Fatherhood: Part Two

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Part One: click here

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Saturday August 25th
Nearly Midnight - Off Camera

He eases the door shut as he exits the hotel room, wary of waking up the sleeping resident inside. The hallway is practically empty except for him and an unknown drunken man trying to figure out his keycard several doors down. The lush red carpet underfoot allows Dom to tread down the hallway without fear of waking anyone, steady in his step as he approaches the room he wants. With a gentle rap he knocks on the door before scratching just above his left eyebrow. And that’s the position he’s in when she opens the door.

Jaelynn Ramsey had been invited to the wedding as a former classmate of Flavia Rocha, back when they were in 3GW together. It involved a trip back to California, but she was willing to make that small sacrifice for an old friend. More so, so she could be involved in Flavia’s special day. Still wearing her white floral patterned dress, Jae smiles as she sees her friend at her door. “Did Annie kick you out?”

The joke is met by laughter as Harter loosens his tie. “You wish,” he replies, winking at Jae in a manner that she’s grown used to. “But don’t worry, she knows I’m here. See…” Harter pulls a piece of paper out of his inside jacket pocket and hands it to Jae. She takes the note and reads it, stifling her laughter as it simply reads ‘Feel free to just kick him out - Annie’

She finishes laughing and hands the note back to a beaming Dom. “Ok, you can come in.”

“Your sister still awake?” he asks as Jae steps to one side to let him pass.

“She’s just in the bathroom taking off her makeup,” Jae answers, before closing the door behind him. Their suitcases are open at the foot of either twin bed, with tomorrow’s clothes ready to go for the trip home.

“Gotcha…” Dom murmurs as he looks around the room, wondering how they managed to keep it so tidy compared to his own. Even compared to any hotel room he’s stayed in over the years. Somehow they always end up on the verge of being trashed - although this time it wasn’t Dom who was responsible for that. “...and, uh, have I told you how beautiful you looked today?”

“You did, thank you,” Jae replies, blushing slightly as she does so. “Although I could’ve done without the eyebrow wiggle. Audri said the same thing, by the way.”

“It’s a compliment!” Harter protests, feigning shock as he lowers his head and runs one hand through his hair. He had a topic in mind when he was walking down the corridor. But now he’s here, standing before Jae, the words just aren’t coming to him. Instead he’s deflecting, joking about any and everything. That’s easier than dealing with the issue at hand.

“You looked handsome though,” Jae compliments him, patting Dom on the chest with both hand as she straightens his lapels and tightens his tie back up. “Annie’s working wonders in making you look presentable. Did she pick out Ina’s dress too? She looked adorable…” and there it is. The proverbial elephant in the room, brought out into the open for all to see. Jae smiles as she sees the smirk growing on Dom’s face. His silence doesn’t even bother her as he stands there, obviously thinking about something important - or he’s staring down her dress. She can’t predict his next move, however, as Dom places one hand on the side of her face and kisses Jaelynn on the forehead.

“I just wanted to say...thank you,” Dom whispers as he steps forward, wrapping his arms around Jae in a loving embrace. She returns the gesture, her arms around his torso, her head against his chest as she hears the bathroom door open.

“What...did I walk in on?” her voice cracks slightly, partially from the shock of seeing her sister in the arms of a man. Standing there in her flowing red dress, Audrielle Ramsey relaxes somewhat when she recognizes Dom from his previous visits to their Salt Lake City apartment. “Oh, it’s only you.”

“I can explain!” Dom exclaims, still hugging Jae as he does so. “I, uh, I was just thanking your sister for...everything she’s done.”

“It’s nothing, really,” Jae replies, modestly.

“It’s not nothing!” protests Dom. “You see, a year ago your sister here,” he nods towards Jae, despite still having her locked in a bearhug, “she sat me down and got me to focus on what’s important. Or she told me to pull my head out my ass, one of the two…”

“The latter,” Jae replies, earning herself another kiss on the forehead.

“Whatever it was, it’s the reason why I’m here in LA with…” he pauses, “...that brat who won’t stop asking when she’s going to see her mom again…” Harter shudders, placing his forehead down across Jae’s shoulder as she pats him on the back of the head. The flight from Philadelphia to Vegas was particularly taxing; Ina hasn’t taken too kindly to being separated from her mother, Tatum, who’s off training in Siberia. Was it pettiness that pushed Dom to stop Tatum from taking Ina with her? He could’ve taken custody at weekends if he wanted, but he pushed for longer. Now he’s got her for two months. Day and night. Without a break. Dom finally lifts his head off Jae’s shoulder and looks her straight in the eye, a wry little smile on his face as he speaks, “...but also why I got to dance with my daughter tonight. And why I get to tuck her in, and tell her bedtime stories most nights. And why, next week, I get to take her to her first day in first grade. And how the hell did I get to this stage in my life?!”

Jae smiles softly as the hug finally breaks, smoothing down her dress as Dom sits down on her bed. Audrielle takes a seat next to him, looking up at him with adoration as she speaks. “That’s so sweet.”

“Gestures like that will go a long way, Dom. You might dread waking up early to get her things together for school, and make sure her hair is brushed. But she needs you. Despite what her mother says and how strong she is, fathers are important in a little girl’s life.”

“I have to wake up early?” Dom jests, earning himself a playful slap on the thigh from Audrielle. “It’s fine, I can do that. I can carpool with the other parents for a month or so until Tatum takes her back. I can host her sixth birthday in a couple of weeks--” he shrugs, “--Chuck E. Cheese is still a thing, right?”

Audrielle nods. “You sound like you’re really trying, doesn’t he, Jae?”

“See Dom, I knew you could do it.” Jae agrees with her sister.

“I’m not there yet,” he retorts, “plus Ina still...kind of...maybe...doesn’t like us too much. Me and Annie, that is.” Dom wavers in his speech slightly, biting his bottom lips as he finishes speaking.

“Is she still refusing to do what you ask?” Jae says, obviously being privy to a previous conversation between her and Dom.

“Oh God, yeah,” Dom gasps in exasperation, “that dress she was wearing today - the most expensive in the store! Refuses to eat her vegetables, and if we get a takeaway she suddenly wants to eat healthy.”

“She got your stubbornness…” Jae says in jest, prompting Dom to give her a side eye stare. Audri can’t help but giggle a little bit as she wraps both arms around Dom’s bicep.

“You’re trying,” Audri starts, “that’s what’s important. Ok, that’s what she’s going to remember when she grows up. Trust us, these years will mean so much to her when she’s older, when she’s looking back at what you did for her.”

“And how hard you tried to be a good father…” Jae says, nodding. “You can’t go back in time to put yourself in the picture from the day she was born, but you’re here for her now. She’ll come around when she realizes you guys are really trying.”

Dom sighs as his head lowers, knowing full well that he’s missed out on five years of Ina’s life. It wasn’t all his fault - at least not according to Dom! But he can only imagine how much he missed out on, and how much she might resent him for not being there. Suddenly he feels a hand on the back of his head, as Audri starts to run her fingers through his hair. “It’s just gonna take some time,” she says, “this isn’t something you can rush.”

“I know,” Dom sighs, before the conversation is interrupted by the most obnoxious of noises!

Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake

“Seriously?” Jae asks indignantly. She vividly remembers the conversation last year after they got married, when Dom swore that ringtone was a prank and as soon as he figured out how to change it he would. But here he is, a year later and he still has Taylor Swift as a ringtone!

“I’ve been pranked again!” he protests in earnest, but the Ramsey sisters are both judging him. “It’s Annie, I’ve got to take this…” he says as he answers the Facetime call. “...hey”

“Daddy where are you?” Ina’s voice catches Jaelynn and Audri offguard as they position themselves behind Dom on the bed, peering over his shoulders.

“I’m just a few rooms away with my friends. Did you have a bad dream again?” he asks, and Ina nods her head. Behind her, Annie nods too as she looks on with concern. “Ok, I’ll be right back.”

“Ok daddy. Please hurry.” Ina says before the call ends. Dom slides the phone back inside his jacket pocket as he stands up off the bed.

“Ok, I’ve been summoned back. So if we’re going to have this threesome it has to happen now and it has to be quick!” Dom seems excited, but again the Ramsey sisters just glare at him.

“Shut up Dom!” Audri quips. On that note, Dom says good night to his friends before making his way back to his own room, where both his girlfriend and his daughter await him. And that’s something he never thought he could say.