Chapter Nine

“Won't you wish me luck?”, Jason asked as he put on his suit.

“You've already been given the job,” Chrissie shrugged without taking her eyes from the book she was reading. “What do you need luck for?”

“Perhaps to prevent me from breaking my neck before I get there.”

“You won't.”

“Can't say I don't envy that damn book that's got all your attention,” Jason sighed as he adjusted his tie. He turned around and was about to walk off when he felt a touch on his arm. He turned back around, eyebrows raised, but was surprised to suddenly find himself engulfed in a tight hug.

“Wish you all the luck you need, dad,” Chrissie whispered in his ear.

“Thanks, dear.”

“Now get going before you get late on the very first day.”

He kissed her on her forehead and hurried off. Chrissie watched him leave and felt something strange. She felt like crying. This wasn't the first time he was leaving her at home, perhaps the thousandth time, but the tight bond they had formed lately was causing those tears to sting at her eyes. She tried to force them back. Come on, he's just going to work not to war, she silently chided herself. Something was nudging at her leg and she looked down to find Mirry looking up at her. She smiled and picked her up.

“Hey Mirry, seems it's gonna be you and me all day.”

The dog barked her concurrence. She seemed overjoyed at the entire situation and immediately launched into a rumple play that the girl could not resist. As they rolled and jumped about, Chrissie wondered how she'd have time to study now that she had resumed school. Mirry was proving to be quite a beautiful distraction!

**

The next day at breakfast, Jason sensed that there was something on his daughter's mind. She was eating in slow motion and had that familiar look on her face that signified that she was mulling something over in her head, but he would wait till she would decide to open up. But then, he had no intention to waste too much time at home on a working day for that matter. Wait! What has he thinking?! This was his daughter, his one and only daughter. No job would ever make him too busy to care about her welfare!

“You fairly startled me,” Chrissie complained as Jason suddenly dropped his fork in time with the sudden realization of his irresponsibility.

“Sorry,” he quickly apologized. “Something on your mind you wanna talk about?”

“No, nothing.”

“Come on, you can always talk to me. What is it, hon?”

“Umm... I was thinking... why don't we go back to Miami for a quick holiday?”

“Really?!”, Jason fairly shouted. “This is not a holiday period, Miss. What about your school?”

“Oh, one day wouldn't make any difference.”

“And my job?”

“You're a big guy that does nothing, isn't that what you said? I'm sure no one would miss you.”

“Someone in charge of security can be missed at any time,” Jason grumbled.

“Oh come on, I'm sure terrorists don't launch attacks on Mondays.”

“Terrorists aren't the only security threat to the company.”

“Whatever. Let's just do this, pleeeeease.”

“Okay. Fine. We will.”

“Can we bring Tracy and the kids too?”

“Young lady, you're asking for so much, you know.”

“Come on, I'm sure they'll be glad to tag along.”

“Fine.”

“Yippee!”, she jumped up and kissed her father all over his face.

“Now my face and clothes will be all oily,” Jason groaned.

“Oh sorry,” she apologized and went about cleaning off the stains with worse-stained hands.

“Oh no. Now I'll have to change.”

“Come on, it's not that bad. Nothing wrong with a coat of many colors.”

“Sometimes, I think I over-indulge you.”

“Not that you have a choice,” Chrissie shrugged carelessly. “I'm your only daughter, you know.”

“I think I'll have to adopt Mirry,” Jason said as he glanced at Chrissie's dog who was watching the news as usual, but the little thing hearing him call her name barked angrily at him.

“I'm sure she'll eat up the adoption papers before you have a chance to sign them,” Chrissie laughed.

“This is ingratitude at its height,” Jason grumbled. “How come I go out to buy the dog and now it hates me like hell?”

“Maybe 'cause you've not been treating her mistress to enough luxury?”

“I just agreed to the Miami idea.”

“Perhaps she didn't hear you. Lemme tell her. Hey Mirry, we're off to Miami again! Hear that? We'll go on Friday and be back by Monday, so...”

“Friday? Monday? Hell, that's two days, not one like you said!”

“Oh who cares, it's just two days,” Chrissie shrugged carelessly.

“I do, ma'am. It's forty eight great hours! Am I supposed to start my job by skipping two working days for some holiday?”

“Come on, you worry too much about that job. You don't need the money. There's all that inheritance you got after grandpa's brother died. Just relax.”

“I will, when you give me a good reason why I should still go through with this Miami idea,” Jason said and folded his arms, waiting for the explanation.

“Because I'm your daughter, your one and only daughter. And until you remarry and have another child, my whims and caprices reign supreme and unchallenged.”

“Right!” Jason jumped to his feet and started off to go change his clothes. “I'll seriously consider that solution.”

“Don't you dare, mister!”, she shouted after him.

*****

Chrissie felt satisfied and elated at being back at Miami for one last time before the next official holidays. She had had quite a lot of free time recently and now it'll be work, work, work for both her father and herself. Since this was the last holiday for a long time to come, she was determined to loosen up totally and enjoy herself to the maximum.

“Ready?”, she asked Tessy as they got on their marks, ready for the race.

Tessy nodded and with a shout of 'Go!' from her friend, they were off, running towards the shoreline at full speed. Both girls were neck and neck for a while, but Chrissie's extraordinary stamina soon won out.

“Yayy!”, she shouted as she reached the water, well ahead of her now tired friend. With an athletic jump, she made a clean dive into the midst of Tracy and the boys. Her aunt squealed, but the boys jumped around with their cousin, glad to have her join them.

From the beach, Jason watched the proceedings with a smile. At first, he was not very comfortable with coming to Miami again at this time, but now he felt very differently. He was getting to see his daughter in her friendliest and free-est mode. He himself was feeling much more rested and comfortable than he'd been in recent times and getting a nice healthy tan too. Somehow, he was grateful to Chrissie for bringing up the idea. He leaned back and closed his eyes, with that smile still on his face.

“Quite a restless trio, right?”

“Yeah,” Jason concurred involuntarily as he opened his eyes to find out who was speaking.

Tessy was right beside him, smiling sweetly at him. She was wearing a bright-colored bikini that was very far from being conservative. He thought she was beautiful and curvy in all the right places, but then quickly switched his focus back to her face. “Very restless, those three,” he added with a slight cough.

Tessy's smile widened a trifle more. She seemed to have noticed his evident discomfort and was reveling in it, but Jason was determined to thwart her. Before she could say anything in reply, he craned his neck, trying to look past her, forcing her to look in the direction he was focused on.

“Saw something?”, she asked.

“Someone instead. Someone familiar.”

“Maybe a close resemblance," she suggested with a shrug. "Anyway, I have a little errand to run. Be back in a moment.”

“Okay. Take your time.”

Tessy smiled again and sashayed off with a defined sway to her generous hips. Jason didn't look as she went. He wondered if she knew that he really meant those last words.

“On your feet, boy!”

Jason was stunned to hear that familiar voice. He quickly turned to see Lynn Webbs standing beside him and scanning the beach through a large pair of dark sunglasses.

“Do I have to repeat myself?”, she asked without looking at him, her eyes still scanning and her hand on her waist.

“No, Senator,” he said as he stumbled off the chair.

“Thanks.”

She promptly replaced him on the chair and relaxed deeply while he sat on the ground beside her.

“You guys are really having so much fun around here. Selfish of you not to invite me.”

“Actually we thought you'd be too busy.”

“Did you ask?”

“No, but...”

“Then you have no sensible excuse.”

Jason kept his mouth shut. Truly, he had no sensible excuse. To be frank, he had not even thought of her at all.

“Have you seen Chrissie and the boys?”, he suddenly asked in an effort to keep up the conversation.

“I came to see you alone.”

Jason tried to hide his surprise, but he had no idea how. So he settled for silence and looked straight ahead. He could not for the life of him figure out what on earth Lynn would want to see him for and knowing his mother-in-law, he wasn't going to bother guessing.

“You know, Raids,” she began, without waiting for a verbal response. “We've not been friends for a long time, in fact we've never really been friends, but things came to a head when you developed the balls to cart away my daughter from me.”

Jason opened his mouth to speak, but he wisely kept it shut again.

“Smart option,” Lynn approved before continuing. “I hated what you did. Taking her away like that. Love or not, you shoulda listened to her family...”

“But were you ready to listen to me?”, Jason cut in.

“Not really,” Lynn shrugged. “But you can hardly blame us. You'd agree with me that you didn't present yourself very nicely to us.”

Jason could remember all too clearly how he must have looked to them.

“A very young man,” Lynn continued. “No job or hope of one to speak of. Living life as it came. Building a future on hazy dreams... Come on, you seriously didn't expect me to hand over my favourite daughter to such a hippie, such a... comprehensive failure.”

Jason bit his lip at the word, but managed to remain silent. Lynn sighed deeply and then continued, “I think Lyssa brought some good luck into your life. You joined the army and later the FBI. I didn't like the union, but I respected the fact that she loved you. I still do and I'm proud that my little princess did a good job of making something useful out of you. Chrissie's an extra blessing to be sure. But let's leave all that. You've been a good husband, I guess... and a good father, it seems... and a good son-in-law, even though I would have preferred you were worse. You saved my life and I'm grateful. So let's start over and be friends this time.”

“Agreed, ma'am,” Jason nodded.

“I wasn't asking your permission,” she snapped at him.

“Of course. But anyway, thank you f...”

“Oh shut up. Go get your new friend a drink.”

“Yes, ma'am.”

With a smile, he jumped to his feet and jogged off on the errand. The day suddenly looked brighter than ever. He really had a lot to thank Chrissie for. Coming to Miami, things were turning out better than he would have ever dared to hope for. One family at last!

THE END!

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