Daddy Comes To Visit

Oh where do I start?

Yesterday was an interesting one and it started very early.

I couldn't sleep at all Saturday night, I kept tossing and turning. I would keep remembering things that I had to do. Many times that night I cursed Reed for deciding that he would come down on Sunday and stay until Thursday morning. I also cursed myself for not realizing that he was setting a little trap for me when he was vague about the date of the conference and where it was. There was no conference, he told me that last night.

After tossing and turning, I decided to say screw it and get up. I wanted to get a head start on my cleaning list before Alexis woke up. Now my apartment isn't dirty but I didn't want there to be anything left undone in case Reed saw it and questioned my ability to raise Alexis in a clean and healthy environment. I know that may sound silly but I wouldn't put it past him or his family.

Reed said he would be at my place around noon but I made him promise he would call me when he got into town so I'd have time to panic before he actually arrived. I was finished my 'to do' list around 10, which was a good thing since Alexis was awake and wanting attention since 8. In the two hours before he arrived, Alexis and I both got a little something to eat and had a bath. I was just finishing dressing her when my phone rang at 11:30.

"Hello dear it's Lucinda, has Reed made it there yet?" I told her 'no'. She said she'd let me go and finish what I was doing.

"Amber dear please tell Reed to give me a call when he gets in." I promised her I would tell him and hung up.

Alexis and I were sitting on the couch reading when the phone rang again. 11:40.

"Hello dear, it's Lucinda again. I'm heading out for an hour, please tell Reed to call me on my cell phone when he gets there. It's very important Amber." I promised her I would and again I hung up.

We were still reading when the phone rang at 11:50.

"Hello dear, it's me again. I an at home, I forgot that I moved my appointment to tomorrow. So please have Reed call me at home and not on my cell phone." I rolled my eyes and told her I'd tell him and hung up.

When my phone rang at 12, I looked at Alexis. "You get it this time and tell your grandmother she's crazy and your daddy doesn't ever want to talk to her again." Alexis glanced up at me and then turned back to her book. "Hello?"

"Hello darling, I'm just a few blocks away from your place, I'll be there in five minutes."

My stomach rolled, I thought I was gonna be sick. "Ok, we'll see you then." I hung up the phone and headed for the bathroom without stopping to put Alexis down. We were sitting on the floor in front of my toilet, "Alexis why did I tell your daddy he could come here? Was I crazy?" I was so nervous about the next couple days that I threw up. I don't know if my stomach can survive Reed's visit.

I was giving my teeth a quick brush when the buzzer went off. "Well here goes nothing." I told Alexis as we went to buzz Reed in. "Are you excited to see daddy again sweetie?" Alexis looked up at me when I said 'daddy'.

"Daaaaa," she said with her hands pressed against her mouth.

"That's right sweetie, daddy is coming." There was a knock on the door. "Oh! There he is now! Do you want to see daddy?"

"Daaaaa" she looked at me questioningly. I pointed to the door, "He is out there." Alexis glanced at the door and then at me, she screwed up her little face.

Reed knocked again, "Berrylynn?" Alexis' head turned towards the door and a huge grin spread across her face. I put her down on the floor and she started for the door. "Amber?"

I got to the door just as Alexis sat down in front of it. Opening it slightly, I glanced out at Reed. "Hey there."

He looked at me, "Aren't you going to let me in?" He had his hand on the door and went to push it open.

"No! Wait a minute!" I closed the door and picked up Alexis while Reed called out to me to open the door. "She was sitting by the door" I told him as I swung it open again.

I don't know what I was expecting when Alexis saw Reed, maybe I was hoping she would cry and not want to get up with him but that wasn't the case. Reed barely had time to lift his hands up to her before she was throwing herself at him.

I'll admit that I was jealous. I didn't want my daughter to want to see or spend time with him, I wanted her to only want to spend time with me and I know that's not fair. But what surprised me the most was how I felt having Reed in my apartment, sitting on my couch holding my daughter...I found myself wondering why he didn't do it before and how often he would want to come over. I found myself enjoying his company.

At first I tried to stay out of their way and let them have sometime alone but every time I tried to get away Alexis would cry for me or Reed would ask me something about her schedule or her toys. In the end I sat with them and showed him many of the different things that we liked to do together.

It was 2 before I even knew it, time for Alexis' nap. She was rubbing her eyes and giving little yawns, so I knew she was tired. I tried to take her from Reed to give her a bottle (I didn't want him watching me feed her like at the party) but she didn't want to let go of daddy. Finally I made Reed put her to sleep and he didn't mind one bit, he listened to what I told him and did everything I asked.

When Alexis fell asleep, Reed asked if he could hold her for a little while longer, I told him he could and then went out into the living room again. Just having him doing all the things he should as her father made me almost forget that he wasn't in her life full time. And that thought made me sad.

I was leaning back on the couch, my eyes were closed and I was close to napping myself when I felt the cushion shift beside me as Reed joined me. "Are you sleepy too darling?" He whispered as he slipped his arm behind my back. "Do you need me to put you to sleep too?"

I jumped, my eyes snapped open. "No I don't! And I don't want you touching me either!" I moved further down the couch, glaring at him as I went.

He raised a brow and gave me a knowing grin, "That's not what you said the night of your parents party."

"Don't throw my mistakes in my face Reed."

His grin disappeared, "Mistake?" He stared at me for a while, his jaw was clenched so hard I was afraid he'd break his teeth. Finally he stood up, "I have to get some things at the store. Can I have a key to get back in? Will you be sleeping when I get back?"

I was tempted to tell him to go home but I knew that the second Alexis woke up she would look for him. Sighing, I pushed myself off the couch and got him a set of keys to get back in. He didn't say anything to me as he took the keys and put on his outdoor wear. Without a word or a glance in my direction, he was gone and I felt like a complete bitch.

A complete bitch who was very tired. I sunk onto the couch and drifted off to sleep.

"Alexis no, don't wake mommy." Reed's whispered voice broke through my dreams, "We have to show her that daddy can take care of you." I opened my eyes and looked at the scene in front of me. All of Alexis' toys were thrown across the living room, her diaper bag was opened and the contents were in a pile in one corner of the room along with a couple rough looking diapers. Alexis was on her hands and bare knees on the carpet, she was looking over her shoulder at Reed who was standing in the entrance of the kitchen with a towel draped over his shoulder. I could smell something that wasn't there when I went to sleep, and I heard a noise that certainly wasn't there before I went to sleep. I watched as Reed stepped back into the kitchen and I heard noises that sounded strangely like pot lids being lifted and put back on.

Reed is cooking? Wait, can Reed cook? I jumped off the couch, picked up Alexis and made my way to the kitchen. "What are you doing?" I stared at the mess that was my kitchen.

"Don't worry I'm going to clean it up!" He said as he wiped at the sauce that spilled onto the stove top as he stirred it.

"Damn right you are!" I turned to go back into the living room, "And what about all this?" I motioned to the mess in there.

"I'll get to it, I promise." His voice was so close to my ear, I turned to look over my shoulder and he was standing right behind me.

"What are you trying to do? Destroy my home?"

He frowned, "No, I wanted to show you I could be a good dad. That I could keep Alexis entertained and happy, even if it was only while you napped." He sighed, "Amber I'm just learning this stuff, I'll get better at it."

I looked pass him to the kitchen, "And what happened in there?"

He glanced over his shoulder and cringed. "I was hungry, I thought I would make supper. I remembered that you loved cook's spaghetti, so I called her up and asked her how to make it." He looked at Alexis and then at me, "I thought I could do it Amber. But I guess I suck at this domestic stuff." He whipped the towel off his shoulder and shrugged, "I'm good at buying supper though," he gave me a weak smile. "What would you like? We can go where ever you want."

I looked at Alexis, she was watching him and her little lip was poking out in a pout. I glanced at the living room and then at the kitchen, he tried doesn't that count for something? I sighed, "Here take her," I handed him Alexis. "Go and pick up her toys and I'll see what I can do to fix supper. I might not make it like Norma but I'm sure I can make something just as good."

His face lit up, "Are you sure?" I nodded, "Thanks Amber." He leaned down and pressed the quickest kiss against my lips. "Come on Princess Lexi, let's play 'Cinderella'."

I shook my head and turned to the kitchen. Surveying the mess he left, I didn't realize that I has my fingers against my lip and a smile on my face. What the hell are you thinking? He has already loved you and left you twice, get your head out of the sand Amber!

My apartment was tidy again and dinner was ready. We sat down to eat and I let Reed feed Alexis her food. It was fun to watch him try to coax her to open her mouth, it only took him ten minutes to realize how to get her to eat.

True to his word, Reed cleaned up the kitchen and then helped me get Alexis ready for bed.

We went into the living room after she was settled, I stood there waiting for him to tell me he was going but he headed for the couch and turned on the TV. "What are you doing?"

"Watching TV," he said without looking up. "Why don't you come over here and join me?" I don't know why but I did. He smiled at me, "I don't know how you do this everyday Amber, you have to be a supermom or something."

I laughed, "Reed it wasn't easy but I had no choice."

"Yes you did, you could've come back home."

"I couldn't go home! My parents kicked me out remember? And everyone was talking about me like I was some kind of whore. I wasn't about to let my daughter live through that."

Reed turned to me, "Our daughter Amber. She's mine too."

I shook my head, "For how long Reed? Until you get tired of playing 'daddy'?"

"For the rest of my life and hers. I am going to be in her life Amber, I just hope you can deal with that."

"Just stay out of mine."

He considered this for a moment, "I don't want to fight with you Amber." He stood up, "It's been a long day, I think I should get some sleep." He looked around. "Where am I sleeping?"

"Where did you make reservations?" I asked him slowly.

"I didn't, I thought I would be staying here with you and Alexis."

"What?" I grabbed his arm, "Look around Reed this is a two bedroom apartment, where do you think I would put you?" A smile started to form on his lips and I slapped him. "Hell will freeze over first." I went over to the table with my phone and grabbed the phone book. "Here," I tossed it at him. "Find a room and go away."

I left him standing in the middle of my living room with this shocked look on his face. Closing my bedroom door, I changed into my pjs and waited for him to leave.

I sat on my bed for a good half hour, listening to the sound of his voice as it drifted through my door. I couldn't hear what he was saying but it didn't sound good.

"Amber?" Reed knocked softly on my door. "Darling, I called every one in the book and there are no vacancies, something about a week long training conference for some oil field company?"

I buried my face in my pillow and screamed, I knew he was telling the truth, Chris had mentioned something about having a harder week because of it when I spoke to him Saturday. "Amber?"

I left my room and went to the hall closet where I grabbed a pillow and blankets. Marching into the living room, I tore the cushions off the couch and threw them on the floor. I didn't say a word to him as I made up the pull out for him and he didn't even venture to say anything.

"Good night," I hissed when I turned to walk back into my room.

Reed grabbed me by the arm and spun me around to face him. "You can do better than that," he whispered before he kissed me. And like a damn fool who doesn't learn, I kissed him back.

No, he didn't spend the night in my bed.

I spent the night on the couch with him.