Table of Contents [Report This]
Chapter or Story 
Chapter or Story
Disclaimer: The Characters Miss Parker, Sydney, Jarod, Broots and The Center are all property of MTM, TNT and NBC Productions and are used without permission. No money has been involved here and no infringement is intended. 11/21/2002
A Voice Heard in Ramah (Part 7 - You can call me Daddy) By Phenyx
Jarod snapped awake at the sound of the alarm on his watch going off. Blinking groggily, he tried to focus on his wrist long enough to turn off the annoying beep. With a heavy sigh, he stretched and rolled onto his side.
The couch he was lying on was reasonably comfortable, even if it was too short for his long frame. He'd only been asleep for a couple of hours and he was tempted to drift off again. But, sleeping as late as he liked was a luxury that Jarod had never gotten used to. Besides, he had some things he wanted to do before Parker and the children woke up.
They had arrived at this secluded cabin shortly before dawn. Jarod and Parker had carried the sleeping children into the house and tucked them all into bunk beds in the same room. The cabin was comfortable but not terribly large. It only had the two bedrooms, so all four children had to share the same room.
Miss Parker slept in the master bedroom. All that was left for Jarod was the couch. Jarod felt a little annoyed that she hadn't even seemed uncomfortable that there was only the one queen sized bed for the two adults. Parker had simply handed Jarod a blanket and pillow and closed the bedroom door on him without comment.
Not that Jarod hadn't intended to sleep on the couch all along. But he had hoped to tease Parker about the situation a bit before revealing that part of the plan.
Another bedroom would have been nice but otherwise, this cabin suited their purpose just fine. It was isolated and very secluded while still being close enough to the nearest town that supplies could be easily restocked. There were two bathrooms, one for Parker off the master bedroom and one down the hall for the rest of them. The electricity was reliable and the house was stocked with every possible modern convenience including a VCR and a microwave.
Jarod knew better than to try Miss Parker's patience by making her live anywhere without hot water and a cold refrigerator.
Jarod stood and grabbed a T-shirt from the floor where he had tossed it a few hours ago. He'd slept in his jeans. As he slipped the shirt over his head he heard a single soft thump of sound come from the children's room. Jarod hurried across the room and down the hallway.
When he opened the door, he found the boys all wide awake. His little copilot and the lighter haired boy were sitting side by side on one of the lower bunks. The last of the three boys was on his hands and knees on the floor. He had one ear pressed to the floorboards as though he was listening to something. His gazed was fixed under the bed opposite the one occupied by his brothers.
Jarod could see no sign of the little girl.
"She is under the bed." Jarod's copilot said before Jarod could ask.
"Is she hurt or crying?" Jarod asked.
"No." The boy on the floor answered. "She is just watching me. As long as I do not try to approach her, she just stares at me."
Jarod wondered how long the four of them had been in these positions. The three boys were sitting quietly, very patiently waiting for the girl to get accustomed to them.
Jarod shook his head for a moment then asked, "Would anyone like some breakfast?"
"Yes, please." All three boys answered.
Jarod turned and walked several yards down the hallway, leaving the bedroom door wide open. Halfway across the living room he stopped, sighed dejectedly and went back to the children's room. The youngsters were all in exactly the same places as before, no one had moved.
"I won't bring it to you." Jarod told them. "You'll need to come with me to the kitchen if you want to eat."
Three small heads turned to him in astonishment.
When Jarod walked to the kitchen this time, there were three scrambling boys following him. They watched him intently as Jarod first started the coffee maker and then began pulling items from the cupboards and fridge.
"We are going to have French toast and sausage." Jarod said happily. "How does that sound to you guys?"
"Pretty cool." Said the copilot from last night as he hopped onto a nearby chair. Obviously, the word cool had been eagerly added to the little boy's permanent vocabulary. Jarod knew that the child had no clue what French toast was but he figured that it must be good.
Jarod layered a skillet with sausage links and broke a couple of eggs into a dish. As he deftly whisked the eggs with a fork, he noticed that the boys were all looking at him expectantly.
"Right." Jarod said. "How about something to nibble on while I get this ready?" He opened a cabinet and found a box of pop tarts, maple frosted of course. Jarod opened one foil package and slipped the treats into the toaster. A minute later, the warmed pastries popped up and Jarod gave each child half of one.
The boys were studying the toaster with fascination and sniffing their snack when Jarod stuffed the remaining half pop tart into his mouth and turned back to the stove.
Jarod used thick slices of bread in the egg and milk mixture to create fluffy French toast. He was helping the boys put plates on the table when Parker walked into the kitchen.
She was wearing green silk pajama separates. The shirt had a light flower design stitched along the collar. Her hair was in a jumble and her feet were bare. Jarod noticed that her toenails were painted peach.
'Quit it.' Jarod thought to himself. 'They are just toes. There is nothing sexy about toes.' He tried to convince himself. It didn't work. He decided to buy Parker some slippers the next time he had the chance.
Parker ran her hand through her tousled hair and inhaled the room's aromas appreciatively. "Smells wonderful in here." She sighed. "I do detect the scent of coffee among that bouquet do I not?"
"Of course." Jarod smiled as he poured her a cup. "Are you hungry?"
Parker nodded eagerly. "With the delicious aromas coming out of this kitchen? How can I not be hungry?"
Jarod shot her a crooked smile. "That is the point after all." He said as he helped each boy into a seat. "Did you happen to see anyone else who might have been interested in these smells?"
Parker nodded. "Now that you mention it, I did pass a little bundle of curiosity on my way in. She's hiding behind the couch."
Jarod seemed pleased. "Brave kid. She's already come halfway." Jarod started serving French toast and sausage onto each plate.
"This is syrup." He explained as he slathered the maple on generously. "Some people prefer powered sugar on French toast." Jarod went on as the boys began sampling their meals. "I've got nothing against powered sugar, mind you. But in this case, I have to go with the syrup."
Parker smiled in amusement at Jarod's ramblings as she dug into her own meal. On the last plate, Jarod placed a couple of sausages. He added a piece of French toast sliced into four stick-like pieces and placed the entire plate, without syrup, on the floor just inside the kitchen door.
"Do you think this will work?" Parker asked with concern once Jarod had returned to his chair and started eating. "Remember that Lyle used food to lure her too."
Jarod nodded while he chewed. "She's hungry." He said. "She won't deny that basic instinct for food. Eventually, she'll come to realize that I'm not Lyle. I'm not going to hurt her."
"Eventually." Parker sighed. The little girl could be seen peeking around the corner of the doorway. She was eyeing the plate on the floor greedily.
"Was she bad?" The little copilot boy asked fearfully.
Jarod frowned. "No, she wasn't bad. Why?"
The three boys exchanged quick looks before the more serious one answered. "Mr. Lyle only comes when you do something bad." He whispered.
Jarod's food suddenly just didn't seem appealing anymore. He glanced across the table at Parker and noticed that she had also lost her appetite, abruptly pushing her plate away.
Using his fork to push about the last few bites of sausage on his plate, Jarod asked casually, "Did Lyle come to see you boys often?"
"Just once." The boy answered solemnly.
As Jarod sipped at his cup of coffee, he could see the girl at the edges of his vision. She suddenly dashed into the room, grabbed the food from the plate with both hands and scrambled back to her hiding place on the other side of the doorframe.
"Once would be enough, I guess." Jarod continued talking as though nothing had happened. He sliced another piece of toast and took it to the empty plate on the floor along with two more sausages.
The little boy spoke up again. "Mr. Raines will be irritated that we haven't done our lessons yet this morning." He informed them. "He'll send Mr. Lyle to discuss it with you."
Jarod heaved a sigh as he returned to his chair. He exchanged a knowing glance with Parker.
"He won't like having to come all this way to talk to you." The little boy went on seriously. "We should really be at The Centre."
Jarod leaned over and glared seriously at the three boys. "No. You shouldn't." He said. "You don't belong at The Centre and you're never going back there."
He paused for a moment while the three boys looked at each other in confusion. Jarod gave Parker a questioning glance.
She nodded. "We need to tell them." Parker agreed.
Jarod sipped deliberately at his coffee for a long moment. "My name is Jarod." He said finally. "I am your father. And that," he said, pointing at Parker, "is Miss Parker. She is your mother."
Jarod waited several seconds while that information was processed by the three stunned little boys.
"You can call me Daddy." Jarod raised his eyebrows at Parker with an unspoken question.
"I'm your Momma." Parker said gently, her voice thick with emotion.
The room was silent for a moment. The boys were shocked. The little girl, oblivious to their conversation, scurried back to her plate and snatched up the food once again before rushing back to the haven by the door. Jarod got up and repeated the process of filling the child's dish.
When he returned to his chair and sat down Jarod reiterated, "We are your parents. You are all our children. The Centre stole you from us when you were no more than reproductive cells in our bodies."
"We didn't realize that anything had been taken from us." Jarod continued. "We didn't know that any of you existed. Just as soon as we learned what The Centre had done, Momma and I came and got you."
Jarod looked warily at Parker through lowered lashes. He wasn't sure if she would appreciate him calling her 'Momma'. Her teary-eyed smile warmed Jarod's heart and reassured him.
"You don't belong to The Centre. You never did." Jarod told them. "You belong to us, your mommy and daddy." Jarod's voice cracked and he took a deep breath to control the emotions that bubbled inside. "Lyle is not going to come anymore. He won't hurt you. I promise."
The serious little boy who had spoken stared at Parker with huge disbelieving eyes. As the youngster sat there beside his mother, Jarod could see him wavering between hope and skepticism.
"I know it's hard to understand, sweetheart." Parker said, running her hand through his hair reassuringly. "It will be okay." She added as the boy's lower lip trembled.
The boy's dark eyes stared sightlessly at his empty plate for long minutes while he thought about what had been said. The two other boys looked equally stunned and confused.
The first boy looked quickly from one adult to the other. For a moment he looked like he was going speak then he snapped his mouth shut again.
Jarod tilted his head and frowned. "What?" He urged the little boy gently.
Squeezing his little arm in a supportive gesture Parker repeated, "It will be okay." She nodded further encouragement.
The boy looked at Jarod with pleading eyes then turned to Parker and stuttered, "What is my name?"
Parker looked at Jarod, the simple question causing panic in her face. Jarod realized that they hadn't discussed names at all.
Jarod lifted one shoulder in a shrug and asked, "What is his name, Momma?"
'Pick one', Jarod told her with his eyes. He watched her for a moment while she stared at him, her mouth agape. Jarod nodded confidently at her, knowing that whatever name Parker picked would be perfect. He knew she had made a decision when the fear dropped from her eyes and a smile began to spread on her face.
She looked at the little boy beside her and lovingly caressed his cheek. "Your name is Jarod too. Jarod junior. But we'll call you JR so it won't be confusing."
Now it was Jarod's turn to gape. As Jarod stared in astonishment at the mother of his children, he knew with sudden clarity that he would never love any other woman as much as he loved Parker at this moment.
"JR" The little boy tested the sound of his own name. "JR" He whispered again.
"Do you like it?" Parker asked a little fearfully.
The little boy smiled. "Yes. I like it very much."
"What about me?" the second child asked. "Do I have a name?"
Parker looked pointedly at Jarod. 'Your turn.' her look said.
Jarod smiled joyfully at the animated child. "Of course you do, Ace. Your name is Charles." Jarod winked at the boy, "How's that sound Charlie?"
"Cool." The boy giggled.
The third little boy looked timidly from one adult to the other. He gnawed fretfully at his lower lip as his golden brown eyes darted back and forth.
Jarod raised his eyebrows at Parker expectantly. It was her turn to choose another name.
Parker looked at the little boy closely, tilting her head to one side as she pondered his little face. "Do you want to know your name too?" Parker asked him.
The boy nodded. "Y. yes, please."
"Timothy." She said simply.
"Perfect." Jarod whispered across the table toward Parker. To the boys he said, "JR, Charlie and Tim. Well boys, what do you think?" he asked.
The three youngsters seemed pleased.
With an abrupt frown, JR pointed toward the doorway. "What about her?" he asked.
Cross-legged on the floor beside her plate, sat the ragged little girl. She had quietly moved from her hiding place and into the kitchen while the others had been talking. She had a sausage link stuck in her mouth and was sucking the juice from it.
The moment she realized that she had become the center of attention, the child scurried out the door to hide again.
Jarod looked at Parker as he answered. "Her name is Catherine."
"Hello, Catherine." JR called softly when he saw the little girl peeking around the corner.
Charlie tilted his head while he played with a puddle of syrup on his plate. "Daddy?" he asked. "What is Catherine's short name?"
Jarod blinked in surprise. It was the first time anyone had called him Daddy. "What do you mean, Charlie?"
"We all have names and shorter names." He said, gesturing at his brothers. "You know, Timothy and Tim, Jarod and JR."
"Oh." Jarod nodded in understanding. "Nicknames. Those are called nicknames." Jarod frowned thoughtfully. "You're right. But there are a lot of possibilities for Catherine. Kate, Katie, Cathy, Cat." Parker snorted as he mentioned the last option.
Jarod gazed across the table at Parker. "What do you think of Cat, Momma?"
"Oh, God forbid." Parker groaned. She stood and scooped her plate off the table to place it in the sink with a huff.
Jarod rolled his eyes comically at the boys, making them giggle. "Okay, Cat is out." Jarod gazed at the little girl. She was peeking into the room again. There was one sausage still sitting on her plate and she seemed to be giving the link serious consideration.
"She doesn't look like a Cat anyway." Jarod thought aloud. "A kitten, maybe. But not a cat." A smile slowly spread across Jarod's face. "That's what your daddy is going to call you." Jarod said affectionately to the little girl. "Kitten."
Parker leaned against the sink and said with in an exasperated voice, "Her name is Catherine. We'll call her Catherine."
Jarod stood and picked up some more plates. "Whatever you say, Angel." He said with a smirk. "Whatever you say."
A Voice Heard in Ramah (Part 7 - You can call me Daddy) By Phenyx
Jarod snapped awake at the sound of the alarm on his watch going off. Blinking groggily, he tried to focus on his wrist long enough to turn off the annoying beep. With a heavy sigh, he stretched and rolled onto his side.
The couch he was lying on was reasonably comfortable, even if it was too short for his long frame. He'd only been asleep for a couple of hours and he was tempted to drift off again. But, sleeping as late as he liked was a luxury that Jarod had never gotten used to. Besides, he had some things he wanted to do before Parker and the children woke up.
They had arrived at this secluded cabin shortly before dawn. Jarod and Parker had carried the sleeping children into the house and tucked them all into bunk beds in the same room. The cabin was comfortable but not terribly large. It only had the two bedrooms, so all four children had to share the same room.
Miss Parker slept in the master bedroom. All that was left for Jarod was the couch. Jarod felt a little annoyed that she hadn't even seemed uncomfortable that there was only the one queen sized bed for the two adults. Parker had simply handed Jarod a blanket and pillow and closed the bedroom door on him without comment.
Not that Jarod hadn't intended to sleep on the couch all along. But he had hoped to tease Parker about the situation a bit before revealing that part of the plan.
Another bedroom would have been nice but otherwise, this cabin suited their purpose just fine. It was isolated and very secluded while still being close enough to the nearest town that supplies could be easily restocked. There were two bathrooms, one for Parker off the master bedroom and one down the hall for the rest of them. The electricity was reliable and the house was stocked with every possible modern convenience including a VCR and a microwave.
Jarod knew better than to try Miss Parker's patience by making her live anywhere without hot water and a cold refrigerator.
Jarod stood and grabbed a T-shirt from the floor where he had tossed it a few hours ago. He'd slept in his jeans. As he slipped the shirt over his head he heard a single soft thump of sound come from the children's room. Jarod hurried across the room and down the hallway.
When he opened the door, he found the boys all wide awake. His little copilot and the lighter haired boy were sitting side by side on one of the lower bunks. The last of the three boys was on his hands and knees on the floor. He had one ear pressed to the floorboards as though he was listening to something. His gazed was fixed under the bed opposite the one occupied by his brothers.
Jarod could see no sign of the little girl.
"She is under the bed." Jarod's copilot said before Jarod could ask.
"Is she hurt or crying?" Jarod asked.
"No." The boy on the floor answered. "She is just watching me. As long as I do not try to approach her, she just stares at me."
Jarod wondered how long the four of them had been in these positions. The three boys were sitting quietly, very patiently waiting for the girl to get accustomed to them.
Jarod shook his head for a moment then asked, "Would anyone like some breakfast?"
"Yes, please." All three boys answered.
Jarod turned and walked several yards down the hallway, leaving the bedroom door wide open. Halfway across the living room he stopped, sighed dejectedly and went back to the children's room. The youngsters were all in exactly the same places as before, no one had moved.
"I won't bring it to you." Jarod told them. "You'll need to come with me to the kitchen if you want to eat."
Three small heads turned to him in astonishment.
When Jarod walked to the kitchen this time, there were three scrambling boys following him. They watched him intently as Jarod first started the coffee maker and then began pulling items from the cupboards and fridge.
"We are going to have French toast and sausage." Jarod said happily. "How does that sound to you guys?"
"Pretty cool." Said the copilot from last night as he hopped onto a nearby chair. Obviously, the word cool had been eagerly added to the little boy's permanent vocabulary. Jarod knew that the child had no clue what French toast was but he figured that it must be good.
Jarod layered a skillet with sausage links and broke a couple of eggs into a dish. As he deftly whisked the eggs with a fork, he noticed that the boys were all looking at him expectantly.
"Right." Jarod said. "How about something to nibble on while I get this ready?" He opened a cabinet and found a box of pop tarts, maple frosted of course. Jarod opened one foil package and slipped the treats into the toaster. A minute later, the warmed pastries popped up and Jarod gave each child half of one.
The boys were studying the toaster with fascination and sniffing their snack when Jarod stuffed the remaining half pop tart into his mouth and turned back to the stove.
Jarod used thick slices of bread in the egg and milk mixture to create fluffy French toast. He was helping the boys put plates on the table when Parker walked into the kitchen.
She was wearing green silk pajama separates. The shirt had a light flower design stitched along the collar. Her hair was in a jumble and her feet were bare. Jarod noticed that her toenails were painted peach.
'Quit it.' Jarod thought to himself. 'They are just toes. There is nothing sexy about toes.' He tried to convince himself. It didn't work. He decided to buy Parker some slippers the next time he had the chance.
Parker ran her hand through her tousled hair and inhaled the room's aromas appreciatively. "Smells wonderful in here." She sighed. "I do detect the scent of coffee among that bouquet do I not?"
"Of course." Jarod smiled as he poured her a cup. "Are you hungry?"
Parker nodded eagerly. "With the delicious aromas coming out of this kitchen? How can I not be hungry?"
Jarod shot her a crooked smile. "That is the point after all." He said as he helped each boy into a seat. "Did you happen to see anyone else who might have been interested in these smells?"
Parker nodded. "Now that you mention it, I did pass a little bundle of curiosity on my way in. She's hiding behind the couch."
Jarod seemed pleased. "Brave kid. She's already come halfway." Jarod started serving French toast and sausage onto each plate.
"This is syrup." He explained as he slathered the maple on generously. "Some people prefer powered sugar on French toast." Jarod went on as the boys began sampling their meals. "I've got nothing against powered sugar, mind you. But in this case, I have to go with the syrup."
Parker smiled in amusement at Jarod's ramblings as she dug into her own meal. On the last plate, Jarod placed a couple of sausages. He added a piece of French toast sliced into four stick-like pieces and placed the entire plate, without syrup, on the floor just inside the kitchen door.
"Do you think this will work?" Parker asked with concern once Jarod had returned to his chair and started eating. "Remember that Lyle used food to lure her too."
Jarod nodded while he chewed. "She's hungry." He said. "She won't deny that basic instinct for food. Eventually, she'll come to realize that I'm not Lyle. I'm not going to hurt her."
"Eventually." Parker sighed. The little girl could be seen peeking around the corner of the doorway. She was eyeing the plate on the floor greedily.
"Was she bad?" The little copilot boy asked fearfully.
Jarod frowned. "No, she wasn't bad. Why?"
The three boys exchanged quick looks before the more serious one answered. "Mr. Lyle only comes when you do something bad." He whispered.
Jarod's food suddenly just didn't seem appealing anymore. He glanced across the table at Parker and noticed that she had also lost her appetite, abruptly pushing her plate away.
Using his fork to push about the last few bites of sausage on his plate, Jarod asked casually, "Did Lyle come to see you boys often?"
"Just once." The boy answered solemnly.
As Jarod sipped at his cup of coffee, he could see the girl at the edges of his vision. She suddenly dashed into the room, grabbed the food from the plate with both hands and scrambled back to her hiding place on the other side of the doorframe.
"Once would be enough, I guess." Jarod continued talking as though nothing had happened. He sliced another piece of toast and took it to the empty plate on the floor along with two more sausages.
The little boy spoke up again. "Mr. Raines will be irritated that we haven't done our lessons yet this morning." He informed them. "He'll send Mr. Lyle to discuss it with you."
Jarod heaved a sigh as he returned to his chair. He exchanged a knowing glance with Parker.
"He won't like having to come all this way to talk to you." The little boy went on seriously. "We should really be at The Centre."
Jarod leaned over and glared seriously at the three boys. "No. You shouldn't." He said. "You don't belong at The Centre and you're never going back there."
He paused for a moment while the three boys looked at each other in confusion. Jarod gave Parker a questioning glance.
She nodded. "We need to tell them." Parker agreed.
Jarod sipped deliberately at his coffee for a long moment. "My name is Jarod." He said finally. "I am your father. And that," he said, pointing at Parker, "is Miss Parker. She is your mother."
Jarod waited several seconds while that information was processed by the three stunned little boys.
"You can call me Daddy." Jarod raised his eyebrows at Parker with an unspoken question.
"I'm your Momma." Parker said gently, her voice thick with emotion.
The room was silent for a moment. The boys were shocked. The little girl, oblivious to their conversation, scurried back to her plate and snatched up the food once again before rushing back to the haven by the door. Jarod got up and repeated the process of filling the child's dish.
When he returned to his chair and sat down Jarod reiterated, "We are your parents. You are all our children. The Centre stole you from us when you were no more than reproductive cells in our bodies."
"We didn't realize that anything had been taken from us." Jarod continued. "We didn't know that any of you existed. Just as soon as we learned what The Centre had done, Momma and I came and got you."
Jarod looked warily at Parker through lowered lashes. He wasn't sure if she would appreciate him calling her 'Momma'. Her teary-eyed smile warmed Jarod's heart and reassured him.
"You don't belong to The Centre. You never did." Jarod told them. "You belong to us, your mommy and daddy." Jarod's voice cracked and he took a deep breath to control the emotions that bubbled inside. "Lyle is not going to come anymore. He won't hurt you. I promise."
The serious little boy who had spoken stared at Parker with huge disbelieving eyes. As the youngster sat there beside his mother, Jarod could see him wavering between hope and skepticism.
"I know it's hard to understand, sweetheart." Parker said, running her hand through his hair reassuringly. "It will be okay." She added as the boy's lower lip trembled.
The boy's dark eyes stared sightlessly at his empty plate for long minutes while he thought about what had been said. The two other boys looked equally stunned and confused.
The first boy looked quickly from one adult to the other. For a moment he looked like he was going speak then he snapped his mouth shut again.
Jarod tilted his head and frowned. "What?" He urged the little boy gently.
Squeezing his little arm in a supportive gesture Parker repeated, "It will be okay." She nodded further encouragement.
The boy looked at Jarod with pleading eyes then turned to Parker and stuttered, "What is my name?"
Parker looked at Jarod, the simple question causing panic in her face. Jarod realized that they hadn't discussed names at all.
Jarod lifted one shoulder in a shrug and asked, "What is his name, Momma?"
'Pick one', Jarod told her with his eyes. He watched her for a moment while she stared at him, her mouth agape. Jarod nodded confidently at her, knowing that whatever name Parker picked would be perfect. He knew she had made a decision when the fear dropped from her eyes and a smile began to spread on her face.
She looked at the little boy beside her and lovingly caressed his cheek. "Your name is Jarod too. Jarod junior. But we'll call you JR so it won't be confusing."
Now it was Jarod's turn to gape. As Jarod stared in astonishment at the mother of his children, he knew with sudden clarity that he would never love any other woman as much as he loved Parker at this moment.
"JR" The little boy tested the sound of his own name. "JR" He whispered again.
"Do you like it?" Parker asked a little fearfully.
The little boy smiled. "Yes. I like it very much."
"What about me?" the second child asked. "Do I have a name?"
Parker looked pointedly at Jarod. 'Your turn.' her look said.
Jarod smiled joyfully at the animated child. "Of course you do, Ace. Your name is Charles." Jarod winked at the boy, "How's that sound Charlie?"
"Cool." The boy giggled.
The third little boy looked timidly from one adult to the other. He gnawed fretfully at his lower lip as his golden brown eyes darted back and forth.
Jarod raised his eyebrows at Parker expectantly. It was her turn to choose another name.
Parker looked at the little boy closely, tilting her head to one side as she pondered his little face. "Do you want to know your name too?" Parker asked him.
The boy nodded. "Y. yes, please."
"Timothy." She said simply.
"Perfect." Jarod whispered across the table toward Parker. To the boys he said, "JR, Charlie and Tim. Well boys, what do you think?" he asked.
The three youngsters seemed pleased.
With an abrupt frown, JR pointed toward the doorway. "What about her?" he asked.
Cross-legged on the floor beside her plate, sat the ragged little girl. She had quietly moved from her hiding place and into the kitchen while the others had been talking. She had a sausage link stuck in her mouth and was sucking the juice from it.
The moment she realized that she had become the center of attention, the child scurried out the door to hide again.
Jarod looked at Parker as he answered. "Her name is Catherine."
"Hello, Catherine." JR called softly when he saw the little girl peeking around the corner.
Charlie tilted his head while he played with a puddle of syrup on his plate. "Daddy?" he asked. "What is Catherine's short name?"
Jarod blinked in surprise. It was the first time anyone had called him Daddy. "What do you mean, Charlie?"
"We all have names and shorter names." He said, gesturing at his brothers. "You know, Timothy and Tim, Jarod and JR."
"Oh." Jarod nodded in understanding. "Nicknames. Those are called nicknames." Jarod frowned thoughtfully. "You're right. But there are a lot of possibilities for Catherine. Kate, Katie, Cathy, Cat." Parker snorted as he mentioned the last option.
Jarod gazed across the table at Parker. "What do you think of Cat, Momma?"
"Oh, God forbid." Parker groaned. She stood and scooped her plate off the table to place it in the sink with a huff.
Jarod rolled his eyes comically at the boys, making them giggle. "Okay, Cat is out." Jarod gazed at the little girl. She was peeking into the room again. There was one sausage still sitting on her plate and she seemed to be giving the link serious consideration.
"She doesn't look like a Cat anyway." Jarod thought aloud. "A kitten, maybe. But not a cat." A smile slowly spread across Jarod's face. "That's what your daddy is going to call you." Jarod said affectionately to the little girl. "Kitten."
Parker leaned against the sink and said with in an exasperated voice, "Her name is Catherine. We'll call her Catherine."
Jarod stood and picked up some more plates. "Whatever you say, Angel." He said with a smirk. "Whatever you say."
