Post by The Anarchist on Sept 23, 2018 5:47:03 GMT -5
The countdown was on.
All was quiet inside of the home. The sounds of blissful silence would soon have an intruder. In T-minus ten minutes, the time would be 3:57 am. Why is that time significant?
Because it’s when Kristen Leigh Willard was born to the world. The eldest daughter of Destiny and Jason Willard was about to be seventeen (Hello Winger!) years old.
She had made the unfortunate mistake as a sixteen year old of walking in on her father in a dark kitchen. The light to the room scaring him out of his deep thought about who in the world was XIII. A father is no longer allowed to enjoy a pot of coffee by himself anymore.
Pfft. Kids. What do they know, right?
She may have been told “Goodnight, sweetheart” as she left for bed, but he knew that this day was soon approaching and it would be -his- turn to return the favor.
In reality it had nothing to do with her surprise. He just wanted to do this. First thing’s first...escaping the clutches of a peaceful wife without waking her. Married men would call this mission impossible, but for the brave, nothing was impossible!
Gently, oh so gently, her right arm is lifted in the air to free the body. Once that was safely placed where he was just laying, the head would come next. Destiny stirred, but didn’t wake as it touched the pillow. Slowly the weight distributed off of the mattress, his eyes never leaving where she was in the dark.
Success!
Quietly he slips out of the bedroom and down the hall to where Kristen’s door was. White knuckling it open, he slips his head in for a quick look. “Careful, Jason” he tells himself to steel his nerves. One wrong move and everything goes down in flames.
She was snuggled under her blankets. The sound of an oscillating fan provided ambiance and coolness to her room. A room that was in need of being picked up, but that was neither here nor there.
3:56.
Moving into position, his eyes shift to a digital alarm clock on a nearby dresser. He needed to get his racing heart under control. No sense in panicking. The plan was on track for success. He remained crouched like a big cat, waiting to pounce at the right moment. A single thought danced around in his head: How would he halt her screaming? Understandably, she could mistake him for an intruder…
and he had taught her how to defend herself...
But then again, she was his daughter and she knew he liked to do stupid, silly stuff like this. Stuff she would surely call ‘lame’ while informing him of such. Bah. You only live once!
3:57.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!”
Ok, so he didn’t actually yell it, but it would pass for a loud whisper. His large hug wrapped around...pillows. Wait, pillows?
Kristen wasn’t in bed. Skepticism quickly took over. In a rush, he rearranged things back to how they were. She stayed one step ahead of him, the clever girl. He should’ve waited until morning like a normal parent, but he was anything but.
Footsteps were heard elsewhere in the house. Out of her room he went with the same level of quiet he had used to leave his own bedroom.
“Babe…?” came the weary voice of Destiny. “What in the world are you doing?”
He was startled out of his skin. Thankfully the wall braced his leap. He channels his inner Fred Sanford, grabbing his heart while pantomiming for effect. He wasn’t looking, but Destiny had her eyes half open to see it.
“Dad?” came the inquisitive voice of Kristen. “What in the world are you doing?”
He was startled again, this time leaping into Destiny’s body, almost knocking her over as she wasn’t expecting him to do it. Luckily, she held him in her arms. Thinking fast, he gets free and picks her up in HIS arms! “What’d you have to go and scare your mother for?? Don’t you know she needs her sleep?”
Kristen smiles in the partially moonlit hall. “Sure dad, but thank you.”
“Thank you for what?”
“Telling me Happy Birthday. You forgot to look UNDER the bed!”
He stood there dumbfounded as she closes (and locks) her door with a giggle.
“I’m getting too old for this.” he tells himself.
“Let’s go back to bed.” Destiny demands. “And if you think you’ll be trying again, you can forget it.”
4:05.
Mission failed. Next year, though, will be different!
All was quiet inside of the home. The sounds of blissful silence would soon have an intruder. In T-minus ten minutes, the time would be 3:57 am. Why is that time significant?
Because it’s when Kristen Leigh Willard was born to the world. The eldest daughter of Destiny and Jason Willard was about to be seventeen (Hello Winger!) years old.
She had made the unfortunate mistake as a sixteen year old of walking in on her father in a dark kitchen. The light to the room scaring him out of his deep thought about who in the world was XIII. A father is no longer allowed to enjoy a pot of coffee by himself anymore.
Pfft. Kids. What do they know, right?
She may have been told “Goodnight, sweetheart” as she left for bed, but he knew that this day was soon approaching and it would be -his- turn to return the favor.
In reality it had nothing to do with her surprise. He just wanted to do this. First thing’s first...escaping the clutches of a peaceful wife without waking her. Married men would call this mission impossible, but for the brave, nothing was impossible!
Gently, oh so gently, her right arm is lifted in the air to free the body. Once that was safely placed where he was just laying, the head would come next. Destiny stirred, but didn’t wake as it touched the pillow. Slowly the weight distributed off of the mattress, his eyes never leaving where she was in the dark.
Success!
Quietly he slips out of the bedroom and down the hall to where Kristen’s door was. White knuckling it open, he slips his head in for a quick look. “Careful, Jason” he tells himself to steel his nerves. One wrong move and everything goes down in flames.
She was snuggled under her blankets. The sound of an oscillating fan provided ambiance and coolness to her room. A room that was in need of being picked up, but that was neither here nor there.
3:56.
Moving into position, his eyes shift to a digital alarm clock on a nearby dresser. He needed to get his racing heart under control. No sense in panicking. The plan was on track for success. He remained crouched like a big cat, waiting to pounce at the right moment. A single thought danced around in his head: How would he halt her screaming? Understandably, she could mistake him for an intruder…
and he had taught her how to defend herself...
But then again, she was his daughter and she knew he liked to do stupid, silly stuff like this. Stuff she would surely call ‘lame’ while informing him of such. Bah. You only live once!
3:57.
“HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SWEETHEART!”
Ok, so he didn’t actually yell it, but it would pass for a loud whisper. His large hug wrapped around...pillows. Wait, pillows?
Kristen wasn’t in bed. Skepticism quickly took over. In a rush, he rearranged things back to how they were. She stayed one step ahead of him, the clever girl. He should’ve waited until morning like a normal parent, but he was anything but.
Footsteps were heard elsewhere in the house. Out of her room he went with the same level of quiet he had used to leave his own bedroom.
“Babe…?” came the weary voice of Destiny. “What in the world are you doing?”
He was startled out of his skin. Thankfully the wall braced his leap. He channels his inner Fred Sanford, grabbing his heart while pantomiming for effect. He wasn’t looking, but Destiny had her eyes half open to see it.
“Dad?” came the inquisitive voice of Kristen. “What in the world are you doing?”
He was startled again, this time leaping into Destiny’s body, almost knocking her over as she wasn’t expecting him to do it. Luckily, she held him in her arms. Thinking fast, he gets free and picks her up in HIS arms! “What’d you have to go and scare your mother for?? Don’t you know she needs her sleep?”
Kristen smiles in the partially moonlit hall. “Sure dad, but thank you.”
“Thank you for what?”
“Telling me Happy Birthday. You forgot to look UNDER the bed!”
He stood there dumbfounded as she closes (and locks) her door with a giggle.
“I’m getting too old for this.” he tells himself.
“Let’s go back to bed.” Destiny demands. “And if you think you’ll be trying again, you can forget it.”
4:05.
Mission failed. Next year, though, will be different!