One Year Later
"You, little miss busy bee, need to take a break. You, too, mister busy bee." Carlton picked up the empty Starbucks coffee cups that were surrounding the intensely studying couple. Dani looked up at Carlton and said, "We can't. Finals are tomorrow and we need to study as much as we can."
Carlton gave her an odd look, then said, "You both got into Harvard for God's sakes. And on a full scholarship. What more can you possibly do?" Ryan took Dani's hand and said, "He's right, Dan. Maybe we should go out or something for a few hours, then when we come back, we can continue."
Dani looked back and forth between her dad and he boyfriend. She sighed heavily, then shut her book. "Fine," she said, "but if we go out, I want lots of pizza and lots of ice cream." Ryan smiled, then kissed her cheek. "Deal," he told her. "I'll go grab our coats."
He got up and went into the living room, while Dani slowly stood and stretched. "So," Carlton said, as he washed a couple of plates in the sink, "have you decided what your living arrangements are going to be? You only leave in a month." That thought made him incredibly depressed.
Dani went up to him and said, "Well, seeing as we're both going to the same school, we thought that...we'd get an apartment together." Carlton nearly dropped the plate in his hand and looked at her. "Live together?" He asked. "You and Ryan? Dani, I...I don't think that's such a good idea."
She crossed her arms and had confusion written all over her face. "Why not?" She asked. As he dried his hands, he told her, "Because you've only been together a year. I know you're in love and I know you're going strong, but I just wouldn't be comfortable with it. Don't get me wrong, he's a great kid and I think he's brought out so much more in you, but I'm afraid if you make this decision, you might regret it, which makes me uncomfortable. Not mention the thought of you sharing a bed and what-not."
Dani looked more mad than confused now. "Seriously?" She scoffed. "Well...this isn't your decision!" Carlton raised his eyebrows at her and said, "Excuse me? Don't talk to me like that, I am your father and if I say you can't move in with your boyfriend at eighteen years old, then I have that say. It's not happening, Dani."
Ryan then came back into the room with the coats in his hand. "Man, I thought the couch ate my jacket or something because I couldn't find...what happened?" Dani just shook her head at Carlton and scoffed. "You don't control my life," she told him. "I'm an adult and I'm sure if mom were here, she'd say the same."
Carlton shook his head and told her, "If your mother were here, she would agree with me. It's too soon and it's not happening. As a matter of fact, why don't you go up to your room and stay there for the rest of the night because you're not going out. Ryan, I'm afraid you're going to have to leave."
Dani looked at him as if he were the most absurd human being on the planet. Ryan just looked incredibly confused. "Um...yeah, sure, Mr. C.," he said, not wanting to piss off his girlfriend's father anymore than he clearly was.
Before Ryan could turn to leave, Dani took his hand and said, "No. We're going out. We'll be back later." She started dragging Ryan to the door as Carlton followed. "Danielle, if you walk out that door, you're grounded until you move out!"
As she opened the door, she said, "Oh, a whole month, how awful! God, I wish mom were here instead of you!" With that, she slammed the door shut, leaving Carlton raging with anger and completely dumbfounded. What in the hell just happened? He's never grounded her before because he's never needed to. Was he overreacting? Was she? What was happening?
A few hours later, he found himself sitting at a bar with Johnny. "Sounds tough, man," Johnny told him. "I do agree that she should not be moving in with him this soon and at that young of age. Shit, if Cass did that, I would be fuming."
Johnny finally understood Carlton's parental decisions after having a daughter of his own. He named her Cassie. "I mean, I trust Ryan," Carlton said, "I trust both of them, but...bloody hell, I don't know. I'm sticking by my decision, she is far too young for a commitment like that. I just don't want her to rebel and do it anyways. But she was right about one thing...I wish Cass were here instead of me, too."
A few hours later, he found himself splayed out on the couch, looking at pictures of Dani through the years. When he heard the door open, he didn't bother to get up or look at her. He just stayed staring at the one picture for the next few minutes.
When he heard her walk over next to him, he said, "No T.V., no going out, no video games for a month. I took the T.V. and playstation from your room already, so don't think I'm not serious." He felt the couch dip next to him, then felt arms wrap around his waist.
"Turning into the old Carlton, I see." His heart nearly stopped. Was it? Could it be? He turned his head slowly to the side...and saw Cassie. She was here. Right here with him. He let out a shaky breath and lifted his hand to gently touch her cheek.
Her skin was as soft as he remembered it being.
"C-Cass," he breathed. "Oh my God." He pulled her into a bone crushing hug and buried his face into her neck. She smelled exactly the same, felt exactly the same. "I miss you, both," she whispered into his ear.
He started choking on sobs, as he said, "Oh, baby, we miss you, too. God, I never thought I'd see you again." He kissed up and down her neck, then to her cheek, until he finally got to her lips. Everything was exactly the same. It's been eighteen years since he's been able to do this.
He kissed her over and over, making up for all of that lost time. When he eventually pulled away, he happily noted the wide smile on her face. "I've missed that, too," she told him. "God, I miss you so much, Carlton."
Carlton smoothed his hand over her hair and said, "Not a day goes by where I don't think about you. You invade every part of me, every sense." He pressed his forehead against hers and let out a strangled sigh when he felt her hand go down his cheek.
"You made the right call," she told him. "I agree, she is way too young." He pulled back a little and smiled. "You think so?" He asked. "This is so difficult to do without you. Sometimes I wonder if my calls are the ones you'd make and if I think they're not, then I usually back off. I feel strongly about this one, though. She's our baby."
Cassie ran her fingers through his hair and said, "I know. Don't worry, she'll get over it. If she's anything like me, she'll hold a grudge for a little while, but thank you later." He smiled warmly at her and said, "She's everything like you. Everything about her, it's completely and utterly you. It makes me miss you even more."
He put his hand on the side of her neck and stroked his thumb across her cheek. "Please don't leave me again," he quietly begged. "I can't handle it a second time." She nuzzled her cheek into his hand, then said, "I'm sorry. I have to."
Tears were threatening to spill over as he said, "Kiss me just...just one last time." She leaned in and pressed her lips against his. He moved his fingers through her hair and pulled her head closer, but then...she was gone.
Next thing he knew, he felt he was being shaken. He didn't know what in the hell was going on, but he also heard Dani's voice. It sounded...distant.
"Dad. Dad! Dad, wake up!"
Suddenly, he jolted awake and quickly looked to Dani. She was standing above him over the couch. "Were you drinking?" She asked. "Again?" Carlton looked down to where there was an empty bottle of Jameson next to him. That, combined with the drinks he had with Johnny, were starting to make him feel sick.
"I found a note Uncle Johnny left for you in the kitchen. It said he had to bring you home. Please tell me this isn't going to happen again." She was talking about when she was thirteen and he became an alcoholic. He would drink in the mornings, evenings and at night.
Eventually, it got so out of hand that Johnny and his then-fiancée took in Dani while Carlton got his act together. The reality of losing Dani to it got him to completely stop drinking altogether, only having a glass of wine or scotch every once in a while.
"No," he grumbled, "it won't happen again." He sat himself up, then took a deep breath. He saw it was almost midnight. "Did you just get home?" She crossed her arms and looked anywhere but him. He clenched a fist around the edge of the couch and said, "You know your curfew is at eleven."
She scoffed, "Yeah, but after tonight, I think I deserved an extra hour." Carlton quickly stood up (almost making himself fall over in the process), then shouted, "What in the hell is wrong with you! Goddammit, I am sick and tired of this attitude! After tonight, you don't deserve anything!"
She threw her hands up in the air and shouted, "I don't ever do anything wrong! I obey everything, every single one of your rules and the one time I let loose, you shout at me!" He grunted in frustration, then shouted back, "That isn't the point! Goddammit, Dani, just...go to your room! I don't want to see you!"
While shaking her head, she told him, "God, I hate you." He gave her a double take, then watched as she ran upstairs. He wanted to go after her or say something, but he instead found himself hunched over the sink, spilling out the contents of his stomach.
He hasn't drank like that in years, so his body just wasn't used to it. He cleaned himself up and splashed water on his face to cool down. After a few minutes, he slowly made his way upstairs. He stopped in front of Dani's room and softly knocked.
"Dan," he gently called. "Dan, we need to talk about this." When he didn't get a response, he carefully opened the door and saw Dani asleep on her bed with her laptop playing something in front of her. He went over and nearly gasped.
It was Cassie. She was filming Dani crawling around while saying, "Who's my beautiful girl? Can you say hi to daddy?" Dani looked to the camera and gave a toothless grin, before going back to crawling. The camera turned back to Cassie, who gave a smile and said, "We love you, Carlton. Don't make Jacob work you too hard."
Carlton teared up and let out a light laugh. She blew a kiss to the camera, then the footage ended. "She was so pretty," Dani suddenly said, making Carlton jump a bit. He nodded and told her, "She was beautiful."
After a moment, Dani sat up against her headboard and brought her knees up to her chest. "What was it like?" She asked. "Losing her?" Carlton sat himself down next to her and sighed. "It was...the worst feeling in the world. It hurt like hell. I wanted nothing more than to jump into that casket and follow her."
Dani looked down at her hands and asked, "Would she really say no to me moving in with Ryan?" Letting out a small laugh, he told her, "Hell yes. She would have barred your windows by now." She snickered, then let out a sigh.
"Ryan said he doesn't want to move in with me anymore," she said. "He said if it makes you that upset, then he refuses. I guess you got what you wanted." Carlton nodded and said, "I guess I did. He's a good guy, I respect him. I trust him. I trust you both, but...baby, you're eighteen. You're supposed to be in dorms, bonding with you're roommate. You're not supposed to move in with your boyfriend...yet."
He put his arm around her and brought her in for a hug. "I love you, baby girl," he whispered. "I'm only looking out for you. I'm your dad, that's my job." She nodded into his chest and hugged him around the waist.
"You are too much like your mother when you're mad at me," he joked, making her laugh. He continued, "Stubborn, strong-willed. Bloody hell, and I thought I missed that." Dani laughed even more, then pulled away from the hug.
"Am I still grounded?" She asked. He took a deep breath, then told her, "Yes. For a week. No T.V., no video games, nothing. Understand?" She nodded and said, "That's fair...I guess." They both let out a light laugh. "Sorry I was such a bitch," she said.
Carlton pulled her in for another hug, but a bigger one this time. "You...were kind of a bitch, yes," he said, "but you're my baby, so I'm inclined to say...even though you were a bitch, I forgive you." She giggled into his chest, then breathed him in.
"I love you, daddy."
He breathed a kiss to her head and told her, "I love you more."