"Mommy, mommy wake up, Youre going to miss the roadrunner!"
Kimberly felt her 4 year old shake her and yell in her ear. She opened her eyes a little. She saw her with her roadrunner doll between her arms. Kimberly wrapped an arm around the baby and looked to the clock on the night table.
"Vanessa, is 7:00 a.m., the roadrunner begins in an hour!" she said softly. The girl sat on the bed angry. Kimberly sat by her side and gave her a hug. "Sweetheart. Have you brushed your teeth?"
"Yeah" the baby said nodding
"Have you washed your face?"
The baby nodded again.
"So you're ready to watch the road runner."
The girl lied in her mothers chest, and fell asleep again. Kimberly woke up and drank some coffee. At 7:50 she walked to her daughter.
"Vanessa? Hey, Vanessa. Youre going to miss the roadrunner." The tot didnt wake up. Kimberly taped the roadrunner for her baby and fell asleep by her side.
Billy looked up at Cestria. Then to the baby in her arms. "Is that my daughter?" he asked surprised.
"Yes, isnt she beautiful?" Cestria asked.
Billy looked at his "daughter". She looked too much like her Aquitian mother. And, even though she was his daughter, he had to admit it, the baby was ugly. He looked nervously to cestria.
"Shes cute." he said quickly. Cestria looked at him, her face showing her anger.
"You dont look happy. Not even a bit." she said angry.
"You know what? Im not. I want to go back home, O.K.? I'm leaving. And something else. That is the ugliest baby I've ever seen." he told her angrily and teleported out of the room.
Cestria started crying. And she looked at her baby. The baby wasnt too beautiful, but she wasnt that ugly either.
Billy entered in his room and started packing his things.
All I ever wanted was a normal, blonde green-eyed baby, with a human woman. And I got a fish with a an alien fish woman. These things only happens to me, not even the three stooges has such bad luck. If Kim had gotten pregnant that last night I saw her, it would have been perfect, I would have my normal daughter, and I would marry her and have my normal wife. Maybe, I should look for her. In 4 years a lot of things can change. He thought. And he walked to the communication room.
When he saw the image of Kimberly in the viewing globe his mouth opened in surprise.
Kimberly was playing with Vanessa in the living Room, Barbies were Kimberly's favorite game. Vanessa got one very beautiful doll.
"I love the doll, Mommy." The girl said, Kimberly gave her a hug,
"Merry Christmas, sweetheart. I can't believe you forgot today is Christmas morning." She told the tot. They gave each other another hug, just then the doorbell rang. Kimberly got up and went to open the door.
"Merry Christmas." It was Coach Smith. He gave her a hug and walked in.
"Godfather!" yelled the baby. Then she ran to hold her godfather.
"How are you, princess?" the coach asked. Kim offered him a seat. The coach looked at her, she looked skeletal. "Have you been taking care of mommy as you promised, princess?" he asked.
"Yes, of course." The baby answered. The coach looked at Kimberly again, this time he looked sad.
"What's up?" Kimberly said as she took the baby from the coach's arms.
"Is your job what's killing you?" he asked, Kimberly looked at him surprised.
"Killing me? What do you mean?"
"You look like a skeleton are you eating right?" the coach asked.
"Of course, well, what my diet lets me." she answered, the last part in a lower tone.
"Which I suppose is not much. Kimberly, you lost your beautiful figure, the one which made you a model. Now you're nothing but bones and skin. I'm almost sure that you can't work in gymnastics anymore."
"Of course I can! It's just that I don't have time anymore."
"You do have time! It's just that you don't have enough strength."
"Well, let's see. When can I go to the gym and prove I still can do gymnastics?" Kimberly asked challenging.
"Is this a challenge? Because if it is I would say tomorrow 6:00 am. What do you say?" the coach answered. Kim seemed hesitant.
"OK" she muttered, Vanessa looked at her mother.
"Why are you so scared, mommy?" she asked innocently.
"I'm...I'm not scared, honey." She replied.
"Yes you are." The tot answered.
"It's just that I remembered how I almost lost you the last time I did gymnastic exercises." She said kissing her baby's forehead.
"It wasn't the last time you did gymnastic exercises, hon. It was the first night you practiced late for me." He reminded her.
"Yes, you're right." Kimberly said.
"Tell me." The tot asked.
"Sure, honey." Kimberly said. "When I met the coach for the first time I was practicing some gymnastics in the Youth Center. The coach asked me if I wanted to be trained by him for the Pan Global Games. Well... it was for the competition where I would be chosen for be part of his team. So, I couldn't practice one day because I had an emergency, so I came back to the Youth Center for practice a little more. It was late at night, and I tried something different, and fell from the balance beam, so a friend named Kat took me to the hospital unconscious, There, when we were alone, the doctor told me that I was a lucky future young mother. He also called me crazy, how do you dare to do exercises on a balance beam when you're pregnant? He asked. I didn't even knew I was pregnant. I answered scared. I would had an abortion, I don't know what would have happened to me. Fortunately, you were still alive inside of me. The doctor asked me if I wanted my others friends to know, I answered 'no'."
"Why?" the tot asked.
"Because of something i'll explain you later, when you grow up." Kimberly answered unable to tell the baby the truth.
"Tell me." The baby insisted.
"All right." Kimberly agreed. "Because between them was your daddy. I didn't wanted your father to find out you were coming into the world. Because he would have wanted to marry me, and... stop studying, et cetera. So I came here with the coach and pretended to don't have knowledge about your existence. And I put your life at a risk. And I'm so sorry for that, Vanessa. I'm sorry for not telling your dad, for... almost killing you." Kimberly started crying when she found out how selfish she had been. Billy would have wanted to know, and Vanessa deserved a Daddy. She remembered how much she wished Billy would cross through the door and hold her hand while she was giving birth to her baby. She remembered how much she wanted Billy by her side the first time she saw her baby, when Vanessa stepped the first time. She wanted a husband to help her suckle Vanessa. But, Billy was never there, because she never asked him to be.
"I do have a daddy?" Asked Vanessa.
"Of course. Everybody has a daddy and a mommy, but yours is far away from here." Kimberly told her daughter.
"You didn't tell me about my daddy! I hate you!" the baby ran upstairs.
"Vanessa!" Kimberly yelled. "I'm sorry..." she whispered then cried more. "I was so selfish. Now, I would do anything for my baby, because now I think I know what's right. But back then... back then I was so scared... I never made the right decision for her, did I?" she asked the coach.
"You made one right decision. You let her be born, and raised her. No matter what happened later, you decided she deserved to live. And look at this house... is hers. You earned all this money for her. For your baby. For your Vanessa. That was a right decision." The coach assured her.
"Thanks." Kimberly said, but she was still crying.
"I won't ask you to stop crying. You have been looking inside of yourself for such a long time. Now cry all that pain. I'll get Vanessa." The coach stood up and went upstairs. He knocked on the baby's door.
"I don't want to talk to you!" the baby yelled from inside, the coach came in. Vanessa was in her bed, also crying.
"Hey, what's up? Why are you angry at mom? It's Christmas morning. You should be happy." He said and sat by the baby's side. Vanessa looked at him.
"Mommy lied to me. She said I didn't have a daddy! And that's not truth!" the Baby yelled.
"Your mommy is sorry for that. But, even if she had told you have a daddy, you don't know who he is, so is like you don't have one." The old man explained.
"But I do."
"We all know you do. I have a present for you." The coach gave the tot a box. She opened it and a dancer appeared.
"It is a music box!" the baby said surprised. "Like the one mommy has in her room."
"You're right. Now you have one." The coach said.
"It's even the same music! I love to listen to the one mommy has. She usually lets me listen to it when I'm in her room. And I fall asleep." The baby said.
"Now, you can listen to this one and remember your mommy when she's not here."
"Is mommy ok, godfather?" asked Vanessa.
"No. She's very sad because you hate her."
"I don't hate her. I was angry."
"You should apologize. Come on let's tell your mommy you are sorry." they came back down, Kim was still crying.
"Mommy..."
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
"It's ok, honey." Kimberly and her daughter gave each other a hug.
"I have another Christmas present for you." Kimberly gave Vanessa a picture of Billy.
"Who is he?"
"That's your daddy!" Kim exclaimed.
"Really?" Vanessa was exited.
"Yes. He's handsome, isn't he?" Kimberly joked.
"Daddy...", the tot muttered "Where ever you are, Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, Billy." Kimberly said.
"Merry Christmas, Kimberly." Billy said. He had been watching the scene.
He was so happy. He had a normal family, well, a normal daughter and a normal woman who was in love with him. He teleported back to Angel Grove, leaving all his things in Aquitar. Except his money, of course. He walked around the streets looking for a present for his baby and lover, and bought two beautiful porcelain dolls with beautiful dresses and cute faces. He also bought some dresses, elegant and expensive dresses for the dolls. And carry them to Kimberly's house inside of two wonderful boxes of wood.
The doorbell rang again.
"Must be the Dr. Rios" Kimberly said, referring to Vanessa's pediatrician, he used to visit her on Christmas morning because he loved to see Kimberly. Kimberly woke up and went to open the door.
"Oh, my god!" she yelled. It was Billy, he was there, in front of her, with two beautiful wooden boxes. "Oh my god, this has to be a dream!" she yelled, and started crying of happiness. Then he stepped to her and kissed her on her lips. Kimberly's mouth opened in surprise.
"Merry Christmas." He told her smiling. His smile, that wonderful smile. "Where's the baby? he asked.
"How's that you know about..."
"Father instincts." He answered. "I bought you both a present. This is for you." He gave her one box. "Where's the baby?"
"Inside, in the living room." They both came inside the house. The coach smiled when he saw Billy. The tot looked at him, then to her picture.
"Daddy?" she asked.
"Yes." Kimberly said nodding. The tot stood up surprised. Billy looked at her and opened his arms. Vanessa ran to her father's arms for first time in her four year long life. Billy held her strong.
"My daughter." Billy said. It sounded really good to him.
"Daddy..." Mutered Vanessa. She was so happy that morning. Kimberly looked at Billy. He looked as handsome as she left him. She walked towards the Kitchen door, and stood up under a mistletoe.
"Daddy..." Billy looked at her. "Isn't that a mistletoe?" Billy walked towards her and Kissed her on the lips.
"Merry Christmas." He said.
"Merry Christmas." She answered.
"O.k, i'm leaving, Kimberly. Merry christmas, and see you tomorrow.", the coach said
"You can count on it." Kimberly answered. The coach left and she, Billy and Vanessa sat on the sofa.
"What have you been doing?" Billy asked.
"I'm a fashion model, a very good one. And I earn a lot of money. It's a great job." Kimberly answered.
"And what about you, Vanessa?&" he asked smiling. Vanesa looked at him, smiling, happy.
"I go to work with mommy." Vanessa answered. Billy looked surprised at the baby, then to her mother.
"Oh, yes. She was a baby fashion model when she was... 5 months. Then she got another job." Kimberly said proud.
"Well, this is interesting." Billy answered.
They talked for hours, then Billy left.
"I gotta go home now, but I'll be back tomorrow."
"Ok." Vanessa said sad. Kimberly walked to the door with Billy.
"Are you married?" she asked.
"No, I'm not. But I live on another planet. I really do. I'll be back home soon. When I find where I'm going to live."
"Come and live here. Please." She said.
"Let me think about it, ok?" he answered.
"Ok." She kissed him and he left.
The next morning, Kimberly and Vanessa arrived at the gym.
"Hey coach, it's 6:00 am, and I'm ready." Kimberly said.
"Ok, first the beam."
Kimberly made her old balance beam routine quite well.
"Now, what do you say?" Kimberly asked.
"You were ok." The coach answered. "Do it again, this time perfect."
"Ok." Kimberly answered. She was so scared, she knew she didn't had enough strength to do it again. But she had to try.
In the midle of the routine, Kimberly fell again from the balance beam, this time, her back was seriously injured. She could fell it.
"Kimberly!" the coach yelled and ran towards her. "Hold on Kim, I'll get some help." the coach called the 911, and Kimberly was taken to the hospital.
There, Vanessa and the coach waited for a report of Kimberly's health.
"How is mommy, Godafather?" the tot asked crying.
"I don't know, princess." The old man answered, in that moment, a doctor came out to the waiting room. "Doctor, how is Kimberly Heart?"
"She is quite well, sir. But her back is not completetly fine."
"Will she walk again?"
"Yes, she will walk again, but she'll have some problems with her neck and back."
"When can she get out?"
"Maybe tomorrow afternoon." The doctor left. The coach looked at the baby. And he imagined Kimberly in the bed, scared while her back is hurting so much that she can barely move. He imagined Kimberly on a wheel chair, with her fashion model career destroyed and a baby to take care of. It's all my fault, this stupid challenge, she did the routine quite well, why had i to send her to do it again? Why?!. He thought sad.
In her cold hospital room, Kimberly tried to move her arm. It was a painful, hard move. The door opened, she tried to move her head, and she couldn't.
"Mommy? Are you awake?" she heard her four years old baby's voice.
"Yeah" she whispered softly. Kimberly smiled when she saw Vanessa. She was still in her pajamas, and was hugging her roadrunner.
"Come here" She asked. Vanessa walked towards her.
" Are you Ok?" the tot asked scared. When Kimberly saw her, she smiled a bright, white, big smile.
"Yes, honey. I'm fine." She told her. The baby smiled to her mother.
" Gimme a Kiss, mommy." The tot asked.
" You give me one, first." Kimberly told her tenderly. The baby hug her tenderly and kissed her on the cheek.
" I love you, mommy. I want you to be OK." The baby started Crying.
Kimberly moved her arm and hugs her, forgetting her pain.
" Im ok, honey. Mommy will be walking home for tomorrow afternoon." She said, then let her baby go her arm fell on the bed. Kimberly started crying.
"Mommy, mommy, what is happening? Please mom, stop crying" The baby started crying by her mothers side.
" Vanessa, please call the coach." Kimberly said. The baby ran to the coach and found him talking to Billy.
" Mommy is hurt! mommy is hurt!" she yelled scared. The coach and Billy ran towards Kim's room. They found her crying.
" Kimberly, what is going on?" Billy asked, then gave her a soft hug and caressed her head. " Is going to be OK. I promise is going to be OK." He told her.
" Ill call the doctor." The coach said.
When the coach left, Kimberly and Vanessa cried a little more, and Billy did his best to calm them down.
Seven days Later...
Im really doing fine. I mean it, Billy.
I want you to stay here. Ill get Vanessa. The School is not so far.
Yeah But she started complaining, he placed a Hand in her mouth.
But nothing Kimberly. Ill get the baby, after all is OUR daughter. We, both of us, are her parents. You have to let me be her father. I know you raised her for 4 years, but I want to be her father. I really, really do. Billy looked into Kimberlys eyes. She bit her lip and smiled.
All right. But take her here. Directly here
Trust me! Im her father Billy said joking.
Whatever. She said smiling and lying back in her bed. But I have a bad feeling about this. I really, really do.
Do you wanna come with me? he asked.
No... The bad feeling is not because of you. But because of... something else. But is OK. Go a get her. She is your daughter
Sure?
Yes. Kimberly said nodding. She had no reason for not trusting in Billy.
When Billy arrived to the school, he looked for Vanessa. Then he walked to the teacher who was talking to a police officer.
Excuse me. He said. The teacher turned to him.
Yes? Is there something I can do for you? the teacher asked, she had never seen him before.
I think so. Im looking for my daughter. You just have seen her mother before. Her name is Vanessa. He said. The teacher faced turned too worried.
Are you looking for Vanessa Hart? the teacher? asked. Billy nodded.
Yes. I am, she is my daughter.
You know where her mother is? the teacher asked.
Yes, she is at home. She hurt her back, she is in bed, why? Billy was starting to get nervous too. The teacher looked at the police officer. Then back to Billy.
She is missing. We dont know where is she. I havent seen her since lunch, so I came to look for her by myself, then I called the police.
Why you didnt called her mother first?
I thought she was around, I dont know maybe she went out of the school. She likes to do that. The police is looking for her already
You should have called us. Damn it!
This is kindergarden, you cann't talk that way! the teacher yelled.
You are the most irresponsible teacher I have ever seen! Billy yelled back. Im sorry. Is just that I just found out that Vanessa was my daughter, and I loosed her already.
Is not your fault. The baby... Im sorry for saying this, but I think the baby was kidnapped. If she has done this before she must know the way back to the school. The policeman said.
O.K. I will go for her mother and I will talk to her and bring her here. Maybe we can talk to the babies or something.
I think it is fair the teacher said.
I think you shouldnt do it, but I understand her mother will want to come here.
OK Ill get her. Billy muttered and walked to his car. There he found a note:
I got your daughter, if you want her, leave her mother