The Family Man

Chapter 6

Caroline Kennedy was a little ball of apple juice powered fire. Jack watched her skeptically from the rear view mirror of the minivan as he slowed before an intersection. The girl had her little white Karate uniform on, with an oversized white belt dangling onto the seat. In her little hands was a half crumpled box of Juicy Juice. And as she slurped, her mouth flapped on and on about the lesson.

"Sensei said that I was really super good, Dad!" Caroline grinned from ear to ear. "I did more crunches than anybody in the class! Except for Ryan, but he's a jerk and I don't like him."

"That's neat, Buttons."

As they passed by a McDonald's an idea struck him:

"Hey. Do you want to grab a bite to eat?"

"Yes, yes, yes!"

Jack smirked and parked the car. He got out to unbuckle Caroline, and the girl turned to him with a blue eyed, happy smile.

"I was afraid you wouldn't be back yesterday because Mommy was really upset and you guys sometimes fight a lot; but I'm really, really happy you came back because now we can go get chicken nuggets and I can get a new toy that Maria doesn't have."

Jack's mouth opened. He stared, dumbfounded. And then he remembered to nod. Caroline grinned and hopped out of the car, cupping her palm automatically into Jack's. She practically dragged him across the parking lot and into the restaurant with the firm steps of a regular customer.

They sat at a corner booth ten minutes later, but Jack was too fascinated to eat. He sat across from the girl and watched her meticulously straighten out his plastic utensils before she bit into her sandwich. He watched as Caroline gingerly dusted crumbs from the corners of her small mouth. And he watched Caroline insist that Jack lay out a napkin onto his knees.

It's how they do it in the fancy restaurants, Dad."

"Right." Why not. Jack laid out his napkin and looked back up.

Caroline was inspecting the cartoon characters on his soft drink cup. Jack couldn't help but notice the similarities he had gathered from the photo earlier. The girl bore a striking resemblance to his younger self. She was pale, with stormy blue eyes. Gangly and freckled. No, freckles definitely weren't his. But even so, Jack had the sensation of digging out a time capsule and peering into his past.

Except the girl was sociable. For the most part, anyway. Will observed Caroline get quieter around adults. When the lady behind the counter had asked her for her order, caroline had made it a point to tug on Jack's sleeve and murmur it into his ear instead. When she smiled at her for his behavior, a blush sprouted onto her cheeks. But otherwise, Caroline Kennedy seemed perfectly chatty.

Will looked out across the table hesitantly. "Hey, Caroline?" he started.

"Yeah?" she chewed and swallowed.

You said ...earlier, I mean... that your Mom and I fight a lot." He raised his eyes. "Is that true?"

Caroline shrugged. "I dunno."

"But you said so."

"You're fighting a lot more since you came back from that trip."

Jack frowned. "What trip?"

"That business trip. Mom said it had to do with work. But then I told Mom that that's impossible because you already run Grandpa's store so you have work. And then she laughed when I told her that story about Grandpa and the saltwater taffy, even though I told it like a bazillion times. But I think Mom just likes laughing. So she laughed like a bazillion times."

He raked a hand through his hair and fixed the girl with a cool stare. One issue had been replaced by another in his mind entirely. With detachment in his voice, Will echoed: "I run Grandpop's store."

"Bouvier's Booksellers on 31st and Walnut, across from Macy's and Target." Caroline anticipated a compliment for her memorization skills, and probably would have gotten one if Jack wasn't so preoccupied. She slumped in his seat at the silence that followed.

The name struck a chord with Jack. The business had been in the Bouvier family for nearly two decades. Well, now it was three decades. What on earth had possessed him to take over John Bouvier's family heirloom of a shop? Why had his own dreams been dashed away to dust? He cradled his head in his hands.

"Why do I run grandpa's shop?"

Caroline sipped from a straw and answered with boredom: "Because Grandpa had that heart attack and Mom made him retire."

Jack looked up, astonished. "When was that?"

"I dunno."

"Do you remember it?"

"No," Caroline burst into giggles. "Mom says you can't remember things when you're a baby. You just think baby things."

Of course. This can't get any worse.

Jack and Caroline got home a little after one o'clock. The entire house smelled like cleaning chemicals, but there wasn't a soul left to enjoy the cleanliness. A note on the fridge ("Cute," Jack mumbled, unpeeling it) got him up to speed:

Bunny—

Left to stock up on food. Took John with. Parents are coming over for dinner tonight. Sistercan't make it (don't be too upset). Please vacuum and try not to torch the house. Remember the mortgage.

—Jacks

PS: I love you. Like Yoko and John Lennon but not as weird.

He folded the note and stuck it into the front pocket of his jeans. Then he poured himself the last of the cold coffee from the pot and sipped it black while staring pensively out the kitchen window. I love you. She loved him.