Chapter 16

Kayla met them at Steven's house the next morning. Her mother happily dropped her off for an 'overnight shopping trip to Dallas'. They loaded into the car, Steven driving and Mark and the girls in back, and were on their way by 7 a.m...

The mood in the car was odd. Kayla was quiet, subdued, and Kristen radiated nervousness. Steven was also quiet, seemingly lost deep in thought. The longer the silence went on, the more nervous Kristen became, until Mark couldn't help but start to feel a bit nervous himself.

Steven took a different exit from last time and headed into downtown Dallas, stopping at the Galleria. He handed Kristen a cellphone and credit card. "Honey, you girls go have some fun. Buy yourself something pretty. I want to talk to Mark a little bit before we go on to Judge Aiken's house."

Kristen looked at him worriedly. "Um ... okay, Daddy. Everything's okay, right?"

"Of course, sweetheart. Just a few things I want to talk about. Nothing to worry about at all."

She bit her lip and nodded hesitantly. Giving Mark a quick kiss, she slid out of the car with Kayla. Mark got out as well, to move to the passenger seat up front. Once the girls were out and Steven started the car again, he said quietly, "I promise I'll take care of her, Steven."

Steven watched the girls walk away, his eyes sad. "I know. Coffee?" Without waiting for an answer, he drove around the parking lot to a little sidewalk coffee shop.

They acquired coffee ... espresso for Steven, and a cappuccino for Mark ... and sat down at one of the little wicker tables. Steven was silent for a long while, turning his cup around and around in his hands.

Mark sipped his coffee and let him think, not rushing him, and tried to control his own nervousness.

Finally Steven sighed and looked up. "I'm not sure about this. I should have said something before, but she's been so happy that I just couldn't."

Mark's throat tightened and he stopped breathing for a moment. "Why aren't you?"

"Because it means losing her, son. And she's my baby. My only reason for getting out of bed in the mornings for the past fourteen years."

"You aren't losing her, Steven. She's still your baby. And she still loves you."

"You're a good man, Mark. A very good man. But it's damned hard to trust someone else to protect her."

"I know." He met Steven's eyes, all of his commitment plain in his own. "But I will. With my life, if need be."

Steven looked at him intently, "From herself, too? From doing things that she can't live with?"

Mark nodded. "If I can. I can't protect her from everything, Steven, or she won't be able to grow up. And I love her too much for that." He sipped his cappuccino. "Is there something in particular that you are worried about?"

"She loves you. She'll do anything she thinks will make you happy."

"I know. That's why I'm trying very hard to be careful what I say." Mark smiled, just a little. "Though you do realize the reverse is true, as well?""

"Yes. But you realize that doing something you don't want to just to please her would not make her happy. And I don't think the reverse of that is true."

"Hmmm. You might be right."

Steven sighed again. "She's my daughter. She's brilliant. But she is fourteen. If she was ... normal ... there's no way I'd agree to this, no matter how much she loved you or you her. Not at fourteen."

Mark nodded. "I know."

"She needs more guidance ... more thought ... than an older woman would from her husband. She cannot be an equal partner, not yet. Do you understand, have you thought of these things?" Steven asked.

Mark took a deep breath. "I have. I've also... " He looked for the right words. "I try not to tell her what to do; instead, I try to ask her questions that lead her to the answer, so that she understands why. Does that make sense? But sometimes ... well, like last weekend, when I carried her downstairs. If it comes down to it ... I'll make the decision."

"And are you going to be able to stop making the decisions once she's old enough to make her own? Or will you always be part lover, part father to her?"

"I think I'll be able to. That's my goal, to have her an equal partner." He met Steven's eyes. "I don't want to stay a father figure to her forever, if that's what you are worried about."

Steven nodded. "It would be very, very easy for you to mold her into the perfect little submissive wife, willing to automatically and without thought do whatever you asked. She would happily set aside any of her own goals for yours. She's fourteen and in love."

"I know. That's not what I want. I want a partner, someone who'll tell me when I'm being an idiot. Someone who'll tell me when I'm making mistakes."

Steven smiled slightly. "Good." He sighed again and shook his head. "I'm not just being insulting, Mark, believe it or not. I know you want what's best for her. But if she were your daughter, you'd be paranoid, too."

Mark smiled. "I know. Hell, Steven, if she ends up wanting to have children herself ... well, I might have to be paranoid."

"Too true. Has she mentioned anything like that to you, by the way?"

Mark shook his head. "No. And I haven't brought it up because ... well, if she does, but hasn't thought about it yet ... no point in her wanting something she can't have yet."

"Do you?"

He shrugged. "That's a hard question to answer. I guess the best way to put it is this: if she wants children, I'd love to have them, but I won't feel like something is missing if she doesn't."

Steven rubbed his forehead, smiling sadly. "I guess that's it then. I'm going to let you have my daughter. Hopefully you'll take better care of her than I've managed these past few years." He winced. "The bitch didn't give me any trouble when I fired her, not after I showed her the pictures. She admitted everything. Everything."

"I'm sorry," Mark said quietly, then hesitated. "Was there more than Kristen said the other day?""

"Nothing ... big. Little things. Nothing blatant, nothing obvious, but she's been making her miserable for years. She made it plain that she'd always tried to keep Kris 'in her place.' Bitch."