Chapter 6
Sometimes we are less unhappy in being deceived by those we love, than in being undeceived by them.-Lord Byron
He said goodbye a year ago, thought he would never see her again. Didn't think she'd want to see him, he was afraid if he wrote, she wouldn't respond. Because of the way they left it.
It wasn't on bad terms, quite the opposite.
He didn't write, she didn't write, he thought maybe, maybe they'd just come to each other, no letters needed.
On one hand he was right, as he stared at the woman standing in his doorway, a blanket over the sleeping baby on her shoulder, and the words "don't blame her" ringing in his ears. On the other hand, he needed an explanation, because coming to him, with a baby, a baby in which all he could think was his, and he didn't know if he was ready to be a father. He didn't know if he ever wanted to be a father.
Okay sure, the desire was there, it came from being a part of a big family, his mother's side still kept in touch after his mother and Blythe died. But whether it was in the cards, he didn't know. Still, didn't know. He couldn't take his eyes off the child, a child in which he most certainly knew was his.
"Margaret?"
"Please, don't blame her," the begging in her voice echoed in his brain, as he stepped back, letting her enter from the rain.
"Margaret," he said again as she looked at him, hand running over the bit of hair that the baby had. "She?"
"Yes," Margaret replied. "I'm so sorry."
It had been a year since the bus, a year. He could handle it. Without thinking, he reached over and took the little girl, who fussed as her eyes opened. He recognized the eyes as his, and smiled softly as he brought the little girl to his chest.
His chest tightened slightly in fear, and slightly in pride. His eyes never left Margaret's.
"Her name is Daisy. Daisy Allegra Houlihan."
"That's nice," he said softly. "Margaret."
"I know. Just promise me something?"
"What?"
"Don't ever hate her, don't be mad at her for me not giving you a chance," Margaret pleaded again.
"I wont," he replied as he looked down at the little girl, who was now drifting off to sleep. "This… its not going to be easy Margaret."
"I know, it's not supposed to be," she replied as Hawkeye moved down the hallway, and turning right into the livingroom. Margaret followed behind him, she couldn't help but smile softly as he had yet to stop clutching his daughter to his chest.
She seemed happy, wasn't protesting, wasn't crying or fussing, she was content in his arms. And Daisy would not be comfortable in just anyone's arms this late at night.
"Hawk?"
"We need to talk," he said gesturing for her to sit on the couch opposite of his. Moving Daisy to his lap, he gently undid her blanket, letting the swaddled child out of her cocoon.
"I know we do," she whispered. "Listen…"
"I want to talk," Hawkeye stared. "I know, I know you did what you did for a reason. And I understand that. After what happened, I don't know if I could handle being a father, or at that moment an expectant one. Except…"
"You don't know if you can handle this," Margaret whispered. "We can go back to Seattle, I can just tell her that her father died in the war, she'll never have to know," she continued quickly.
"How I see it," a voice said from behind the two moving to stand in front of his son. "Is that my grandchild is alive, healthy and here to see me, so we need to get acquainted while you two figure out how this is going to work," Daniel smiled taking the little girl from Hawkeye.
"Dad…"
"Don't you Dad me, by the way, hello Margaret, I'm Daniel Pierce, my ass of a son probably hasn't mentioned me, but that's because he's jealous of my good looks," the older man winked. "We'll be in the bedroom reading." With that, Daniel winked and walked out of the livingroom, leaving both parties very shocked.
"That was my dad," Hawkeye mumbled.
"I figured," Margaret also mumbled. "He's right."
"I know," he replied. "This is a lot."
The two sat in silence for a few beats, neither looking at the other.
"Dad wont leave Crabapple Cove," he said plainly.
"We can leave Seattle," Margaret said softly. "Maine is closer to my mom, and sister, we could move to New York, it's not long of a drive from there to here. That is if you want…"
"I don't know what I want at this moment," Hawkeye sighed, running his hand through his greying hair. "This is a bit of a shock, and a lot to take in."
"I know."
"How can you know Margaret?" he asked angrily.
"How can I know? You have to be kidding me, I was the one who was told by a doctor that I was having a baby, your baby. I'm the one who had to change my lifestyle, my career, my life in general for the baby, I'm the one who made the decision to keep her, I'm the one who kept her. I'm the one. I know the shock Pierce, if anyone does, I do!" she countered angrily. "But I made the choice to give you the shock of being a father, because I thought you deserved it!"
"You know what Margaret, it was also your choice to wait this long," he retorted.
"I couldn't have you hate her! Or me," she shot back.
"I could never hate either of you," he said seriously staring at her. "You mean too much. There is too much to lose if I lost you."
It wasn't going to be easy, and Margaret and Hawkeye both knew it. She and Daisy would move.
Saying she would find a place was responded by a laugh, with no one moves to Crabapple Cove, so there wasn't any real estate. So they were to move into the Pierce home.
Daniel occupied downstairs, saying he was too damn old to walk upstairs all the time, which meant that the second floor was to be theirs. The house was bigger than it looked, with 5 bedrooms, one belonging to Hawkeye and two would be occupied by Margaret and Daisy.
Daniel had insisted on setting up the nursery while the three traveled back to Seattle. Margaret couldn't up and quit, so she would give her two weeks once they returned and Hawkeye would help her pack and take care and get to know his daughter.
Life wasn't a fairy tale, and they both knew that it wasn't going to be all lovey dovey right away, if ever. They may love each other, but both knew that being together for the sake of a child was not the base for a healthy relationship.
They were being together for Daisy, but deep down, it was more than that.
Margaret came to Maine, not for Daisy, but for her and Hawkeye.
He let her in, held the baby because of her, both of them. There was nothing more than deep down love between them. But like an onion, their relationship needed to be pealed back layer by layer, because if you cut it, tears were going to happen.
"And Ill see you soon my little girl," Daniel smiled as he rocked his grand daughter in his arms. "And when you come back, Ill have your bedroom done."
Kissing her head, Daniel handed Daisy over to Margaret. "And be safe. Call when you two get there, so I won't worry."
"I will," Margaret smiled. "Thank you Daniel."
"You're very welcome love," he smiled. They were a family, whether anyone realised it or not, but the Pierces and the Houlihans were family, a bit screwed up, but they were a family, and would discover what it meant to be a family.
