Wanting Daddy

My wife, Nicole, was 5 months pregnant while our second child when she returned to our hometown to visit family and friends while she was still physically able. I stayed home with our first born child in order that Nicole could be free to catch up with relatives and friends without having to deal with a 3 year-old. She decided she would stay with her dad, Frank, and step mom, Carol, since they had a spare bedroom and were centrally located to other people she wished to see. Her dad is a life-long carpenter and is in good physical condition. His downfall is that he drinks beer frequently over the weekends.

When Nicole returned home from her trip, she wasn’t quite herself. After a few attempts at inquiring what was on her mind, she told me the following incident in order to ease her conscience:

She arrived at her dad’s house from the airport Friday evening at 8 PM. Her dad was already in bed, so she unpacked her bags, ate leftovers with her step mom, and told Carol she would spend time with him on Saturday. Carol said she would be gone all day Saturday to help her daughter move into a new apartment, but that would give Nicole and Frank plenty of time to catch up.

Saturday morning was a typical Midwest day with gloomy skies and drizzle. Nicole woke up around 11 AM and ate some breakfast with her dad who had gotten up earlier. They moved to the living room where Nicole gently sat her pregnant self on the couch while her dad sat in his recliner with a beer. After several trips to the fridge for a beer refill, he sat beside his lovely daughter and rubbed her shoulder and neck as she discussed her career, the progress of our first child, and other matters. She then listened to him mention his troubles with job security, financial issues, and concern that he was missing out on his grandchildren’s lives. He said that his new wife wasn’t giving him the kind of love she had years earlier which caused his first divorce from Nicole’s mother.