“Oh, I think you’ve done enough.”
“Excuse me. I’m just here to take photos.”
“Let’s talk in the other room.”
I shrugged, but followed her to a bedroom down the hall. It had to be the master bedroom. It was big and dark. All of the furniture was black and the linens were a dark grey. I couldn’t get over how depressing the room was.
She snapped her fingers in my face. “May I have your attention?”
“Sorry.” I looked around again. “It’s just kind of depressing in here.”
“I didn’t bring you in here to talk about décor. I’m trying really hard to teach Amy that life isn’t a fairytale and you come in here with your fake curls, your fake boobs, and fake smile and undo all I’ve done. She wants a freaking dress.”
I stood up straighter and was immediately on the defense. “There’s nothing fake about me. What you see is what you get and one thing you don’t see is a dress.”
“I told Carl to get a man. I told Carl a man would be more like him to where a woman would come in looking like,” she said, as she looked me up and down, “you.” The obvious distaste for me and my appearance rolled off her tongue and practically slapped me in the face.
I placed my hands on my hips and took a step forward. “There is nothing wrong with the way I look. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be pretty. It may even make you a happier person, but the very short time I’ve known you, I think you’re negative and self-loathing.” Why Carl thought she would be a good addition to his family or a help to his child is beyond me.
She matched my stance and took a step forward. “Society has it in every little girl’s head that life is a fairytale and princesses rule. There is no such thing and Amy will be taught how real life can get.”
“Amy lost her mother. I think she’s fully aware how real life can get. Life doesn’t always give you a happy ending, but you can at least make the journey a little easier by letting her be herself. She needs to find her way, not yours.” I turned and left the room.
She followed me. “Who are you to make such decisions? You’re just the photographer.”
I stopped. She was right. I had no claim on this family. No business getting in their business or beliefs on how to raise Amy. “You’re right. I’m just the photographer.” I turned around and stormed back into the bedroom. “It’s my job to take photos and make them the best possible.” I rummaged through Carl’s things, looking for casual clothes. I found a pair a jeans and a T-shirt that looked a little worn.
I stormed past whatever her name was and back down to Carl. Throwing the outfit at him, I demanded, “Change.” He started to speak and I cut him off. “Do it.”
I went back upstairs and looked through the pile of clothes on Amy’s floor. “What are you doing?” Amy had stopped most of her crying and was watching me curiously.
“Taking your photos, of course.” I found a cute pair of jeans that actually had stitching on the back pockets instead of the plain jeans that seemed to make up most of the pile. “Where are your shoes?”
She scrunched up her face and looked exactly like Carl. “In the closet, but they’re ugly, too.”
I ignored her comment and looked in her closet. The bitch raising her would’ve bought her decent shoes. By the looks of her own, she couldn’t help herself. I found the perfect flats and raised them in victory. “See, you have the perfect outfit right here. Now, for a shirt.” I rummaged through the closet and found a T-shirt that made me smile. Normally, it would’ve been too childish, even for a five-year-old, but for what I wanted, it was perfect. “Here, get dressed, sweets and I’ll meet you downstairs.” I looked at the look on her face and smiled. “Trust me. This is what I do.”
I walked down the stairs and my breath caught as I saw Carl in the most casual outfit I’d ever seen him wear. He always looked nice and magazine worthy; but just to see the man in jeans and a T-shirt, completely took my breath away. His muscular build wasn’t hidden behind a crisp dress shirt or a pressed blazer. It was out there on display for the world, and me, to see.
“I feel some yard work coming on or something.” Carl smiled at me as I continued down the stairs.
I smiled back. “No work. All play.” I stood in front of Carl and reached up to mess his hair up a little. “Amy will be down soon.” Our eyes locked and he smiled as he placed his hands on my hips. I was still messing with his hair, but I did it much slower. He leaned in and I slapped his chest, pushing him away. “Scissors!”
“What?” He was rubbing his chest where I smacked him.
“Amy really needs her hair cut and while I’m not a professional, I can make it look a little better. Where are your scissors?”
“Amy’s hair is fine.” The dark princess returned with her attitude in place. “Carl, we’ve talked about this. You just have to give it time to grow out.”
“I think it could use a little trim. Rachael won’t cut too much off.” Carl walked out of the room to get the scissors and left us alone.
“You come in here in one afternoon and ruin everything I’ve worked for.” She picked up her handbag. “I’m not sticking around to see this farce.”
“Farce? It’s a family photo. Are you against those as well?” I crossed my arms. I couldn’t believe this bitch.
“Cil, I don’t see the harm in this.” Carl walked back in, handing me a pair of scissors.
“You wouldn’t, Carl. You’re a man. You don’t understand how far this is going to set Amy back.”
I left those two to argue it out. I needed to trim Amy’s hair before Carl was sucked in to whatever Cil was going to tell him. What kind of name was that? I knocked on Amy’s door so I didn’t catch her off guard if she was still dressing. “It’s Rachael. May I come in?”
The door opened and there stood Amy in the outfit I asked her to put on. The jeans fit perfectly and the T-shirt had just the right amount of sparkle to it. I smiled as I read it again. Daddy’s girl. She sure was and if I knew Carl, she always would be. There was just something telling me they needed to be reminded of that.
I looked at her hand and she had her brush gripped tight. I looked back up to her hair and it was . . . awkward. “I tried to brush it a little out of my face.”
I smiled and snipped the scissors in the air. “Let’s take care of that, too.”
I watched as Rachael went upstairs. I never thought she’d be back in my life. I thought for sure I’d blown it. Since she’d come back, I had to find a way to keep her there. I closed my eyes as Cil snapped her fingers in my face. “I’ve asked you to not do that.”
“Then pay attention to what I’m telling you instead of your girlfriend’s ass.”
“Enough! I don’t see the harm in anything Rachael is doing. I understood your concerns with Amy’s make believe in the fairytale world and I understood when you wanted to broaden her wardrobe, but I don’t see how making her look good for pictures is going to set her back.” I walked to the kitchen.
She followed. “She was starting to come around. She threw a class-A fit upstairs when we were trying to find something to wear.”
I grabbed a glass and wished it were later in the evening. A stronger drink than water would’ve been preferable. “I’ll talk to her.” I filled the glass and lifted it to drink as she placed her hand on my arm.
“You know I just want what’s best for you and Amy. Joy wouldn’t have wanted her head in the clouds.” She went over and sat at the table. “I know you think you were doing what was best for Amy since losing her mother so young, but I do hope you see the damage you could’ve caused her by spoiling her with all of those things.”
I finally took the drink I had wanted, but it was to keep me from talking rather than just being thirsty. I turned and looked out the window as Amy ran around the backyard and Rachael snapped pictures of her. I smiled. “That’s all for today, Cil.” I lifted my hand up to stop her from talking. “We’ll see you tomorrow.”
I slowly crept in the backy
ard and stood to watch my little girl play as she should’ve been, but hadn’t for quite a while now. “That’s it. You’re a natural at this.” I loved hearing Rachael give her praise. This was what Amy needed. Cil may have been right on a couple of things, but my daughter needed fun again.
I ran up behind Amy when she wasn’t looking and lifted her in the air. I hadn’t heard her scream like that in far too long. “Daddy!” Her laughter was music to my ears and all I needed to melt the stress away.
“I’m not daddy. I’m an evil monster who’s going to tickle torture you until you tell me the secrets to the castle.” I started tickling her, listening to more laughter.
“Uncle!” Amy’s attempt to get me to stop the torture only lasted long enough for her to catch her breath. Then I started all over again. “Rachael, help!”
Rachael was snapping pictures, but I could see she was smiling behind the lens. “I’m just the photographer. I’m no heroine.”
“You have to kiss the monster and he’ll turn into a prince.”
Rachael and I both stopped what we were doing and looked at each other. Had she actually blushed? With my attention on Rachael, I completely missed Amy tackling me, kissing my face. “Ahhh!” I acted as if I were changing before her eyes. “What-what happened to me?”
“It’s okay, Daddy. The evil stepmother put a spell on you. She put a spell on all of us. That’s why I have these cruddy clothes.”
I looked at Rachael and raised my eyebrows. “She did, did she?” Amy took off running around the yard.
Rachael tilted her head to the side. “Have you not learned anything of the princess ways? Of course all of the best princesses have to go through a period of,” she said, and then hesitated before continuing, “struggle before becoming an official princess.” She smiled. “But true princesses are happy no matter what they wear or go through.”
“You don’t say.”
“I do say.” She looked over at Amy and shrugged. “It worked.” She looked back to me and smiled, lifting her camera.
“Hey, I don’t need any photos of me.” I put my hand up.
“No, but Amy does.” Rachael put her camera down. “I probably have enough anyway.” She looked around. “So, when’s the wife coming out? I’ve had a blast with Amy, but I do have other things I need to do.”
I started to answer when my phone rang. “I’ll be right back.” I accepted the call, but didn’t answer until I was back inside. “Williamson.” I turned to look out the kitchen window.
“Mr. Williamson, this is Lance Hathaway.”
“I’m aware of who this is. How may I help you?”
“There seems to have been a mix up and the photographer you had asked for—”
“There’s no mix up.”
“You see the best photographer—”
“Is in my backyard taking photos of my daughter. There has been no mix up.”
Lance sighed, trying to contain his irritation of my constantly cutting him off, but I wasn’t going to go with whomever he was trying to pawn off on me. “Sir, Rachael is going to be out on the road again—”
“No.”
“I’m sorry?” He sounded dumbfounded.
“I said no. Rachael is the photographer I want. She’s the photographer I’ll have. If I have to take her from your company and put her on my payroll to do it, I will.” There was a moment of silence. “Do we understand each other?”
“I understand you’ve asked for the best and—”
“You’ve delivered. I will have Rachael with or without your company. It’s simply your choice whether or not you are paid. It doesn’t really matter to me.”
“She’s under contract with this agency.”
“I’ll buy her contract. How much?” More silence. “You should already have that figure, but if you need to get back to me—”
“No, if Rachael is the photographer you want, then that’s fine with me as long as she agrees. She’s been asking for jobs she used to do and some have opened.”
“No, they haven’t.” I clenched the phone and my jaw. “Those jobs have just closed. Is that understood? Rachael is the only photographer I want; and I repeat, it will be with or without your company.” I hung up.
I grabbed my glass and filled it with water again. I had to calm myself down before I went back outside with Amy. Watching them laugh and talk through the kitchen window did just that. I found myself smiling. It’s ironic that I had tried so hard to keep them apart while I was seeing Rachael on a personal level, and now to have them hit it off so well when it was just business between us.
My good mood started to turn sour again as I watched Cil come around the side of the house and enter the backyard. I drained the rest of the water and slammed the glass down. Taking a deep breath, I headed outside.
“So, where were you thinking about taking the photos?” Cil was looking around at the backyard. She stopped when she looked at me and smiled. “Let’s get on with it, shall we? We don’t want to keep Rachael any longer than necessary. She’s already been here long enough.”
Rachael looked around and smiled. “I think the rock over there is perfect. Is it fake?” She turned to me.
I looked at Cil a moment longer before answering Rachael. “No, it’s a real boulder.”
“Good.” She kept her smile, but if I knew anything about her, she couldn’t wait to get it over with. “I’d like Amy to stand in the back while the two of you sit in front. She can put her arms around you . . .” Rachael caught the look Amy was giving her. “Or she can just stand and smile that pretty smile of hers. Just as long as we can see the writing on the T-shirt.”
Amy ran over and stood on the rock. “I never get to do this.”
I walked over to ensure she didn’t fall off. “It isn’t a toy, Amy.”
We were placed and situated, as Rachael wanted. Even though it was a favor to me, she took the job seriously. It was wonderful to see her come to life in that moment. The moment she held the camera up to her face and waved her hand to get us adjusted just right, it was as if nothing could touch her. Her green eyes sparkled as if they’d never been hurt. I wanted to see her look that way every day.
I shook my head as Cil snapped her fingers in my face again. I leaned over and whispered, “Stop that.”
“I’m just trying to get your attention for Raquel.”
“Okay! It’s daddy time.” Rachael ignored the obvious incorrect name used. “I just want Amy and Carl on the rock now.”
“But—”
“Read the T-shirt, hon. Daddy’s girl.” She messed with her camera to allow time for us to adjust again. “Okay, you two. This should be easy. I just want you to love each other.”
Amy smiled as she turned to me. She grabbed my face in her two small hands and kissed me. It was easier than I thought it would be to pose with my daughter. I’d been dreading it, just thinking of all the awkward things that go wrong when taking photos. However, loving my daughter was very easy to do. I couldn’t thank Rachael enough for giving me this time and these memories with my baby.
“That’s enough, I think.” She put the camera down to her side and smiled up at us. “I’ll get these to you sometime next week.”
“I can’t wait to see them!” Amy started jumping up and down and almost fell off the rock.
“Amy!” I grabbed her and probably scared her more than she would’ve been just from the stumble. “This isn’t a toy.” I hated seeing the fear I put in her eyes after such a wonderful afternoon. I tossed her up on my shoulders and walked over to Rachael.
“Whoa! You’re so tall up there.” She smiled at Amy. “Good times, kids, but I’ve got to run.”
“I was hoping you could stay, so we could go over the new job.” I followed her gaze and looked at Cil who was brooding on the patio furniture. “Rachael—”
“I seriously have to go.” She tugged on Amy’s foot. “Thanks for being such a great model to photograph today.” She looked at me. “We’ll talk soon.”
&n
bsp; I was holding on to Amy’s legs as I watched Rachael walk away. I felt a tap on the top of my head. Looking up, I smiled, as Amy’s face got close to mine. “I like her.”
“I do, too, baby. I do, too.”
I slowly walked down the stairs after putting Amy in bed. I had hoped Cil would’ve gone home, but I knew she’d still be in the front room waiting for me. I stood in the doorway and placed both hands in my pockets. “You didn’t need to cancel your plans to stay this evening.”
“You know I love spending time with you and Amy. Besides, I think we need to discuss what happened today.”
I didn’t move. “What happened today is my little girl was allowed to be a little girl again and I liked it.” I took one hand out of my pocket as I crossed the room. “You’re right. We do need to talk. I think you’re taking things a little too far. Is it true she has no dresses?”
“We’ve been over this.”
“And we’re going over it again.” I had to keep my anger in check. I didn’t want to wake Amy, but I wanted to get my point across. “I understand what you’ve been trying to teach Amy, and I appreciate it, but I think you’ve gone too far. I want her to have some dresses again.”
She stood. “Carl.”
“She will have dresses, Cil. There’s no reason for her not to.”
“You know it’s very difficult to get her to wear anything other than a dress if she has them in her closet.”
“I don’t know. She had a great time today in the jeans she was wearing. Rachael—”
“This is all about your new girlfriend, isn’t it?”
I crossed my arms. “Rachael is not my girlfriend. She’s the photographer I’ve hired and she will be coming back to take formal photos.” I leaned forward a little. “For which Amy will have a dress.”
“I have no problems with her wearing a dress for formal photos, but—”
“There are no buts. You are to get her dresses.” I started to walk away and turned back to her. “Pretty ones, Cil. She’s to have pretty, girlie dresses. Do I make myself clear?”
She lowered her head. “Yes, Carl.”
Striving for Perfection (Striving Series Book 2) Page 3
