Chapter 13

"Hey Jas, I need toilet paper!"

"Oh yeah, that's down in the truck still." That was a lot of floors down as Arielle giggled when Trish groaned.

"Use a blow dryer."

"ARE YOU KIDDING ME?"

"Mark Calaway! " Jasina scolded, watching as her daughter started having a fit with giggles, and shook her head just as Steve walked in. "Go get your girlfriend some toilet paper from the truck."

"What's wrong with my niece?"

"Mark told Trish to use a blow dryer..."

Steve was HOWLING with laughter as he walked down to the truck, having to stop and piss in the local bathroom.

"You guys are so not funny!" Trish yelled from the bathroom. "He better be fast, I might air dry in here."

"What's that? She's not wiping?"

Mark stuffed a knuckle in his mouth to keep from snorting.

"Hey Trish, I found some paper towel?"

Jasina was laughing so hard, she was leaning against Mark as Trish snatched the paper towel from the crack in the door. She finally got her bearings together just as Steve walked back in. "Too late." She stated, walking over to sit on the bed, pulling Arielle between her legs.

"Aww hell." He grumbled and smiled when Trish walked out, only to get paper towel thrown in his face. "Thanks honey."

"No problem, darling." She smiled sweetly back at him.

"Trish, did you wash your hands?"

Trish blinked, staring at Arielle. "Of course I did."

She held up the bottle of hand soap. "With what?"

Mark was biting his knuckle again.

Trish walked back into the bathroom, coming out with a bar of soap. "This, my dear."

After they talked for a few more minutes, Trish and Steve headed out, Trish berating him for taking so damn long with the toilet paper and Steve just grumbling a 'yes honey' in return. "She's got him wrapped around her finger." Jasina commented, shaking her head, and heard Mark announce they were leaving. "Thank you for all your help once again, both of you." She smiled as Arielle hugged her. "You know where I live, you come see me anytime you want." Jasina knew she wasn't welcome at the ranch, which was understandable, and kissed the top of her head.

"Oh, I will."

"She'll call first." Mark said gently, looking down at Arielle with a raised eyebrow, sticking his tongue out at her when she did it to him. "Just to make sure your mom is home."

"Ohhhh...yeah, good idea."

Jasina chuckled softly and nodded as Arielle headed out, shouting she loved her over her shoulder. "Love you too sweetheart." She called back, walking behind Mark, and leaned against her door. She wanted to tell Mark how much she loved him too, but held back for very good reason. "Have a good night, Mark." She softly said and shut the door after he walked down the stairs to the truck. Jasina closed it, her back pressing against the door, and closed her eyes before going to her room. She was exhausted and was out like a light as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Mark listened to Arielle's chatter the entire ride home, only to sigh when she fell asleep as they were pulling into the driveway. Go figure. He carried her into the house and to her bed. He had just pulled off her shoes when he realized she was twelve. Twelve years old and sighed, shaking his head. The years had gone by too damn fast it seemed. Pulling the blankets over her, he walked out of the bedroom, feeling pretty tired himself.

~!~

A few months passed since Jasina moved back to Houston and things couldn't have been better. Her and Arielle shopped and saw a movie at least once a week, sometimes with Mark, sometimes just the girls. Arielle wanted to include her father and Jasina honestly didn't mind seeing Mark...or spending time with him. Though she also knew he would eventually find someone else and that saddened her. She would wish him well though if that time ever came, knowing she blew it with him and accepted it. It was a Saturday afternoon when her phone rang, her eyes widening at the sound of Mark's frantic voice.

"Mark, what's wrong?" She asked worriedly, already slipping her shoes on and rushing out the door.

"Arielle has locked herself in the damn bathroom and won't let me in!" Mark was in a full blown panic at the moment. "She's screaming at the top of her damn lungs that's she fuckin' dying and she won't let me-"

"DADDY, I'M BLEEDING TO DEATH!" Arielle screamed just from the other side of the door, wailing hysterically.

"WHAT?" Now Jasina was scared as she peeled out of her parking lot of her penthouse and zoomed down the road as fast as she could without getting pulled over. "I'm on my way, Mark! Just...tell her to calm down..." Jasina was frantic now, wearing white cotton shorts with a white grayish tank top, having been in the middle of cleaning since it was her day off from the newspaper. Why was her daughter trying to give them BOTH a heart attack? "What is she saying?"

Mark held the phone right up to the bathroom door. "Arielle, honey, it's yer mom, c'mon, open the door!" He pleaded.

"NO! You stay out! I'M BLEEDING TO DEATH, MOM!" Arielle shouted. "I want my mom! NOT YOU DAD!"

Now that stung just a little bit.

"Eww...Eww, what is that? MOM HELP!"

"Mark, just...I'll be there!" Jasina hung up as she threw the phone on the passenger seat and pulled on the road before beginning to speed. She arrived in record time, five minutes, and surprisingly didn't get pulled over before shutting her car off and ran up the drive of the ranch and through the front door. "MARK?" She heard his voice and took off upstairs, taking two at a time, finally stopping when she heard Arielle screaming. "What the hell happened?" Jasina demanded, not giving him time to respond, and knocked on the door. "Sweetheart, I'm here. What's going on Arie?"

The door opened enough for Arielle's thin arm to jerk her mother in the bathroom, slamming the door shut right in Mark's face.

All Mark could do was stare bemusedly at the door, slumping back against the wall to wait.

"Mom, I'm dying, look!"

Jasina had to bite her lip to keep from laughing, patting her daughter's shoulder reassuringly with a smile. "Relax sweetheart, you're not dying. Hold on okay?" Jasina opened the door and stepped out, seeing Mark stand up, the fear in his green eyes unmistakable. "Relax, she's fine. She's having her first period."

Mark stared at Jasina for a moment before finally making a face. "All that fuss over-" He stopped again, going pale. "Wait a damn minute, she's TWELVE! She can't have- no, no, no. I don't even have any...anything for..." He raked a hand over his face, finally just staring at her. "Please tell me you're pulling my chain."

"I started when I was twelve." Jasina said patiently, seeing how pale Mark was, and sighed as she placed a hand on his arm. "It's common for girls to start at this age, Mark. I'm not pulling anything, she started. I'm going to go get her some pads that I have in my car. Then I'm going to take her shopping and show her what they're for and whatnot. You don't have to worry about anything. Just...take a deep breath." She was afraid he was going to keel over at any given moment, his chest rising up and down at a rapid pace.

Mark was reliving when he and Jasina had first started living together and his first time dealing with a woman on the rag he couldn't run away from. His green eyes were getting wider and wider, the color draining from his face. "I am going to go pour a drink then get started on making a new house for myself out back." He muttered.

Jasina lost it as she started laughing, her eyes sparkling back at him. "Did you honestly think Arie wouldn't have her period?" She laughed harder when he muttered something about he was hoping, shaking her head. "She's growing up into a woman, Mark, whether you want it to happen or not." When the sadness took over his green eyes, she sighed and pressed her hand against his chest. "She'll still be your little girl no matter how old she gets. Now I have to go get those pads out of the car." She quickly rushed downstairs, knowing Arielle was stuck in the bathroom until she had one.

"Dad, is she back yet?"

"She JUST walked out the door."

"Well tell her to hurry!"

Mark rubbed his face, exhaling loudly. Oh yeah, he was building a guest house that he'd be using once a month when he apparently got his period too.

Jasina rushed back upstairs and seen Mark was still there, smiling and walked inside the bathroom after tapping on the door, shutting it behind her. She explained what they were used for and how once a month she would be getting this until she hit menopause at the age of fifty. Jasina was surprised Arielle hadn't been taught this kind of thing in school, but...that was the school system and it made her roll her eyes. It took about a half an hour before Jasina and Arielle emerged from the bathroom, both of them wiping tears away, and she bent down to hug her daughter close, kissing the top of her head.

"Now go get ready so we can go get you some more." She tapped her nose and watched as Arie went to her room, sighing gently.

Mark had to look away, not entirely sure if he was ready to acknowledge his little princess was growing up. "I'm going downstairs." He rumbled, taking the steps two at a time.

"DAD, I NEED SOME CLOTHES WASHED!"

He did a full body shiver, not even wanting to know why though his mind cheerfully supplied the answer, especially since he'd just done the wash a day ago.

Jasina took Arielle shopping, coming back with some new clothes since her daughter insisted she needed them, shaking her head. She couldn't believe how much she missed out on and let her daughter walk upstairs while Jasina looked around the house. They'd been gone for three hours, Arielle insisting on trying on every pair of pants and shirt she wanted, chuckling softly. Pictures of Arielle adorned the walls and Jasina felt the tears swell in her eyes, quickly blinking them away when Mark walked back in.

"Feeling better?" She asked softly, seeing the color was back in his face.

"No. I hope you bought her that Midol or Pamprin shit, whatever the hell it was you used to take." Mark grunted, a beer in hand as he dropped down onto his massive couch, picking up the remote and flicking to a sports channel, his eyes not even focused. "So...what all did she get and how much do I owe ya?"

"I got everything and you don't owe me anything." She replied softly, seeing he was having a hard time with this, and smiled gently as she walked over to sit down next to him. "I know this must be hard for you, but she will always be your little girl. You know that right? Just because she's changing, doesn't mean she won't love her daddy any less. You are her entire world, Mark." She patted him on the shoulder as a gesture for comfort before standing back up, not wanting to overstay her welcome.

"I had to duck and dodge you during that time of the month..." Mark groaned, covering his eyes with his hand. "What if she's exactly the same way?" He could just picture it, his sweet cherub throwing plates at his head because he didn't have an afternoon snack waiting or something else that was trivial, but to her would be the end of the world.

"That is something you're going to have to deal with. Though..." Jasina leaned over the couch to where their eyes locked. "Chocolate helps during that time of the month. You'll be fine." Jasina winked at him reassuringly just as Arielle came downstairs, causing her to turn around and smiled. "Did you take the Pamprin for your cramps sweetheart?" Arielle nodded and walked inside as she sat next to her father, leaning against him.

"So what was that about chocolate?" Arielle asked, which also happened to be her favorite candy, dessert, drink, whenever she could get it.

"There's a bag of Hershey Kisses on the counter, knock yourself out." He replied, looking down at her, cracking a grin when she smiled at him. Okay, maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

"Oh yeah, my laundry?"

And then again...

"Arie, give your dad a breather okay? He's gone through a traumatic experience." Jasina smiled and rolled her eyes. "You have new clothes to wear for a week, now give your old man a rest." She ordered before kissing the top of her head, sighing and walked toward the front door. "Arie, I'm gonna get going okay?" She called, slipping her shoes on, having taken them off when she came in from shopping with her daughter.

"No, you're staying for dinner." Arielle said firmly, getting up and smiling sweetly when both her parents just looked at her. "I'm making lasagna."

"You gonna remember to cook the noodles this time?" Mark quipped, actually cringing when her green eyes flashed on him. "Go eat some damn chocolate."

"I'm gonna put rat poison in yours if you don't play fair, dad."

"Am I really now?" Jasina replied, crossing her arms in front of her chest and seen the pleading in her daughter's eyes, smirking. "You apologize to your father and I'll stay for dinner." When Arielle grumbled a 'sorry dad', Jasina grinned before nodding, slipping her shoes back off and walked toward the kitchen, brushing against Mark accidentally on the way. "So who taught you how to make lasagna?"

"My home-ec-" Arielle trailed off when she heard her dad clearing his throat. "Fine, dad did." She rolled her eyes. "I was failing home-ec and he showed me how to make it so I'd pass since I needed extra credit. I did okay the first time around, then the second I forgot to boil the pasta."

"And didn't bother tellin' me when she realized it."

"Did you know Dad is too big to perform the Heimlich on?"

"Most definitely, I don't even think I could perform that move on him. So Mark, you better not choke or else there's going to be problems."

She smiled sweetly before turning back to her daughter, watching her get the pan out and crossed one leg over the other, her honey chestnut hair flowing down her back. It was to her waist now, curling at the ends, though Jasina was contemplating cutting it to her middle back again. Her eyes were totally focused on her daughter right now though, smiling and nodding when Arielle pointed out what she was doing, giving her own teaching lesson. She was smart and it did Jasina's heart good to see how grown up Arielle was becoming.