Marco! Polo!

"It wasn't just a movie; when's last time we got a pizza? When's the last time we went to Scoops for a sundae," April tried to explain.

"Know what? No. No, I'm not paying for this," Michael screamed, jerking the check from April's hand.

He tore the check in half, then in half again. He put the four pieces into the kitchen sink and turned on the garbage disposal.

"Michael! Turn the water on first," Ann shrilled.

"You and sleaze ball figure out how you going pay that boy. Got any money left? Oh, gosh, why don't y'all go to the fucking movies, huh?" Michael screamed, then stormed from the room. "I, God damn! I cannot believe..."

"No, April, I won't, I'm not helping you out of this one," Ann snapped, turning the garbage disposal off. "Call your boyfriend and tell him come get you."

While Cecil and April were struggling to scrape together the money Cecil owed John Cormier, for the destruction of private property and the vandalism of John's car, John was struggling to be a full time Daddy and a full time employee. And, John had also decided to take some on-line college courses; he didn't want to be a low-level employee for the rest of his life.

"Sport, you trying? As long as you trying, I'm willing to help," David Cormier told his son. "Your mother and I are willing to help."

Lisa looked at her husband and smirked. David might be saying he and Lisa were willing to help, but she knew she would be doing the lion's share of the work. He'd been very little help with changing the diapers of their three sons; she was sure he'd not be any more help with their granddaughter.

"And who's the prettiest little girl in the world? Huh? Who's the prettiest little girl in the world?" Lisa fussed to the wiggling infant.

"Oh dear God; who's the stinkiest little girl in the world?" John coughed out as he changed a full diaper. "Annalise! You ate that?"

"Uh huh, and I stood right here and watched you feed it do her," David laughed. "Annalise? Daddy's diapers didn't smell no better, hear?"

Ann and Michael Strickler approached John; they'd already approached Lisa and David Cormier. They'd approached David and Lisa, hoping the two grandparents would sway John's opinion but both David and Lisa refused to get in the middle of anything.

"So, son," Michael said, trying to ingratiate himself to the young man.

"I'm not a piece of toast," John said genially.

"I, what? What's that mean?" Michael asked.

"So, why you trying so hard to butter me up? Mr. Strickler, come on, just say it, huh?" John asked, swaying side to side as he fed his baby girl a bottle of formula.

"What Michael's trying to say," Ann interjected.

"Uh? Michael's still here. Michael has not left the room," Michael snapped.

"We, we're sorry. We're sorry about how we treated you when you and April were together," Ann said, eyes fixed on the beautiful infant in John's arms.

"And we, we'd really like to be a part of our granddaughter's life," Michael pleaded.

"I, I'd like for you to be a part of her life too," John admitted, putting aside any hurt feelings, any animosity he had harbored. "She's already a pretty good handful and she's not even crawling yet."

So, Lisa and Ann worked out a schedule. Lisa and Ann took to texting John every morning at five thirty, reminding the young father which set of grandparents were supposed to watch their grandchild that day.

"Mother, why's there a playpen in the living room?" April asked one afternoon when she came to the Strickler home, hoping to 'borrow' some money.

"For when I watch Annalise," Ann said, not bothering to lie.

"For...for when...you, you're babysitting, you get to see my daughter?" April shrieked.

"Mm hmm. And if you'd been just a little more grown-up? You'd get to see her too," Ann said. "And as far as will I loan you a hundred bucks? No."

"What?" April whined. "Why not? I need..."

"April, a loan? Implies you'll be paying me back," Ann explained.

"I will," April quickly said.

"With what? Hmm, April? With what? You have a job? You win a lottery? Some rich relative I don't know about die and leave you a bunch of money? How are you going to pay me back?" Ann asked.

"I uh," April stammered.

"You're not. You're just hoping I'll give you a hundred bucks and forget about it," Ann said. "No. Tell your boyfriend, Mr. Wonderful can take you to the movies all the time to give you some money."

"Oh. You're here," Michael said, entering the home after a long day's work at Judge Roberts Airport. "Hi Sweetheart, how was your day?"

"My day was good; oh, that Annalise, I swear, she's grown a foot since last time we seen her," Ann laughed.

"Oh no! She's got three feet now?" Michael asked and Ann giggled, slapping him on his buttocks.

"You know what I mean, silly," Ann said. "But seriously, she is growing like a weed and..."

April sobbed hot tears of self-pity as she let herself out of her parents' home. Cecil responded to April's text message; he couldn't come get her at that moment. He was milliseconds away from landing a good sale, one that would help them catch up on their bills.

"Going need to," April said, wondering how she was going to tell Cecil she was pregnant.

Revealing the pregnancy did slow down the progress of the divorce from John. Judge Glasspool was loathe to grant a divorce to John while April was pregnant.

"Mr. Cormier, if the child should prove to be yours, we would then have to revisit the previous ruling on the custody of the minor children," the esteemed member of the court stated.

"Her doctor had not cleared her for sex yet; the puppy ain't mine," John assured his attorney, Andrew.

"Well, seriously, you in any hurry to be divorced? There a second Mrs. Cormier on the horizon?" Andrew asked.

"No, shit, when would I have time?" John asked.

"Believe it or not," Andrew smiled. "People? Make time."

John had dropped April from his insurance and Cecil claimed he could not put April onto his insurance because they were not married. Agatha Ann Blackham was born in Collier Hospital, the charity hospital in Lowridge, Texas.

John had been relieved when Annalise was born healthy, and had been relieved that April had fared well through the difficult birth. If John had been disappointed that he had a daughter and not a son, he hid it from April and from April's parents.

"Well, need to put her back in for a while longer; you're not quite done now are you?" Cecil stated upon learning that he had a daughter.

He tried to pass it off as a joke, but April was devastated. After a few moments, Cecil told the distraught mother to 'get a stiff upper lip' before striding out of the ward.

In an effort to bridge the turmoil, John invited April, Cecil, and Annalise's baby sister to Annalise's one year birthday party. Still bitter over the money he owed to John, Cecil refused to go and further forbade April from going to John's parents' home for the birthday celebration.

"I am very disappointed in you," Ann stated when she called April that evening after the party was over.

"I uh," April tried to think of a plausible excuse.

"That is your daughter; unless you're in the hospital, or in the morgue, there is no excuse for missing her very first birthday," Ann said and concluded the call.

Cecil came home from another day of no sales and no prospects of sales to a very chilly trailer. He shrugged; silence suited him just fine. If she wasn't being silent, April was filling his ear with inane chatter about this television show or that television show, or what she hoped to do with all the money that they would accrue when his sales took off, or any myriad of things she could prattle on and on about.

Parentage of Agatha Ann Blackham established to the court's satisfaction, the divorce between John and April was finalized. Andrew presented John wit the bill for his services and assured John, he was in no real hurry for the money.

"No why divorce is so expensive?" DJ, John's older brother asked, seeing the five thousand seven hundred and thirty two dollar bill from Andrew Walker.

"Why?" John asked glumly.

"Because they're worth it," DJ said and John shook his head but smiled.

Fifty dollars here, a hundred dollars there, John began paying his bill. His days were filled with work, his daughter, and his on-line courses from Connelly College. His income as a single parent was stretched beyond the breaking point, but he had cut every expense to the bone and limped along.

When Clyde Meadows, John's immediate supervisor's drinking became too pronounced to ignore, John was promoted. He appreciated the promotion, certainly appreciated the bump up in pay, but hated that he was now on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. Lisa and David became accustomed to late night/early morning calls; this or that had failed at Alliance Square and John was on his way, bringing Annalise with him. Ann and Michael became accustomed to calls; John would be a little late picking Annalise up. This or that needed John's attention. And still he limped along.

April attended Annalise's second birthday. Cecil forbade it, but April called her mother and Ann drove April and Agatha to the Cormier's home.

In front of the guests, John was not only civil, he was friendly. He also made a fuss over Agatha, telling April what a pretty baby the one year old child was.

At Annalise's third birthday, Cecil sullenly accompanied April to the celebration. Stoically, Cecil sat in a comfortable chair and refused any offers of food and drink from John, Lisa or David. Ann and Michael ignored Cecil and April became engrossed in her eldest child's celebration.

"I cannot believe how insufferable those people were," Cecil snapped as they drove away from the Cormier home.

April said nothing as she tried to make herself comfortable. Her seven month pregnant belly made wearing a seatbelt cumbersome, but April was afraid of potential harm should she not wear the confining device.

"All false cheer and would you like anything to drink?" Cecil continued with his harangue.

"Cecil, what? What were they supposed to say? They were just supposed to ignore you?" April asked. "Need to hurry; I'm 'bout pee on myself."

Evelyn Ann Blackham was born at Alliance Square Health Facility; April and Cecil were married so Cecil had no excuse to prevent him from putting April on his insurance. Again, Cecil did very little to disguise his disappointment in having another daughter.

He did not acknowledge April's parents as he left the hospital. Ann thought this was quite rude, but Michael smirked in a feeling of triumph.

"No April, I already went to one wedding," Michael said when April asked him to give her away when she and Cecil married.

"Your father's right; we went to one wedding, why do we need to go to another?" Ann asked.

"Fine then. We'll just flit off to Vegas then," Cecil said happily when April tearfully relayed her parents' reaction to their engagement and upcoming wedding.

Grudgingly, Ann agreed to watch Agatha for the four day weekend. She patted April's slight tummy and reminded her daughter that Mommies did not need to drink.

Cecil had been happy when they'd landed in Las Vegas. He'd smiled broadly when The King of Rock and Roll pronounced them husband and wife. He was happy when he sat at a blackjack table.

The dealer quickly removed the happy smirk from Cecil's face. April angered Cecil when she refused to pawn her wedding and engagement rings. She shrugged when Cecil angrily snarled that he would pawn his father's Rolex watch then, since her damned rings meant so much to her.

Now, in a semi-private room, April tried to put on a happy face as her mother and daughter fussed over the new born child. Agatha said 'baba' as she looked at the wrinkled bundle in her mother's arms.

"Yes, yes, that's your baba sister," Ann encouraged the happy child. "Say, 'hi baba sister! Hi Evelyn!"

April was stunned when John, Lisa and David brought Annalise to see her new sister. April could not hide her tears as John warmly told her that the new baby was certainly a beautiful addition to her happy family.

"Oh, but Cecil can take you to the movies," Michael sniped.

"Fuck you, Dad!" April screamed, hot tears of rage spilling from her eyes.

"Really, Michael," Ann shook her head. "Now, John, how'd you know?"

"Uh? My office is two floors down?" John reminded his ex-mother in law. "And, Miss Bridget's a terrible gossip, oh! Hi Miss Bridget! How you doing?"

"John Cormier! You are a horrible man and I don't care that you got that coffee machine working," the middle aged nurse smirked. "Now, I don't know who is yelling, but this is a hospital, please keep it down."

=-=-=

"Daddy-daddy-daddy!" Annalise's voice cut into John's reminiscing.

"What, Sweetheart?" John called out, checking his handiwork in the mirror over the sink.

"Since the barbecues not 'til five, Nina wants know we can go to the movies?" Annalise asked.

"Mrs. Simpson down the street's paying me to take Noreen and Nicholas. It lets out at four ten; we'll be back long before the party," Nina said, peering into the bathroom.

Instinctively, John sucked in the very slight paunch that was beginning to form. Turning from his mirror, he saw Nina's eyes flicker up and down his bare torso and abdomen.

"Yeah, let's see," John said and pulled his money clip from his pocket.

"Thanks, Mr. John," Nina smiled when John handed her a twenty for Annalise's ticket.

"Nina, you turned eighteen when?" John smiled, giving Annalise ten dollars for popcorn and soda.

"Couple months, April tenth," Nina reminded him. "Remember? Y'all come to my party."

"Uh huh, well, now that you're eighteen, I think it's okay if you call me John," John said.

"I uh, oh, okay...John," Nina giggled, hot blush obscuring the few pimples that still dotted her pretty face.

"See you, John," Annalise said breezily.

"Uh? No ma'am," John said to the giggling girl, giving her a light swat to her backside. "Annalise does not get to call me John until she's ninety eight."

"Ninety eight!" Annalise cried out.

"A hundred and eight?" John suggested.

"Bye, Daddy," Annalise snickered.

"Bye...John," Nina simpered, eying John's bare chest again.

"Bye Nina, bye Annalise," John agreed and again ogled Nina's sweetly rounded backside as the eighteen year old girl turned.

"I think she likes you," Annalise whispered conspiratorially to her father.

"Maybe," John agreed. "What'd you have for lunch?"

"Peanut butter and jelly," Annalise said. "We need more apple jelly.

"Annalise, come on," Nina called out from the living room.

"Bye Daddy-daddy-daddy," Annalise squealed and ran from his master bathroom.

Stepping into his shower, John twisted the tap. He resented the fact that the old shower had sported two taps, one for hot and one for cold, but the upgrade would only allow one tap to control both hot and cold.

"No wonder there's so many anti-government conspiracy theorists running around," John muttered. "Can't even take a shit without them wanting to know about it."

John had been in the cafeteria, eating a late lunch. He'd been in the cafeteria since nine thirty; their steam rack, the appliance that kept their food hot, ready to serve had clogged and John and Manuel worked frantically to get it working again in time for the lunch rush.

"Times like this I really miss Clyde," John admitted after the cafeteria supervisor finished chewing them yet another hole because they weren't finished yet.

"Yeah, he was a smart guy," Manuel agreed.

"It's about time," the harried employee snapped when the pair gave the 'all clear' and wiggled out from under the counter.

"Yes ma'am," John agreed, lugging his tools with him.

Sitting and eating their lunch, John couldn't help overhear Dr. Pruitt and another older man talking. John did not like Dr. Pruitt; the man seemed somewhat sleazy to John. John did not know the other man, but the arrogant smirk the man wore told John he and Dr. Pruitt were cut from the same cloth.

"Peter, come on. If it's that easy, why isn't everyone doing it?" Dr. Pruitt asked.

As John listened, Peter Ortega outlined how one could buy five or six foreclosed properties, slap some paint on them, then sell them for outlandish profits. John knew Peter's claims were only half-true; he'd heard the local news talking about a glut of upscale housing in the Oakleaf County area.

Watching Peter Ortega's reaction to Dr. Pruitt's questions, John deduced that Peter Ortega was in serious need of some cash input. He had to hand it to the man, though; the arrogant, confident smirk never left the man's face.

Returning home to his rented trailer, John looked at his finances. His promotion and bump up in pay had helped him tremendously. And, managing to pay off his debt to Andrew Walker, his attorney had put a few more bucks into his account. In truth, John had paid Andrew two thousand dollars when Andrew sent John an invoice with 'Paid in Full' stamped on it.

"Of course, someone's fixing go to big girl school," John crooned to his precious four year old girl.

"Me!" Annalise declared as John prepared generic box macaroni & cheese and store-brand frozen fish sticks for their supper.

"And damn but I just don't like Sam Houston Elementary," John thought as he plopped Annalise into her booster seat for her supper.

A second grade teacher had Died, drug overdose, right in front of her terrified students. The fifth grade History teacher was arrested for inappropriately touching some of the boys.

"What? Is there an appropriate way to touch a ten year old boy?" John asked as he sipped his beer.

But, living in the area they lived in, John had no options, unless he wanted to pay the exorbitant fees St. Richard's Catholic School charged.

"Daddy-daddy-daddy, I made a happy plate," Annalise declared a few moments later.

"Oh? Guess you think you deserve a cookie for that, huh?" John teased even as he reached for the bargain brand crème-filled sandwich cookies.

"You work at Alliance Square hospital," a man said when John showed up on the courthouse steps on the first Tuesday of the month.

"Yes sir," John smiled, a little nervous at the man's enthusiasm.

"Man, my mom, my mom's alive because of y'all guys," the man declared.

"I, sir, I'm just in the maintenance department," John said. "I didn't have anything to do with your mom."

"Uh huh. Bull shit too," the man smiled, pumping John's hand. "Maintenance? Makes sure them lights are working, makes sure them doors open wide when the ambulance comes racing in, makes sure everything's working like it should be. Wasn't for y'all? That hospital would fall apart."

"I don't know about all that," John laughed. "But thanks."

The man learned why John was there. Together, he and John looked over the listings of homes that would be auctioned off that morning.

"This, right here. Twelve ten Brown Street; that's right by that brand new Ann Richards Elementary school they just built," John's friend advised, even pointing in the general direction of the home.

"That, that's the one I'm going bid on," John decided.

John's new friend said he had some other people to talk to. He and John shook hands again and the man walked away.

John never knew it, but his new friend went to every person on the steps, showed them the listing for 1210 Brown Street and strongly suggested they might not want to bid on that property. Each person knew, if he wanted to, John's unnamed benefactor could bankrupt them and never miss any of the money. He was a good friend to have and a fearsome enemy to avoid.

"Next up, twelve ten Brown Street. That's one two one zero Brown Street, Oakleaf," the auctioneer called out.

"Um, ten thousand dollars," John called out.

The auctioneer called out a few more times. The man was mystified at the complete silence that greeted him when he asked for a higher bid.