Chapter Nine


“Ready to be inquisitioned then because Rosies here” Dave laughed as he saw Rosie appear through the door opposite them.

“No...”

“Relax you'll be fine. Anyway it's too late..” he gave a broad grin as Rosie yelled “Daddy” as she saw him and shot across the hallway flinging herself into his arms “Did you see me Dance Dad?”

“I did sweetie” he chuckled planting a kiss on the top of her head “I did and you were absolutely wonderful”

“Was I Dad? I know I made a couple of mistakes though, do you think anyone noticed?”

“Of course they didn't sweetheart you looked perfect to me.” he glanced at Callan “And Callan thought you were too didn't you honey?”

“Did I really do ok?” she glanced warily at Callan

“Yes and Calli should know she's a ballerina”

Rosie looked at Callan and smiled “Are you my Daddy's new girlfriend?”

“Rosie” Dave laughed “Callan you'll have to excuse my very forthright daughter”

“That's ok, “ she turned and looked at Rosie “No honey me and your Dad are just friends that's all.”

“Oh I was hoping perhaps you were and you could get married and then I'd get a baby sister.”

“Stella Rose!” Dave shook his head warningly before he grinned at Callan “Rosie has this obsession with wanting a sister at the moment.”

“It's ok” Callan chuckled “I was exactly the same at her age, so you'd like a baby brother or Sister then?”

Rosie shook her head “No just a sister, boys are complete pains”

“You're not wrong there sweetie” Callan laughed winking conspiratorially “I always wanted a baby sister too when I was little, that or a older brother.”

“You could always marry my big brother Jack,” she turned to Dave “Couldn't she Daddy? She could marry Jack” she looked at Callan and smiled shyly at her “Then you'd get to be my sister”

“Stella Rose don't you ever give up with the Sister angle?” Dave laughed ruffling her hair “As much as Jack loves you sweetie I don't think he's going to marry anyone just yet so that you can have a Sister.”

“Oh great so I have to wait and see then” she sighed rolling her eyes.

“I think someone takes after her Dad” Callan smiled shaking her head She turned back to Rosie “You were really good on stage just now.”

“Was I ?”Rosie beamed “I'm a little worried though, you know I made some mistakes don't you”

“They were nothing major” Callan reassured her. “You danced really well”

“Are you really a ballerina?”

“No, you're Dad was just teasing, I used to take ballet classes though although not for the last couple of years. So is that what you'd like to do, to be a Ballerina?”

“Yes” she nodded in reply “And a vet too.”

“Mmm that's a pretty tall order sweetheart.” Callan smiled down at her.

“So what do you want to do now Baby?” Dave asked kissing his daughter on the top of her head.

“Can we go and get a pizza?”

“Whatever you want to do.”

“Can Callan come too?”

“Is she wants to she can” Dave looked at her and smiled “So what do you think Calli?”

“Oh yes please, come too Calli, please will you?”

“Ok then” Callan replied.

“Yay” Rosie smiled linking her arm through Callans.

“See I told you she'd love you didn't I ?” Dave whispered.


“What are you two plotting?” Dave asked as he returned from the salad bar and looked at Callan and Rosie giggling over something together.

“Just girlie things” Callan smiled winking at Rosie “Right Rosie?”

“Yeah right Callan.”

“Mmm I take it that means mind your own business then” Dave answered feigning a hurt expression.

“Oh Dad” Rosie rolled her eyes up at him.”You're so dramatic at times you know”

“Ok my turn to go to the salad bar then, Do you want to come with me Rosie?” Callan asked rising from her seat.

“No thank you Calli, I don't really like salad although Mummy makes me eat it .” Rosie replied wrinkling her nose in disgust.

“How about if I bring you some of my special salad back to try then? No yucky stuff I promise, just the nice bits.”

“Ok but I don't have to eat if I don't like the look of it do I?”

“No not if you don't want to sweetie.”

“Ok then.”


“So what do you think of Callan then?” Dave asked as soon as Callan was out of earshot.

“She's lovely Daddy, I really like her.”

“Good I'm glad.”

“Daddy?”

“Yes honey”

“Is she really just a friend and not your girlfriend?"

“No honey just a friend.”

“I wouldn't mind if she was your girlfriend Daddy you know. She's really nice and very very pretty.”

“Hey when did you get to be so grown up all of a sudden missy?” Dave smiled. He glanced across the restaurant at Callan “She is lovely and yes she is very pretty Rosie, but Daddy's not looking for a girlfriend at the moment, although I'm really happy that you like Calli because hopefully we'll see a lot of her whilst she's staying here in New York.”

“Doesn't she live here then?”

“Just for now she does, but she lives in England usually?”

“Like Jack does?”

“Yes like Jack”

“So does that mean when we go to see Jack we can visit Calli too.”

“I guess so, I hadn't really thought about it, but yes we'll be able to visit her too perhaps.”

He looked up and smiled as Callan arrived back down at the table. “Ok honey?”

“Yes fine” she replied sitting down “Hey Rosie look I got you this salad to try,” she smiled at her sliding the dish towards her, “See it's just some potato salad, mixed sweetcorn and red beans and croutons, nothing nasty like lettuce or carrots, try it and see what you think.”

“Ok,” Rosie picked up her fork and tried a small mouthful of the potato, “Mmm that's nice Callan” she smiled

“Good I'm glad you like it.”

“Ok what did you do?” Dave whispered in her ear “Is it some special chocolate flavoured salad you've invented or something” he asked watching as Rosie tried a little of the sweetcorn.

“No just ordinary type why?”

“Because she wouldn't have done that for me or her Mom.”

“Kids are always different for people other than their parents” she smiled “I bet you were the same her age.”

“Probably, thank you though Jen's not going to believe it when I tell her she's eaten salad willingly.”

“So Rosie what subjects do you like at school then?” Callan asked.

“I like IT and Maths oh and geography.”

“Really? I like Maths best too.”

“Yeah Maths is cool. So what is your job Callan ?”

“Rosie call me Calli ok”

“ok" she smile dup at her, "So what job do you do?”

“I'm still at college sweetie, I'm training to be an civil engineer”

“Whats one of them?”

“Someone who designs and works out how to build things.”

“Yeah Calli going to build bridges aren't you” Dave added unable to resist teasing her.

“Well maybe one day if I'm lucky, but thats a long way off now, is everything ok Rosie?”

Rosie nodded “Is it ok if I leave the rest of my salad Calli?”

“Of course it is”

“Ok” she smiled gratefully at Callan “Daddy do you think I can have an ice cream factory for desert.”

“Of course you can, do you want to go and get it now?”

“Yes please” she got up from the table and gave Dave a hug before going down to the ice cream machine and taking her place in the queue.

“Dave she's lovely”

“Thank you. She likes you too,”

“Does she?”

“Yes she's not usually like that with people she's just met and the thing with the salad just now, thank you for making an effort with her.”

“She a great kid, you must be really proud of her.”

“I am,” he looked at her sadly for a moment “You know Calli I stuffed up so badly with Jack when he was little and I regret that more than anything else in my life, but now I feel so blessed to be able to get a second chance at the whole Father thing with her and with Jimmy and obviously with Jack again, but sometimes I'm scared I'm going to somehow fuck it all up with them again.”

“You're doing a great job with her.” she reached over and squeezed his hand. “You won't mess up again I know you won't.”


“Daddy can we go to the park?” Rosie asked as they left the Pizza restaurant.

“If you want to we can,” he smiled at her.

“Are you going to come as well Calli?”

“Well if it's alright with your Dad?”

“Like you have to ask that question?” Dave looked at her and chuckled.

“Well I wasn't sure if you wanted to spend some time alone with her that's all.”

“I'd like you to come Calli” Rosie looked up at her. “Please will you?”

“Ok then I'd love to go to the park.”

“Great” Rosie smiled excitedly “Daddy can we go home and get my swing ball set first? I still haven't had chance to play with it yet.”

“Sweetie I haven't got the keys for your house, unless Jimmy's got a set with him, but you'll have to wait till he gets back from football practice before we can go over and collect it.”

“It's not at Moms house Daddy, I told you already it's at home silly.”

“Oh” Dave glanced at Callan and grabbed at her hand “Did you hear that?” he whispered his voice filled with emotion “She called my place home.”

"I know Dave" Callan whispered "I heard."

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