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“C’mon in.” She tilted her head in the direction of the living room but veered toward the kitchen with the dish in hand. “Janie’s upstairs. I’ll call her down.”
Eric sat on the couch and coughed into his hand. How would Jenna introduce him?
Janie, this is Eric Laine, your biological father.
Janie, this is Eric Laine, the man who said he hated you the night you were born because he believed you were someone else’s child.
Janie, this is Eric Laine, the other half of your genetic makeup, technically that makes him your father.
The sound of feminine voices roused him from his pitiful rumination. He stood, straightening his bruised body in a gentlemanly fashion as the two most important people in his life entered the room. Jenna didn’t make any of the bizarre introductions he’d imagined and broke the ice simply. “Sweetheart, this is Eric.”
His daughter raised one hand and waved, wiggling her fingers shyly. “Hi.”
“Hello,” he answered.
Blinking, he tried not to stare. His little girl was beautiful. He had thought so the morning he’d seen her trotting to a car. Although he’d held her in his arms the night before, this was the first time he was really getting a good look at her.It was amazing.Shewas amazing…perfect.
Did all parents think that of their children? Eric had no way of knowing, but Janie looked incredibly like her mother and Jennawasbeautiful, an opinion not exclusively his.
He extended his hand and a smaller one reached out to rest in it. “I’d like to make up for lost time. But…but only when you’re ready. We could go to a movie, or out to dinner. Um, I hear you’re a gymnast so maybe I could go to one of your games.”
Janie’s eyes narrowed and she scrunched her nose as if either displeased or amused. Eric had no way of discerning the expression. “They’re called meets. But how did you know I was a gymnast?”
“Your mom told me. But there’s still a whole lot of things I don’t know about you.”
His daughter shrugged her small shoulders and rocked on her heels. Her posture seemed a little uncomfortable, but mostly shy. “Me too,” she said. “I mean…there are a bunch of things I don’t know about you, except that you’re a movie star.”
Tipping his head, Eric returned the shrug. Actor, producer, and businessman were all acceptable job titles. Movie star was his all-time least favorite even though there’d been a time “Busboy” was figuratively tattooed on his forehead.
Janie looked up for a moment and smiled crookedly. Then her line of vision returned to her feet. “I sometimes make believe I have a dad, and that he’s somebody really important. I guess you are, huh?”
Sighing, a little corner of Eric’s heart broke off and died. The only daddy his daughter had ever known was an image invented in her imagination. He dropped down to one knee and draped his arm across his thigh. The position put him at eye level with her. “Janie, your uncle Kyle is in the service. I have a brother who was, too. Those guys are important. Doctors, firemen, teachers…they’re the important jobs. Me, I’m just a guy who acts…pretends. Sometimes it’s a lot of fun, and the pay is great, but that doesn’t make me any more important than the next man. You’re only really important if somebody needs you.”
Jenna stepped over and put her arm around Janie’s shoulder. Eric could see a glossy shine in her eyes.
“See, I told you he was smart.”
****
For the first time in her young life, Janie Black shared a meal with both of her parents. Jenna made a salad to go with the casserole and the trio passed the salt, and pepper, and butter like a family. They didn’t talk much at first, but as the chill thawed, Eric asked scores of questions. Janie told him who her best friend was, and her teacher’s name. After dinner, Jenna played one of her gymnastics tapes, and Eric cheered and slapped his knee and told her how great he thought she was. “That kind of stuff blows me away, you’re terrific.”
Janie offered a sideways smile, one pale brow lifting. “Terrific? I face planted on one of my tumbling passes and fell off the beam.”
“But you got a medal.” It was clear Eric wasn’t being denied his proud parent moment.
“We all get a medal,” she admitted with a shake of her head.
When Jenna announced it was bedtime, Janie asked him to accompany them upstairs. “I want to show him my room.”
But what the child really wanted was to know what it felt like to have both MommyandDaddy tuck her in.
****
Eric slowly perused statues, trophies, and the collection of books that lined shelves. He nodded his approval. “This is a real nice room.”
He took inventory so he could replicate everything for his house in North Carolina. His most fervent wish would be to one day soon have his daughter visit. The large corner space with the window seat would be the first room in the old house remodeled.
As he continued scanning the room, he noticed a threadbare toy dog lying on the pillow on Janie’s bed. He picked up the worn creature, holding it gently as he had done so long ago. After his unforgiveable behavior the night of her birth, he’d gone to a Rodeo Drive store to buy a layette. He’d bought the little stuffed puppy to give to her.
