Becoming a Father

Chapter 3

July 12, 1996

Frederick Chase was trying to teach Annabeth to write her name. It should have been a lot easier than it was, as Annabeth already knew her alphabet perfectly in English as well as Greek.

"Come on, Annie." he urged his daughter. "You can do it. Just try one more time, all right?"

Annabeth shook her head. "No." she complained. "The letters make me dizzy."

"Just one more time?" he pleaded.

"No."

Suddenly, Frederick had an idea. He did a quick search on the computer for what he was looking for, and wrote Annabeth's name on the paper in Greek.

"Try this, Annabeth." he said. Annabeth frowned but copied her name with perfect precision.

"Look, Daddy!" she said excitedly. "I did it!"

"Yes, Annabeth. Good job! Now let's try again in English."

Annabeth frowned. "That's too hard. I like Greek better."

"How did you know it was Greek?" her father questioned. Annabeth shrugged.

"I don't know." she answered. "I just knew."

Half an hour later, Annabeth was still struggling with her name. Frederick sighed.

"We can try again tomorrow. How about right now we work on the Greek alphabet?"

"Yes." said Annabeth, who seemed a bit happier at the suggestion. "And then we can eat a cookie."

Frederick couldn't help but smile at his daughter. "Yes Annabeth," he said. "When we're done we can eat a cookie."

An hour (and two cookies, of course) later, Annabeth had learned how to write the entire Greek alphabet in Greek. Frederick knew what was coming next.

"Daddy?" Annabeth asked. "Can you teach me to read."

Dr. Chase shook his head. "I don't know how to read Ancient Greek, sweetheart."

"You can look it up on the internet." Annabeth suggested.

Her father obliged and found a course on teaching your child Ancient Greek. Within further inspection, he found that it cost two hundred dollars.

"Please, Daddy?" she begged, staring up at him with those tiny gray eyes.

Well... Frederick wasn't one to keep people from learning, and he knew Annabeth would use it. Besides, maybe after she learned Greek, she wouldn't have so much trouble with English. Annabeth was a smart little girl, and he hated to see her having trouble learning.

"All right." he said, succumbing to his daughter's pleas. "I'll buy it. But on one condition: you have to use it, and it's part of your Christmas present."

"Yes, Daddy."

"Promise, Annabeth?"

"I promise."

"Good. Now please get out of my chair so I can order it." he said. Annabeth happily obliged.

"Look!" she said, pointing out the window. "Mommy!"

Sure enough, an owl with gray eyes was perched on a tree branch close to their window.

"Hello, Athena." said Frederick. The owl cocked her head slightly, then disappeared, leaving a small parcel behind.

"Oo." said Annabeth, who was peering out the window. "Can I get it?"

Frederick shook his head. "I'll get it. You wait here, Annie." He then went outside, and retrieved the package.