Roxie wasn’t quite awake yet. She was awake enough to realize that she couldn’t feel Nick. She reached toward his side of the bed to pull him close. She was shocked when she came in contact with an empty bed. She sat up wondering what could have happened the night before when he went out. She knew that he wanted to clear his head but now she was panicking. She got out of bed quickly. After throwing on her robe, she ran from the room. She wanted to make sure that Ariel wasn’t awake yet, just in case she had to report Nick missing.

Once she was sure that Ariel was still sound asleep, she ran down the stairs. She was about to run to the door to check for his car when she noticed his feet hanging off the end of the couch. She sighed in relief. She walked around the couch and casually sat down on the table across from him. She reached over to brush some of his hair out of his face.

Nick jumped causing Roxie to jump. “Sorry Nick, I didn’t mean to wake you up.”

“It’s okay. What time is it?”

“7:30.” Nick groaned and lied back down on the couch. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m just tired.” He said not letting on that he was more than just tired.

Roxie smiled at him. “Why didn’t you come to bed last night?”

“I got home late. I didn’t want to wake you.”

“Then you must have a very clear head.”

Nick scoffed. “You’d think right. My thoughts kept going in circles.”

“Why don’t you go upstairs and get some more sleep.”

Nick was about to answer when a ball of energy burst into the living room. “Can I have ice cream for breakfast?”

Nick looked at his daughter. “No, you can’t have ice cream for breakfast.”

“But I broke my arm.”

“Yes, you broke your arm yesterday and you were treated with ice cream when we left the hospital because you were a big girl.”

“Okay, I’ll eat waffles for breakfast and later we can go for ice cream.”

“I don’t think so.”

“But Daddy.”

“Don’t but daddy me. Just because you want ice cream doesn’t mean you’re going to get it, especially if you demand it like that.” Ariel huffed and marched into the kitchen. “Great. I turned my daughter into a spoiled brat.”

“Relax Nick. You’re tired and cranky. She’s just trying to milk her injury. You should go get some more rest.”

Nick nodded. “Yeah, I need to.”

Roxie stood up when she stood up. She kissed him. “Don’t worry, I’ll keep Ariel out of your hair so you can get a decent rest.”

“Thanks.” He kissed her before making his way upstairs.

Roxie walked into the kitchen to start preparing Ariel’s breakfast. “Where’s Daddy?”

“He’s still tired so he went upstairs to get more sleep.”

“Is Daddy mad at me?”

Roxie chuckled, “No. But you really shouldn’t say you want something as if you deserve it.”

“I do want ice cream though.”

“You heard your Daddy. He’s not going to take you for ice cream today.”

“I know. Maybe you can bring me to get ice cream.”

“I’m not going against your father. After breakfast me and you will go outside and play.”

Nick woke up a few hours later. He stood up and headed downstairs. He smiled slightly to himself when he realized that Roxie left his lunch on the table. He still wasn’t feeling hungry, but he ate anyway knowing that he hadn’t eaten all day. He saw Roxie outside with Ariel and Missy. Roxie was helping Ariel throw a ball for Missy. Every time Missy returns to Ariel she jumps on her, causing Ariel to fall back against Roxie giggling.

Nick couldn’t bring himself to go out there. He still hadn’t come to terms with his lack of parenting skills. He wasn’t sure if he ever would. He sighed and began to clean up the kitchen from his lunch. Once his kitchen was cleaned, he hesitated by the back door before turning away and heading back upstairs.

He sat on the bed looking around the room, hoping that his bedroom would provide him with some answers. His gaze came across his guitar which seemed to be staring back at him, beckoning him.

He stood up and grabbed his guitar case and the strings that Roxie had given him the prior day. He removed the old strings with ease and placed the new strings on his guitar as if he 5 years didn’t pass between the last time and put strings on a guitar and that moment. What shocked him the most was when he tuned the guitar by ear.

He thought about what he wanted to play for a few minutes before actually beginning to play. He looked around the room when he first started to make sure that he was still alone. Knowing he was alone he allowed himself to get lost in the music.

He finished a song and was startled when he heard clapping. He immediately placed his guitar down on the bed, embarrassed that he was caught.

“Don’t stop. You’re really good.”

“I was only playing because I thought I was alone.” He said as he began to place his guitar in its case.

“Can you play one more song Daddy?”

“I don’t want to Ariel.”

“Oh come on Nick, it’s just one more song.”

“I told you, I was only playing because I thought I was alone. I don’t want an audience.”

Roxie decided it be best to let the subject drop. She noticed that Ariel wanted to try again to get Nick to play. “Ariel, don’t.”

“But Roxie…”

“No, your father doesn’t want to play, we shouldn’t make him.”

Ariel nodded. “Okay. We can go watch a movie.”

Nick groaned to himself. Or at least he thought it was to himself until he caught Roxie glaring at him. He silently followed Roxie down to the family room. Moments later, Ariel arrived with her Little Mermaid DVD. She handed it to Nick. He handed it back to her. “Ariel, can you please go pick out a different movie?”

“But Daddy, I want to watch this one.”

“We always watch The Little Mermaid. We’re due for a change.”

“I don’t want to Daddy.”

“Ariel, go get a different movie or you’ll be going to bed without dinner.”

Ariel gasped and started crying. She ran off to her room. Roxie shook her head. She couldn’t believe that Nick said that. Roxie stopped in front of him. He looked at her curiously, not sure what she was doing. Moments later, his cheek was stinging. He raised his hand to his cheek to rub at his cheek where Roxie smacked him before she stalked upstairs to Ariel’s room.

Roxie’s heart broke when she could hear the little girl’s sobs from the other side of the door. She knocked. “Ariel, it’s me. Can I come in?”

“Is Daddy with you?”

“No sweetie.”

“Okay, you can come in.” Roxie opened the door and entered the room, closing the door behind her. She crossed the room and sat next to Ariel on the bed. “Why does Daddy hate me?”

“He doesn’t hate you honey.”

“He yelled at me because I wanted to watch The Little Mermaid.”

“I know sweetie. He shouldn’t have done that. I’ll talk to him. Maybe I’ll send him to bed without dinner.”

Ariel finally smiled. “Yeah.”

“Okay. Daddy doesn’t get dinner tonight.” Roxie smiled. “Why don’t you play with your toys? I’m going to go talk to Daddy.” Roxie went downstairs to find Nick sitting on the couch. He seemed to still be rubbing at his cheek. She marched into the room and stood in front of him with her hands on her hips. “What’s your problem?”

“What?”

“You heard me.”

“I don’t have a problem.”

“Yes you do. Otherwise you wouldn’t have threatened your daughter for no reason.”

“There was a reason.”

“Just because she wanted to watch The Little Mermaid again isn’t enough of a reason to punish her. You’ve already watched the movie a million times. What’s one more time to make your daughter happy? Oh and, you’re not getting dinner tonight.”

“What?”

“You heard me. You’re the one going to bed without dinner.”

“Fine.”

Nick stood up quickly and stumbled a little as he tried to walk around the couch as quick as possible. He brushed passed Roxie in such a way that caused her to fall.

He made his way up to his room. Roxie followed him. “Don’t take your anger out on me. Now I want your answer. What the hell is wrong with you?”

“Nothing is wrong. I’m fine.”

“No, you’re not.”

“And how would you know?”

“Because you’re not acting like yourself.”

“I’m fine. Just leave me alone.”

“If you thought you were a bad father when you were blaming yourself for Ariel’s injury, then maybe you should look in the mirror now. I never thought I’d hear myself agreeing with you that you were a bad father, but right now I am.” She turned to leave and then turned back. “Oh and by the way. Ariel doesn’t want to see you so don’t even try to get back on her good side right now.”

“Where do you come off telling me how to raise my daughter?”

“I’m not telling you how to raise your daughter. I’m just stepping in when needed.”

“Well, I didn’t ask you to step in and who said you were needed?”

“You did, when you punished your daughter for no reason. Oh and don’t try to talk to me either unless the topic is you telling me what got shoved up your ass to put you in this foul mood.”

Roxie then left the room, leaving Nick alone. Nick didn’t know if he should be happy or upset.

Ariel got to watch her movie. Roxie watched it with her without Nick. Once the movie was over, Roxie headed into the kitchen to cook dinner.

While Roxie and Ariel were eating dinner, Nick walked into the kitchen. “Nick, I thought I said you weren’t eating with us tonight.”

“So I guess that means I’m not allowed in my kitchen to get something to drink?” He asked as he pulled an open bottle of water out of the refrigerator before walking out of the kitchen without acknowledging either Roxie or Ariel.

~*~

It was around 3:30AM when Nick got home that night. He had gone out to clear his head again and ended up at the same location that he was at the previous night. He headed toward the stairs and began the climb up to his room. He tried the doorknob to find that it wouldn’t turn. He tried it a few more times thinking that he didn’t have a good grip. When the knob didn’t budge he realized that he was locked out of his room.

Without noticing the note on the bedroom door, he began knocking loudly. Finally the door swung open. He was about to ask Roxie why she locked him out of their room when she grabbed the note off the bedroom door and shoved it at him before entering the room and slamming the door in his face. He heard the door lock.

He turned away and looked down at the note.

Nickolas,

I guess you still have a lot of thinking to do, since you went out again tonight. Who knows when or if you’ll be back. Anyway, you were a first class asshole tonight, and I don’t share beds with assholes, so you’re on the couch again tonight. Consider yourself to be in the doghouse. You’ll be sleeping on the couch until I change my mind or until you earn back the privilege of sharing a bed with me.

I thought you’d be interested to know that you disappointed your daughter again tonight. She seemed to have forgiven your stupidity relatively quickly, thanks to me. She was waiting for you to tuck her in tonight. When you never came in she started crying and didn’t stop crying until she fell asleep.

I don’t understand how making your daughter cry can make you happy. Remove whatever it is you have shoved up your ass and learn how to treat your daughter.