Chapter Seven
Days passed as drawers were opened and her gifts admired. She’d added new Disney videos to their collection, a Hello Kitty coin purse, a headband covered in black velvet and a pair of tights with snowflakes that sparkled. She’d giggled and had to really tug to pull out a stuffed reindeer that barely fit in the drawer. Nothing was expensive or fancy, but Davis watched her joy with each new surprise and knew she would treasure each and every one.
“Did you get the mail today?” Noelle asked after dinner as they settled down on the couch.
“No, I forgot,” Davis said. “I’ll get it now.”
He returned with a stack of mail, flipping through the magazines and junk advertisements that seemed to increase a hundred-fold over the holidays. Handing her a stack of envelopes, he tossed the rest of the mail aside and settled down to watch her. Cards had continued to appear daily, their mantle now covered with all shapes and sizes. Davis saw her smile slip from her face as she picked up the last envelope. When she didn’t immediately open it, he sat forward on the couch. “What’s wrong? Is it addressed incorrectly?”
“No,” she said, “It’s addressed to me, see?”
Davis looked at the envelope to see Ms. Francesca Atwell written across the front and knew instantly who it was from as only her parents called her by her first name.
“Why would they send a card when they’re supposed to be here in a couple of days?” Noelle asked.
“Maybe they were just a little behind in sending out cards this year.”
Noelle huffed. “Please, my parents don’t recognize holidays much less send out cards.”
“I’ve been meaning to ask you. For people who don’t appreciate holidays, why would they have named you Noelle?” Davis asked. “I mean, your very name means Christmas.”
“They didn’t name me for Christmas. They named me after my great-grandfather, Francesco on my father’s side, and Noel was my grandfather’s name on my mother’s side. Pretty obvious they’d rather have had a son, right?”
Davis could hear the hurt in her voice and leaned forward to cup her face and kiss her. “Well, I for one am extremely glad they had a daughter.”
She slid the new letter opener one of the drawers had offered under the flap. It was plastic and striped red and white, the handle curved like a candy cane. He noticed her hand was trembling as the envelope sliced open and she pulled out the card. His concern grew when she didn’t spend time looking at the front before opening it, and though her lips moved, she didn’t read the words aloud.
“Damn them,” she said, both the curse and her tone startling him for an instant.
“Noelle?”
“How could they! They fucking promised me!” she said, her voice growing louder.
One curse word was perhaps forgivable seeing how upset she was, but dropping the f-word was definitely not acceptable. “Noelle, calm down—”
“Calm down? Calm down?” she shouted. “Don’t tell me to calm down.” Jumping to her feet, she turned to glare at him.
“I’ll not only tell you to calm down, I’ll help you if you don’t stop cursing and screaming,” Davis said, rising to his feet.
“Sure, go ahead,” she taunted. “Why should you be any different? My own fucking parents don’t give a shit about my feelings, why should you!”
Davis took a step forward, grabbed her arm and turned her enough so that he could land a swat against the back of her jeans. It was nowhere near hard enough to justify her reaction as she burst into sobs. Drawing her into his arms, he ignored her struggles and sat down, pulling her onto his lap. “Noelle, honey, it’s going to be okay.”
“No… it’s not!” she sobbed. “It’s not okay! My own parents don’t care about me. It’s not fucking okay!”
Davis didn’t instantly turn her over his knees though his instinct was to bare her bottom and blister it as she continued to cuss. Instead, he tightened his arms around her, holding her close as she sobbed. He made soothing sounds, his lips against her hair as his anger grew. Not at the woman in his arms, but at the people who had brought her into the world. He’d never met her parents but knew that if they suddenly appeared in front of him, he’d have plenty to say.
“Shhh, honey, you’re going to make yourself sick.” She continued to cry, releasing the card to clutch at his shirt. Keeping one arm around her, he lifted the card to read for himself the words that had turned his sweet little angel into a sobbing mess.
Francesca,
I’m afraid we won’t be able to come visit after all. Your father and I have been invited to join friends at their lodge in Switzerland, and we simply can’t pass up the opportunity to ski in the Alps. It’s quite an honor and opens the door to lecturing opportunities in Europe. I’m sure you’ll understand. Buy yourself a little something from us with the enclosed check. Give Daniel our best.
Love, Mother and Father
Davis barely caught himself before he crumpled the card. Love? These people knew absolutely nothing about love. If they did, they’d never send a fucking card instead of appearing themselves to celebrate the holidays with their daughter. He didn’t give a fuck that her mother had gotten his name wrong. The only thing that mattered was that their callousness had broken his precious girl’s heart. Tossing the card onto the table, he held Noelle just a bit tighter, rocking her gently, not speaking until she began to calm.
“I’m so sorry, baby,” he said. “I know you’re hurting, and forgive me for being rude, but your parents are full of shit.” Her head lifted, her cheeks wet with tears.
“We did… all this,” she said, waving her hand to take in the living room that they’d spent the past weekend decorating. “You bought a new bed for the guestroom… I bought food to cook… and they… they don’t want any of it. They don’t… don’t want me.”
Fresh tears slid down her cheeks and he wiped them away with his fingertips, bending down to kiss her forehead. “Honey, it’s all right. You’ve made our home beautiful, and it doesn’t matter if it’s just the two of us. Anybody who doesn’t recognize what a blessing it is to spend time with you, is a fool.”
“Why… why don’t they love me?”
His heart broke a bit at the question. He considered lying, but knew that she would see right through him. “I don’t know, baby. Because they don’t know what love is? Because they don’t have the sense God gave a goose? Because they are idiots? Because they are too blind to see the sweet, beautiful girl they brought into the world? Whatever the reason, it’s their loss, and honestly, I have to thank them.”
“Thank them? For what? Forcing you to see that you are living with a loser?”
“No,” Davis said, chalking up another mark against her parents. “For allowing me to have you all to myself. You’re not a loser and, young lady, if I ever hear you say that again, I’ll blister your bottom. You are an incredible woman, the woman who owns my heart and soul. I know it might not help right now, but don’t ever forget that I love you very much.”
“I’m glad someone does,” she said. “But is it so wrong to want to spend Christmas with family?”
“No, baby, it’s not wrong at all,” he said folding her into his arms again, already making plans now that her parents had reneged on their promise to spend Christmas with them. He didn’t voice his thoughts. It wasn’t right to hope that the couple had a lousy time… it was wrong, but regardless, he couldn’t quite bring himself to take back his silent wish. Giving her a final squeeze, he stood. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“It’s early,” she said but without the protest she’d normally give when he put her to bed before ten.
“I know, but you’ve had a busy week and have been running yourself ragged. You’ll feel better after a good night’s sleep.”
“Okay,” she said, laying her head on his shoulder.
Davis changed her into the new nightgown she’d opened that morning. It wasn’t sexy, but was a soft pink flannel that he hoped she’d gain comfort from. Tucking her between the sheets, he pressed her reindeer into her hands before dropping a kiss on her forehead. “Try to get some sleep, baby.”
“Daddy?”
“Yes?”
“I’m sorry I cussed. I know I earned a spanking.”
Squatting down, he pulled a few strands of copper colored tresses that had stuck to her wet cheek, tucking them behind her ear. “You have, but—”
Before he could tell her her parents deserved every curse word she’d uttered, she shook her head, pushing back the covers he’d just tucked around her. “No, I… I was naughty. I won’t be able to sleep if you don’t spank me. Please, Daddy.”
Davis knew he could easily let her off, but also knew that Noelle had never truly known consistency until he’d come into her life. The very fact that she had asked for a spanking told him she needed him to not fail her. Nodding, he moved to sit on the edge of the bed. Noelle crawled over his lap, her torso and legs supported by the mattress. Folding the soft flannel up, he gently pulled her panties down, resting them just beneath the curve of her buttocks. He didn’t lecture, didn’t even speak. He simply lifted his hand and brought it down, not surprised when she burst into tears again. His hand continued to slowly rise and fall, not punishing her, but providing the impetus for his little one to exhaust herself with the misery that had yet to be purged. He’d stopped spanking long before she stopped sobbing, and when she gave a final sniffle, he pulled her panties over her bottom that wasn’t even pink and lowered her gown. Lifting her, he kissed her cheeks, held a tissue to her nose and then tucked her into bed again. “Sleep, babygirl. It will be better tomorrow.”
“Promise?” she asked softly.
“Yes, I promise,” he said, giving her another kiss before rising. “I’ll be in soon.” She nodded and then curled onto her side. Davis watched for a few moments, wondering how in the hell anyone could not see the incredible woman he did. Finally, he returned to the living room. When he bent to pick his phone up from the coffee table, a piece of paper on the floor caught his eye. He picked it up and turned it over, his head shaking again.
Fucking unbelievable, he thought as he scanned the paper. “Don’t you fools know that your daughter would rather you spend one single moment of your time with her than send her a check, no matter how many zeroes you’ve added?” Shaking his head, wondering how those two could possibly share the same DNA as his Noelle, he folded the check in half and tucked it into Noelle’s purse. With the offending check out of sight, he dropped onto the couch and punched in a number. When the ring was answered, he put his plan into motion.