WHO: Harry, Cora, Mister, and Mouse... WHAT: Daddy-daughter bonding WHEN: June 22 (day after Elaine's birthday party) WHERE: Mallory-Dresden backyard RATING: PG STATUS: Complete
Cora was outside, sprawled in the hammock that had been one of her mom’s birthday presents (or sort of a shared birthday present for the two June birthday girls) from Grandpa Mallory. Mouse was sprawled in the shade beside her, and Mister was sprawled across her stomach, covering any skin the precocious teenager might happen to be showing, whether by accident or design. She had a cold, but unopened glass bottle of cherry cola cradled against her neck; her hair fanned out behind her head; and her bare feet dangling over the edge of the netting; and she was just...hanging out. Pun absolutely intended.
Harry paused in the doorway and smiled as he watched Cora and her coterie of animals. Two could be a coterie, right? Right. He smiled as he watched her, and nodded. She was a growing girl, and he felt his heart take a leap. She was his girl and sixteen already and it felt like she couldn’t be that old but... she was a beautiful young lady, and took after her mother.
He smiled as he eased out of the doorway and headed toward her.
“Hello, Cora.”
Cora opened her eyes, smiling up at Harry as he approached. “Hey, daddy.” Growing up overnight had stretched her emotionally and intellectually as well as physically, and sometimes she still had moments where she wished she hadn’t wished so hard to grow up. But she was starting to settle into her self, little by little. “Is everything okay?”
He bent to hug her and kiss her cheek, and he smiled softly. “Absolutely. How do you feel about a father-daughter day? I cleared it with Elaine already, and I was thinking we could just hang out and have fun, you and me.”
Looking at her made him proud as he recalled talking to Billy and knowing she was ahead in many subjects and responding to tutoring in the others. She was a good girl, and he felt like he could only get prouder minute by minute.
“Awesome,” Cora said, grinning at him--though she made no move to roust Mister from his place across her midriff. “I bet we could make room for you on the hammock. It’s supposed to be family sized. Unless you have something else in mind?”
“Well, I was thinking of a movie, and lunch with my daughter and maybe some shopping, but I suppose hammock time can be to start.” He chuckled as he eyed the hammock and her, and her occupants. “Not sure the boys will agree.”
Cora set the unopened soda aside and held her arms up, making grabby-hands at Harry. “I’m sure they were just keeping an eye on me until you got here.” She wanted her daddy-time now, too!
Harry grinned and stepped close, hugging her, and displacing the boys, both of which uttered variations of sighs at this. And then he slipped into the hammock beside her. “Mmm, there, that’s better. How are you, Cora?” She was an amazing girl and he was proud of her.
Cora snuggled up beside her father, head resting on his shoulder. “I’m okay, I guess. Happy that Uncle Tommy doesn’t have to be all emo anymore.”
He gently stroked her hair and smiled. “Me too. And hoping things go well for them, and for us. I want to make all of our lives better, if I can.” He kissed her forehead. “Say, what would you think about me living here?” He grinned at her. “More than I already do, that is.”
“Are you lonely without him?” Cora teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. Since Harry had asked for her blessing when he asked for her mom’s hand, she’d come to realize it was only a matter of time before he officially moved in with them. On the one hand, she didn’t want to think about her parents making babies in the room across the hall, but on the other? She could hardly wait for them to actually make another baby. She still wanted a sibling, in her girlish heart.
“How soon can you move out of your old place?”
Harry chuckled. “Not really. I miss him, but I am glad for them as well.” He nodded. He had lived alone for a long time. But now he wanted to be with his family. “Well, it just so happens that I could do so tomorrow, maybe.” He smirked at her.
“Really? That soon?” Cora had expected him to say he had to give his landlord notice, or something, but tomorrow? She wriggled like a happy caterpillar in their hammock-cocoon, for once feeling utterly unselfconscious about her childish glee. “Yay!”
“Really. I let my landlord know I wanted to move out anyway, to a smaller place and had everything set up, but decided, well, I want to be with my family. And that’s you and Elaine, mostly. Thomas is building his own now, and I hope we all have as much luck as he has.” He grinned at Cora. “Thank you.”
“Thank you,” Cora said softly, looking into his eyes for a moment, and then up at the summer sky. “For coming back to find us. Mom looks so happy since you came back.”
“She makes me happy, too. I never knew what I didn’t have until I saw her again. It was like a light lit in my world, then.” He smiled softly. “And when I learned you were my daughter, I knew I could be no luckier, and no happier.” He leaned forward and kissed her cheek. “I love you, Cora.”
She smiled back at him, rolling toward him to hug him around the shoulders. Her life had changed so much in the past few months, but Harry had been a constant. “I love you, too, Dad.”