Just The Way It Goes, really really open!

July 24th, 2011 – Afternoon

Fishing at the point sounded like the most relaxing thing he could think of doing on a Sunday afternoon. Mark wasn’t really busy with work and had found himself in a rather foul mood after the whole thing with Jamie went down. He didn’t understand it really. He liked her, they were really good friends and easily could have been more; she was the perfect mother figure for Ava and he honestly enjoyed having Taylor around. They all got along like one happy family but he was feeling like he was only there to pick up the pieces for Jamie. Anytime she got upset or needed someone to talk to, he was there. And he felt something stronger for her every time that happened but now that the woman’s husband had returned after his mysterious disappearance, Mark just felt used. To hell with her. Let her be happy with her new baby on the way and the man she loved back in her life and he would just float along with his little girl like nothing ever happened.

Because, truthfully, the man had begun to see that his daughter was pretty much the only person in his life that was always there for him, giving him unconditional love no matter what kind of mood he was in. He’d tried the whole Vow thing, if only to find a mom for Ava, and every time it blew up in his face. Being ditched at the altar wasn’t appealing to him anymore and once again he just didn’t understand it. Mark was a good guy, had a decent job, was loving and caring, and it wasn’t like his daughter was something to break the deal. She wasn’t a bad baby at all and with her first birthday coming up, he couldn’t really see one bad thing about the little girl. Overall he was content with the idea of being a single father. He made it this far, the next seventeen years couldn’t be that bad right? He could do it alone, didn’t need a woman in his life. But yet he did . . .

Something about being alone scared him. Maybe because he was the kind of guy who needed reassurance, and to know someone cared. Maybe because the social contact of other people was just a part of life he couldn’t be without. No matter what, he needed to think long and hard about the situation. And so with baby girl in tow, the young man found himself sitting by the riverside on a lawn chair, fishing pole in hand, trying his best not to fall asleep in the summer sunshine. The fish weren’t really biting, probably hiding from the heat, but it was actually quiet out here. Other than the mumblings of the toddler nearby whom he planted on a blanket with a bucket of toys and a sippy cup, thankful she wasn’t very steady on her feet yet. At one point with head rolled to the side, watching the dark haired girl thoughtfully sort through the bucket before knocking it over and dumping all its contents out, Mark was pretty sure this was the best day he had had in a very long time. And he hadn’t even said one word to anybody other than Ava in the last twenty-four hours.

It was a beautiful day. No other word could describe the warm afternoon sunlight that lit up the forest. A light breeze brushed against Jean’s face as she stood at a fork in the road…literally. She was sitting on her black bicycle she’d bought a while back, staring at the sign that pointed the way back to Evergreen on one side and the way to a place called William’s Point on the other side. She wasn’t sure where to go. She felt like riding forever on her only mode of transportation but she also knew she had to get back to Evergreen to try and find some kind of work. She’d passed a few café’s on the way to the forested area. Maybe they were looking for waitresses?...Not likely.

Sighing, she pushed off from the ground and started her ride up to William’s Point. She felt like just getting out and feeling the wind against her face. As she rode, hearing the birds twittering and the river rushing beside the trail she was riding on, she felt finally free. She’d been so locked up while living with her parents and very worried when she was living on her own. Riding through this forest like she was flying made her believe coming to Evergreen might have been the best idea she’d ever had.

Jean followed the trail lazily, just breathing in the fresh air and listening to the sounds of wilderness around her. She didn’t encounter anyone else on the trail. Did no one in town know about this place? It was so peaceful and she knew she’d be returning to this place often to just get out of the busy town areas. She could just imagine riding her bike up here with a good book and settling down next to the river with the warm sunshine bright on her skin. What an experience that would be.

As she rode around a corner, she noticed something out the corner of her eye. She saw a person sitting next to the river…a man? She’d been so concentrated on finding out who this person was that she didn’t notice her bike going off the trail until it was too late. With a squeal of surprise, she bumped straight into a tree. The jarring stop threw her off the bike and into the grass.

She couldn’t move for a moment, still a little shocked about what had happened. Finally she managed to push herself to her knees. Looking down, she noticed her hands and knees were a little bloody. “Shit,” she hissed, rubbing at the scrapes. They stung and she couldn’t stop the tears from filling her eyes. She let out a quiet cry of anguish. The adrenaline high was going down and she felt the pain hit her like a bulldozer. Sitting in the grass, she wiped at her eyes, trying hard to stop the tears from falling.

She looked up suddenly and noticed the mangled metal that was her bike. “No, no, no,” she muttered, pushing herself to her feet and pulling her bike up. It was ruined. The whole front tire was bent until it looked like a half moon and the handles had actually snapped off. No! This was her only mode of transportation. What the hell was she going to do now?

Completely unaware of anyone else around and half asleep, Mark was brought to a full consciousness by what he thought was a pull on her reel. Finally! It seemed a fish was hungry enough to leave the shady confines of its hiding spot and take the bait . . . and then a noise. A noise disturbed the peace and quiet of the point and the only thing Mark could attribute it to was his daughter, whom he’d just about forgot was nearby. Seeing the Ava had crawled her way off the blanket a few feet, chasing some bug or caterpillar, it was the sight just past the image of the little dark haired girl in the grass that caused some confusion to issue in his mind.

The squeal, apparently, had not come from the toddler but rather a woman, who it seemed, crashed into a tree. Setting the fishing rod safely by the chair, he rose and for a moment just stared across the pathway while said woman righted herself with a few mumbles and rubbed at her knees and hands. Deciding it was only polite to go see if she was ok, he scooped his daughter up and started off across the grass. “Well, what do we have here, Miss Ava?” he asked the wide eyed baby, who first replied with a toothy grin and a ‘ dada’ before turning her gaze across the pavement path and voicing ‘ow’.

With a chuckle, Mark nodding and smiled right back at his daughter. “Yeah, ow is right,” he responded coming up to the strange woman just as she hissed a choice word he really hoped Ava never picked up. “Looks like you drifted a little off the road there,” he voiced, noticing how teary eyed she looked. The bike was a mess and he would bet she wasn’t going to be riding anywhere on it anytime soon. With a sigh, he took a step back as she hoisted herself onto her feet and took a good look at her bike. Shifting Ava on his hip as her little arms wrapped around his neck and her head nuzzled into his shoulder.

“You need some help?” he asked next, reaching a hand out before meeting the woman’s eyes. Really he was trying not to smirk or grin or laugh when she looked like she needed a real good cry but he would have to say it was kind of funny. How hard was it really to ride a bike down a path? It wasn’t really the narrow of a road and it wasn’t like the tree jumped out and stopped her. The thought did leave a little look on his face which he forced away with a look to his daughter in his arms. “You are ok right?” was the next remark he could offer because, once again, it was only the polite thing to do. Maybe he hadn’t been in a good mood lately but that didn’t mean he just didn’t care about anyone anymore.

Jean was still mumbling angrily to herself when she heard the crunch of approaching footsteps. Squeezing her eyes shut, she really wished she hadn’t made such a stupid little squeal. Better yet, she wished she hadn’t just careened off the trail like that. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Where was her brain? Not in her head, apparently. And now she had to talk to some guy she didn’t even know, out in the middle of the deserted forest. Damn. Why did she have to crash?

Jean wasn’t exactly easy to warm up to when it came to men. She’d known some pretty disgusting male specimens in her lifetime, one such person being her own father. He had been the one to put her off flirting openly with men and just being good friends with the opposite sex. Now she was timid around them and a little frightened. But she had told herself after she left her parent’s place that she would try better to give everyone a chance to prove themselves to be a good person.

She was shaking slightly when she looked up at the man she had only glimpsed through the bushes before her crash. What surprised her the most was the little girl he held against his hip. She hadn’t noticed the baby before. Looking at this man, he didn’t look like he was old enough to even think about children. She couldn’t possibly be of his own blood…?

Jean, slightly embarrassed, rubbed roughly at her wet eyes. “I had…I had something in my eye,” she mumbled while righting the bike as best she could. “Distracted me. I mean…I can ride a bike, I just…something in my eye.” She was babbling now and she couldn’t stop. She rubbed at her eyes again, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself down. She was not going to cry in front of complete stranger. She probably already looked like a mental case. No need to make herself look even more like an escapee from a physc ward.

“I’m fine,” she said more sharply than she intended when he asked her if she was all right. She took another breath and lowered her voice. “I mean, I’m fine. Thanks.”

She turned the bike to look more closely at the curved tire. “Ah shit,” she muttered. Her eyes widened and looked at the baby. “I mean…ah jeez.” She certainly didn’t want someone’s baby picking up swear words because of her. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to ruin anything you guys were doing. I just got…distracted. And…I don’t really know the trails out here, being new and all.” She paused and bit her lip, knowing she was making up some stupid excuses. “Okay, I’m going to shut up now.”

Completely unprepared Mark was for the woman’s reaction to his approach. She seemed a little distracted and obviously upset as anyone would be for crashing into a tree. At least she didn’t seem to be hurt but she was a bit off if he did say so himself. Nodding at her mumbling comments, he chuckle with a shake of his head. Distracted, he could understand but he wasn’t sure he believed the reason for running into the tree was because of something in her eyes. Question was: what cause a pretty lady like herself who seemed intelligent to steer the bike right off the road and into an inanimate object?

With bike righted, it was even more obvious the damage that had been done and now he could see just how bad her legs were scratched up. Now he felt bad but it was like Ava’s ouchies that he could just kiss and make better. “I believe you can ride a bike just fine,” he voiced with a laugh as she defended herself. “Just need to keep those stubborn trees out of the road from now on.” Hefting the toddler up to sit more comfortable against his side, Mark watched as the stranger rubbed her eyes and came to realize she must really be upset. Maybe she was worried about how she was going to get home, in which case, maybe he could help.

In Mark’s opinion, she was far from crazy but he wasn’t sure she was really ok by the way she matter-of-factly voiced just that. “Really, are you sure?” he asked again nodding to the scratches where he was sure a few bruises would pop up from the force of impact. Shrugging his shoulders when she only insisted she was indeed just fine, Mark took a little step back, wondering why she was so defensive, not realizing she might have just been uncomfortable. The way her eyes widened after she swore to the twisted metal make him chuckle. It wasn’t anything the baby hadn’t heard before but he really appreciated her effort to fix it.

“It’s not a problem at all, really. We weren’t doing anything important to begin with.” Another friendly smile and he was looking back towards the blanket and lawn chair where they had been vegging out before interrupted by the sound of a crash. “Oh, no. Don’t shut up,” he voiced, shaking his head slightly. “Hey, can I offer you a ride home or something? I’m Mark by the way,” he added after a brief pause feeling kind of awkward. He didn’t really meet people very often what with Ava and all. Taking another look to the bike and then the tree that had been hit he couldn’t help but chuckle. “I don’t think you’re going to be able to ride that out of here,” he commented, gently pulling his daughter’s hands from his shirt he was tugging on. “And it’s a pretty long walk back into town.” That was just a given. He really wouldn’t want to have to walk that far all by himself.

Jean let out a weak laugh when he mentioned the trees being stubborn. Looking back on it now, it had been pretty stupid. She’d been so distracted that she smashed into a tree. It was one of those scenes that should have been in a cartoon show. The character would have smashed into a tree with a giant crash and let out a little squeal much like she had. Then it would have done a whole three hundred and sixty degree turn before landing in the mud. Oh yes. This was a lot like a cartoon. She couldn’t help but smile genuinely at the thought. Looking over at the toddler he held in his arms, Jean was sure the little girl would have enjoyed the cartoon scene. She probably thought the whole scene in front of her was hilarious. And Jean couldn’t blame her. It was, after all, pretty funny.

She took a deep breath, pushing the red hair that had fallen out of her ponytail back from her face before smiling shyly at him. “Thanks for asking, but I’m completely fine,” she said. “It’s just my ego that’s hurt a little bit.” She shrugged with a breathless laugh. “And I’m a little bit embarrassed, sorry. This doesn’t usually happen.”

Then he asked her if she wanted a ride home. His question sounded genuine, as if he really wanted to help her, but she couldn’t get that rule her Gran used to tell her. Never get into a car with a stranger. Of course she had been around six when her Gran told her that rule, but it was still something to think about even at her age. He didn’t look like a killer, especially with the happy little toddler in his arms, but he could have been using the baby as bait much like a piece of candy or a puppy. She’d been warned about this, but she couldn’t say she wanted to walk the whole way home. She’d ridden up here and thinking about walking through a dense forest alone made her shiver. Maybe she should accept this Mark’s invitation. Maybe he was just being kind to her. After all, not everyone had a hidden agenda…right?

She smiled shyly at him again. “I’m Jean,” she answered. “And I don’t want to be a bother but…a ride home could really help me out. I mean, this thing looks like it won’t live another day.” She sighed. “It’s been really good to me for a few years now. I guess I’ll have to save up for another one.”

She eyes caught sight of the baby in his arms again and her curiosity peaked. “Umm, I’m sorry if I’m prying but…is this your daughter?” she asked. “I mean, you don’t have to tell me! If I’m sticking my big nose in where it shouldn’t be…”

Well at least she could laugh about it. To see someone smile and laugh after a making a complete fool of themselves said something about their character, Mark supposed. And she seemed like a nice enough young woman after all, and that was probably the reason why he offered her a ride. It wasn’t that he felt sorry or pitied her, but why make her walk all the way home alone when he had a perfectly good car that could take them all back into town. Let’s face it, Evergreen wasn’t as great of a place as everyone assumes and he knew there were enough creepers lurking around within the city limits that he certainly wouldn’t let his own daughter walk around the woods alone. He would hate to hear something happened out here just because he was selfish enough not to want to share his own mode of transportation.

At hearing once more that Jean was just fine and was unwounded he let out a breath with a nod of his head before chuckling at what she said next. “My ego would hurt a little bit too after a fall like that,” he agreed, knowing that, as a man, he’d be very much embarrassed if he crashed a bike he was riding into a tree. Because, you know, who didn’t know how to ride a bike and it probably wouldn’t be something he could laugh about so he gave her a lot of respect. Smiling in a more relaxed and friendly way, though there was still some awkwardness in his voice, he spoke over a laugh from his daughter. “Well, at least you’re all right and nothing’s broken . . . besides the bike,” he muttered, knowing she could have walked away from that with far more damage than she had.

Giving her some time in the silence to think about his offer, he was trying not to be one of those creepers who only wanted her to come home with him, because that honestly wasn’t his intentions. His apartment was a mess anyway and he knew no woman wanted to spend time with a baby nearby. At least that was his understanding seeing as how he couldn’t keep a woman around for the life of him. Maybe he was too nice or maybe being a single dad just wasn’t as sexy as everyone said it was but he was betting The Vow just didn’t have their shit together when trying to match people who already had kids. Lifting his eyes to look into her face when she finally gave an answer, Mark smiled a little wider than before. “Not a bother at all, Jean,” he voiced with a sad look to the bike again. “Just let me go get our stuff packed up.” Turning in that direction and hoping she would follow, he walked back across the path to where he and Ava had been chilling out.

Turning a look back over his shoulder at Jean’s question, Mark simply nodded. “Yeah, she’s mine. She’ll be a year old in a few weeks,” he stated with a proud fatherly grin before turning his attention to his daughter. “Ava, can you say hello?” he asked pointing over to Jean but Ava only babbled in her own language. So far Mark was sure the only real word she knew was ‘dada’ and most the time she tended to call everyone that. Setting the baby back on her blanket, Mark moved first to the lawn chair and grabbed his fishing pole to start reeling it in.

The way Mark looked at and talked to his daughter showed the love he felt for her. The toddler was very sweet looking and Jean couldn’t help but smile at her little gurgles of baby language. She hadn’t been around children very much during her life. Adults and teenagers had mostly surrounded Jean. The adults being her parents’ friends and the teenagers being her class mates in school. But she’d seen children from a distance. She thought she’d quite like them, although she had no idea how difficult being a parent could be.

Biting her lip once more, she looked around her. There was no one else to be heard or seen on the trail. They were completely alone. She had a feeling that if he had wanted to kidnap or murder her he would have already done it. Jean leaned her broken bike against the tree she had hit, knowing she wouldn’t be able to move it through the overgrown grass the man and the toddler had walked through. With another deep breath, she followed after Mark and his daughter.

Jean’s eyes took in the space Mark had set up next to the river. It was quite a nice little set up, with the sun shining in the right places and the shade covering the blanket for little Ava. She watched as Mark went to reel in his line. Jean frowned when she realized her squeal might have scared the fish off. Nice job.

She turned to the right to see the toddler sitting on the blanket in the grass, chewing happily on the plastic toys that had been spilled out of a bucket. Jean bit her lip and wondered if Mark would mind if she approached his daughter. Helping to clean up the toys might make up for her ruining their day out. It was the least she could do.

Taking a chance, she slowly walked towards the baby before kneeling next to her on the blanket. “Look at all your toys,” she cooed softly. “Aren’t you a lucky girl?” The toddler looked up at her before giggling lightly.

Jean laughed and picked up one of the toys, before dropping it in the bucket. Ava stared at the bucket when the thump of the toy hitting the bottom was heard. Then she laughed heartily. Jean grinned, picking up another toy and dropping it in. Another thump and Ava was laughing again. For some reason, the toys being dropped in the bucket seemed to be hilarious to the little girl. It amused Jean to no end.

“Do you think that’s funny, huh?” she cooed, brushing the soft baby hair away from the toddler’s forehead. Ava snorted with laughter before dropping the toy she was holding into the bucket. The thump brought on a whole new roll of giggles. Jean grinned. “Good job,” she cheered as Ava picked up another toy and dumped it inside. ”You’re such a smart girl.”

Standing still, rooted to the spot just by the riverbed, Mark went to spinning the reel, feeling the line being tugged towards him. It wasn’t until he spotted his lure approaching just under the surface that he actually frowned, a little unhappy to find there was no fish on the end of the line as he suspected when Jean had crashed and broke his concentration just moments ago. Well shit. That was pretty much a waste of a time. Sitting up here for hours and not one fish to prove for his efforts, only a woman he would be escorting home, which he was still a little confused about. This was not a situation he encountered everyday and the only way he knew to handle it was to just . . . take her home. Some single guys might have been thinking up some way to get her to like them, turn it into something; a friendship. But Mark couldn’t see that far in the future anymore, having been put down so many times, and so he opted to just do as he said he would and take her back to her residence. If something was meant to happen, it would happen. He certainly wasn’t betting on it.

With hook securely attached to rod to prevent any poking or unnecessary piercings by the sharp object, he turned around only to find Jean kneeling there on the blanket with his daughter which brought a big grin to his face. Nothing more did he like than to see his little girl laughing and happy and it seemed Jean was really good with the baby. Then again, Ava liked anyone, especially woman, and the simplest things made her giggle which was a good thing he guessed. Though it did mean he was cleaning up a lot of her toys she liked to throw around a papers she loved to rip up. Being a single dad sure wasn’t easy and he kind of wished he got that memo before getting the young girl’s mother pregnant. But more than anything he didn’t regret his past and had one beautiful baby girl to show for it.

Collapsing the lawn chair, he moved to the car and opened the trunk. Unceremoniously dropping the metal chair inside, Mark more carefully angled his fishing pole into the space before turning back to where he’d come from for the cooler. It was then he heard the conversation between woman and baby as Jean tried to coax Ava into helping pick up her toys which, amazingly, worked because the babe was more than willing to throw objects into the bucket if only to hear the sound that echoed when they hit the bottom. It made him chuckle lightly, hauling the cooler into the backseat to settle comfortably on the floor before approaching spread out blanket with brown eyes watching the girls’ interact. “She likes you,” he voiced matter of factly, bending down to help clean the last of the toys up.

Reaching over to grab the sippy cup that lay in the grass, he held onto it instead of giving it back to Ava for fear of the germs that now covered it, ever the worrisome father. “I think there should be plenty of room for everything,” he voiced, nodding to the car before tugging Ava onto her feet and leading her off the blanket, getting a hearty whine from the infant as a response. A roll of his eyes and he swept the blanket up with one hand shaking it about to rid it of any clinging grass. It was then that the baby got a little fussy as if not wanting to leave the peaceful setting and Mark could only sigh. “Baby, we’re going to take this nice lady home,” he informed his daughter which didn’t seem to make a difference as she planted herself on the ground with a whimper and pout and Mark knew it was time for a nap. “Sorry,” he said rather sincerely meeting Jean’s eyes with a look of uncertainty.

Jean couldn’t help but laugh at the little girl’s antics. She was acting like the toddler she was. Demanding and pouty. She’d seen the worry in Mark’s eyes as he cleared up the mess, taking the baby’s cup away before she could get it in her hands again. It was the look that said how much he truly cared for his daughter. It was odd to see that look in such a young man’s eyes. She’d never seen it in her father’s eyes whenever he had looked at her. That was a difficult thing to think about. She bit her lip and shook her head, dispelling the images of her angry father from her mind. She would focus on the here and now.

She remembered the way Mark had said that Ava might have actually liked her. Although he had said it matter of factly, she couldn’t help but feel happy to be liked by someone, especially someone as sweet as the little toddler. As Mark apologized to her for his daughter’s actions, Jean realized how much she had liked playing with the baby, if only for a few moments. It had been fun, and she hoped deep down inside that Mark might let her play with her some time soon.

She smiled up at the father, her grin actually genuine for once. “It’s all right,” she laughed, getting to her feet to walk to where Ava had planted herself down. Jean knelt down in front of the baby, holding out her finger.

“Come on, Ava,” she cooed, watching as the baby’s head tilt at the sound of her own name. “Don’t want to sit here, do you? All your toys are in the car! You don’t want to leave them lonely, do you?” She knew the baby couldn’t understand most of what she had said but Ava’s eyes lit up when Jean mentioned the word ‘toys’. She smiled at the toddler who gurgled back. “That’s it,” she said as Ava grabbed a hold of Jean’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go keep those toy’s company.”

She stood, trying to tug the baby to her little feet but she still didn’t move. Instead, she held her arms up, whimpering lightly. After a moment of confusion, Jean realized the toddler wanted to be carried. Grinning, Jean swooped down and pulled the baby up into her arms, settling her against her hip. The baby laughed happily, holding on tightly as Jean hitched her higher up against her side.

After a moment of cooing and brushing Ava’s soft hair, Jean realized she hadn’t even asked Mark to touch his daughter. Flushing red, she turned to look at him with a look of apology. “Sorry,” she said. “Umm…you don’t mind, do you? I mean…I wasn’t thinking and…I probably should have asked you first…”

She looked up into his brown eyes, hoping he wouldn’t be angry with her. As she caught his gaze, her heart fluttered a little, her cheeks almost as red as her hair now. She was quite partial to brown eyes, so different from her own green. It might have been because it reminded her of some place that was warm and safe. Biting her lip in embarrassment, she looked away trying to hide her new reaction to Mark. Not good.

Some people may have thought it was odd to see such a young man be such a loving and devoted father but it came naturally to Mark, not to mention the people who thought that didn’t know the story behind his little family either. He gave up his life for that little girl, gave up potential careers and a college education, a change at love and married to raise her, he lost the woman of his dreams just because this little life, this mistake and miracle happened, and he wouldn’t change it for the world. Mark didn’t care anymore that he jumped from house to house and job to job, that his parents didn’t really have anything to do with him or that his ex girlfriend, Ava’s mothers, never even talked to him any. It was all her fault anyway, well both their faults, but what kind of person could just make up their mind to get rid of an innocent life on a whim without a second thought? No, Mark fought for that little girl and if that made him a little over protective and slightly obsessed, then so be it.

The smile Jean offered caught his attention and for whatever reason he smiled back, adding a little nod when she laughed off that fact that his baby girl was being a bit of a brat. One last look at Ava, and then to the woman he decided it would be ok to just run and throw this stuff in the car and leave the baby there. He could run fast, if Jean turned out to be the kind of woman who scooped Ava off and tried to make a break for it. Rolling up the blanket, sippy cup in hand, he headed for the car and threw open the back door a drape the fabric over the seat and set the cup in the cup holder, making sure the infant car seat was all strapped in and ready to go. On his way around the car, returning to Jean and Ava, Mark found himself tilting his head, staring at the scene before him with a quizzical expression.

There the woman was, having the most natural conversation with his daughter and coaxed her up off the ground with the promise of toys (which he knew Ava loved) before snatching her up into her arms to hold her close like he felt any maternal woman would hold a baby. It was funny, he never once was worried she was going to take off with his baby, and instead he slowly approached, unaware his smile had widened just watching the two together. It amazed him, honestly, because he’d always been rather scared of his own baby. He struggled when she was a newborn because she was so damn tiny he felt like one wrong move would break her and as she grew and he learned her likes and dislikes he always made a point to keep her happy and give her what she wanted which was probably only fostering bad behavior for the future.

But there was Jean who didn’t even know the girl and picked her up and settled her right on her hip, brushing at the soft hair on Ava’s head, to which the baby just gave a toothy grin and giggle, bright eyes locked on this nice new person in her life. Her words broke his concentration once more, and Mark wondered idly if he’d been staring, but was met instead with a rambling that he could have cared less about. “Oh I don’t mind at all!” he insisted, with a slight smirk. “I told you she likes you,” he reminded Jean which was kind of obvious by the way Ava was clinging to her shirt. Far from angry, eyes met and Mark thought maybe he noticed a little pinker hue to the woman’s cheeks, but blaming it just on the sunlight that framed her face, he chuckled before biting his own lip. “Um . . . are you ready?” he asked, glancing at the car and taking a step in that direction, wiping palms on the thighs of his jeans.

When Mark smiled at her, Jean couldn’t help but grin back. There was something about his smile that just totally lit up his face. And it seemed genuine too. Not like the fake smiles she had been surrounded by as a child. No, Mark seemed like a very genuine person overall. But then again, she had only known him and his sweet little daughter for a few minutes. She had to remember that although she had to give people a chance to prove themselves, she also had to be careful as to how much she trusted strangers. She also had to remember that she was in Evergreen to marry someone. Jean had to be careful as to how close she got to people…especially with this Mark who was already making her flustered like a school girl with a crush.

Clearing her throat and shifting Ava higher on her hip again, she nodded to him. “I’m ready,” she said. She leaned her head down to make eye contact with his daughter. “Are you ready, smart girl?” A little giggle made Jean nod and smile at Mark. “I think she’s ready.”

She walked towards his car, noticing the back door was open with Ava’s car seat all ready for the little girl. As she neared the car, she saw the little toy beside the chair. A little stuffed rabbit. Jean bounced Ava lightly, trying to get her excited about getting in the car. “Look at that,” she cooed. “There’s your toy!”

Ducking into the back seat she pulled Ava’s arms from her and seated her in the chair. “There we go,” she said. “Get all nice and comfy.” The toddler whimpered when Jean pulled away, stretching her pudgy little hands out. The redhead hushed the baby. “There, there,” she murmured. “Let’s not cry over something so silly.” She looked at the little rabbit next to the chair. Snatching it up she placed it in the baby’s hands. “Mr. Bunny doesn’t like when Ava cries. It makes him sad.” Jean gave a dramatic frown. The toddler stared at the stuffed animal before sticking its long ear in her mouth to chew on. Good enough. At least she was happy again.

However, Jean was quite confused. She wasn’t sure how to do up the toddler’s seat belt. She’d never used such a contraption before. And she sure as hell didn’t want to get it wrong. Putting Ava in any danger made her heart clench. She didn’t wish the little sprite any harm. Obviously doing up a car seat was where her motherly instincts ended.

She stepped away from the car and looked up at Mark with a sheepish grin. “I’m not sure how this thing works,” she laughed, scratching her head. “I don’t want to do it wrong, so maybe you should go ahead and do that?”

As she stared at Mark, she finally realized the way it had all looked. Her cooing Ava and handling her as if she were own child. Talking with Mark as if they had known each other for ages. It was…weird. Should a perfect stranger like herself want to hold someone else’s baby? That thought turned on alarm bells in her head. Jesus! Mark was probably married! Was she unknowingly moving into some other woman’s family? Some other woman’s husband? She definitely didn’t want to mess up anyone’s family. But she didn’t see a wedding ring on Mark’s hand. Perhaps he had taken it off?

Swallowing heavily, she couldn’t stop her curiosity from spilling out. “So,” she said, completely oblivious to the fact that Mark was a single father. “I guess your wife was too busy to make it out here today?” God she sounded like a nosy little bitch. Great impression, Jean!

With an awkward grin, Mark nodded and headed in the direction of his car, leaving Ava in the hands of the woman who held her. The baby would probably throw a fit if he even tried to pry her away from Jean and honestly he knew that being around women was a good thing for Ava. She needed the presence of a woman in her life and ever since she was born she always seemed more comfortable in the hands of women anyway. “Alright, then,” he voiced pulling open the passenger door for Jean before pausing to watch her with his daughter. The whimper Ava gave was typical when it came to going into the car seat, which was probably why he made sure there was always a stuffed animal there waiting for the little girl to cheer her up. He was about to step forward and intervene assuming Jean wouldn’t want to deal with the fussing of some strange man’s baby when something happened that sort of had him frozen in place, confused.

Jean just ducked right into the car for the bunny rabbit and with sweet and kind words calmed the infant right down like nothing at all. At one point, Mark was worried she was just trying to be nice since he was giving her a ride home but the movements seemed much too genuine and natural . . . loving even. Brows raised he gave a chuckle and tilted his head. “Wow,” he voiced, nodding in approval. “So how old is your little one?” he dared to ask, only assuming she had been through this before because she was way better at it than he was and she wasn’t even blood related to the baby girl. It was went she turned to look at him with a sheepish grin that his face flushed red and he raising a ran to rub over his cheeks. Big mouthed idiot. So apparently she wasn’t a mother herself. Smooth move. Without another word, partially because he didn’t trust himself to speak, he stepped in and buckled Ava up securely, making she sure was comfy and offering her her blanket to go along with bunny in the hopes that she may fall asleep on the way home.

Closing the back door, he ushered Jean into the passenger seat before closing her door all gentleman like, feeling rather flustered himself. Maybe it was just the heat, or the poor fishing, or witnessing the horror of a pretty young lady crashing into a tree that had him in a funny mood, but he hadn’t felt this way since . . . well since Jamie. Lately he’d been in a funk because he thought they could really have something together but then her husband returned from nowhere and it was obvious that there was little left to their relationship. But he was feeling that same sensation creep in again, he never thought he was that desperate to find someone new in his life or mother for Ava but the way Jean was with the baby girl made him believe it was possible. Settling into the driver’s seat and turning of the vehicle, Mark immediately shut off the childish music that came across the speakers and feeling his face flush again, he glanced in his rear view mirror before back up onto the path. Turning to look a Jean with an odd expression of his own, he laughed, and then just smiled and looked back at the road before him. “I’m not married. Ava’s mom . . , well she was a real bitch to be honest and that’s a whole nother story but I just haven’t found anyone since then. Not for lack of trying. But I think sometimes the single father gig isn’t as attractive as some people make it out to be,” he voiced. "What woman really wants to raise some other guy's baby anyway?" Nope, he had pretty much given up.

To say Jean was surprised when Mark asked her about her supposed children was putting it lightly. Was she really like that? She knew that her actions could be seen as motherly but did she really look like she had her own kids? Not that she hadn’t thought about it. Seeing children on television, movies and in the parks she passed while in Pittsburgh made her wonder what being a mother would really be like. She knew it would be difficult. It would be tiring nights and stressful days, but if her children were as sweet as Ava…it might be much easier.

She laughed lightly. “No kids for me,” she said quietly. “Well at least not yet…”

When Mark opened the car door for her, she couldn’t help but blush. No one had ever opened a door for her. Of course she hadn’t known many gentlemen in her life. Mark was probably the first. She smiled at the thought as she waited for him to get into the drivers side. There were a lot of new things she was learning with him already. It was difficult to believe that they’d already grown so close in such a short amount of time. Of course, the little toddler in the back might have made it all easier.

Jean couldn’t help but laugh lightly when the child’s music came over the stereo. She looked over at him as he shut it off quickly before slowly backing up the car. Was there a slight pinkness to his cheeks or was it just a trick of the light? She didn’t know, and frankly she didn’t care. She was too preoccupied with his eyes. There was just something about them that made her heart thump faster.

She swallowed heavily and turned to look out the windshield as he started driving down the trail. As they went, she looked out the window and noticed her broken down bike still at the tree. Shaking her head, she decided to leave it there. It was past repair anyway. She’d give the forest something new to grow on to. Besides, there were other bikes to buy. She just had to find the money to get it.

Jean looked over at Mark as he spoke about Ava’s mother. She could hear the contempt in his voice as he insulted the woman. But Jean found herself agreeing with him. She didn’t even know the woman but she believed Mark when she said she was real bitch. Of course she’d probably believe anything he said. After all, who could leave a sweet little girl like Ava? Jean herself already felt a little sad knowing she’d have to leave them when they got back to town. Them meaning Ava and Mark. Attachment already? Wow. She was digging a deep hole for herself. Was it because they were the first people she’d known in the town or was it something else?

“That I can’t understand,” she said, while looking in the rearview mirror. She could see Ava’s eyes drooping already. “I mean she’s just so adorable. I don’t know how anyone could leave her.” She smiled when Ava’s eyes closed fully and she was out like a light. “Of course I can see how smitten you are with her.” Jean turned to look at him with a smile. “You’re lucky to have her.”

There was silence again as she stared out the window at the passing forest. But like before, her curiosity took over. “So where were you from before you and Ava came to Evergreen?”

Mark couldn’t help but feel like an idiot for opening his big mouth and just assuming Jean had children of her own. It was just . . . well she took to Ava so quickly and the little one obviously felt comfortable around her, he only figured there was a reason behind it. Like Jean had been around kids and just knew how to comfort them. He was wrong, like most any other time, but the way her words dropped off put a little grin on his face. She made it sound like she was planning to have children at some time which made him a little curious. Most young women he meant didn’t want to settled down and do the whole family thing, they wanted to go to school ( as was the excuse Ava’s mother used) and work and be independent which only added in his frustrations in trying to find that special someone in his life. “Well you can borrow her any time you like,” he voiced, turning to check on the sleep infant with a moment with that same fatherly smile tugging at his lips.

With upbeat childish tunes quieted, it didn’t take long for Ava for fall into a slumber. The movement of the car helped for sure, but he figured just the lulling voices nearby played a part in how quick those little lids drooped over dark brown eyes. Continuing on down the road, Mark frowned as they passed the bike, wondering if maybe she wanted to take it with them. Honestly, he would have stopped but it would be difficult to squeeze it into the car with everything else and he was sure it was unfixable. Still he felt bad. What if it was like some family heirloom or something special to her and he was just leaving it behind to rust in the weather. The thought bothered him for the longest time as he worried over the situation and tried to decide if he wanted to bring it up but conversation took another topic.

A topic that Mark wasn’t too keen on with which he had a good excuse and he glanced over to Jean when she leaned closer to listen to what he had to say. It wasn’t until after he was finished that he realized he had never really talked about this with anyone else. The feelings inside welled up once more, making him sick to his stomach but overall Mark found it a lot better to just get it off his chest. He’d been keeping it all bottled up inside and it was exhilarating just to let it go without arguing with his parents over it. Shaking his head, he had to smile just hearing this woman thought his baby girl was adorable. It made his heart swell with pride knowing it was the right thing to do to fight and use his rights when it came to his daughter.

“I don’t understand it either. I mean . . . she wasn’t planned. Which was both out faults yeah, but to just want to get rid of her like something that was more of an annoyance than your own flesh and blood . . .” He was getting a little riled up now and with a deep breath just shut his mouth before he had the opportunity to go any further. “I am lucky. I don’t know how she’ll turn out without a mom but hopefully it’ll be just fine.” Silence passed before Jean spoke again and Mark had no problem answering the question. It was nice to just have another adult to talk to. “A few hours from here, not too far from Indianapolis,” he said, looking over to meet her eyes. Pretty green eyes that were nothing like his ex’s at all. “Hey, do you mind if we make a little pit stop? I’m kind of hungry . . .” he muttered, kind of hoping she had nowhere else to be.