Chapter Six

Jon walked into the kitchen the following morning, or so he thought it was morning, it was really 2pm. Richie was raiding the fridge to get food for the kids. "Mornin'" Jon said yawning and pouring himself a cup of coffee. "Afternoon" Richie corrected him, he took out some ham, cheese, tomato, mayo and butter. "Oh by the way, Stephanie's really pissed with you.." Richie whispered. Jon pushed his eyebrows together in confusement. Next thing Stephanie stormed in. She gave her father a murderous glare. "Where were you this morning?!" she shouted, this morning.. this morning... Jon tried to remember where he was meant to be this morning, was he meant to pick Stephanie up from her friends? ... No! he was meant to meet Stephanie to visit Dorothea. "Hunny, I'm sorry.. I really am! We can go now!" Jon couldn't believe he had forgotten. "I don't want to go! I was there already! This morning, when you should have been!" she stormed out of the room.

"Oh Jonny, I say this with all the love in the world, you have to get an alarm clock. Stephanie was really expecting you to be there today and you weren't like you never are. Jon you really have to start being there for the kids or they'll wind up hating you." Richie told him. He'd been wanting to tell him that for a long time, but could never find the right moment. Sure, he wasn't always there for Ava, he missed her birthdays, plays etc. but Heather was there when he wasn't, Dorothea can't be there when Jon isn't.

Jon looked at the calender, it was Friday, Stephanie's sweet sixteen was on tonight. This was something he wasn't going to screw up on her - he had let her get whatever she wanted for it, which wasn't a lot, she was easy to please. He had also gotten her the perfect present - a heart shaped locket, he and Dorothea had it made when she was a baby for sixteenth, engraved on it 'To Stephanie, Happy sweet sixteenth, love mom and dad xx' On one side there was a picture of her with Jon and Dorothea when she was ten minutes old and on the other side there was another picture of her with Jon and Dorothea but from her thirteenth birthday. He knew she was going to love it, love it much more than a car.

The phone rang, "Hello?" Jon said answering, "Hey bro, uh I have a favor to ask.." it was Matt his youngest brother. Jon knew what he was going to say, "She threw you out again and you need a place to stay?" Jon asked, Richie rolled his eyes. Desiree was always throwing Matt out of the house, mainly because of his excessive drinking and gambling. "Thanks Jon, your the best!" he said, "You'd think I'd know that by now.." Jon said with a laugh.

When Richie had the sandwiches made they both went into the play room, where the kids were. Jon took a sandwich from Richie and walked over to Jake, "Hey buddy! Want a yummy sandwich that uncle mook made for you?" Jake took the sandwich, but then gave him a funny look. "Where's daddy's sandwich?" he asked Jon, "I'm not hungry right now Jakey, I'll have one later," Jon said kneeling beside Jake. "Not you! Daddy's sandwich!" Jake said pointing to the air. "Jakey, I'm your daddy, no one else." Jon said realising that Jake had an imaginary father. He didn't like this, none of the older kids had had imaginary friends before, let alone imaginary parents! "Hey Jon, come on, let's go get Matt's room sorted for him.." Richie said dragging him out of the room.

Then Jon remembered Stephanie's locket. "I have to find Stephy" Jon said running back to his office. He went over to the painting on the wall and took it down - behind it was a safe. He always thought it looked cool in the movies and it's the most obvious place to look for a safe that no one would bother looking there. He put in the code - Stephanie's birthday, 05 31 93. It opened and he got out the small wrapped up box, it even had a red bow on it. Jon smiled and put it in his pocket.

He lightly tapped on Stephanie's bedroom door, "Come in!" Stephanie said. Jon entered her room, it was painted a Basie color - it was such a feminine room for such a rocky girl. She was on her laptop on her bed something Jon had bought her for missing yet another one of her plays that she stared in. Jon sat on the bed next to her, Stephanie looked coldly at him and then typed something into the computer really quickly, Jon read over her shoulder. 'I luv u 2, c u 2nite babi, XxX' then she closed the laptop really quickly. Did Stephanie have a boyfriend? Jon wondered, he would have to check him out tonight, though Stephanie was a tough cookie, if the boy was lucky enough to impress her and steal her heart then Jon would be happy with him as long as he didn't have tattoos, a motorbike and was obsessed with drugs, drink and sex. "Hey baby girl, look I'm so sorry I wasn't there today, I had a late night last night and didn't wake up. I know it's no excuse but it's the truth. As you know I'm taking a few months off.. maybe a year or two, so I'll be there a lot more than I have been for the past three years." A smile broke out on her face and leaned in and gave him a hug. "Thanks dad" she said. Jon hugged her until she let go.

"I have something for you.." Jon said getting the little box out of his pocket and handed it to Stephanie. She opened it carefully, like she was guessing what it was. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree when she saw the locket. "Oh dad! It's perfect!" she said giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Ah, that's not the best bit.." he took it off of her and opened it for her. He saw Stephanie put her finger and thumb up to her eyes and shutting them tightly - trying to keep back the tears. Jon knew she would love it. "We had it made for you when you were a baby," he explained. "It'll be perfect with my dress!" Stephanie said walking over to her over sized wardrobe and taking out her dress.