Daphne
Daphne wrapped her hands around a fresh cup of coffee as she watched Xander and Jack play. They seemed to be fast friends, and she could sense Xander’s enthusiasm for being a father as he roughhoused with her little boy, both of them laughing and carrying on.
Maybe I’m being too hard on Xander, she thought. I mean, he’s offered to provide for both of us, to be in our lives, to be the father that Jack needs. Hardly sounds like a deadbeat to me.
But just as her thought finished, the sound of a motorcycle revving outside of the apartment caught their attention. Daphne’s heart began to pound, and Xander set Jack down and rushed to the window. Standing to the side of the window, Xander carefully peeked past the curtains and out onto the street.
“What is it?” asked Daphne, thinking about whether or not she needed to get Jack out of the room.
“Nothing,” said Xander. “Looks like one of your new neighbors just got a new ride.”
Daphne let all the air rush out of her lungs, and looking down, she saw that her hands were shaking.
“Why are you two acting so weird all of a sudden?” asked Jack, already playing with some nearby toys. “It’s just a motorcycle.”
Then, a sly smile formed on Xander’s lips through his thick beard. Daphne knew exactly what he had in mind, and was afraid to hear it.
“Yo, dude,” said Xander, squatting near Jack. “Whadya think of motorcycles?”
“They’re awesome!” said Jack, springing to his feet and running around the room making engine revving noises. “I want to get one when I’m a cop!”
“Kid wants to be a cop,” said Xander out loud. “How about that?”
“You better not say what I think you’re going to say,” said Daphne.
“Come on,” said Xander. “It’ll be fun.”
“What?” asked Jack, dying to be let in on the conversation.
“What would you say, little dude, if I told you that I had a totally badass bike parked right outside?”
“Really?” asked Jack. “Are you serious?”
“Serious as it gets, my man,” said Xander.
“No,” said Daphne in a firm voice before Xander could even propose the question.
“Come on, Mom!” said Jack, stomping his little foot. “You have to let me ride on it!”
“Oh, do I?” asked Daphne.
Xander flashed her a look that seemed to say, “come on—it’ll be good for us.” Daphne looked outside, and saw that the sun was already going down, and that it’d be nighttime soon.
“How about this,” said Daphne. “Why don’t the three of us go out for some dinner, and if you’re extra good tonight, Jackie-boy, I might let Mr. Xander here take you around the block when it’s daytime. That sound like a deal?”
“I think that’s as good as you’re gonna get, my man,” said Xander. “I’d take it if I were you.”
“Fine,” said Jack. “But can we get pizza tonight?”
“Pizza sounds good,” said Xander. “My treat.”
“Pizza it is,” said Daphne.
Daphne finished her coffee as Xander and Jack continued to play in the living room. Once she was done, the three of them gathered up and headed out for dinner.
“You’d better let me drive,” said Xander. “Just in case we have to make a break for it.”
“If you get into a high-speed chase with my son in the car …” said Daphne, letting her words hang in the air.
“I won’t let that happen,” said Xander. “I know how to make a quick escape when I need to.”
“That’s … reassuring, I think,” said Daphne.
The three of them stopped at Xander’s bike, and Daphne couldn’t help but smile as the boy went absolutely crazy over it.
“Can’t I ride it tonight?” he asked again as they walked towards Daphne’s car. “Pleeease?”
“Not a chance,” said Daphne. “And if you keep pestering me about it then you might never ride it.”
“Damn,” said Xander. “Mom’s not screwing around, little dude.”
Jack harrumphed and crossed his arms.
“What kind of pizza you like, little dude?” asked Xander as he started the car and pulled out of the driveway.
“Umm, pepperoni,” he said.
“Pssh,” scoffed Xander. “The real stuff is pineapple and ham. They call it ‘Hawaiian style’.”
“Gross!” said Jack, scrunching up his face as they drove. “Fruit doesn’t go on pizza.”
“I’m telling you,” said Xander, “you gotta give it a try, first.”
Daphne listened to the two of them have their little back-and-forth. Despite everything, she couldn’t help but love how Xander got along with Jack. She’d found herself wondering if his gruff, rough-around-the-edges personality was going to result in him not having the skill to interact with kids, but watching the two of them, seeing the ease with which Xander joked around with the boy, she was happy to be proven wrong.
Maybe this isn’t such a bad idea, she thought to herself as they pulled into the parking lot of the pizza place.
A half-hour later, a pair of pizzas was placed in front of the three of them, one extra pepperoni, one Hawaiian-style. Jack watched with shock as Xander grabbed the biggest slice of Hawaiian-style, folded it in half, and shoved nearly the entire thing into his mouth.
“That’s so gross,” said Jack. “I’m gonna barf.”
“Jack, no fluid-talk at the table,” chided Daphne.
Xander gave her a quizzical expression.
“That’s an actual rule?” he asked.
“Trust me,” said Daphne. “Kids his age somehow find the grossest topics in the world to discuss right when you’re eating.”
“It’s a stupid rule,” said Jack, picking pepperoni off of his slice and popping it into his mouth.
“Jack …” said Daphne. “Don’t be a brat.”
“Wait until it’s just the two of us, little man,” said Xander. “Then we can talk about that stuff all you want.”
“Yes!” said Jack, pumping his fist.
The three of them ate their meals, and despite just how pleased she was that Xander and Jack were getting along so well, Daphne found herself looking out onto the street constantly, as if the biker who’d been pursuing her would be standing there, staring at her with a murderous glare.
“Just try it, man,” said Xander. “You’re gonna like it more than you think.”
He pushed a slice of the Hawaiian pizza towards Jack, who regarded it with a twisted-up expression on his face.
“No way,” said Jack.
“Here’s the deal,” said Xander. “You try one bite, and I’ll let you rev the engine of the bike as loud as you want tomorrow.”
Jack responded by looking up at Daphne, as though hoping for some advice.
“Your call, Jack,” said Daphne. “Personally, I think fruit and pizza shouldn’t be anywhere near each other.”
Jack hesitantly lifted the slice and took a bite. He chewed it slowly, and eventually his expression turned into one of surprise.
“It’s … good,” he said.
His next bite was more eager, and soon, he was half done with the slice.
“See?” said Xander, giving the kid a pat on the back. “Told you you’d like it.”
They finished up their dinner, Daphne spending most of the time watching Xander and Jack interact, goofing off and having fun with one another.
The carrying-on continued through the drive back, and Daphne was content to simply listen to the two boys talk and joke around.
He seems so good with him, thought Daphne. Was I wrong for keeping Jack out of his life for so long?
Once back at the apartment, Jack put on one of his favorite movies. He and Xander settled onto the couch with some ice cream while Daphne poured herself a glass of wine.
“Why do you have such a big beard?” asked Jack.
“Because it’s cool; why else?” said Xander.
“Can I grow a beard like that?”
“Maybe when you’re older,” said Xander. “You gotta eat a lot of steak, though. It’ll put hair on your chest, too.”
Daphne watched the two of them sit together, and eventually, the stress of the day caught up to her at about the time the movie ended. Jack had long fallen asleep on the couch, his head resting on Xander’s shoulder. Once the movie ended, Xander hoisted Jack off of the couch and carried him to the bedroom.
“Make sure he’s up long enough to brush his teeth and get into his PJs,” she said.
Xander nodded and got Jack awake for the time it took to do his pre-bedtime business. Once Jack was back in bed, Xander came into the kitchen, poured himself a glass of wine, and sat down with Daphne.
“You’re going to have him tomorrow,” said Daphne. “Hope you’re ready for it.”
“I was born ready for it,” he said. “Never thought I’d want a kid, but once they’re there … your mind changes real quick, you know?”
“I know,” said Daphne. “I know.”