Most of the stories on here focus on Mac and her relationship with the kids or her work. So I thought it would be fun to have one of the kids more attached to Rod and that's basically what this chapter is about. So I hope you enjoy it and please review. I love all feed back.
Rod was fuming. The last thing he had ever expected to see when entering his daughter's room was a half-dressed man . . . and the fact that it was Joshua Templeton doubled his anger. Joshua was flustered and embarrassed . . . this was not the impression he was hoping to make when his and Avery's relationship was made public.
"Mr. Calloway . . . sir, I'm sorry, this isn't . . . " Joshua tried explaining nervously.
Rod was completely outraged. "What are you doing in my daughter's room?" He asked again firmly.
"Dad?" Avery walked out of her bathroom in her robe. "What are you doing home?", she adjusted her robe somewhat embarrassed to find her father in the room.
"What am I doing home?" he pointed to Joshua, "What is he doing in our home? That is what I would like to know."
"Dad, I can explain all of this, really. Just please calm down." Avery knew how her father could be when he was angry. He was the type to throw caution to the wind and not listen to reason.
"Calm down? How do you expect me to calm down when your mother and I left here thinking you would actually be doing what you told us you would be doing? Was that mess out there in the living room just for show?" He pointed out the door. " To cover up your real plans? Mom and Dad leave the house so I'm going to take advantage and bring the boyfriend in." He spat out sarcastically.
"Dad that is not how it went at all. I never lied to you . . . " Avery was hurt. How could he think so little of her? Throughout everything that had happened she never realized how much the relationship between her father and she had deteriorated. Yes they had been strained after the truth about her pregnancy came out, but she thought he would get over it in time. The look in his eyes at that moment terrified her . . . , her father looked so betrayed . . . and she was to blame.
Upon hearing the commotion from the other room, Mac decided to go see what was going on between her husband and their oldest child.
Without looking she asked, "What is going on here?" . Seeing exactly what her husband had walked in on, she too was taken back. " Okay . . . mind giving me an explanation?" She raised her eyebrow at her daughter.
"I would like to, but Dad is being irrational and won't even let me speak."
"I'm irrational? Honestly Mac, and you wanted me to give her the benefit of the doubt." He turned to his wife and shook his head.
Mac seeing the state her husband was in, took control of the situation. "Okay you two kids finish getting dressed. Your Dad and I need to talk."
Mac grabbed Rod's hand and led him to their bedroom.
"How could you just leave them in there, Mac?" Rod placed his hands on his head and began pacing the room.
Mac threw her hands up in the air. "What did you want me to do, throw him out of here undressed for everyone to see? We don't need another scandal Rod. " Mac sighed and walked over to her husband, placing her hand on his arms to stop him from pacing. " Honey, you need to calm down."
"How can you expect me to calm down Mac? Our daughter lied to us again . . . who knows how long she has been lying to us."
Mac cupped his face in her hands and shook her head slightly. "She didn't lie Rod and you know it . . . I know you are still hurt that she didn't come to you when she was in trouble, and I know it's hard to get used too not being the most important man in her life, but honey, you can't shut her out and condemn her for being with someone."
Rod moved to sit on the bed. "That's not what I'm doing Mac."
"Yes it is.", Joining him on the bed, she smiled. "Remember her first day of school? You had the toughest time letting go. She was so excited about going . . . and being a big girl. She walked right on in, while I had to drag you out of there."
Rod thought back to that day sixteen years ago. What seemed like one of the hardest was now just a tiny stepping stone in the many hard milestones to come.
Both Rod and Mac had taken the day off from work to bring Avery to her first day of kindergarten. This was a huge day for all three of them. Usually this milestone is hardest on the mother, but Mac had noticed that it was Rod who was having a harder time dealing with letting go.
"Now, Avery remember what mommy said, you sit and listen to everything your teachers' say. Mommy and Daddy will come pick you up when school is over, okay?" Mac kissed her little girl and stood back up.
Avery nodded, all set with her my little pony lunch box and back pack, she couldn't wait to go inside.
"Okay mommy, see you later." She couldn't stand still. Her excitement was overwhelming.
"I don't know Mac. Maybe we should keep her home another year. She just doesn't seem ready." Rod whispered in his wife's ear.
Mac chuckled. He was so cute. Their little girl had him wrapped around her finger from the day she had been born. Mac had noticed for the past couple weeks as they had been preparing Avery for school; buying her new clothes, crayons, and other supplies, Rod was not as enthusiastic as she was.
"I think she'll be fine, honey. Just look at her. She's already made a friend." She pointed over to Avery who was standing with another little girl, laughing and talking. The bell rang and the teacher announced that it was time for class to start. All the parents began to kiss their kids goodbye and they started walking in. Halfway through the door Avery remembered that she forgot to kiss her dad goodbye, she ran back and hugged his leg.
"Bye daddy, love you." She said quickly, then ran back to join the rest of her classmates.
As the class room door closed Rod's heart sank. Mac saw the expression on her husband's face and squeezed his hand gently.
" Come on daddy I think you need a bit of cheering up. Let's go home, I'll make some cookies for when she gets home from school, she can tell us all about her day." She said softly.
Rod kissed his wife gently, grateful that she was much calmer than he was. Feeling better, they went home anticipating what stories their daughter would have to share with them.
Rod pulled himself out of his memories.
"That was different Mac."
Mac turned to face him, " The situation might be different, but the real problem is the same. You just don't know how to let go. It hasn't been as tough with the other kids, because we've already been there before . . . And we know what to expect, but this is the first time we're dealing with this and if you don't figure out a way to accept it, we may lose her."
Rod looked up at his wife, "I don't know if I can do this Mac."
Mac took his hands in her own, her head touching his. "We've gone through; First steps, broken bones, first dates and teaching almost all of them to drive . . . we made it through those milestones and we can make it through many more . . . as long as we do it together."
Rod smiled and they kissed. "Do I have to like him?" he asked knowing his wife was right.
"You have to try." Mac smiled and wiped off some of the lip stick that rubbed off on his lips during their kiss.
"All right, I'll try, but no promises." He stood up.
"Okay, fair enough . . . Rod just one more thing." She stood up to join him.
"Yeah honey?"
She placed her hands on his chest. "Talk to your daughter . . . really listen to her."
He nodded and together hand in hand they made their way back to Avery's room. This time Mac was the one to knock. They walked in and the young couple were sitting on the bed, fully dressed.
Avery got up and stood in front of her parents. "Before you guys say anything, can I just say something?"
Mac nodded, "Go ahead sweetie."
"Okay." Avery took a deep breath. " I didn't lie to you. I really was staying home to study. Josh-stopped buy last night to drop off my sweater, but I asked him to stay because he and I needed to talk . . . " She turned to Joshua and grabbed his hand for support. " He and I love each other. We know how hard this is on everyone, especially you Mom, but we can't change how we feel . . . and I don't think it's fair that you would want me to."
Mac smiled at her daughter. Avery really was, all grown up. "You're right baby." Mac spoke first. "You shouldn't have to give up your happiness all because of my job. I could never ask you to do that" She then turned to Joshua. "No matter what feelings my husband and I have for your father, we should never have judged you for whom he is. I hope you can forgive us for that and hopefully in time we can get to know you."
Joshua was really surprised at the sudden turn around. Rod still hadn't spoken, in fact he was standing behind Mac, shooting him death glares, but it was nice to know that they had one more person on their side.
"Thank you Madame President. I would like that." He said sheepishly.
Mac smiled at the young doctor, he was obviously smart, and now she could add politeness to his list of good qualities along with good looking. She had to give her daughter credit. She had good taste. Rod cleared his throat interrupting his wife's thoughts.
"Your mother is right, Avery. I'm sorry we shouldn't have jumped too quickly to any conclusions . . . and I shouldn't have acted the way I did."
"Thanks dad, I'm sorry too." Avery accepted his apology, but didn't fully believe her father would make such a turn around.
"Well . . . " Mac interrupted. "Joshua if it's all right with you, I would like to invite you and your parents to Camp David for the weekend. This way we can all get to know each other and try to put our differences aside."
The young couple exchanged glances.
"Mom, you don't have to move so fast, I mean they don't even know."
"Well then I suggest you tell them. What's there to hide?" Mac asked.
"I guess you're right ma'am . . . I'll tell them this afternoon." Josh looked at his watch and saw what time it was. "I have to get going. I have to be at work in a half hour. Thank you both for being so understanding about this morning." He hesitated but decided, 'what the hell?' with that thought he kissed Avery on the cheek, lingering to whisper in her ear. " I'll see you later?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah defiantly."
"I'll walk you out Joshua." Mac gave a wink to Rod and lead the young man out. Avery and Rod stood their awkwardly. Not being able to stand the silence any more Avery took a seat on her bed and looked up at her father.
"Do you hate me Dad?"
"What?" Rod eyes widened in surprise. As grown up as she was, at that moment the expression on her face was the same as when she was little. Whenever he would have to leave for a business trip, even if he was only gone for a few days, to her it seemed like he'd never come back. He never wanted her to fear him not loving her . . . that could never happen. Rod took a seat next to his daughter. " Honey. I could never hate you, ever. I'm sorry that I haven't been supportive, or even understanding lately . . . I didn't think you needed me any more."
" I will always need you, dad. I was just so scared of what you would think of me if I had told you what was going on. It's really not the easiest thing to tell your parents, no matter how great they are."
"I know." He nodded. " I get why you did it now. I just, I want you to know that your mom and I will always be there for you, for anything, no matter how old you are or what you do . . . I also know that this is your life, and you need to make your own decisions and learn from your mistakes. It's just going to take a lot of getting used to for me not to be able to protect you from things and people that can hurt you."
Avery grinned. Finally understanding where her dad was going with this. She placed her hand over his. "I don't need to be protected from Josh, dad. He's a great man and I hope you get to see that . . . he reminds me a lot of you, you know?" she joked.
Rod raised an eye brow. "Really? How is that?"
"Well, he's intelligent, driven, loving, supportive . . . and he looks at me the way you look at Mom." She smiled. " Just because I've made room for him in my heart, doesn't mean there isn't room for you too, dad. There always will be and no one can ever replace you."
Those words lifted a weight off Rod's heart. He hugged his daughter in a tight, bear hug.
"I love you, honey." He kissed the top of her head.
"I love you too, daddy." She hugged him back. Rod smiled, she hadn't called him 'daddy' since she was twelve. "If he does hurt you though, I'll kill him."
Avery laughed, "Okay dad."
He pulled out of their hug and stood up.
"Come on let's go have some breakfast with your mother."
Avery joined him and enjoyed a nice quiet morning with her parent's. One set of parents' down and one to go. Maybe things would be okay after all.
