By Any Other Name

Ten

Previously on By Any Other Name...

"Are you going to live here?" Julia asked.

And now the continuation...

Both Vivian and Ben looked pained at the question. "No, baby," Vivian said. "He won't, but we will visit as much as we can. He'll come here, and we can go there."

"Have you ever been on a plane before?" Ben asked.

Julia shook her head excitedly.

"Well, then you're in for a treat, aren't you?"

"That'll be cool!" Julia smiled brightly at the idea.

"Totally," Ben grinned. "And, don't worry, you can call me Ben until you feel comfortable enough to call me dad. OK?"

Julia's smile dropped and she got a serious look on her face as she considered his words. "OK."

"OK."

"Can I watch cartoons on your tablet?" Julia asked her mother, ever the opportunist.

"Sure."

"Thanks, mommy!" She said running off.

Vivian turned to Ben and shrugged. "OK then."

He sighed and smiled. "OK."

It was two days before Ben was scheduled to leave when Julia came running into the kitchen to ask her mother to help her put her doll back together. Vivian, elbow deep in dishes, suggested she ask Ben to help her reassemble the doll, not daring to ask how the doll came to be unassembled. Julia nodded and turned to and began to run out of the kitchen. Vivian wondered if the child would walk instead of run, ever again.

"Daddy!" Julia called out.

Shocked, Julia dropped the glass baking dish she was washing and it broke in half in the sink. "Shit!" She pulled off the rubber gloves and ran towards where her daughter had run. Ben had the doll in his hands, putting all the limbs back in their proper places.

"There you go!" He said, handing it back to her.

"Thank you daddy!" Taking the doll, she ran off.

Ben looked up at Vivian and smiled, teary-eyed. Vivian, just as teary-eyed, went to him and they embraced.

Vivian, in bed, turned onto her side and scooted closer to Ben who did the same. "Because of how we handled the paternity test, I was able to start the paperwork on getting your name added as the father to her birth certificate."

Ben smiled, leaned over and kissed her. "Thank you."

"As soon as I have it, I'll get her passport. It is OK that we come visit, isn't it?"

"As often and for as long as you'd like," he reached out and took her hand.

"Have you told your ex and kids?"

"Not yet. I will when I get back. I wanted to see how things went."

"Yeah. Is there anything I can do?"

He smiled, "No. But thank you."

The three of them stood in the entryway clinging to each other in an emotional hug. "Do you have to go daddy?" Julia sniffed.

"I'm afraid so, sweetheart. But, you'll fly on a plane and come visit me, won't you?"

She pulled back and looked at him nodding.