Chapter 16

A.J. woke to the smell of French Roast coffee. He entered the kitchen and saw his daughter at the stove, cooking what looked to be a ham and cheese omelet.

"Good morning," he said.

"Mornin’," she returned. "There’s coffee if you want a cup."

"I do," he said, opening the cupboard to retrieve a mug. "That omelet looks and smells delicious. How long have you known how to cook?"

"Several years," she replied as she served the breakfast. "I love to cook. Mama and I enjoy baking, too."

They sat at the table and ate their food.

"I bet you are a fast-food junkie," she said and laughed.

"No," A.J. defended. "Not really. I do eat out a lot, that’s true, but I try to eat healthy."

"Maybe you should have someone like that Cook person to make your meals."

A.J. shook his head. "One Cook in my lifetime is enough for me."

"I’m surprised kitchens don’t terrify you."

He laughed. "I think they did for a while."

"So you don’t have anyone who cooks for you?"

A.J. shook his head.

"How about a live-in maid or a cleaning lady?"

"I have neither. I am proud to say I take care of my own apartment. I even do windows."

Julianna laughed. A.J. loved hearing the sweet sound.

"I actually don’t mind cleaning," he continued. "It’s therapeutic. I can take out my aggressions on the vacuum cleaner."

"Do you have a lot? Of aggressions, I mean."

"No. I have a few, now and then, but compared to twelve years ago, I live a pretty normal life."

"Are you a loner?" she asked, her eyes peering at him over her glass of orange juice.

"If you mean am I alone, the answer is yes. But I have managed to form a few good friendships. I socialize. I also have business functions I have to attend. I keep very busy."

"So you’re alone but not lonely."

"May I be honest with you?"

She nodded.

"Until I came here, I didn’t think I was lonely. But now that I know I have a daughter, I’ll never look at my life the same way again. I love you, Julianna. I know you may never love me, and I can respect that, but please believe me when I tell you that there will never be a day or even an hour that goes by when I won’t wonder what you are doing and if you’re all right."

"But, A.J...." she said, unprepared for this declaration from him.

He cut her off. His tone was firm. "It’s my right as a father to care about you and to wonder how you are. No one can take that away from me. No one."

*~*

Julianna thought about her father’s impassioned words while she got ready to go to the hospital. She realized she liked knowing that A.J. would always care about her and want the best for her. It comforted her to know she had someone else on her side, looking out for her best interests. She had no doubt that A.J. was in her corner and probably always would be.

When Julianna came downstairs, she was surprised to see that Dara and Justus had arrived. After they hugged, Dara told her they would be taking her to the hospital to see her mother, and then they were treating her to a nice, leisurely lunch.

Julianna thanked them, and then she glanced at A.J. He saw the puzzled look on her face and was quick to reassure her.

"It’s okay, Julianna. I’m going to head back to the hotel. I need to return a few business calls and check my e-mail. If your mother is awake, please tell her I'm thinking of her, and I hope she's feeling better. I’ll visit her tonight."

"All right."

The disappointment she felt that he wouldn't be accompanying them amazed her. She started to walk towards the front door with Justus and Dara when she abruptly turned around and ran back to her father. She gave him a quick hug.

"I’m going to miss you," she said, surprising herself even as she knew the words were true.

A.J.’s heart soared, but he didn’t let his happiness show.

"I’m going to miss you, too," he told her, "but it’s only fair that Dara and Justus get some alone time with you."

She nodded and said good-bye, only after he assured her that he would see her later.

*~*

After A.J. had showered and dressed in his hotel room, he used his cell phone to call Skye.

"A.J.!" she said, happy to hear from him. "What’s going on?"

"I’m still in Philadelphia and will probably be here even longer than I originally thought."

"Is everything okay?" she asked, immediately concerned.

"Not really, but I’m hoping for the best."

"I’m sorry to hear that," she said sincerely.

"Thanks. Bring me up to date. What’s the latest?"

Skye began to fill him in on the deadlines they’d met, new ones that had been issued, and the budget projections for various programs. When he asked what calls he needed to return, she ran down the list of names and phones numbers. After she had to repeat one name and number four times, she stopped.

"A.J., are you even listening to me?"

"Yes, I am. I just want to make sure I have the right information. Tell it to me again."

"You’re distracted," she declared and wouldn’t give him anymore messages.

"I’m not distracted," he retorted. "My pen ran out of ink. That’s all."

"Yeah, right," she said and snickered. "It’s a woman, isn’t it, A.J.? Whatever this is you’re doing in Philly involves a woman, doesn’t it?"

"Skye, please, I told you I can’t talk about it."

"Because it involves a woman," she insisted. "C’mon, A.J. We’ve shared a lot over the years. You can confide in me. You know I’m trustworthy."

"Where’s your husband?" he asked, exasperated. "I need those messages, Skye!"

"All right, all right," she said, knowing how far to push him. "You obviously are not paying attention, so I will send them to you via e-mail. Okay?"

"Yes, that will be fine. Any other pressing issues I should be aware of?"

"Not that I can think of. If something comes up, I’ll be in touch."

"Sounds good."

"I didn’t mean to push, A.J., but I am concerned."

"I know. You care about me. I care about you, too. And you’re right. This situation does involve a woman, but it’s not what you think."

"If you do need to talk, I’m here."

"Thanks. I'll be able to tell you about this some day, just not right now. I appreciate your concern. I know you guys are doing a great job. Give my best to everyone there and don’t forget to send me those messages!"

Skye laughed. "Yes, sir, Mr. Quartermaine, sir! I’m typing an e-mail to you as we speak. See how multi-talented I am."

A.J. rolled his eyes, but he had to laugh. "Good-bye, my dearest Skye."

"Bye, sweetie. Take care of yourself, okay?"

"I will. You take care, too, and give my best to Tom."

*~*

Later that afternoon, A.J. was surprised when he heard a knock on his hotel room door. Not expecting a maid or room service, he looked through the peephole and was pleased to see Julianna’s face. He opened the door and welcomed her, Dara and Justus into his room.

"How’s Keesha?" he immediately asked.

"Mama’s better, A.J.!" Julianna gushed. "Her fever broke, and Dr. Williams said the medicine is working. Isn’t that great news?!"

"It sure is."

"Her liver was unaffected by this illness," Justus said. "If Keesha continues to improve, they’ll move her out of ICU tomorrow."

"That’s excellent. Was she awake? Did you get to talk to her?"

"That’s the only bad part," Julianna said. "Mama was sleeping, but the doctor said she needed it, so we didn’t disturb her. Maybe she’ll be awake tonight! You’re still going to the hospital, right?"

"Yes, I was planning to."

"We were going to take Julianna grocery shopping," Dara said, "and then head back to the hospital. Afterwards, we thought we’d go to dinner. You’re more than welcome to join us, A.J."

"Yes," Justus affirmed. "It’s no problem if you would like to come with us."

"If you’re sure I’m not intruding..."

"You’re not," Dara confirmed.

"Then I would like to," A.J. said.

Julianna’s smile was all the encouragement A.J. needed to know he had made the right decision.