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 Posted: Wed Apr 07, 2010 3:25 pm
[Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Sorf Of |Part 3|]
Freya sat in her father's office, a table with designs was spread open. It took her a few books on her chair to reach it, but eventually, she was on a table. She copied a few on construction paper with her crayons and started to change them around, adding little arrows to plays, but not bothering to write anything down about them. She'd explain all of it herself.
There was a knock at the door, it was Julianne, Freya's new assistant. She peaked in with a bottle of milk. "I'm sorry, Freya, but the cafe downstairs didn't have any strawberry milk."
"That's because you get it at the store, silly," Freya said in a very matter-of-fact way. She hardly payed attention to Julianne at the moment, her scribbles were just too important to do that.
"What?! I am not going to the store!" Julianne spewed in frustration. She couldn't even believe she was doing this.
Freya put down her crayon. Why did she have to yell? Her eyes started to water and two tears hit her paper as she started to sob a bit.
Instantly realizing what she did, Julianne ran up to Freya and hugged her a bit. "No, no, no. It's okay, sweetie. I'm sorry. I'll go out to the store right now and get you that strawberry milk right now, okay?" she negotiated.
Freya sniffed and nodded. With that Julianne had left. After Julianne was gone, Freya started back at her doodles as if nothing ever really happened. Julianne tried to get strawberry milk at the cafe. Didn't she know that strawberry milk came from the store? What a silly.
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Posted: Mon Apr 19, 2010 11:31 am
[Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Sort Of |Part 4|]
Walter peeked into his office to find Freya napping on the table she had been drawing on. After her strawberry milk, she would get hyper for ten minutes, but would crash hard afterward. He already got that down, so everything else would be fine. Taking the jacket he kept on a coat hanger, he approached her with caution. It wouldn't be wise to wake her up just yet. The jacket draped over Freya, a pack of cigarettes falling from it.
Walter stared at it as if it were alien to him. When working, he was under a lot of pressure. If it weren't for the cigarettes, he'd overstress or break down. Or that was what he was convinced of. However, he made it a point not to smoke around Freya. He picked up the pack and pocketed it slowly, reflecting on his dual life. He did make a promise, today he'd have to keep away from smoking. But there was no bending that rule.
Sighing heavily, he started to wonder if he really did need to keep smoking. Either he couldn't come to a conclusion or he didn't really want to, the thought slowly drifted away. Practically everything did as he saw what Freya was resting on. These weren't simple drawings of stick figures she had drawn with shapes for bodies. No, these things had a sense of dimension to them. She'd been trying to copy his drawings and... she was doing a good job! Something stuck out, though. Staring at it, Walter had an epiphany. This... this was something he definitely could use!
Slowly, he tugged on the paper underneath Freya's head. He tried to be careful, promising to Freya in his head that he would give it back when he was done. Paper in hand, he slowly crept out the door, giving one last look at Freya and smiling. That girl could always find some way to surprise him.
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Posted: Sun May 09, 2010 9:20 pm
[Take Your Daughter to Work Day, Sort Of |Conclusion|]
Freya yawned and rubbed the naptime from her eyes. She gave a smile while she stretched her little limbs. It was time to go home now. Walter never spent longer than he had to when he was called to work. Today was definitely no exception.
Walter held a hand in his pocket, thumbing the cigarette box in his pocket. He felt proud that he didn't need to light up today, but knowing they were there was a temptation that nagged on him. Learning from his college years, the best way he thought to go around it was to fight one addiction with another. "So, do you mind if we stop at the coffee shop on our way out?" Walter posed as an almost desperate plea.
"Can I get a cookie?" Freya asked, the sunshine gradually coming back into her voice.
"Yes, darling," Walter spat out quickly. Yes, yes, anything. Anything at all, he thought. The cravings weren't this bad, but his time without them were only magnified by his current ownership of them.
As the two walked to the elevator, they stopped several times so Freya could get a good-bye from the people who she met today. She didn't remember all of them, but they did say they liked her drawings, so she knew she had to draw more.
Walter mentally cursed each and every person who stopped them along their way. Coming up with a practical way to get back at them or secret fantasizing of some torturous task for them later that week. He stopped for a moment to realize that Freya had been completely talking for herself. She was hardly shy around them at all anymore.
Finally, in the elevator, Walter impatiently counted the floors going down. His count was always faster. His concentration was completely derailed by the only thing that could, a simply word. "Daddy?"
"Yes, honey?"
"If I draw some clothes at home, can you help me make them?" she looked up inquisitively as she held his hand. It was an odd request. No, not odd, just... more grown up. What a creative girl to already want to make her own clothes.
"If you're really sure that's what you want to do, we'll start with one outfit, okay?" he rationalized.
"Really?! Okay!!" she beamed as she swung their hands around.
"Maybe you can make something for Hayden, too," Walter poked to her.
"Nah, he likes lizards and stuff. I don't wanna make lizard stuff," she stated in a matter-of-fact way. Finally, the ground floor, home of the buildings coffee shop. As the doors opened with a ding, Freya chimed up her thoughts. "Cookie time!"
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Posted: Wed Jul 28, 2010 12:17 am
[Growing Up Fast]
"Daddyyyyy!"
Walter looked up from the coffee pot he'd been watching, waiting for just enough to be brewed for his first cup. Freya was awake now, but that was obvious. He started up the stairs and stood outside of her room. "What is it, sweetheart?"
"My clothes... they got small!" the voice behind the door exclaimed.
Walter thought for a moment. He couldn't have possibly shrunk the clothing, he was a master as material and new exactly what settings... It then hit him. He knocked on the door and opened it.
Freya quickly covered herself and yelped. "Daddy, don't come in! I'm changing!" Several stuffed animals met Walter's face, one even squeaking as it connected. He closed his eyes, pulled his head back and shut the door. She definitely had him figured wrong.
Walter placed his back to the door and sighed, slumping his hips a bit. "Sorry, honey," he shot to her. "It wasn't the clothes, it was... you. You're bigger now, Freya. We'll have to get you some new clothes."
Freya's eyes perked up from the pillow she was now covering herself with. "Really? Can you make them for me?"
"I don't know, sweetie, I'm really busy with-"
"Pleeeeeeeease, daddy?"
And that was it. How was he even going to try to deny her after that? He had already begun compromising a day devoted to her new outfit now, deciding to call in a mental-health day. It wouldn't be the first time and he wouldn't hear the end of it, but honestly... "Alright, honey. But I'm going to have to go in there and measure you."
"Fine, but don't look!"
Walter's eyes rolled at the condescending idea of it all, turning the knob as he backed into the door, pushing it open. He sighed a bit as he closed the door, still facing away from her. This was going to be a long day.
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Posted: Tue Aug 23, 2011 8:34 am
[Cold World]
It wasn't that different of a day for Walter. Ever since Freya had been coming along with him to his work, he always went by the same routine. Despite the monotony, the days always brought something new and exciting. The other day, Freya had learned about different fabrics and how they look and how they wear. He was almost as excited as she was to see what she'd learn that day.
They made a quick stop at a coffee shop. Usually, they wouldn't choose this one at this time. It was always packed with people just on their way to work and their orders were never anything simple as black coffee. Walter held the door open for Freya. She wore herself with confidence, as always, almost a skip in her stride. Walter followed right behind her. As soon as the door slowly closed behind him, he could tell there was something uneasy about the air.
Freya stood in line, waving Walter to hurry up. They stood for what felt like an eternity, perhaps only a few seconds, then shuffling a few steps in the queue. That's when Walter saw it on the television. It was muted, but the captions and the scrolling text of the news channel spoke enough to him as a picture of the Metamorphosis Academy was displayed. His eyes widened as he read the words "can be identified by usually having wings" and quickly darted his sight across the room. A few people were looking at her, some whispering to each other. Staring back, he read only a few more words. He didn't know the story, but when the words "investigation" and "death" come up...
He quickly took his jacket off and covered up Freya's exposed wings. He bent down to her ear and whispered, "Freya, honey, we need to go."
"But I didn't get my drink," she shyly protested.
"I'll pick it up in a bit," Walter compromised. "We just need to leave right now. I promised."
Freya nodded and left as cheerfully as she entered. Sweat started to bead on Walter's forehead. He instinctively reach for his cigarettes, but quickly released almost as soon as they were in his grasp. Dropping them was hard. Everything in him just wanted to take something to get the edge of nervousness out, but he couldn't. He still wasn't in the clear. Still people who wouldn't understand. He'd have to call a meeting with his staff that day and everyone who had worked with Freya. It was his phone he should be reaching for. He was already mentally going through his contact lists.
"Daddy!"
That just about stopped any thought cold. He quickly ran to his daughter as she stood nervously by the car. A brick laid in the back seat among the glass it brought in when it was thrown. Someone must've seen her. Nobody was doing anything! "Front seat! Front seat!" he rushed her. He ran to the other side of the car, hands shaking as he tried to get the door open. Fumble. Fumble. Finally. "Everything's going to be okay," he tried to assure Freya. Maybe he was trying to assure himself.
Freya looked down at the floor. She didn't understand why someone would do that. Her father was afraid and she couldn't do anything about it. Her eyes began to water. She wanted to understand. She slumped behind her seat belt and pulled the jacket closer around her. The warmth of her breath flushed her face, shaking the tears loose. She started to feel bad. She didn't mean for this to happen. She wished she wasn't so insistent on getting a drink now and thought about how much she didn't really want one anyway.
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Posted: Mon Sep 05, 2011 11:01 pm
[Complications]
Walter looked out the window of the hotel room. He held his cellphone close to his ear, looking bad to make sure Freya was asleep before he started talking again. "Yeah, she's fine. We've been doing well so far keeping her wings covered," he almost whispered, pulling the phone closer to his mouth. "But I know it's not a permanent solution."
The voice on the other end began talking. His body scoffed, his mouth silent as he let her finish before giving his bottled response. "It's not running away, I just need to keep her safe until it cools down a little."
The voice started again, Walter didn't even try to let her finish, his reaction burst from his frame with a shock, "CANCELLED?!"
He quickly wrapped his hand over his mouth and turned around. Freya, shifted and turned over in her sleep. Did she wake up? No, she couldn't have.
But she had. She kept her eyes closed, but she knew what he was talking about. She wasn't the same little girl anymore. She knew better. She didn't want to, but she did. She pulled the blanket over her head and clenched it tightly. Maybe if she pretended to be asleep, her daddy wouldn't get sad that she was listening to the stuff he didn't want her to hear. She couldn't help it, though. His hushed voice kept on and she heard his side of the conversation.
"I know she was a big client, did she say why?"
"Her image? What does she mean 'associated with bad media'?"
"Freya's different, she would never hurt anyone."
"I know that you know, I just... It's just hard to believe anyone could take it out on us. On her. She hasn't even been in one place long enough to make friends. She's... she's not happy like she used to be."
"I don't know if I could come back right now."
"She misses you guys too."
"Yeah, I got that. It might be safe, but lockdown? I don't know if I could do that to her. The academy..."
"It's still my choice and I say no. I'd feel like I was imprisoning her."
"I still have options, we still have plenty of overseas..."
"They did?"
"Look, I'll think about it. We have another flight in the morning."
"You too."
"Goodnight."
Walter placed his phone on the table adjacent of the window and looked outside. This was getting too complicated. His hand met the window, his other over his eyes as he wiped oncoming tears from their ducts. He gave a heavy sigh, shuddering a bit as his breath escaped his quiver body. He froze, though, as he felt a small tug on his shirt.
"It's okay, daddy," Freya cooed. She wrapped her small arms around his waist as she rested her head against his hip and looked out the window with him. "Everything's going to be okay."
Walter remembered those words. The words he told her when this mess first happened. Now, here she was, calming him down. She smiled and bent down, his chin covering her shoulder and he held her close. He believed her. Though his options were thinning, for now, they had each other. That was enough. Tears gently began to slide across Walter's face. He could feel the growing spot on his shirt. She was crying too.
Underneath the starless city sky, their temporary sanctum didn't make them feel safe. Neither did the distance they traveled. No, it wasn't even hiding Freya as much as Walter could. At that moment in the dead of the night, the night when things weighed heaviest on both of them, it was each other. Though this child was not his blood, he knew that what he held in his arms was his daughter. Their tears weren't out of sorrow. Nor pain. Nor worry. They were from love, happiness and hope.
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