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"How about Saturday you two come..."
"Me and Shari are doing a poker run Saturday," Callum interjected.
"Cal... what's a poker run?!" Vanessa asked, confused.
"It's this charity run that the motorcycle club..." Holding up a finger, "Shari get to bed," Callum called out hearing his daughter behind her door.
"But Daddy... you didn't give me my goodnight kiss," Shari said weakly, as she spoke through the gap in her door.
Vanessa watched as her little girl ran to her father who gave Shari a big warm hug and a kiss on her left cheek. How it warmed her heart as she saw the love she had for Callum on her face, and how it was breaking too knowing she missed so much with her. Her eyes followed the trail of Shari's hair as she raced around the back of Callum's chair.
"Goodnight Mama," Shari said sweetly, holding out her arms to Vanessa who didn't hesitate to fill that void.
"Goodnight Shari, sleep tight," Vanessa whispered softly into her daughter's ear. Watching how Shari moved over to Henry, who looked towards Callum to be sure it was okay.
"Goodnight new Daddy." Callum felt a little uncomfortable about that, yet he couldn't discern any malicious intent on Henry's part.
"Goodnight Shari, don't let the bedbugs bite."
"Bye!" Shari waved one last time before she quickly got to bed once her father looked at her.
"I didn't think she'd be so... accepting of me," Vanessa said, wiping a tear away.
"Shari's always been a people person, you would have known that if you came over when she started to walk. I did invite you."
"And I've regretted that decision ever since. Cal... by any chance did you record her first steps and her first word?"
"Her first step yes, her first word no, but that's because we were going down the slide and she screamed out 'Holy...' well you can infer the rest," Callum said, smiling at Vanessa's and Henry's chuckle.
"Something she picked up from you I bet," Vanessa said, flashing Callum a smile.
"Hey, she's bound to hear something every once in a while. I don't curse in front of her if that's what you're wondering."
"We would never," Henry said, in a warm light.
"So about Saturday?" Vanessa asked, bringing them back to the matter at hand.
"Ah right, the motorcycle club I'm part of puts on this charity event twice a year for the local children's hospital. Me and Shari are dressing up like Greasers this year for it."
"Greasers?!" Vanessa asked, perplexingly.
"Don't look at me, thank my father for planting that idea into my daughter's head," Callum said, holding up his hands.
"Then what are the two of you doing Sunday?"
"Nothing I'm aware of," Callum admitted.
"Then... how about the two of you coming over to our place, and I'll cook us up some steaks, burgers, the whole nine yards," Henry said, his wife nodding along. "We want to show you, that when the two of you are ready, our home would be a safe and caring place for Shari."
"Long as you don't cook anything in peanut oil or have them anywhere near the food I don't see a problem with that."
"Cal you aren't allergic to peanuts..."
"Shari is though," Callum said, plainly.
"Is she allergic to anything else?" Vanessa asked, typing out a memo on her phone.
"Shellfish. She's normally good at keeping her EpiPen on her, but if or when I agree to an overnight stay you'll have to make sure she always has it on her."
"Of course Cal," Vanessa nodded.
"Everything else we can discuss later," Callum said, noting the late hour.
Vanessa noted the time on her phone, as much as she wanted to learn all she could about their daughter from Callum's own mouth. She knew it would have to wait. She was so glad that he's given her this chance to be a mother to Shari. She just prayed she will be a good one.
"Cal?" Vanessa turned towards him as she opened the passenger door.
"Hmm?"
"Saturday, would you mind if we came over to see what she looks like all dressed up?" Vanessa asked, with hope.
"I don't see why not," Callum said, rubbing the back of his head. "We'll be leaving here at one so if you want to stop by..."
"We'll be here at noon," Vanessa said, a little too quickly.
"Alright then," Callum nodded.
"You did a remarkable job with her Cal. She's grown into a beautiful girl, I just hope I can be as good as a parent as you are," Vanessa said, sweetly.
"Oh, I had lots of help, Mom, Dad, the gang, Shari never has wanted for a family, just a mother," Callum said, looking pointedly at Vanessa.
"And I mean to fix that Cal, you have my word on that," Vanessa said, with a curt nod.
"We'll see."
"You'll see Cal, I won't make the same mistakes again," Vanessa said, through the open window.
"Uh-huh, you drive safe now," Callum said, wave to Henry before backing away.
Chapter Three.
Saturday, noon.
"Shari!" Callum called out as his clean, plain, white t-shirt slid down his chest conforming to his pectorals as he tugged at the hem of his shirt.
"Yes Daddy!" Shari came racing into his bedroom still wearing her pajamas.
"Did you lay out your clothes like I asked you too?" Callum asked, as he attaching the chain of his wallet to his belt before sliding the belt through the loop.
"Mmmhmm."
"Have you put your cereal bowl in the sink?" Callum couldn't keep from smiling at his daughter's nod. "Well then, I think we need to get a pretty little..." Just then a knock came upon the front door, "I wonder who that could be?!" His voice held a little amusement to it at his daughter's confused look that was painted on her face. "Let's go see who it is," Callum said, his hand touched lightly on Shari's back as he led her out of his bedroom.
If you were in that room at that moment you would have witnessed, the sound of Shari's deep intake of breath on that mostly sunny afternoon, the shock and joy in her eyes as she gazed upon her mother. You would have seen her little body just explode as 'Mommy!' was screamed for all to hear two states away.
"Shari!" Vanessa cried holding out her arms to her daughter. "Looks like we made it just in time," she said, smiling at Callum as she rubbed Shari's back.
"I was about to get her dressed, you want," Callum nodded towards Shari's bedroom.
"You wouldn't mind?" Vanessa asked, as she looked up at Callum.
"No, although I think I should charge you for all the dirty diapers you missed," Callum joked.
"I bet you were a handful weren't you?!" Vanessa asked, looking down at a wide smiling, nodding Shari.
"She's already got her clothes laid out," Callum called after them as Shari led Vanessa to her bedroom.
"Hey," Henry greeted Callum warmly with a shake of his hand as he entered their home.
"Have a seat I need to finish getting ready," Callum gestured to the sofa to which Henry nodded.
"Hey Cal?!"
"Yeah?" Callum called back from his room.
"I want to thank you for sending us those videos of when Shari was little. Vanessa has watched each one a dozen or more times. Especially the one where Shari starts to walk."
"Yeah, that was a good day," Callum admitted. "Then again, that in turn led to the great chase," he mused as he stepped out of his room. His boots thumped on the floor boards as he rested his black leather biker jacket on the back of the couch.
"I bet she was a handful once Shari learned how to run and scamper around," Henry said, smiling friendly at Callum.
"Oh, I had to learn to do the sixty yard dash in less than three seconds," Callum said, with a smile on his face.
"Vanessa parents will be in town tomorrow," Henry said, low. "Will it be okay if they come to the cookout?"
"Sure, it's your place man," Callum said, sinking down in his seat.
"Cal! Where's the bathroom, I want to fix Shari's hair for her," Vanessa said, sticking her head out of Shari's room.
"Right there," Callum said, pointing at the door to the only bathroom in their house. Smiling at Shari as she came running out of her room in her matching attire.
Vanessa flashed her husband a loving look that told him that she was so in love with her little girl already. Her cheeks had a light blush to them as she followed after Shari.
"She's a handful I tell you that now," Callum said, as Henry's gaze lingered on the doorway of the bathroom.
"I bet," Henry spoke softly, "something I'm sure she got from her mother," he said, with a coy smile.
"Me actually," Callum said, with a bit of pride. "Shari got her looks from Vanessa, her attitude though, is all me," he softly chuckled.
"I'll keep my eye out then," Henry nodded.
"Cal?!" Vanessa called out from the bathroom.
"Yeah?"
"Can Shari wear some makeup?"
"No, she's too young for that don't you think?" Callum replied.
"Would lip-gloss be fine?"
"Okay, I can go with that," Callum said, hearing his daughter's squeal.
"There, that should do it," Vanessa said, studying her work after ten minutes of fixing her daughter's hair. She couldn't fault Callum for not knowing how to style a girl's hair, he was doing a fine job taking care of their daughter. Now that she was back and in Shari's life, Vanessa was going to make her daughter look the most stunning that she could be. Her thumb brushed along Shari's right cheek as she gazed up at her. A tear rimmed her eye knowing that this could very easily not have happened. That she would be forced to spend the rest of her life looking in yet never participating in Shari's life. She has screwed up once she wasn't about to do so again. "Let's go show your dad how pretty you look," Vanessa stated to which Shari promptly nodded.
"Daddy! Look what Mama did?!" Shari called out as her little legs carried her hurriedly across the divide.
"I see," Callum said, lightly brushing a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You look very pretty Shari."
"I know," Shari said, sticking her cute little button nose in the air before giggling as Callum tickled her stomach.
"Go get your shoes..."
"Can I?" Vanessa asked, nervously. She wanted to get as much hands on experience as she could, or as much as Callum was willing to let her shoulder.
"Sure, her Converse are in her closet," Callum stated looking over at Vanessa.
"Come Shari, let's not keep your dad waiting," Vanessa said, holding out her hand to her daughter.
"Kay!"
"Shari seems like a very happy child, you should be proud of the way you raised her," Henry said, once Vanessa and Shari entered her bedroom.
"She is, and I am," Callum nodded.
"Cal?" Henry scooted over so he could whisper to Callum.
"Hmm?"
"You know if you ever need a night off, or you have a date lined up in the near future Vanessa and I would be so happy to look after Shari for a night. I know it can't be easy trying to have a love life while single handedly taking care of Shari. You got to look after yourself too, or you'll burn out and that won't be good for Shari."
"I'll think about it," Callum said, plainly.
"That's all that we ask," Henry nodded.
Vanessa cleared her throat as she stepped out of her daughter's room. "I present to you gentlemen the Lady Shari," she said trying not to smile, gesturing to the doorway as Shari filled the space. Who was sporting a broad grin as she stared at her father.
"Holy," Henry whispered. His eyes darting between his wife and Shari.
"Yeah," Callum muttered as Shari looked so much like her mother.
"Didn't Mama make me look pretty Daddy?!" Shari asked, running up to her father's side.
"Shari you've always been pretty honey," Callum said sweetly, as he placed a hand on Shari's left shoulder so he wouldn't mess up her hairdo. "I've just never realized how much the two of you look alike," he admitted.
"Thank you Cal, that means a lot," Vanessa said, in a warm tone.
"Where's your coat Shari?"
"Oh?!" Shari dashed back into her room.
"Coat?! It's in the eighties Cal?" Vanessa inquired.
"Yeah, but it gets cold going seventy in a side car," Callum said, with a smirk as he rose.
"Side car?! You aren't thinking of taking our daughter on a motorcycle are you?" Vanessa asked, unsure if that was a wise decision.
"If I am?!" Callum said, arching an eyebrow. "You think this will be Shari's first time in a side car? That girl has been on a bike since the day she was born. You would know that if you bothered to know our child," he said heatedly, as his own leather jacket settled onto his shoulders.
"Sorry Cal, I didn't mean anything by it," Vanessa said, dropping her head.
"Shari, come on!" Callum called out eager to get on the road.
"Coming!" Shari answered as she dug her coat from her closet.
"Cal?!"
"Yeah?" Callum looked back at his former girlfriend as he locked up his home.
"Can I get a couple pictures of you and Shari before you take off?"
"Sure," Callum nodded. Smiling down at his daughter as her hand slipped into his.
"That should do it," Henry said, as he snapped off the last photo of just his wife and Shari together.
"Thank you Cal," Vanessa said, as Callum went over his Indian Chief Dark Horse once he had rolled it out of the storage shed beside the garage.
"Not a problem," Callum muttered as he handed his daughter her helmet. Matching Shari's smile as she buckled the chin strap. "Bret will be there today, I know how much you've missed him," he said, watching his daughter's eyes widen at the news.
"Uncle Bret's back!" Shari exclaimed hugging her father as he nodded.
"You don't..."
"To her he is," Callum said, cutting Vanessa off.
"Oh, then I'm happy for you Shari, where did your uncle go?"
"He went on this big long trip," Shari said, beginning to speak rapidly. Vanessa tried to hold back her smile as Shari went on and on about Bret and his neat cats.
"Well, this Bret fellow sounds like an interesting man," Henry said, stepping up to his wife's side. Resting his arm along Vanessa's shoulders as he smiled down at his step-daughter.
"He is!" Shari said, with a toothy smile.
"Shari we need to get going if we're going to make it on time," Callum said, as he threw his leg over his motorcycle. The gas tank key brushed along the ignition as he turned it to the 'On' switch.
"Okay Daddy, bye Mommy!" Shari hugged Vanessa's legs tightly. "Thank you for doing my hair?!"
"You're very welcome baby," Vanessa said lovingly, as she rubbed her daughter's back. "You drive safe Cal, and you two have fun. Cal text me when you get back so I know you and Shari made it home safe, okay?"
"Alright," Callum nodded as he slid his sunglasses on. "You buckled in?" he asked, looking over at Shari once she was settled into her seat.
"Mmmhmm, let's go beat those posers!" Shari shouted out throwing her arms in the air. Callum could only chuckle at the look on Vanessa's face when Shari said that. "Bye!" Shari's voice could be heard over the engine's roar as they took off down the road.
Callum arched an eyebrow as he noted the moving truck down by Amanda's place as they sat at the stop sign. He had gone to check on her a few days ago when she didn't show up for her regularly scheduled fucking, only to find her house unlocked and all its contents were gone. He knew she must have fled in a hurry given the items, while not valuable unto themselves, yet they held some value to Amanda and her son, that were left behind. Callum just wished he knew why she would flee that house and not tell anyone.
"Wow!" Shari mouthed as a red blur flew past them. Taking a right, placing his hand over Shari's as she rested her left hand on his thigh.
******
"Seems most everyone is here," Callum said, as he turned into the club's parking lot as the line of chrome exhausts, handlebars, and everything in-between glinted in the sunlight.
"Cal!" Raising his hand in greeting as he shut off his bike once he set the brake.
"Marda!" Shari waved franticly as she waited for her father's permission.
"Go on Shari, go say hey," Callum said, smiling sweetly at her. A smirk raised the corner of his lips as Shari took off, racing directly for Marda.
"How's my favorite baby girl doing?!" Marda asked, as she brought Shari into her lap. As she and everyone else hung out on the patio on the left side of the club's main building.
"Guess what?!" Shari asked excitedly, unable to sit still in Marda's lap.
"What?" Marda asked, with a warm smile. The women of the club took turns watching over Callum and Shari. Making sure they had everything they needed given how Callum was the one supporting Shari on his own. Flashing Callum a smile and a nod when he waved to her.
"My Mama came!"
"Do what?!" Marda stammered causing every eye to fall upon Callum for clarification.
"Shari finally met her mother a few days ago," Callum said, after taking a sip of his bottled soda.
"Oh you did?! I'm so happy for you Shari, do you like her?" Marda asked once Shari nodded.
"Mmmhmm, but I love Daddy more," Shari said, proudly.
"As you should, your dad has given up a lot to raise you on his own," Marda said, lightly tugging on the front of Shari's shirt. "Now what is this getup you're wearing?" she asked, her eyes running down Shari's and Callum's matching attire.
"We're Greasers," Shari said, her voice taking on a hard tone as she flexed her bicep.
"Greasers you say," Marda said, biting her lip from keeping herself from laughing at the 'West Side Story' reference.
"Mmmhmm," Shari nodded.
"Do I hear my favorite mini-me?!" Bret's voice filtered through the crowd.
"Bret! Bret! Bret!" Marda smiled as she watched Shari run through the crowd as they parted making a path for Shari. "I've missed you!" she stammered as she held back her tears as she hugged her friend.
"I've missed you too Shari," Bret said warmly, returning Shari's hug. Nodding a greeting to Callum as he stood beside Marda. "You want to see the games I brought with me for our cookout tonight?"
"Can I Daddy?" Shari asked, looking back at her father.
"Sure honey, you have her back by eight, you hear?!" Callum said, with a joking smirk at the three-hundred pound teddy bear of a man. He was one of the few people in this world he trusted Shari's safety with. Given how Bret was the one who stopped the man that tried to snatch Shari from her side car while he went to pay for gas.
"Daddy stop!" Shari giggled as she slid her hand into Bret's.
"Don't worry Cal, you know she's in excellent hands," Bret said, his greying beard brushed along his shirt as he spoke.
"That I do Bret," Callum said, tipping his bottle to him.
"Now Shari close your eyes I want this to be a surprise." Callum heard Bret say as he held the side door open to the club house.
"So Cal, her mother showed up?" Regina's voice had a mix of annoyance and assumption in it as her ebony hair floated on the breeze, her motorcycle leathers squeaked she cocked out her hip. Her Asian heritage was lost in the sea of people of all backgrounds that populated the club. "You two going to hook back up?"
"God no," Callum answered quickly.
"Why not?" Marda asked, looking up at him.
"She wanted to kill my child; you honestly think I have any feelings left for her?" Callum asked, with a pointed look. "We are only friends for Shari's welfare, not mine. Plus, Vanessa is already married."
"Good. I have someone you should meet," Regina said, with a coy smile.
"Not one of those blind dates again is it?" Callum asked, fighting back his groan.
"Now, now Cal, don't get too hasty on me," Regina said, wagging her finger at him. If she was twenty years younger, and wasn't married, and didn't have her own family she would so take her shot with Callum, as would most of the women there. Yet as it was, she and all the other's made Callum and Shari feel like family, in a sense they were, she knew must of the adults had adopted Shari. If Callum was busy with work, or simply needed a night off, they wouldn't hesitate to jump at the chance to babysit Shari for him. "As a matter-of-fact it isn't a date, she'll meet us at the second marker. I think you'll like her," Regina said, with a warm smile.
