Thanx for reviewing Contorce!! actually i post this fic on another board where ppl request to be characters in it... so the women in the park with sawyer was not kate, but maggie livia's roomate,'maggie' is kate(from epie Whatever the Case May Be). This may be the last chapter but if any one wants me to continue just say so cuz i have another storyline i can go into:) Please review!!
Chapter 4: such is life
"Good morning this is Livia Phillips speaking; how may I help you?" Livia asked in a cover up tired voice. She spoke in a perky happy tone as she answered the phones at work. Livia listened to a man on the other line ask for information about arrangements for him and his girlfriends anniversary dinner. Besides weddings the company also helped in anniversaries.
"I am sorry Dr. Shephard, I can't pull up files such as the ones you are requesting that quickly. Yes… yes, I understand your girlfriend" He interrupted her for the fourth time loudly. "Rachel is it? Ok well I am sure Rachel or you can call our head courtiers and get the connections to the florist she is requesting." Livia pulled the phone away from her ear as the man continued to insist that certain arrangements be made in a rather loud voice. His persistence and dedication to his girlfriend's joy in perfection of the upcoming occasion amazed Livia. She tried to maintain her composure and be patience but she felt like screaming; day in and day out she had to deal with controlling people who expected perfection that she couldn't deliver. "Sir, I do not have that information available here. I will direct you to another department that may be able to assist you." Livia quickly wired the call and took another one from the call waiting list.
The rest of her day followed in a similar pattern. Hours proceeding were dreary; finally everything started to come to an end. The week was wrapping up and Livia couldn't have been more happy.
"Do your ears hang low do they wobble to and fro…."
The kids song played on the CD player in Livia's apartment as Livia's niece, Clementine, dances around her living room. The little girl's bare feet sunk into the carpet with every step. Her red play dress flared out and spun around when she twirled. The words were repeated by her small voice; they were slurred by a lisp. Her sparking dark blue eyes and dimples reflected the moment of joy she had in listening to the song. A beaded necklace that was too long she had made at preschool hung around her neck.
Coming in from vacuuming her bed room Livia caught Clem in a hug and swung her around to the beat of the music. The little dirty blonde haired girl laughed out loud and smiled from ear to ear as she danced with her aunt. Livia sung the words while she listedn to her niece's blissful laugh.
As the song began to wrap up the door bell rang. She set her niece on feet and went to get the door. Livia wore faded blue jeans that she had cut into capris. A two sizes too big button up, stripped shirt was what Livia wore to complete her mix and match outfit. A red bandana kept her hair out of her eyes.
"Hon, can ya turn that CD off I think we got some company." Livia hollered back at Clem as she went to answer the door.
"Yess mam." Clem said in her young cheerful voice.
Livia smiled a genuinely happy smile as she turned the door knob. Her smile of happiness soon turned to one of true shock and momentary admiration.
There before her stood James in a suit. His shaggy hair had been combed back and he wore a tie. Livia, taken back by his formal appearance didn't recognize him for a moment. He carried a briefcase so she assumed he had just come from' work'… or rather a con.
"Hey" James muttered in what almost sounded like a nervous voice. "She here?"
"No, I invited you over for a play date, ya like hide go seek?" Liva replied sarcastically in a dry tone. James rolled his eyes; he had an uptight feel about him.
"You worried?" Livia asked smiling, sort of giggling to herself. Sawyer ignored her question.
James followed Livia into the small apartment kitchen. He accepted the glass of water she offered him and wished it was liquor.
Livia knew James was hard to understand but today he was as easy to read as an open book.
James wanted his little girl to love him, if he only ever met her once he wanted it to be a good meeting. Men such as James knew how to handle, business and women but when it came to children it was different. It was his own fresh in blood he was about to meet for the first and last time. A child sees things as black and white; they see things that way because they don't know any better. They had never been taught to read between the lines. Clementine's whole idea of her father would be based off of one meeting, the one meeting James was determined to get right.
"Ready? Livia asked.
"Yeah" Sawyer said bluntly
Livia nodded. "Clemie, we have a guest, want to come say hi?" She yelled, then lead James wen out of the kitchen and went into the living room.
Sawyer walked in and saw the small back of child laced with dirty blonde tangles. Her long hair covered up most of the back of her red dress. She had been playing with a doll on other side of the room.
Clementine heard their footsteps and turned to face them.
James was taken back by her sparkling big blue staring straight at him. All his emotional armor was stripped away; it was useless against those innocent eyes. His own daughter sat before him.
Livia bent down to Clem's eye's level. "Sweet-heart this is Mr. Sa.. James. This is Mr. James. He came here to see you."
Clementine looked James up and down and took him in. Her button nose wrinkled and lil mouth's corners turned into a smile.
"Hi." Clemintine said looking up at her father.
James followed Livia's example and he got down to Clem's eye level, squatting on his haunches. Livia heard the phone ring; she knew it was her co worker, Abby, calling about a client so she left the two along and went to take the call.
Clementine was not a shy child, being four years old she thought she was on top of the world.
With bare feet that twisted in so her toes faced each other she extended her small hand toward James.
"Nice ta meet you misthur James." Clem said revealing a small lisp she possessed. She places her small hand in his and shook it.
"Nice to meet you too, Princess." James responded in a light comforting voice. He tried his best to hold the appearance of some one who was at ease.
"That's not my name, silly" Clem shoot back revealing her dimples as she smiled.
"And silly ain't mine." Sawyer said showing his dimples as well. His face was clean cut for the occasion. Clem wasted no time with slow introduction.
"What are those?" Clementine asked bringing her small fingers up to his cheeks; she touched either side where his dimples laid.
"Those are dimples… you got em' too." Sawyer said in a sweet tone tilting his head to one side slightly.
Clementine laughed a laugh that lit up the room. Her whole body shook and she squirmed as lil children often do when they laugh. Sawyer looked at his daughter and watched the laughter take over her.
"You're funny." Clementine said with certainty. She then took the pleasure of sitting down indian style in front of him to enjoy his presence. "You's gonna stay long Mistthur James?" Clem asked tilting her head right up so she could see his face.
"Not too long today sweetheart, I gotta leave town later." Sawyer's eyes drifted away so that he didn't look her in the face. "I uhm… I just wanted to come and say hi before I left." Sawyer forced his eyes to meet her face once again. Clementine was satisfied with his answer. Standing up her childhood impatience lead her to move on to an other subject.
"Wanna dance to my muusic?" Clementine asked leading James over toward her CD player. James blushed slightly, he had never been a good dancer.
"Well, I guess I can dance one dance for ya; but just one!" James said giving in extremely easily to his daughters demands.
"Okie dokie." Clementine replied cheerfully as she turned on her CD. As the nursery rhythm type songs played James took Clementine up in his arms and swung her around her room. Clementine's laughter over took the music. James matched his winging motions with the sound for her giggles. When the song ended Clementine, still laughing, went and turned the CD player to off. James once again drop to his knees and meet Clem at eye level. Without warning Clementine swung her tiny arms around his kneck and held on tight. She was not a tall child so she stood on her tip toes and held on tight. Slowly James brought his strong arms around his little girl. He was taken back by the small act of kindness, he was more stunned when she whisper in his ear.
"I like you." Clementine spoke in a soft voice, she said in sincerely. He had gotten his daughter approval. Clementine released her grip and looked James in the eyes and waited for his to speak. In a broken voice James spoke to his little girl.
"I got something for ya." James reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bag. Clem's starry eyed glaze never left her father's hands. Carefully he unraveled a beautiful bracelet.
"It'll be to big for ya now." James said in a tone that implied he through he had done something wrong as if his gift wasn't good enough. "But if I give it to your Aunt Livia, she'll give it to ya when ya get older. Would ya like that?." James asked bring his eyes to meet his little girls. His voice sounded as if her answer to his question would determined his view on life. That moment was the only though on his mind.
Clementine's tiny fingers touched the polished silver. It was a simple silver chain that held many little hearts all around it.
"It was… my mom's." James told her quietly.
Clementine left her hand in his till gently touching the bracelet.
"I love it." She simply said. And with that sawyer touched her cheek little with the back of his hand and stood too leave. Clementine looked directly into his eyes for one moment. Tears nearly began to fill her eyes at the thought of her new found friend leaving. But she understood he had to go. Before she let her tears fall she smiled her father's smile, showed her darling dimples and then turned back to her toys. James walked out of the room and out of the apartment and out of his little princess's life. He knew after a few moments that she would be ok, she would make it in life. For what some may have taken a life time to know he had only needed minutes to. He saw in her even at a young age strength that would get her through. She was persistent and understanding at the same time. He left her with one object from his past. He left her with one object, one memory that he hoped she would look back on with joy.