Finding the Way
Part 3 – Christmas Break
She heard the shower running, and realised that he was up. Climbing out of bed, she put on her running gear, and headed out for her morning run. By the time summer rolled around, she wanted to be able to wear her belly tees without shame, after all.
By the time she got back, he was in the kitchen, cooking breakfast.
"Good morning, Dad," she said cheerfully, stealing a strip of bacon.
"Merry Christmas, kiddo," he said, and kissed her on the cheek. "Breakfast will be on the table by the time you finish your shower, and then we can open the presents."
When breakfast was over, they went and sat by the small tree. Putting the presents under it seemed like a silly little Christmas tradition to have, but it kept them together as a family.
Taylor reached under the tree and pulled out a large rectangular parcel, which she handed to her father. He read the label - To Dad, from Taylor and Mom - and his eyes filled with tears. He hugged her silently; they never spoke of it, but at least one present every Christmas had her mother's name on it, to keep her alive in their memories.
When he opened the present, he hugged her again; it was the Definitive Guide to the History of Brockton Bay and Its Environs that he had been looking for, for some months now.
"Thank you, Taylor," he said. "I really appreciate it."
She grinned at him, leaning into the hug. "I love you, Dad," she said fondly.
"I love you too, kiddo," he said, and handed her a package of her own
She opened it, noting that her mother had also had a hand in getting this parcel to her, and discovered that she was the owner of a brand new top-of-the-line electronic tablet.
"Oh wow, Dad," she sad. "This is so cool.". She turned around and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. He held her tightly, just for the moment enjoying the togetherness.
Other presents changed hands; he had gotten her a brightly coloured sundress when she was not looking. She was so enchanted with the sundress that she disappeared into the kitchen to put it on in favour of her bathrobe.
In return, she gave him the gift she had seen in the Weymouth Mall; an authentic-looking pocket watch. He promptly spend the next few minutes making sure it was set to the right time.
After he finished doing that, he picked up the two last parcels and handed one to her. "One of these is for me, and one is for you," he said solemnly. "Let's just say, it's a matching pair."
Curious, she opened hers, to find a mobile phone. Frowning, she looked from it to the identical model that he held. "Dad, I thought you didn't like these things," she said.
"I don't," he said bluntly. "But ... I worry about you, running on your own. So I got you that. It's got my number on speed dial, and all other numbers blocked. Mine is set up the same way for yours."
"Wow, Dad," she said softly. "That's so sweet.". She hugged him tightly. "I really appreciate that."
He nodded. "I know, kiddo," he said softly. "I know."
The rest of the Christmas break passed without incident. Taylor and Danny, having connected, gradually began to bond once more as father and daughter. She opened up about her feelings; he reciprocated.
On the first day of school, he dropped her off at the bus stop on his way to work. She hugged him and gave him a kiss on the cheek before he drove off, and she sat down to wait for the bus. She had her phone in her back pocket; not that she thought she'd need it, but it was something he got for her because he cared, and so she carried it.
As she watched the scenery pass her by on the way to Winslow, she thought about the fears and apprehensions that were bothering her.
I wouldn't worry about it, she told herself. Nothing's probably going to happen anyway.
End of Part 3
