Visitation Rights.

[heartofcourage]

"I don''t know what you're talking about, Daddy." Chelsea said, looking at him with that familiar little smirk.

It was her mother's smile, the one that Jessica got when she had a secret that was near to bursting out of her. It was the same grin that she had on her face when she had announced that they were going to be parents. The same grin that she had when she told him they were having a girl. Chelsea certainly was a perfect combination of both of her parents.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Sure you don't, princess," Mark grinned, too, not believing a thing.

"Ready to grab a half-gallon of your mother's favorite ice cream for her?" he asked, sensing that she wasn't ready to reveal all yet.

He was very proud of Chelsea....she wasn't just smart and funny, but she cared about her parents and her family. She would make them even prouder, he knew, given time.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Absolutely." Chelsea said, holding the carton while her father paid.

She was near to bursting as they got into the car to head back home. Her mother would be so incredibly happy when she saw what they had been up to. Perhaps she would invite her dad to spend the night. Surely she could find somewhere to stay that was out of the way to provide them both with some time together. She was scheming as they pulled into the drive and she glanced towards her father with that same little smile on her face.

"Don't forget to give her a kiss, Daddy. She'll certainly like that too." Chelsea murmured before she got out of the car and started up the front sidewalk.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"You scamp...you know everything, don't you?" Mark grinned as he got out of the car.

He shook his head for a second and then put his arms around Chelsea for a bear hug before walking with her back inside the house....what used to be their house, before....that.....

"Don't worry, given the chance to kiss your mother, I will," Mark whispered before opening the door....trust Jess to stick him with a restraining order back then, but never change the locks.

 

[heartofcourage]

"I don't know what you're talking about." Chelsea said again as Mark asked her if she knew everything.

"Mom! We're home!" Chelsea called as she walked into the kitchen where food was cooking on the stove.

Jessica looked over her shoulder as the two of them walked in, a container in Chelsea's hands. It was placed in the freezer and she gave them both a little smile.

"What was that? What have you two been up to?" She asked, looking between Chelsea and Mark as they each exchanged a glance.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Hey, Jess," Mark told her, "we got a surprise for you. If you look in the freezer, you'll find it."

"Chelsea kicked my butt at mini golf and skeet ball, of course. Then again, when doesn't she? I got her pizza and ice cream, too. How were things for you?"

Mark did his best not to blurt out that Chelsea knew everything yet, because she was still acting coy.

"Chelsea was wondering if she could hang out with her friends tonight, and she suggested that if you and I wanted some time alone, that would be a good opportunity."

Mark leaned in to kiss Jess lightly on the cheek and whisper in her ear, "She figured it out on her own. I guess we weren't clever enough."

 

[heartofcourage]

"Well, I cleaned the house and cooked dinner." Jessica said as he mentioned that there was a surprise for her in the freezer and told her how their day had gone.

She was surprised when he murmured against her ear that Chelsea had figured things out and then kissed her for good measure. She glanced from him and towards their daughter who had the largest grin on her face as she watched her parents interact with one another.

"Chel." Jessica said in an almost stern tone. "We want to keep this a secret for as long as we can. There is still a lot to work through to get back to us being a family and we don't want you to get your hopes up."

Chelsea's smile faltered just a little bit and she gave her mother a nod as if she understood. "I know, Mom. It's exciting though."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Your mother is right, though I admit that I find it exciting as well. Still, we don't want to get ahead of ourselves, as your mother said. We're trying, that's the deal. We're doing our best to give this another shot, but it doesn't happen overnight. We're gonna need you to cut us a little slack about it, sweetie. We both love you, remember that, no matter what happens. That has never changed and never will," Mark smiled at both of them.

"Can we count on you, Chelsea? I believe that we can, just as you can always trust us," he added.

"For the record, Chelsea, your mother made the first move. I was surprised, but I've always loved her and I've missed her, so I was more than willing to meet her halfway. It's not easy to put aside the past, but I've never loved another woman the same way that I love her. Not like that. I just wanted to make sure that you know how brave and big that was of her, what a risk she took. That's the sort of thing that made me fall in love with her in the first place."

 

[heartofcourage]

"I'll keep it a secret if you really want me to, but I don't see what the big deal is. If you want to date each other again you shouldn't hide it." Chelsea answered, looking at her father and then at her mother as if their faces would give her the answers. "Is this about Nana, Daddy?"

"Your grandmother has nothing to do with us wanting to keep this a secret for now, Chel. We just want to get to know each other again without all the pressure." Jessica explained as she turned back to the stove to finish their dinner. "Go get cleaned up. It's almost time to eat if you haven't ruined your appetite."

"Well, Daddy did eat more ice cream than pizza, but I'm sure he could do with a home cooked meal." Chelsea said with a laugh as she moved past them both to go get cleaned up.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Oh, I can still eat plenty, especially of your mother's cooking. Never had any complaints about that," Mark grinned at both of them.

"Seems that good culinary skills run in this family, Chel," Mark said as a parting shot to Chelsea while she went to clean up for supper.

"Twice in one day.....you're going to spoil me rotten, Jess," Mark winked at his ex, trying to keep the mood a little lighter and not so tense...some kind of ice breaker was needed, not because of coldness between them......which had thawed out this past weekend, but more because of how stressful this was.

"Sorry, dear. She's just one very smart girl. You know how she is," Mark added, "seems that we have some more talking to do later, now that we know that she knows."

 

[heartofcourage]

"It's alright. I just don't want her to be hurt if this suddenly doesn't work out." Jessica said as Mark tried to keep the mood light between them. "But I'm happy that the two of you had a good day out. She certainly looks forward to spending time with you."

"If she goes out with her friends tonight, maybe we can stay in and watch another movie. I had fun last night just sitting around with you." She said, looking at him with a grin as the oven timer dinged and she moved the take out the fresh baked bread to go along with the roast that she had made. "I even made your mother's garlic potatoes, even though she would probably wring my neck for even speaking her name."

 

[BATEMAN_PATRICK]

.....

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark nodded, "Yeah, that is my worry, too. Still, she figured it out somehow. And, yes, I am glad that we had time together. I fear for the day when she'll be too old for us old fogies. Or at least that's the worry, though she keeps reassuring me.

"Honey....Jess, I would love to spend the night watching movies with you. Believe it or not, that is one of those things that I have missed more than you realize. Time alone, enjoying each other's company, just experiencing movies and such. Just being together. That's how I know that you're irreplaceable. That's the sort of void that I couldn't fill with flings or whatever. Six years of this....absence, this void, this vacuum in my life.

"And, yes, I miss the cooking and sex, too, but they were part of the whole package that was our marriage. It's not just one part of the package that I miss, but the whole thing. Regaining those movie nights, that's a giant step back toward there being an...us. I feel almost like we're back in high school, dating all over again, but now we know better and realize what we've lost."

"Oh, and yes, mum's the word on the potatoes. Thanks," Mark winked at Jess.

 

[heartofcourage]

"Ugh...high school." Jessica said, wrinkling her nose at the thought of being back in those angst ridden teenage years again. "Don't tell me you want us to break up once a week and get back together by passing notes in the hallway. I can think of much better ways to work through a reconciliation."

Jessica was quiet for a moment before she turned to looker Mark."you're going to have to tell your mother about our getting back together sooner or later. She's not going to be happy with you. I know she hates my guts. Rightfully so."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Hell, no! Enough break-ups and heartache from that for one lifetime, thank you very much. The last one nearly killed me. I could never go through that again, I think....not like that," Mark admitted.

"I want this to be done right, to work out this time. You and me. I just meant recapturing our youth, you know, the fun part of that. As to Mom, I love her, but she needs to learn that if I can love you after all this, so can she, that you love her and Chelsea, too...that we're family and belong together again. All of us. All bygones being bygones. All of our mistakes forgiven and a fresh start made. I'll never forget that it was you who came to me first, risking your heart this time for a glimmer of hope. That was a hell of a brave thing to do. It took courage and guts....and honesty. I respect you even more because of that."

 

[heartofcourage]

Jessica gave him a smile as he said that. Moving across the kitchen, she wrapped her arms around his chest and hugged him tightly. She had been an idiot to push him away. She never wanted to make the same mistake again.

"I love you with all of my heart, Mark." She said softly as she raised her chin and kissed him with a gentle passion.

How many evenings had she thought about doing that to him? How long has she wanted to feel his arms around Her? It was almost too good to be true, she thought to herself.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark kissed Jess even harder and told her, "Jess, I love you more than you can imagine. I want us to be together again, and I believe that we are getting there. I won't rush you, however. We will go at a speed that makes us both comfortable. I might take a step forward, but if you're not ready for it, let me know, and we can table that until we are ready with no serious setback. No pressure. We move as we're ready."

Mark held Jess quietly after that for a bit, just enjoying her in his arms.

 

[heartofcourage]

Jessica smiled as Mark returned her feelings almost wholeheartedly. It was what she had wanted so badly for so long, especially when she had made a horrible mistake by divorcing the love of her life. It had made everyone hate her. Mark hated her. Chelsea hated her. The people that mattered had made her feel even more horrible then she already did.

"Let's get everything on the table so we can eat." Jessica murmured, forcing herself to step away from Mark to get dinner served.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"Gladly, babe. This should be a very nice supper indeed. Thank you for going to this trouble. It means a lot....and thanks for being very good about my parental rights. Thankfully, that's never been an issue for me with you. I should thank my lucky stars for that. Far too many of my friends haven't been that lucky at all. You're really an amazing woman, Jess," Mark said as he helped her plate the food.

"What shall we set for the drinks?" he asked her, curious to see if she had any particular plans, such as wine, or something more traditional.

 

[heartofcourage]

"There's some wine in the fridge. Chelsea will take an iced tea." Jessica murmured as she finished getting the meal served and called for Chelsea to come to dinner. "'Come and get it!"

She sounds of a teenager bounding down the stairs soon followed and Jessica had to smile at the little family scene that soon surrounded her. This is what she had missed the most not having Mark around. Simply being a family was what she wanted and needed.

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Oh, to be together again, even if just for a family dinner! This was wonderful, Mark thought. It was amazing. So much that Jess had done, pulled out all the stops, he realized as he got out the wine for Jess and he, and the tea for Chelsea. The quiet satisfaction on Jess's face, mixed with his own inner nostalgia for moments for this, and the joy and enthusiasm on Chelsea's face, such things truly filled him with real happiness right then, and he looked at both of the women in his life with love and pride, his eyes and facial expressions sending a silent message to Jess......

I haven't been this happy in a long time....thank you for making this happen.

 

[heartofcourage]

Jessica smiled across the table at Mark, knowing that look on his face very well. She was having the same thought about how nice it was to sit at the table like a family. She had been a fool all of those years ago thinking that Mark had been the problem in her life.

"So, if I'm going to the movies tonight, I'm going to need some money." Chelsea piped up, breaking the thought as Jessica turned her gaze towards her daughter.

"What happened to the money I gave you last week. That was suppose to last you the rest of the month." She said, watching as Chelsea's gaze turned instantly guilty.

"But they were really cute shoes, Mom." She said finally, admitting that she had already spent it.

Jessica let out a long sigh, shaking her head slightly. "Then I suppose you should be talking to your father. I've given you all I'm going to give you."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

Mark shrugged, "Well, you know me. I have a soft spot for my Prentiss girls. Here's a twenty. Will that get you far enough, sweetie?"

He felt a little bad giving in, but he really did have a soft spot for Jess and Chelsea both. There were times when he had to put his foot down and refuse them things, but he really hated doing so. Then again, he suspected that was one of the things that they loved about him.

"Look on the bright side, Jess. This will let us have another date night if you will," he grinned.

 

[heartofcourage]

"$20 is perfect, daddy. Thank you!" Chelsea said, her eyes bright as she looked at her father. "I promise not to spend it all either."

Jessica rolled her eyes at that, knowing her daughter would spend every penny if she could. She glanced towards Mark as he mentioned their date night if Chelsea went to the movies. It was a nice thought.

"I suppose so." Jessica commented. "But I think it's important for Chelsea to start learning some responsibility and money management. We're not always going to be around to get you out of trouble."

 

[SEVERUSMAX]

Mark Prentiss

"She's right, you know, Chelsea. I have a soft heart about you girls, but sometimes, I do need to draw the line here. It's not fair to your mother if she has to always be the strict one. I love to spoil you, and I'm very proud of you overall...but thrift is a good practice to learn. You're a great daughter and I love you, but for both of our sakes, try to work on that, will you?" Mark noted.

"This supper is excellent, by the way...you can see that Chelsea got her cooking skill from your side as well as mine. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree at all."