Thread: Single Father Seeks... [doom29169 & Midori]

Todd had only been a resident of New Hope for five years. He had moved here with his family, his wife and then five year old daughter Nicole, but she got the name Nickey for short. He had moved here to persue a dream, owning a rare book store. He had found one for sale in this small town, one that had a larger group of loyal patrons than the town belayed. He sunk everything into that store, moving his family there and living in the two story appartment above it. Nickey wa a tomboy, always playing sports and climbing trees. She loved to be outdoors and had a stubborn streak in her, the same streak he had fallen in love with when he saw it in her mother. Todd's wife passe away two years before. She had an anurism and died suddenly and without suffering the effects of long term illness. One minutes she had been there, the next she was gone. It had been hard on both he and Nickey, but he had not let on just how hard it was for him. Many nights, alone in his bed, he felt only lonelyness and sarrow. Why did bad things happen to good people. For a long time he carried on only for Nickey. Three days ago her school had called, she had been in an accident. He feared the worse and when he arrived he was thankful that only a broken arm was the problem. The school had put her in a makeshift sling and he had hurried her to the new doctor's office, the nearest hospital being to far to force his daughter to endure the pain of such a drive. He was so worried, but Dr. Devereaux had put him immediately at ease. She had a calm way about her, a wonderful bedside manner. She had taken such wonderful care of Nickey that Todd had been more than just relieved and greatful, he had been happy. It had been too long since he felt happy. Over the next few days he had written and dsigarded a dozen notes of thanks to this wonderful doctor. She was pretty but he couldn't remember exactly why. She had been so calm and patient with him in his hour of need, so intelligent in her handling of his headstrong little girl, that Todd had a hard time remembering anything spefic about her that made her pretty, she just was. His daughter had hit on it the night before, Make her lazagna, Mom always liked it. Lazagna had been a code between he and his wife. He had made it for her the first night they had slept together and from then on having Lazagna meant more than just eating the meal. In his mind he replaced his wife eith the doctor in his bed and for the first time did not feel guilty about that. He got up this morning and started the sauce. It took all day to make properly. He would go up and check on it during lulls in the store. When Nickey got home, they had assembled the lazagna in a deep dish and put it in the oven to bake. Timer set she was given instructions to take it out and put the garlic bread in when the timer went off. Todd had gone to the florist next door to his bookstore, the only one for an hour in any direction, and bought roses, hoping they wouldn't austentatios. He sat in the parkinglot of her office for nearly an hour, trying to work up the courage to go and ask her over for a meal. It was a date, he had no illusions otherwise, but it would be a date with his daughter as well. Finally getting up the nerve he rang her bell and waited. She answered the door and he was immediately reminded of why he had thought her beautiful, her bright greens eyes stood out against her richly colored skin. His throat went dry and he remembered the flowers in his hand. We, that is Nickey and I, were hoping you would join us tonight. I made Lazagna...its sort of my speciality. He extended the flowers to her, wondering if people even still gave flowers on dates...thats how long it had been since he had been on one...