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Claudia woke up many hours later and padded out to the kitchen for some juice after checking on Joshua. She saw Tony sitting in the corner of the couch with his feet up on the coffee table fast asleep wrapped in the ugly crocheted afghan she had made a few years ago. She blinked a couple of times when she realized that her living room was picked up and all of Joshua’s things were neatly in the toy bins except for the Hulk action figure. That was gripped tightly in Tony’s hand as he slept.
She slipped into the kitchen and realized her little cleaning elf had made an appearance in the kitchen too. Grabbing a juice box out the fridge she went back into the living room. Tony had heard the opening of the fridge and he grinned at her when as she entered the room.
“Hey. Sleep good?” he asked as he opened the afghan and gestured for her to cuddle up next to him.
“Yeah. I’m feeling much better now.”
“Amazing what a few hours of uninterrupted sleep will do for you.”
“You’ve been busy.”
He stroked her hair and teased, “You don’t know the half of it. I, meaning me, Anthony DiNozzo, bachelor extraordinaire not only fed and entertained young Joshua but managed to bathe him and get him all tucked in without incident.”
She leaned her head on his chest and mimicked his words from the night of their first date, “You deserve a medal.”
“Nah, I got something better out of the deal.” He didn’t elaborate and she didn’t press, but she suspected that something significant had occurred that he would tell her about in his own time.
They sat there for a long time not saying anything as Tony continued to stroke her hair. He finally asked in a quiet voice, “So you wanna talk about it?”
She knew he meant her junior meltdown earlier, “About earlier, I’m sorry…” she stammered not knowing exactly what to say.
“Hey, I wasn’t looking for an apology. I just can’t help fix things if I don’t know what’s wrong.” He said gently.
She sighed, “It’s just been me handling things by myself for so long. I’m not used to asking for help. I’m not used to having anyone I can ask for help.”
Tony knew about being alone, about being completely on your own. It was scary enough when you just had to worry about yourself, but he hated to think what it was like when you threw a child into the mix, “Well, maybe you should get used to it.”
She leaned up to look him in the eye and he put a gentle finger on her lips so he could keep going without her interrupting, “I’m not good at talking about my, you know, feelings and stuff. And I gotta tell you this thing with you and with Joshua is something I never knew I wanted. But I do. And I didn’t realize until tonight just how much.”
He moved his hand to stroke her cheek softly as he continued, “And I know right now that you’re not feeling so hot and I don’t want you to answer anything back right now. I just…I just want you to know that I love you and I love Joshua. And I really want you to know that, so you know I’m here for you.”
She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand as a single tear slipped out. He pulled her in close and kissed the top of her head. Paula would be so proud of him, because she was right, life was too short to not tell someone you love them if you do.
It was a good thing he didn’t want a reply because she wasn’t capable. The apple juice was churning in her stomach and turning to acid. She knew she loved Tony but there was Jethro, and she loved him too. She had to tell them, had to make a choice. But how?
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The next day Claudia was puttering around the house, Tony had left to go to work a few hours earlier. She made herself a cup of weak tea and sat down at the table to open the stack of mail she had been ignoring for a few days. Joshua was in the living room re-scattering all the toys that Tony had so diligently picked up last night. Bills and junk mail were efficiently opened and sorted into piles. One of the last envelopes she opened was from her bank and when she saw what it was she went from zero to furious instantly.
“Damn him.” She said under her breath. She made herself a note to call her lawyer later.
She was at the kitchen sink refilling the tea kettle still stewing on her anger when the phone rang. Jethro.
He was cheerful and chipper on the phone and he tried to make light conversation but he could tell that something was bothering her.
“So are you going to tell me what’s bothering you or do I have to guess?”
“I’m just…it’s just been a long couple of days. Joshua and I have both been sick and I just found out that my ex-husband is playing games again and I’m just…sorry, I’m rambling and just not in a great mood.”
“You two okay? You should have called me.”
He was like Tony in being upset that she didn’t call him for help. “We’re fine, Joshua’s pretty much back to normal this morning and I’m working on it. And you’re right, I should have called. I’m just not used to having anyone worry about me and…”
He chuckled on the other end of the phone as she trailed off, “I know. So what’s going on with your ex? Is he hassling you?”
She could hear the flint in his voice as he asked, “No, he just…well he sent me my child support and alimony check but then he put a stop payment on it. I just got the notification from my bank.” She let out a heavy sigh of irritation with her ex.
“Has he done this before?” She could hear the anger he was holding back. And when she didn’t respond, he had his answer. “How many times?”
She said quietly, “This is the fourth time. My lawyer will take care of it. She always does.”
They hadn’t discussed money or finances; it had just never come up in conversation. But he had insisted on paying for everything on each of their outings, not even letting her buy so much as a bag of peanuts at the baseball game. He knew that she wasn’t making much as a waitress, and that even with what her ex had to be contributing that she had to be barely getting by.
“Are you going to be okay until she straightens this out?” he asked gently not wanting to step on her pride. He wasn’t expecting her chuckle and asked, “Claud?”
“Sorry, Jethro. I’ll be fine. I’m not quite penniless.”
“You sure?”
“Positive. Now, it’s not like you to goof off calling me while you’re working, what’s up?”
“Well I just found out about a retirement party for a buddy of mine from the Corps on Saturday and was hoping you’d be my date. But if you’re not up for it I’ll understand.”
She really just wanted to sleep for the next week or so and had already told her boss that she wasn’t going to be in until Monday but there was something in Jethro’s tone that told her this was important to him. It wasn’t just a casual thing.
“So tell me about this party we’re going to…” she said lightly. And he explained that it was being held at the VFW hall and that they had a great country band playing and it was a blue jeans and cowboy boots kind of dress code. The food was going to be pot-luck he admitted a little sheepishly and she tormented him, “So what did you volunteer me to make?”
She could picture him tugging on his ear with that little “she caught me” look on his face. “Matt’s wife Vicky is organizing everything. She said to just bring a dessert of some kind. She’s all set on everything else.”
His hesitation screamed volumes, she knew he wanted her to make the peach upside down cake that he had raved about the night he stayed over. But he would never ask. It wasn’t his way. “You want me to make that cake you liked so much don’t you?” she chuckled.
When he finally admitted it with a laugh, she realized something. He wanted to show her off. Not to his co-workers or casual acquaintances but to his other family, his Marine Corps family. And that floored her. She had never had anyone want to show her off before, not even Rick. This was new territory for her and she had to admit that it felt nice.
They said their goodbyes and Claudia made the calls to arrange for a sitter for Joshua and to her lawyer’s office then went and crashed on the couch. Joshua climbed up next to her, oddly a little quiet for him. She gave him a minute to try and sort out whatever it was that was bothering him. He would tell her when he was ready.
What he asked her though, she wasn’t quite prepared for, “Mummy, can somebody have two daddies?”
He knew children that he played with that had the daddy that they lived with and the daddy that they visited, she and Joshua had talked about that before.
“Yes, we talked about that before remember?”
“Yeah.” He replied quietly then blurted, “Can Tony be my daddy?”
She took a deep breath before replying, she knew that not having a father was a huge deal to little boys. But she didn’t want to get his hopes too high in the awful event that things didn’t work out, “You really like Tony don’t you?”
“Yeah. But…” he didn’t finish his thought and looked down.
“What is it, sweetie?”
“I like Jethro too, Mummy.”
She gave him big squeeze, and reminded him of something, “Do you remember what Grandma told you about love? That no matter how many people you love your heart always has room for more? It’s okay for you to love them both. You have plenty of room in your heart for both of them. And can I tell you a secret?”
At his expectant nod she whispered conspiratorially, “I love them both too.”
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tbc....
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