-boo' with enthusiasm for one more second." Will and Karen laughed as they walked into Cailyn's room and began playing another unending round of peek-a-boo.
