A Collection of Odds & Ends

Got to Let Go (Dan Feuerriegel via Jai Courtney)

Yes, this is part of our Jai and Roo series, but we're shaking it up a bit. It seems there was an overwhelming out cry for Dan's part in all of this. So here it is.

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"Honey, where are you?" Jai whined into the phone, the moment she answered. "Are you coming home?"

"I'm out, what's going on? Is something wrong?" She carefully pushed open the front door and stepped inside, being slightly quieter than usual upon arrival, to save from having to answer any questions. She'd made plans to have dinner with Dan and spend the evening. "Is Denz okay?"

"The joeys fine, actually." Jai replied with a slight huff. He was at her apartment, only to find it empty. "When are you coming back?"

"Uh," She smiled at Dan and held up a finger to indicate she needed a moment, he had heard her talking when she had came in. "Not until late. What's with the questions?"

"Nothing important." Jai sighed pulling the phone away to warn Denzi about not touching something in her living room. He wanted to add that she should be home and not at Dan's, but he wasn't into fighting right now. Jai had more important things to worry about. "We wanted you to come out for ice cream, but never mind."

"Maybe another night? Tell Denzi that I'm sorry." She pouted at the thought of having to cancel on him. "Hey, how did his pre-school interview go?"

"That's why we were going for ice cream." Jai cleared his throat, she could hear the evident pride come into his tone. "He starts just after Christmas break."

"Oh, Jai! That's fantastic! I'm so happy for him." She beamed.

Jai had interviewed with six different pre-schools, each one better than the last. This morning had been their final interview, if this school didn't work out, then it was back to searching. Waiting lists, rejections, and out right "No" weren't something Jai was going to take. Not when it came to his son's well being and education. When he had made the decision, a few weeks ago, to put Denzi in pre-school come the new year, Jai had been hell bent on nothing but the best.

"I knew he'd get in!" She laughed in delight. "Is he excited?"

"Not as excited as he was to go for ice cream."

Typical Denzi.

"Well, tell him I am so proud of him." She paused, raising to her tip toes, to give Dan a kiss. "I'll take him for ice cream later this week, just him and I. I'm sorry that I need to miss tonight."

"Don't worry about it." Jai's voice went slightly flat. "Look, I should go and take him. He's going to have a melt down, if I don't take him soon. Tell Dan 'hi', yeah? Don't worry if the sex isn't as good, I'm a tough act to follow."

Ignoring his snide comment, and congratulating the proud father once more, she reminded him to lock her apartment when he left, and to have a good ice cream date with his son. Ending the call, she slid her finger across her phone screen and sighed.

Fuck Jai! Fuck him and his stupid comments.

"Sorry." She apologized, sitting her phone on the counter top. "Jai had to call, to tell me Denzi's good news. He's accepted into pre-school and starts after Christmas."

"He's going to love that!" Dan replied, his eyes barely lifting from his phone.

Denzi was a smart kid, some times too smart, and he got bored in the matter of seconds. Being around other kids and having something to do, even if it was three days a week, would be wonderful for the curious little mind that he harboured.

"Yeah." She nodded, biting her bottom lip. "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt."

Leaning against the cool counter top, she traced the pattern that ran through the quartz to wait. Hurriedly finishing with his phone, Dan let it rest beside his hand on the counter.