Another Father's Advice
Chapter 2
Mike walked through the park near his apartment on his day off. It was something he frequently did. As odd as it was, he liked being near the young families. Sure, it made him miss his own family but it also made him happy. He hadn't approached Tom about his conversation with Sam and Ashley. He wasn't sure how to tell the man that his own children would have preferred to be adopted by someone else then being raised by their own father. He also hadn't had a chance to talk to Russ about what to say to them. As he walked through the park, he noticed Kara Green sitting on a park bench, holding a sobbing Frankie. Out of concern, Mike approached her.
"Everything okay?" Mike asked as he pointed towards Frankie.
"It's Frankie's birthday today, sir. Danny had promised him he would be here for his party and he isn't. I don't know where he is and he isn't answering his phone." Kara explained and Mike looked towards a pavilion. Sure enough, it was decorated for a birthday party and Mike saw Kara's mom and another mom trying to keep up with several kids that were Frankie's age.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I can call him and order him to come here?" Mike suggested. He didn't have anything else. It angered him because he had seen Danny just that morning. He had missed plenty of his kid's birthday parties, because he was deployed or when he was a detective and had a big case but it was Saturday and Danny wasn't deployed or working. He was just too self-centered.
"Thanks, but I really don't think it would help. Danny has only seen Frankie three times in the three months he has been home. Frankie knows he is home and doesn't understand." Kara told him and Mike nodded. He couldn't understand being in town for your kid's birthday but not being there. He would love to just have one more birthday with Kaitlyn, Hannah or Lucas. He would definitely spend every moment of their day with them. He had hated the big birthday affairs that Christine had always planned for their kids but he had been present when he could be and now those big birthdays were some of his favorite memories of his kids.
"Hey, Frankie? Do you like dinosaurs? When my little boy was your age; he loved dinosaurs. Want me to go find you one?" Mike asked, knowing there was a toy store close by. Frankie looked at Mike for a moment and nodded at Mike.
"You don't have to do that, Sir." Kara argued and Mike just shrugged.
"No, I don't have to but it's not like I have that many birthday presents to buy anymore." Mike acknowledged and Kara looked pained. He had meant it as a joke but most people had trouble joking about his situation.
"Well, if you insist; I insist that when you get back; eat some cake and ice cream with us." Kara told him and Frankie nodded at him.
"Sure. Be back in a couple minutes." Mike told her as he patted Frankie's shoulder and then walked to a nearby toy store. He picked out a large dinosaur, similar to one that Lucas had had and had it wrapped up. Spending his afternoon off at a little boy's birthday party was less then appealing but Mike also knew, if Danny didn't get a clue, Frankie would need a strong male role model. Mike would step into that role if he had to, but he preferred Danny getting a clue.
By the time he got back to the park; Frankie was playing with his friends and Mike was surrounded by Kara, Debbie and Kara's friend Madeline. It was awkward at best. When his own kids had had a birthday party; Christine had always put him on grill duty. He didn't have much to do. Kara brought him a bowl of cake and ice cream and sat down next to him. He had noticed Madeline watching him closely but ignored it. She was pretty red-head with a son; Joey, who was Frankie's age and a daughter; Elizabeth, who was about six months old.
"You know, Madeline is single?" Kara said with a grin.
"Your point?" Mike asked. He knew what she was getting at. It seemed that all of his female friends had fixated on fixing him up with women. It had been disastrous. Mike was pretty sure that he was ready to date but no one compared to Christine and they all wanted to replace her and his kids after the first date.
"Just that she is a really nice woman and single. Joey and Elizabeth are absolute sweethearts. I will text you her number." Kara told him.
"I…I'm not sure I am ready to date. The last three dates have been disasters. I haven't dated in twenty some odd years." Mike admitted.
"Just with the wrong people. That last one was a doozy. She just wanted to get laid, then get a ring, a new last name and a baby." Kara commented. Mike had to laugh at her.
"Yeah. I am not opposed to any of the above on the understanding that a new baby can't replace my other three." Mike agreed and Kara typed out a text on her phone.
"Well, I think Madeline will be good with all of the above on that understanding. She lost a son to the Red Flu and her husband was killed in a car accident before Elizabeth was born. She is new to this dating thing too. And just a word of warning, she is all about her kids. Her last date got mad because she had to go home early, Elizabeth was teething and wanted her mommy." Kara assured him. Mike was watching the red-head, talking to Debbie. Madeline was pretty and had what Mike's mom had called a "sweet countenance." The kids were also adorable.
"Alright. One date. Set something up. I am going to talk to Danny. I already need to talk to Tom about his kids. What's one more? I don't get these guys checking out on their kids. I would give anything to spend one more day with one of my kids. Its aggravating." Mike commented and Kara nodded.
"Frankie doesn't get it. Just because things aren't working for us doesn't mean that Danny gets to quit being a dad." Kara said as she took Mike's empty bowl and stood up.
"I think we all have a fair amount of PTSD going on but that isn't a good enough excuse to check out on the kids. Danny and Tom are taking it for granted, thinking the kids will always be there. Nothing is guaranteed. Five, six years ago; I was positive my kids would always be around, and now they aren't. They were healthy and happy and I took that for granted. Assumed they would grow up, graduate and go to college, get married, have their own kids. I don't want Tom or Danny to have the regrets I have but more than that; the kids deserve more than what they are being given." Mike told her and Kara leaned down and patted his shoulder.
"I don't mean to dredge up bad feelings. I do appreciate you doing this for Frankie. It means a lot. I will set up something with Madeline." Kara told him as they separated ways. Her text with Madeline's number had come through and Mike was actually kind of excited about the prospect of a date with someone who wasn't completely self-centered. He just had to figure out how to fix Tom and Danny.