The One With All The Fathers Days
A Friends Retrospective
The One With Monica's New Dad Chapter 3
Notes: This Father's Day retrospective mostly will focus on Monica's relatonship with Jack when she was a child and her current Father Daughter relationship with Richard. Chandler's relationship with his dad will get a brief mention and hopefully his father Charles will make an appearance at some point. This chapter takes place in 2006 after the Joey spin off ends and Joey has moved back in with Monica and Chandler to help raise Jack and Erica.
It had been t three years since Monica and Chandler had moved to Westchester. As Fathers Day approached Monica grew wistful of the memories she had shared with her father Jack as a young child. Despite the fact that his wife Judy had tried to manipulate the family dynamic so that it always swung in the favor of her older brother Ross her father always chose to spend equal time with each child. She looked back on these memories even fonder now since Richard had adopted her. It was a tough conscious choice for her but despite the fact she'd always gotten along well with Jack she ultimate decided to focus on building a new relationship and make new memories with Richard. Through going to family therapy she also helped her eleven year old nephew Ben navigate the difficult transition of his grandparents divorce and Monica's adoption by Richard. Happy tears flowed down her cheeks as her favorite Father's Day memory entered her brain At that time she was nine years old.
June 17th 1983 Monica is 9 years old and Ross is 11
The early morning sun burst through Monica's bedroom window and she felt herself being shaken awake, Her father Jack smiled down at her.
"Daddy, it's so early. Why can't I sleep in? It's the weekend,
"I want to spend some time you alone sweetheart.. just you and I for Father's Day before your mother and Ross wake up."
Monica returned her father's grin. "Really? Wow Daddy, what a great idea."
"We're going for a ride to Montauk Beach for a picnic. Let's pack your bathing suit too. Who knows? We might go swimming."
Monica stuck out her tongue in disgust. "It's too early to go to swimming Daddy. The water will be too cold."
Jack smiled at his daughter. "Have a little sense of adventure Harmonica and humor me a little bit. I have the picnic basket all packed up. Let's get going now, "
Monica smiled. "Okay, Daddy. This will be a lot of fun!"
On the drive up to the beach Monica asked a question to her father that had been on her mind for many weeks."
"Daddy?"
"What is it honey?"
"Why do you and Mommy always play favorites with Ross?"
Jack's heart dropped to the pit of his stomach. "Does that bother you?"
Tears formed at the edges of her eyes. "Yes ,it does. It really hurts my feelings. I should be just as important as Ross. He shouldn't be more special than me."
Jack took one hand off of the steering wheel and squeezed his daughter's shoulder.
"I have tried to explain this to your mother several times honey. I don't think that she understands how much this hurts your feelings."
Monica sniffled as tears gathered at the edges of her eyes. Her father handed her a tissue.
"Baby girl, don't cry."
"I hate feeling like you guys don't love me Daddy."
Harmonica, look at me okay?"
Monica raised her tear stained face toward her father's.
"Sweetheart, I planned for us to spend sometime together this morning because I know how much Mommy's favoritism hurts your feelings. Don't you like spending time with me alone?"
Monica nodded. "Of course, I do "
" I love you Monica. I never want you to forget that sweetheart."
Monica sniffled. " I love you too Daddy. Why is Mommy so mean to me?"
Jack stared out the window. "I wish could tell you the answer to that honey but I really don't know."
"Are you all right? Monica snapped back to reality and noticed Chandler standing in doorway.
"A father's day memory just came back to me. It's happy and sad at the same time because it's when I first became aware of the parental favoritism toward Ross."
Chandler kissed Monica gently on the top of her head. "I'm sorry you're hurting sweetheart. Please don't cry okay?"
"Do you ever get sad around Father's Day too Chandler? Monica looked at her husband curiously,"
Chandler sighed. " No. unfortunately I never really too close to my dad before the divorce happened. That's why it was so hard for me to reconnect with him before the wedding."
Monica squeezed her husband's hand gently. "Have you tried to call him since we moved here?:
Chandler looked at the ground. "No. I haven't."
"You have to let him in to our lives sweetheart." she whispered.
Chandler had tears in his eyes. "It's so difficult for me to do that Monica. Trust me I really want to. I really want Jack and Erica to have a relationship with their grandfather. I still resent him so much for abandoning me."
Monica gently wiped her husband's tears away with the tips of her fingers. "Have you considered going to counseling with him?"
Chandler's eyes met his wife's. "Do you really think we should?"
Monica wrapped her husband in a hug. "Yes I do. I think it's really important that you start to heal from this."
Monica and Chandler held each other for ten minutes in silence
"I love you baby." Chandler whispered.
Monica kissed her husband's forehead gently. "I love you too. Will you give Dr. Weinburg a call to set up an appointment?"
Chandler nodded. "I'll call her in a little bit."
"So what you decide to do for Father's Day?" Monica redirected the conversation.
Chandler smiled. "There is a Mets game at 1pm on Sunday. How about we all go that together? I bet Jack and Erica will really love the baseball game."
Monica smiled. "That sounds great."
"Should we call Carol and Susan to see if Ben wants to come with us too?"
Monica's smile grew even wider. " I think this will be a great way for Ben to bond with Richard Chandler. What a great idea! "
At 11:30am on Sunday the doorbell rang when Monica opened the door Ben was smiling at her on the other side.
"Hi Auntie Monica!"
Monica's grin grew wide. "Hi sweetheart , are you ready to go the baseball game with Grandpa Richard and Uncle Chandler?"
"I sure am." he replied.
Carol kissed her son's forehead. "Would you guys like to come over for dinner after the game or do you have plans already?" she asked Monica.
"What are we having for dinner?"
Ben grinned "Mom and Susan are making their famous Chicken polenta dishes Auntie Monica. Remember.. you made it for their wedding?"
Monica smiled. " Of course I do. I'm really glad that you still enjoy that recipe."
Carol looked at Monica curiously. "Are you guys seeing Ross today at all?"
Monica shrugged. "I don't know. Chandler never mentioned if he was coming to the game with us or not."
Chandler entered the hallway. "I haven't talked to Ross in a few weeks so no he isn't coming. He never quite got used to the idea that Richard is Monica's adopted father so I'd imagine he has plans with Jack and Judy today."
Ben looked at his aunt sadly. "I talked to Grandpa Jack on the phone before I came over Auntie Monica. He told me that he really misses seeing you a lot."
Monica squeezed her nephew's hand gently. "I promise to give him a call when we get home later tonight honey. I've been thinking about him a lot recently too. It has been really hard for me to see him since I was adopted but I think I am ready to see him again."
Carol rolled her eyes at Chandler's statement. "Don't the two of you wish that Ross would act more mature?"
Chandler shrugged. " His maturity is not the problem this time Carol. It's Judy being manipulative that's the problem."
Monica cleared her throat . "Check your call logs on your cell phone Chandler. I am pretty sure that Emma called you from Paris to wish you a happy Father's Day.. I think Ross is the only person that my mother manipulates and not Rachel."
Chandler nodded. " Will do. We should get going after that so we are not late for the game."
