Reconnecting the Dots

He needed to cheer her up, so he decided to take a page out of Kara's book. He grinned. "Well, it doesn't hurt that you're a musician. I mean, come on. You play guitar and piano, and you sing,andyou can read music, too? What's not to be proud of?" His grin turned wry. "You know something? I'll never admit it, but I may or may not even be a little jealous."

His heart leapt for joy when she started giggling. And then to his surprise, Ashley leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. He was so shocked at first, he froze. Catching himself, he hugged back.

Yes. She hugging me on her own. He couldn't believe it. His daughter was hugging him. Up until now, he'd been the one to initiate the hugs.

"I love you," he said softly.

Ashley flinched in his arms. She pulled back and looked up into his eyes. She looked a little uncomfortable, yet surprised at the same time. He waited to see if she would say it in return, but alas, it wasn't to happen.

Give it time.

He pulled back. "Well, I'm glad you're doing OK."

She grinned sheepishly.

"Just make sure if you need anything, anything at all, you ask."

She nodded.

They continued staring at each other, not saying a word. Once the silence started getting a little awkward, Jake glanced over at the poster of Joni on the wall, stood up, and walked over. He'd seen this image before, but not in the way it was displayed. It was an image of Joni, sitting cross-legged, holding her guitar. However, the original had been a photo, but this was a pencil drawing. He had to admit it gave the image a different feel. He liked it.

Ashley came up next to him. He glanced sideways and saw her taking in the poster as well. She turned his way and grinned, which he returned.

"What's your favorite song?" he asked, nodding towards the poster.

Her face scrunched up in concentration. "Hmm...That's a tough one."

"Yeah it is." He wasn't lying. It was a tough one. Picking your favorite Joni Mitchell song was like picking your favorite kid—impossible.

"Well, it's not "Woodstock"," she said. "It's a great song, but it's kind of played out."

He chuckled. "Well, that does it."

Ashley shot him a confused look.

"There's no doubt now that you're my daughter." He reached over and put his arm around her. "Anybody who says "Woodstock" is their favorite song isn't a true Joni fan."

Ashley sniggered. "I know, right? It's a beautiful song, but there are songs that are so much better, like "Chelsea Morning"; "Cactus Tree"; "My Old Man"; "Blue"." She paused, then added, "If I had to choose, though, I'd say "My Old Man" or "Blue" are my favorites to play on piano, but "Cactus Tree" is by far my favorite to play on guitar."

Jake's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You can play "Cactus Tree"?"

"Um...yeah."

"On guitar?"

"Mmm hmm."

"While singing?"

"Yeah."

That took him aback. He turned to look at her. "You can finger pick?"

She nodded proudly.

"Wow." He was shocked. "Cactus Tree" wasn't a difficult song to play, but the combination of being in open D tuning, the wonky finger picking pattern, and Joni's vocals, made "Cactus Tree" a difficult song to perform well. At thirty-eight, he was a well-seasoned musician, but it took him many years to get to the level where he had the ability to perform a song like Cactus Tree to his satisfaction. Yet Ashley was only eighteen. He needed to see this for himself.

He grabbed her hand. "Follow me," was all he said, as he stormed out of the room, leading her into his office across the hall.

Time for some father daughter bonding.

-----

Claire turned her white Ford Explorer onto her street. Returning from her weekly Saturday trip to the grocery store, she drove the five houses down to her driveway—past Kara's black Jetta SE and Ashley's blue Honda Civic parked on the curb—and pulled into the garage next to Jake's silver Ford F-150. Only Carter's gray Jeep Wrangler was missing since he was at work.

Turning off the ignition, she was about to open the driver's side door when her phone rang. She checked the screen on her cell to see a blocked number. Having an idea who it might be, she accepted the call.

"Hello." She recognized the voice on the other end immediately. He had such a distinct accent.

"Yes," said Claire. "I've been expecting your call. Thanks for getting back to me."

She listened to what the caller had to say, then grinned. "Good. It took a little longer than expected, but you came through like you said."

She nodded as the caller talked, then said, "Hold on, let me get a piece of paper and something to write with." She opened the center console and took out a napkin and pen. "OK."

She copied down what the caller revealed. "OK," she said. "Got it."

She listened again while jotting something else down. "No. That's all for now."

The caller spoke again.

"I'll send it to you," she replied.

She nodded as she listened to what he had to say next. "Sounds good. And thanks again. Bye, now."

Ending the call, she returned the phone to her purse, and grinned a grin of satisfaction. She'd been waiting three weeks for this call.

Putting the napkin in her pocket for safe keeping, she exited the car, grabbed a few grocery bags, and entered the house. She was immediately hit with the sound of music coming from the formal living room—more specifically, the piano and guitar, accompanied by singing. She smiled.

They're at it again. Ooh. Her eyebrows shot up when she recognized the song."Tiny Dancer". I love that song.

Placing the bags on the island, she started singing along as she returned to the garage to fetch the rest of the groceries. By the time she brought in the remaining bags, the song had come to an end.

"That was awesome!" came Kara's excited voice. "Play something else!"

Claire smiled. It was awesome. She was still amazed at how talented father and daughter were.

As she opened the refrigerator to put the eggs away, they started another song.

Ooh. "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters". Must be Elton John day in the Martin household.

The song started off with Ashley on piano, accompanied by her voice. Chills went down Claire's spine at how amazing she sounded. After a few bars, Jake came in with his guitar, singing the harmony. More chills went down her spine. Every time she heard her husband sing reminded her of the early days when she fell in love with him.

Listening to them play together always brought a smile to her face. She remembered the first time she heard Ashley sing. It was the night of their big shopping trip. She was walking upstairs to get ready for bed, when she heard it. Mesmerized, she turned towards the music room, where she found Jake and Ashley playing "You Can Close Your Eyes" by James Taylor and Joni Mitchell, surrounded by a wide-eyed Kara and Carter. Usually, the song was performed with James on guitar and Joni on vocals, only, but in this case, Jake and Ashley were both playing guitar. The guitar playing was beautiful in of itself, but the singing was what drew her in. Ashley had the voice of an angel. Add to that Jake's voice, and she was hooked. When the song ended, she realized there were tears running down her cheeks, but what made the whole experience even better was the grin, as well as the look of pride, on her husband's face.

What shocked her most of all, though, was the guitar Ashley was playing. Claire wasn't too knowledgeable about guitars, but this one stuck out because it was a Martin guitar, and Martin was their last name. This specific guitar was Jake's pride and joy and he never let anybody touch it. A few years ago, she remembered him going on and on about a retro guitar that was being remade into a modern version—or something to that effect—and he had to have it. All she knew was that it cost $2,500. Most wives wouldn't stand for their husbands spending thousands on a guitar, let alone owning fourteen, but Claire didn't mind. If that was his only vice, she was OK with it. Plus, they could afford it. And if Claire wasn't shocked enough, Jake ended up giving Ashley the guitar at the end of the night. She refused point blank to take it, but in the end, he talked her into it. He had said, "It's for all the birthdays I missed. It's yours. Take good care of it."

So, it had become the norm around the house in last six months to hear music coming from the formal living room. Actually, now that she thought about it, it wasn't even called the formal living room anymore. Ever since they bought Ashley a baby grand piano—which was too big and cumbersome to be moved upstairs—it was now referred to as the piano room. At first, Claire was against the idea of losing her formal living room, but Kara had brought up a good point. She had asked, "When was the last time you used it?" Claire had to think about that. When the answer came, she finally relented. In the almost eight years since they had moved in, she could count how many times they'd used the room on one hand. So, now it was the piano room.

She continued putting the groceries away, humming along. One song later—"Rocket Man"—she was finished. The sound of Kara's applause and excited voice, once again, carried throughout the house. "Ohmygod! That was sooo good! You should have her come up and perform with you tonight!"

Claire could hear Jake's voice, but couldn't make out the words, but from Kara's response, it wasn't to her liking. "I'll cover for her behind the bar. It'll only be like five minutes. No one will care."

Once again, Jake said something she couldn't make out.

"Please..." Kara said, her tone pleading. "That was sooo amazing. People need to hear it."

This time, though, Kara was pleased with Jake's response. "Ohmygod! You have to call Jordan and tell him to come!"

"Kara!" came Ashley's voice, in a scolding, yet amused tone.

Jake's and Kara's laughter carried throughout the house, causing Claire to chuckle.

"Oh, Ashley," Claire murmured to herself. "You could do much worse than a nice young man like Jordan."

The conversation picked up again, but Claire couldn't make out what was being said, so she decided to join them. As she was leaving the kitchen, though, she glanced at the time on the microwave. It was 2:13.

Oh. It's getting late. These girls need to get ready for their shifts.

Continuing on to the piano room, Claire picked up on the conversation.

"...but he'd be so impressed," Kara was saying.

A sheepish looking Ashley said, "But what if he doesn't like it? He might think its lame."

Kara rolled her eyes. "Oh bull-poop. There's no way he won't like it. You're amazing, Ash. You're just being silly."

At that moment, guitar in hand, a seated Jake turned to see Claire standing there. He smiled and gave a nod of his head towards the girls. Claire smiled back. She knew what that nod meant. The two were like peas in a pod. When Kara said she always wanted a sister, she wasn't kidding. They were inseparable. Even though Kara was going to school full-time, and working part-time waitressing at the bar, she was still living at home to save money. Ashley was also working at the bar, but full-time as a bartender, while also studying for the SAT's. She had impressed Rob with her musical abilities, so he promised her a spot in the music program in the fall, however, she had to meet a couple requirements: one being to take the SAT's.

Ashley harrumphed.

"But Dad said it would be OK," Kara said.

Jake put his hands up. "Hey, don't get me involved. I said Ashley could do whatever she wants."

"You should do it," said Claire, causing the girls to look in her direction. "Jordan would be an idiot to think you were anything but amazing. And if he thought you were lame"—she made air quotes, which caused Kara to chuckle—"then he isn't worth it, sweetie."

Kara smiled triumphantly. "You see, Ash. Mom even thinks so. You should do it."

Ashley's brow furrowed. After a few moments, she looked at Jake. "So...you think I really should?"

He nodded. "Yes. You're too talented not to share your gift with people."

Ashley didn't say anything. She looked around the room—first at Claire, then Kara, and then back to Jake.

Claire held her breath. She feared Ashley was about to retreat inward, but to her surprise and relief, Ashley smiled nervously, and said, "OK. I'll do it."

Claire exhaled in relief.

Thank god. Therapy finally seems to be working.

"Yay!" cheered Kara, who stood up and wrapped her arms around Ashley. "This is going to be sooo cool."

Claire and Jake both smiled.

Kara pulled back. "What song are you going to do?"

"You should do "Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters"," suggested Claire. The version she just heard was so beautiful. Kara was right. People needed to hear it.

Ashley looked at Jake, and when he nodded, she said, "OK."

Kara clapped excitedly.

"Well, girls," said Claire. "Don't you think you should start getting ready? It's after two, and your shift starts at three."

Kara's eyebrow's shot up. "Oh, we lost track of the time." She stood and looked at Ashley. "We'd better hurry." Then she grinned. "And if you won't call Jordan, I will."

Ashley sighed. "Fine. I'll call him."

Kara laughed, hugged Jake over his guitar, then scurried out of the room.

Ashley stood, started to follow Kara, but then paused. She turned towards Jake and hugged him as well. "Thanks, Dad."

Claire smiled at the sight before her.

Releasing Jake, Ashley made to leave, but Claire stopped her on the way out. "You're going to do fine. Don't worry about anything."

Ashley nodded, then leaned in and hugged her as well. "Thanks, Claire."

Returning the hug, Claire smiled, and said, "You're welcome, sweetie."

Breaking the hug, Ashley shot Claire and Jake a grin, then followed Kara upstairs.

Walking over to Jake, Claire removed the guitar from his arms, plopped herself in his lap, and kissed him. Pulling back, she grinned. "That's the seventh hug she's given me."

Jake chuckled. "You're keeping track?"

"Of course. And don't tell me you haven't noticed she's been calling you Dad more often."

He chuckled again. "OK, fine. You got me. I have noticed, but I haven't been keeping track."

She swatted his chest. "Oh, stop. You're such a liar. Who was it that whined to me every night in bed for over four months because she wouldn't call him Dad?" She gave him a knowing look.

Jake tried to look innocent, but failed. "At least I haven't been keeping a tally, unlike someone I know."

Claire snorted. Then her face turned serious. "I was a little worried there for a while, but therapy finally seems to be working."

Jake sighed. "Yeah, but...there's still a long ways to go. She's still blames herself and gets so angry sometimes." He paused, then grimaced. "I still think I should call my ex."

Claire absentmindedly patted her pocket. "I know, baby, but only when the time is right." This was a conversation they'd had multiple times, but Claire's response was always the same. She could see that he was willing to do whatever it took to help Ashley—even if it would be painful for him. But she had her own ideas on the matter. "Let's give therapy a little more time, then see what happens. It seems to be finally working." Then she grinned. "Did you see how she caught herself a few minutes ago? I was certain she was going to retreat inward again."

Jake nodded. "I did. And I'm glad, but...I was a little nervous at how stubborn she was for the first few months. She really—"

"Yeah, like father like daughter," muttered Claire.

Jake's eyebrows shot up. "What was that?"

"Nothing."

"I'll give you nothing," he said, grabbing her sides and tickling her.

Claire screeched, then started howling with laughter. "Stop it, you mean, mean, man!" He knew how ticklish she was, but he was unrelenting.

"What was that?" he asked again.

"Stop it!" Squirming in his lap, she tried to stand, but he had a firm grip on her. She was trapped, and he knew it. "OK, OK! I'll tell you, I'll tell you!"

He pulled his hands back, but kept them poised for reattack.

Panting, Claire looked into his eyes to see them filled with love. He tried keeping a straight face, but failed. "So...you were saying?" he asked.

Claire giggled. "What I said was: Her father is an amazing man and I love him very much."

"Oh, is that what you said?"

"Uh huh."

"Well, if that's the case—"

But he didn't get to finish. Claire leaned in and kissed him passionately. She felt his big, strong hands wrap around her waist—gently this time—and sighed. She loved that feeling.

When they finally separated, she smiled. "I'm so happy she's doing better."

"Yeah. Me too. But whatever you did to change her mind about therapy; it worked. I still can't believe you were able to. I tried and I tried, but..." He left the rest unsaid. However, Claire knew what he meant.

She grinned. "I just did what I did to her father."

Jake's eyebrows shot up again. "Oh really. And what was that?"

"Sorry, can't tell you. It's a trade secret." Anticipating his next move, she quickly stood. And good thing she did. He went to tickle her sides again, but she was already out of his reach.

"Hey, get back here," he said to her retreating back.

"Nope. Sorry, baby. I've got things to do and you have to get ready to leave."

"Don't worry. This isn't over yet. You can't run forever."

Chuckling, she exited the room and made towards the kitchen. She loved him so much. He was such an amazing man and she thanked the heavens daily for finding him. He always said that she saved him, but in reality, he saved her as well. When her ex-husband left her with two small children, she felt old and used up—even though she was only twenty-four. When she met Jake, he was a broken man and extremely standoffish, but she had found something intriguing about him. So, she made it her mission to break through his barriers. It wasn't easy, but when she eventually did, she was appalled at what she found. She remembered thinking: What type of woman would do this to such a wonderful man? He was everything she'd ever dreamed of. Not only was he very handsome, but he had a huge heart, and treated her as if she was the only woman on the face of the earth. Also, it didn't hurt that he was an amazing singer. She'd never met a woman who didn't go weak at the knees when a handsome man serenaded her. What sealed the deal, though, was how well he treated her kids. She knew, right then and there, he was the one.

Reaching the kitchen, she set about organizing the pantry. The kids, especially Carter, never put things back where they belonged. She moved a bag of pretzels and marshmallows, but when she grabbed a bag of salt and vinegar chips—Ashely's favorite—she paused. Scanning the rest of the pantry, she picked out a few more items that only recently started gracing her shelves. She smiled. Yes, Ashley's arrival had heralded changes in her family—both big and small. She looked around the kitchen and spotted Ashley's sweatshirt on one of the chairs; she looked at the cork board where the reminder for Ashley's next therapy appointment was pinned; she spotted a pair of Ashley's sneakers by the French doors leading to the backyard. She was really a part of the family now. But it was a slow, ongoing process.

Giving the pantry a final once-over, she closed the door and moved on to the family room. She looked around, and once again saw Ashley's belongings scattered amongst the assorted mess teenagers were known to leave. Moving about the room, she came upon Ashley's laptop on the end table. Picking it up, she shook her head.

She really put up a fight with this thing.

On week three, they decided to buy her a laptop. As with everything else, she protested, but when they insisted, she finally drew the line. She went on and on about how it was too much; she couldn't accept anything else; they had already given her way too much. Nothing anybody said made a difference. Claire was shocked when even Kara failed to make her budge. So, to say she was stubborn was an understatement. However, Ashley finally relented after Rob promised her a spot in the music program. She needed a laptop to fulfill the requirements requested of her, so she bit the bullet and accepted it. But the stubbornness didn't end there.