Angel Momma

This is not really the best text or email I've ever written. I'm kind of flailing about in the deep end here, but I hope you can look past that and understand what I actually mean. Thank you for everything you've done and what you continue to do.

With deep appreciation,

Jerome Morris

Kathleen took a moment to read the text while Iridessa eagerly talked to a caller. She tilted her head. She glanced at the clock and tucked her phone away. "And we thank you for tonight's wonderful fun. But little Queen and I will be needing to take our leave. We'll hand you over to our good friend, Roberts." Roberts stared at her in shock as she waved him into her spot.

"But.. but..."

"It's time to fly, my friend." She patted his shoulder, "You'll do fantastic, you know the buttons, just pretend you're talking to me." She took Iridessa's hand and led her from the booth. The door shut behind her with a note of finality and Roberts squeaked.

"What's going on Angel Kitten Momma?"

"We need to go give your Dad a hug. He's sad."

"OK, You go from the left and I'll hug from the right and we'll squish him."

"Sounds like a fantastic plan," Kathleen agreed. She swung hands with Iridessa as they climbed the stairs and sang with her.

He stared at his phone, noting that she'd read the text. She didn't respond. He waited for long moments, then sighed, tossed the phone on the desk, and sank his head into his hands again. "Yeah, I wouldn't respond to you either, Jerome. Idiot...," he muttered.

The two girls crept into his office quietly, Kathleen pointed and Irisdessa stifled a giggle as she pounced him from the right. At the same time, warm arms wrapped around him from the left, and the scent of roses invaded his nostrils as two warm bodies trapped him between them. "Got you, Daddy!"

He looked up, startled, "Huh?" Looking back and forth between them, he breathed. "What? What's this?"

"Ambush hugging," Kathleen winked.

"Angel Kitten Momma said you sounded like you needed a hug. So we came to hug you." Irisdessa said with a smile. "So we squished," she hugged him again, pressing him against Kathleen.

"Don't you still have another...," he glanced at his watch, "forty-five minutes?"

"I roped Roberts in, he's been needing a shot for a while. He's ready just scared. Besides, you needed me." Kathleen said simply. She moved to sit on the desk in front of him. Irisdessa looked at her, and Kathleen winked, "Little Queen, why don't you go ask Lori if we can get some water? I promise I'm not going anywhere. Just want to have a few minutes with your Dad."

"OK, Angel Kitten Momma," she bounded out the door.

Kathleen watched her go, waiting until the door closed, then pulled out her phone, "Now, I didn't text you back because I'm pants at it. So I'm going to rip your lovely little text to pieces with logic. First, you're not a terrible father and definitely not the worst father of the year." She pointed a finger at him, "You're a father that's overwhelmed but still trying, and your daughter loves you to bits. So you can't be a shit father, you're a father learning."

"Next, your girlfriend was a grown-ass adult. Her choices and behavior are not your fault, they're hers. When you discovered what she did, you ended the relationship and focused on what your daughter needed." She held up a second finger, "So that's the second point, taken out and annihilated." She tilted her head, "About the discussion, I've no problem talking with whomever you need me to about whatever you need me to. I won't be pressured or concerned." She winked. "Now, as you're flailing around on the deep end." She slid forward and wrapped him in a hug, "Look, natural floaties."

He blinked in shock at how readily she was dismissing what he saw in himself as major faults and then spending her time trying to physically comfort him. He had not encountered anyone that behaved in such a way in memory. Slowly, his arms came up and went around her waist gently, at a loss of what to say.

She held him for long moments, then when his daughter came back, happily carrying three bottles of water, she sat them on the desk and quickly climbed up to join in a group hug. "Do you feel better Daddy? Angel Kitten Momma gives awesome hugs."

"Yeah. Actually, I do," he murmured. "Thank you, baby girl. Thank you, Kathleen," he murmured, looking up at her.

"Happy to help," Kathleen winked at him, then slowly released him to grab the bottle of water. "Now, what kind of chaos has manifested, or do I need to wait for your companions?" She smoothly opened one and handed it to Iridessa before taking a second for herself. "Am I in trouble?" She wiggled her brows, then leaned down to murmur in his ear so Iridessa wouldn't hear, "Are spankings involved?" At his shocked look, she giggled and rose to her feet, "Iridessa and I will just sit over here and be perfect little angels."

He sent a quick text to Robby that they were in his office. Within two minutes, they were bringing in food. Pizza and sandwiches and drinks and cookies. There was a five-year-old present, Robby surmised. Of course, cookies were needed.

"COOKIES!" Iridessa squealed, making for them.

"Hey? Uh-huh," Kathleen interrupted. "Food then dessert."

"OK Angel Kitten Momma," she quickly bounded to sit on a chair and put her hands in her lap.

Jerome made sure that everyone had food, then gestured at Robby. "Your show," he murmured.

Kathleen focused her gaze on Robby as her head tilted slightly, and the chain on her collar slid free and rattled down. He shuddered, "I...we..." he froze, "Sh... oot."

"Very eloquent," she teased, then took a bite of her pizza, Iridessa quickly following suit.

"Your show tonight was super popular," Robby tried again, "So I was... thinking... we talked about it, and you know how we've got that kid's reading show in the mid-morning? Maybe you and Iridessa could do that?"

"I did hear that Brenda was looking to retire," Kathleen offered, a wicked smirk appearing.

"Well, with everything that happened, Iridessa has been cooped up here with the boss, but she was having fun with you, so we were thinking..." he gestured at himself, then Jameson and Liam. "That you could perhaps watch her and teach her while running the kid's reading program. Jerome thinks it's crazy and we shouldn't ask you because he doesn't want to be a bother." Jerome winced and ducked his head, a resounding 'Thanks, Robby,' echoing in his mind.

"Mmm, that does sound like Jerome," Kathleen agreed, "So, what's on offer?" Iridessa looked up at her in confusion, Kathleen smiled down at her, "This is called negotiation, he'll make an offer that's way too low, then I'll counter with an offer way too high, then we'll work our way to a middle ground. He's asking me to teach and care for you while we do a show together. And while teaching and caring for you is fun, I do have bills to pay."

"OK," Iridessa said with a smile, "But maybe Daddy should just move you in with us, then you don't have to have bills to pay."

"Not yet, little Queen, we've got to get to know each other first," Kathleen winked at her.

Robby and Kathleen took a few moments to negotiate, he already had an idea as to ballpark figure. Finally, the two shook hands, "I'll have the paperwork drawn up." He bounded out, leaving the three of them alone once more.

"What do you think, little Queen? Going to enjoy having fun with me until you start school?"

"Why do I have to start school?" She pouted.

"Because they can teach you things I can't, little Queen, and it will give you a chance to make friends your age."

"Ok, fine... but I want a little sibling."

"Maybe someday," Kathleen offered, "I make no promises one way or another, everything is down to time."

Jerome looked up at Kathleen feeling incredibly guilty and worried that even though she had accepted a deal she would regret it and feel uncomfortable. "Kathleen... are you really sure...?" he asked softly.

"Yes, I'm sure," Kathleen said, then took Iridessa's hand and they came over and squished him in another hug. She put her lips beside his ears, "Cut that out, I'm a grown-ass adult, I can make decisions. If I wasn't sure I'd ask for time, or simply say no. I'm saying yes, that's my choice."

He shivered at the way her breath in his ear felt before finally nodding. "All right. So long as you understand that I didn't plan any of this. And it's likely going to take a bit to stop feeling bad about it..."

She giggled, "As long as you understand that I will attack repeatedly with the dreaded logic until you do. And random ambush hugs unless you tell me to stop because it makes you uncomfortable."

"It doesn't. Quite the opposite, actually," he confessed. "Iridessa was right."

"Excellent," she released him with a wink. "Now, the only question Robby didn't answer before he ran off, was when? How soon would you like me to shift my focus?"

"How long do you need?" Liam asked, watching it all with a wry smirk on his face.

She pondered before she turned to pick up her food and eat. She looked at Iridessa, "What do you think, little Queen?"

"Today is Monday, so... Wednesday? That way we can spend tomorrow preparing. Daddy does a lot of study before his work." Iridessa said importantly, "So if you come here tomorrow, we'll sit down and make plans, and then we can start on Wednesday." She paused, "Do you think you could help with my hair sometimes?"

"I would be delighted and honored to help with your hair," Kathleen said, then held up a hand, "However, I would need to do some research so that I don't damage it. Your hair is different from my hair and it will take different techniques."

"Is that why Tasha never wanted to do my hair? Cause I was too much of a problem?" Iridessa's lower lip started to quiver slightly.

"No little Queen," Kathleen sank to a knee in front of her, "Tasha was just selfish, anyone who thinks you're too much of a problem is an idiot and doesn't deserve your time or your tears. People that love you, that care for you will never treat you that way. Look at your Daddy, despite all the work he has to do to make money, he still makes time for you. That means he loves you."

"That means you love me too," Iridessa said, following her logic.

"Yup," Kathleen said and folded her into a hug, "My love is different than your Father's, but that doesn't mean it's not there."

Jefferson watching all this, leaned over to murmur to Liam, "She's a f...fudging natural. We could expand the kid's section easily. Let's make a note of it as a potential future step."

"What if we expanded it into the video side of things?" Liam murmured, "Her TikTok is already quite popular. Add some kids, some games, some learning..." They pulled out their phones and started making plans.

Kathleen sat on the floor and Iridessa sat in her lap as they ate. Iridessa took command of the conversation, chattering away and as Kathleen looked up to see Jerome watching them, she winked at him playfully. "And you can share Daddy's bathroom 'cause it's bigger and he won't mind. Then we can go swimming in the pool on the weekends when the weather is good."

"Oh little Queen, I can't just pack up and move in. I've got a puppy dog and your Dad might not like having the roving drool and fur monster in his house. Plus I have to do something with all my stuff. Plus typically we get to know each other before we move in, go on dates."

"What's a date?"

"A date is where two people who want to get to know each other better go out places together. It usually involves food. On my last date, he took me to a fancy restaurant, which was fine, but it wasn't as much fun as my other date, we went on a picnic and then went to the street fair. The first guy knew me and what I liked, and the second guy just wanted status. It's the little things that really matter."

"So you're not dating them now?" Iridessa asked.

"Nope, neither one of them was compatible with what I need for a long-term partner and I wasn't compatible with them. I want to have multiple children, and a house filled with love and laughter. The first guy liked the idea of free traveling too much, the second guy felt that kids would ruin my body and didn't like the thought of seeing me pregnant. So we broke up."

"So when I look for a person I want someone compatible?"

"Correct, but you've got time, you're five."

"She's right, baby girl. You're five. Let's hold off on plotting out your marriage for a few years. In fact, let's hold off plotting Kathleen's. She seems like quite a smart and capable woman. I'm pretty sure she can do that for herself the way she wants to, don't you think?" Jerome asked softly.

Iridessa pondered that, then looked up at Kathleen, "Can I be a flower girl?"

"Of course, little Queen. You'll be my flower girl. My roommate's son will be the ring bearer."

"You have a roommate?"

"Yup, it makes the rent cheaper, and we went to college together. She's a media arts teacher at the high school."

"What about the daddy?"

"He's in the military right now but he's going to be discharged soon," Kathleen responded easily. When Iridessa went to open her mouth for the next question, Kathleen tapped her nose, "Finish your lunch." She winked at Jerome again, a soft giggle burbling up.

Jerome picked at his food as his eyes kept drifting to Kathleen. She was incredibly skilled with kids and his daughter in particular. At that moment, he wished he had half of that skill. He was so lost in thought, that when he finally came out of it, he noticed her staring back at him. He ducked his head and mouthed, 'Sorry', an embarrassed smile on his lips.

It was at that point that Jerome got a text message from Liam and Jefferson, 'Video instead of Radio? Kid's show, we could get kid's show going during the morning time slot, educational and fun. More kids and playmates for Iridessa and we could include a helper or two. What do you think?'

"If she's comfortable with it," he replied. "I'm not going to push her if she only wants to do radio."

"So... Kathleen," Liam started, getting her attention, "How do you feel about... television?"

"I feel like you're setting me up for something filled with chaos. Are you talking about something like a thirty-minute show, an hour show?" She asked curiously, watching him. "Costume, no costume, multiple kids? How many kids? How many adults as helpers? Will I be given an itinerary or will it be free form?"

Iridessa watched, then tapped Kathleen on the side, "Why is he asking about television?"

"Because I think he's wanting to turn from us doing a radio show to doing a full-fledged television show. Which is both a good and a bad plan," she winked at Iridessa, "It's a good plan because if it's successful it'll be fantastic for the station and would give some of the other parents a place to have their kids. It's a bad plan because if it flops it'll be ugly and we'll have sad kids."

"Do you think it'll flop?" Iridessa asked innocently.

"No, I think it would become successful, but it wouldn't be an overnight splash success. A lot of planning would need to go into it beforehand. For example, instead of starting on Wednesday, we'd have to wait and start on Monday, two weeks out, that way there is time for listeners and watchers to learn about the new show, and advertisement for the new show, and for us to get people together both front and back end."

"What's the back end?"

"The people that actually make the show work, camera people, props, makeup and hair, costumes. The front end would be you, me, and whoever they get to rope into the chaos that is going to be in front of the camera."

"You know a lot," Iridessa said as she snuggled into her side.

"I use TikTok and my degree was in Media Relations, so I know a lot about a small section." She smirked at Iridessa, "It's necessary to know what you're doing before you agree to do something, and don't be ashamed to ask for time to learn. Like when you asked me to do your hair, my only statement was that I'd need to learn how first."

"OK," Iridessa said, then her brow furrowed, "I think doing the TV would be fun but only if I didn't have to memorize lines cause that's hard."

"It can get easier with time, but no, expecting a group of kids to remember all their lines is an exercise in difficulty. Instead, it'd be better to do it semi-free form and just let the kids play and learn."

"I'm not hearing a no," Jefferson rumbled.

Kathleen rolled her eyes, "Yes, I'd be willing to discuss such a move. It's going to take more than one afternoon, however. We're talking about a major undertaking and to my knowledge, you don't have a children's show at the moment."

"We have the kids," Liam murmured, "Just not the person to be the adult... at least we didn't. I can't believe you were hiding from us."

"I wasn't hiding, I've been employed here... a year now?" She tilted her head, "Yeah, a year. The only opening available when I applied was the evening rock shift."

"Alright, let's set up a meeting tomorrow morning and we'll get started with planning. Take tonight to think about what you want for the show." He rose to his feet, checking his watch. "We've got another meeting to get to, and we'll leave before Jerome glares a hole in our heads."

Kathleen watched them leave, then looked up at Jerome who was indeed glowering at the two stockholders. She giggled, "Breathe, Mister Morris, it's OK. I promise."

"Jerome," he said absently. "I don't like when they pull stuff like this. It's too... sudden." He sighed and then rubbed his face in his hands. "I don't know. Maybe I'm just too cautious for this game anymore."

"Nope," Kathleen responded, "You're a balancer." She rose to her feet and walked over to hug him again, sensing his unspoken need. "Logic train...choo choo!" She giggled, "They are impetuous and focused on 'making money' and expanding quickly. You're focused on making sure your people are taken care of and keeping the framework shored up. You guys balance each other out. It's like walking a tightrope. They want to race across, but you want to make sure that both sides are properly secured and that there's a net below. Neither side is wrong. The people want to see the walker, you're just making sure the walker gets to keep walking." She hugged him, "Squish!"

Iridessa bounded over and hugged him from the other side with a delighted giggle, "Squish!"

"How did you sneak onto my personnel list without anyone knowing how smart you really are?" he mumbled as she held him. "That's a travesty and it's not OK."

"Umm, Leslie, your HR lady and I frequent the same... circles. She was at a munch I was hosting and mentioned needing someone to run mid-evening rock. I had just graduated, came in, answered a personality quiz, then was given the job."

"You were at a...," Jerome trailed off and then his eyes widened. "Oh!" he breathed. "Well... there's no putting the cat back in the bag now...," he murmured.

"Sure there is, you just put the bag on the floor, then the cat will climb back in," she smirked impishly. "But no, probably not. I think your... people would cry." Her nose crinkled, "They're lucky I recognized their pictures." She looked down at him, "Are you OK? Are you comfortable? How can I help you feel better?"

"You said you'd say no or ask for more time if you needed it. I'm just... I'm trying not to feel..." he trailed off, then put his head next to her ear, "like a terrible parent. They want to use my kid to boost ratings..."

"Yes, but she can earn a paycheck, and you can put that pay towards her college savings, or a downpayment for her house, or future travel. It will be a good experience for her to be around other kids. And with me there she won't be alone and I can shut down anything that's overly stressful." She winked at him, "After all, I'm Angel Kitten Momma."