To C.J.'s surprise, Patrick stuck with his job when she began pulling out the girl's presents.
It was always bittersweet for C.J. to pick things for a child who would be her daughter's age. She consoled herself with thinking Cloe would be the kind of girl who would share with others.
P.J. studied each item carefully. "This is a lot of stuff. How old is this girl?"
"She's nine."
"Older than me and the kid I bought for."
"Not by much."
"Hey C.J., do you have kids?"
The world stood still in the dining room as C.J. swallowed hard. Danny stirred the air when he came around the corner and noticed the silence. "What's up?"
"We're good, Dad. I asked C.J. if she has kids."
Danny blanched and said sharply, "Patrick Joseph Concannon, that's enough."
The little boy looked confused and surprised. His expression undid C.J. who came rapidly to his defense. "It's okay, Danny. He couldn't know."
"I'm sorry." Danny didn't know who to comfort first, C.J. or his son.
"No, it's fine. Patrick, I . . ."
"You don't have to do this, C.J."
"Danny, I want to tell him."
P.J.'s eyes darted between the two adults. He asked in a small voice, "Did I do something wrong?"
He found himself face to face with C.J. when she knelt down and put her hands on his shoulder. "Of course not. Remember when you asked if I'd ever been married?"
"Yeah and you were."
"Yes and when I was I had a little girl. Her name was Claudia Olivia. I called her that or Cloe."
"Like I have two names."
"Exactly like that." C.J. struggled to keep her voice steady, "She died when she was still a baby."
"Oh." Patrick shifted his body from side to side. "Did she get sick?"
"Son." Danny gentled his voice this time as he tried to spare C.J.'s feelings.
"It's okay, Danny." She turned back to P.J. "Yes, a sickness that just takes some babies."
"You must have been sad, C.J."
"Yes and I still am sometimes."
The child nodded solemnly and gestured to the gifts, "Would she be as old as this girl?"
"You're very smart to have figured that out so quickly."
"Thanks. I'll bet Cloe is in heaven and happy watching you shop for presents to make a good Christmas for another little girl."
"I like to think that too." She asked, "Should we get back to work?"
"Sure. I'm really getting hungry."
"Me too." C.J.'s eyes locked on Danny's as she stood up. "He's a treasure."
Danny could only nod.
The gifts were wrapped and stacked to be returned to the mall's giving tree.
P.J.'s orders were to wash his hands, call his mother and set the table. Danny had settled C.J. on the couch with a beer. She couldn't still and went digging through the CD collection for Christmas music. She had the stereo playing softly when Danny returned, "I forgot to give you a glass."
"I'm a big girl. I can drink out of a bottle."
"Wow, tough guy." He smiled, "Nice selection."
"Probably would have been better while we were wrapping."
"Nah, that wouldn't have quieted my son."
She loved that automatic flash of paternal pride when he mentioned P.J. "I hope you don't mind me horning in on your precious time with him, Danny."
"Not at all." Danny sat next to her and took her hand, "It seems it was meant to be, what with meeting at the mall."
"Small world."
"You're nice to give up part of your Saturday."
"My pleasure but also part of my Sunday."
"Will you be at Josh's too?"
"No, that's guys only. But Danny, I'm fixing breakfast apparently because you can't make anything to satisfy a seven year old boy."
"How did P.J. manage that?"
"Obviously charm is passed down through the Concannon Y chromosome."
"Not sure if I should be proud or embarrassed."
"Just be there at 9:30." She gave him a quick kiss after double-checking to make sure the coast was clear of curious little boys.
C.J. wasn't used to eating dinner early in the evening but it obviously didn't seem to slow down Patrick. After dashing through grace he polished off two good sized helpings of chili, spaghetti and cheese. He was eyeing the bowl for another serving when he remembered, "We got brownies."
"Yes, son we do HAVE brownies." Danny nodded at P.J.'s used plate, "Clear the table and we'll see after that."
When C.J. rose to take her dishes to the kitchen she was waved back to her seat by Patrick. "You're company C.J., we've got it."
She watched the choreography between father and son. Danny would wiggle an eyebrow at his son and Patrick started laughing. It was a treat to watch them reforge their deep bond. P.J.'s mother, Trish must be a very special woman. C.J. silently congratulated herself for becoming secure enough to think of Trish in that role and not as Danny's wife.
Danny carried in a tray with coffee cups, a large glass of milk and the brownies. "P.J. decided we should do dessert in the living room."
The boy bounded back, "Yeah, we've got a fire there. You get coffee and I get milk."
He grabbed C.J.'s hand and pulled her along, "Are we in a hurry, Patrick?"
"Yeah. The presents have to go back and then the movie."
"What movie?"' C.J. found herself at the couch with her escort pulling her down to sit next to him.
"Dad promised we'd see 'The Grinch Who Stole Christmas'."
"Sounds like fun."
"Do you want to go with us?"
Danny handed C.J. the coffee. "I'm sure C.J. has other things to do tonight. Remember, she's given us most of her day off and she has things to do for breakfast tomorrow. I understand you invited yourself over to breakfast."
"You too Dad."
"That's not the point." He fixed his son with a pseudo stern look. "We shouldn't be imposing on C.J."
She held up her hands, "On no, don't put me in the middle of this. I'm happy to be your breakfast stop."
Patrick bounced on the couch, "It'll be after Mass, okay? Dad likes coffee. I drink milk or juice."
"Any other requests?"
The child appeared to consider it but Danny hijacked the conversation. "No, of course not. C.J., whatever you have will be fine."
She smiled at the Concannon boys. "Good. Let's finish dessert and get those presents loaded in the sleigh, I mean the car."
Her hoped for reward came in the form of P.J.'s giggle. "You'll come to the movie too, right? You like popcorn?"
C.J.'s eyes met Danny's with a silent question. She saw the same invitation in his look. "No way I can turn down two such good looking guys."
She turned to P.J., "I like butter on my popcorn."
"Me too."
It was definitely one of the more unusual Saturday evenings in C.J.'s memory. Not spent working, not spent at a late night hot spot, not spent in bed with Danny making love.
Instead, she'd been treated to the pandemonium of a suburban mall packed with people of all ages. Her main guide was the young boy sampling life at full speed. His father had taught him well.
P.J. had grabbed her hand and didn't let go from the time they left the Giving Tree table. He'd let his Dad pay for the movie tickets but Patrick insisted on digging into his own pocket for the money for the large buttered popcorn.
He'd happily shared it as he sat between C.J. and Danny. She didn't remember much of the movie's plot because she was entranced at a little boy's delight with the story on the big screen.
The semi dark theatre let her observe Danny in this new setting for her. He was a good father and for reasons she couldn't admit to herself that pleased her immensely.
After the move and the rehashing of the plot and the best scenes, it was time to call it a day.
Her car was at Danny's but she couldn't make a swift getaway. The Concannons invited her up for ice cream and wouldn't take no for an answer. C.J. didn't bother totaling up the day's calories. She would be adding treadmill time onto her workouts for the next week.
Things quieted down once the ice cream was gone. Danny had left her on the couch with his son while he cleared bowls and spoons. She found herself acting as a pillow when the boy laid his head on her lap. C.J. instinctively let her hand travel to his back rubbing small soothing circles. He nestled closer and sighed before his breath evened out as he fell asleep.
Alone in the living room with the fire burning and Christmas music playing, C.J. felt a longing that she'd figured was dead. The pure and simple trust from Patrick's closeness brought back memories of cuddling Cloe for those few short months of the baby's life.
Throw away her degrees, her political victories, her personal conquests and a closet full of designer clothes. This was a feeling of fulfillment C.J. rarely experienced. She fought back a pang of envy for Danny and his ex-wife because they experienced this lovely child constantly.
Danny paused in the doorway to study the picture before him. His familiar apartment seemed warmer with Christmas music playing and C.J. on the couch with his son. Her fingers danced lightly through the curls on Patrick's head. Danny noticed P.J.'s clenched fist near his chin and recognized the deep in sleep pose.
Not for nothing but Danny wished again for a way to make time stand still. Fate gave him a day with C.J. and his son that was as perfect as if Danny had arranged it himself.
C.J. became aware of him in the doorway and put a finger to her lips to keep him silent. Danny nodded and indicated with motions that he'd be right back. He headed to the guest room/office to turn down P.J.'s bed. Hopefully, the tooth fairy was watching out for his son since Danny wouldn't wake him for teeth brushing.
He returned to the couch and scooped Patrick up carefully from C.J.'s lap. The boy didn't stir.
Danny took P.J.'s jeans off and covered him up. He touched his son's hair and kissed him on the forehead. The thought crossed Danny's mind that P.J. was approaching the age when kisses from Dad wouldn't necessarily be as easily accepted.
But that was hopefully not too close. Danny wasn't going to lose the chance to show affection to his son without a fight.
For the moment though he had someone else who was still awake and more than willing to accept his kisses. That brought the infamous Concannon grin to the surface.
C.J. was back on the couch and looking at her watch. She'd busied herself with cleaning up the last of the dishes and hanging up P.J.'s and Danny's coats.
This all felt comfortable and right. It was a revelation to a woman who thought of herself as a driven career type who wanted to travel light without too many ties or commitments.
She sighed and kicked off her shoes as Danny came back into the room. With her legs tucked up under her she asked, "Is he okay?"
"P.J. is dead to the world. Never even woke up."
"He goes nonstop, doesn't he?"
Danny heard the incredulity in C.J.'s voice and agreed with a laugh. "Yep and then he crashes to Earth. You were great with him."
"How could I not be? He's darling and cute, smart, funny, charming . . . "
"I knew it. That little so and so is trying to steal my girl." Danny moved closer to C.J. on the couch and wrapped his arm around her. "I may have to challenge Patrick to a duel."
"Don't. I'll give him up for the sake of the Concannon dynasty." She nestled onto Danny's chest and whispered, "You've done a great job with him."
"Not me, his mom."
"No, both of you." She clutched on to him a little tighter. "Makes me wonder about how I'd have been as a parent."
"You'd have continued to be as good as you were in the short time you had Cloe."
"Seeing you with him is, I don't know, it's hard to put into words . . ."
"No need. Let's just savor what we had today." He tipped her head up and kissed her, "I couldn't have wished for a more perfect day."
They lost track of time while lost in each other's arms. C.J. roused herself from leaning against Danny to look at the clock, "It's pumpkin time, Danny."
"Yeah, I suppose. Not sure how I'd explain you still here in the morning."
Her voice sounded, wistful, "We probably shouldn't drop all this on P.J."
"He's met you so that makes things easier. Unless you object, I think I'd like to talk to him tomorrow night after we're back from Josh's."
"Really? What about Trish?" C.J. was proud of herself for mentioning Danny's ex-wife in such a matter of fact fashion.
"I told her about you and she said she trusted me to know my son well enough to handle it."
"I hope he'll be okay with it."
"He should be and if I talk to him tomorrow night, he'll have another day to process it and talk to me about it if he has questions or concerns."
"Regrettably, I have to go and concern myself with breakfast preparations or I'll be in trouble."
"I love you, C.J. especially for doing this."
"I love you, Danny especially for sharing your son with me."
(TBC)