Struggle For Control

“Mort, would it be a problem to get a towel?” Alex
as

Mort looked
at her a bit strangely. “Are you a
messy eater?”

Alex laughed.
“No, I want to put Julia’s seat on the chair and I don’t want to scratch
the finish.”

An image flashed in Mort’s mind.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He saw his cabin – the word “SHOOTER”
scratched into every wooden surface that existed. He closed his eyes and forced it away. “A…a few scratches won’t hurt anything.”

“Well, it’ll bother me if I do it,” Alex said
sweetly. “I can get one if…”

&s]> 

“No, you’re my guest. I’ll be right back.” Mort
left rather quickly, disappearing from Alex’s sight. What was I seeing?

My work.
I’m coming back, Mr. Rainey. And
the pretty girl at your table knows it.

“Out,” Mort whispered. “Out, out, out. She
doesn’t know anything about you. I
don’t know how you’re in my head, but you’re not here.”

You seem to have my hat again, Mr. Rainey.

“No, I burnt it.”

Are you sure about that?

“Yes!”

“Mort?” Alex’s voice floated from the dining room.

“Uh, yeah?”

“You O.K.?”

He forced a laugh.
“Uh huh. I just got a bit too
excited about having clean towels. I,
um, well, I thought I was going to have to do laundry tonight, but I don’t.”

“That can be…a nice feeling,” Alex said, not fully
believing him.

Mort returned to the dining room, towel in
hand. “Downy fresh,” he laughed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Immediately, Alex was relaxed again.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Mort helped to get Julia settled, then began
to bring food in from the kitchen.

“Let me help,” Alex insisted, when he returned with
a covered bowl.

Mort kissed the top of Alex’s head
affectionately. “You are to do nothing
but relax.” He went back into the
kitchen and Alex blushed. He came back
with another covered dish and two serving spoons. “It’s been a long time since I cooked for anyone besides myself.”

“Well, it smells yummy.” Oh, God, I said yummy!
Alex lowered her eyes. “Can we
pretend I didn’t say that?”

Mort smiled.
“You’ve been feeding a baby for nine months, I’m sure it’s the
vocabulary that you’re used to using.”

“Yeah, but…”
Alex shook her head. “Between
Julia and twenty three first graders, I sometimes forget how to talk to
adults.”

Mort winked.
“Well, if it bothers you that much, it’s forgotten.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He uncovered the bowls on the table and
looked at Alex a bit unsurely. “So,
this is my famous chicken stir fry.”

“Famous, hm?”

“Oh, yeah,” Mort laughed. “I’ve yet to ruin it, unlike so many disastrous Rainey creations
that have filled the kitchen with…unpleasant aromas.” Mort uncovered the second bowl, which was filled with rice.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Believe it or not, I have been known to
ruin Minute Rice – I think I got lucky with it today.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Alex laughed and Mort began to dish out the
dinner. “Not the most gourmet meal,
but…”

“It’s fine – and I’m sure it’s going to be
wonderful. You know, you don’t have to
worry about impressing me.”

“Oh no?” He asked, an eyebrow raised.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He looked thoughtful for a moment.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Have women changed drastically in the last
couple of years?” He smiled.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Or am I just a lost cause and this is a
pity dinner?”

Alex shook her head. “Neither.” She locked her
eyes with his. She sighed.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “I’m going to regret admitting this, but at
this point you could feed me burnt rubber and it wouldn’t make much of a
difference.”

Mort wrinkled his nose, causing his glasses to slide
down ever so slightly. “Um…”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He waved his hand as if trying to pull a
reply from the air. “I’m not quite sure
how to take that.”

“It’s a good thing,” she smiled.

“Ah, well,” he laughed. “Yay for me then.” Alex
looked surprised by his word choice.
“Never said there wasn’t a bit of a kid left in me.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> We’ve been out of touch for a while, but
he’s still th”

See how comfortable you are?style="mso-spacerun: yes"> This is going better than either of us could
have hoped. I know Shooter came around,
but your confidence with her is making him weaker.

R…really?

You’re doing fine – keep it up.

The two began to eat – Alex fed Julia at the same
time, alternating a bite of Mort’s for her, and a bite the food she brought
with her for her daughter. Mort
couldn’t help but let the scene burn into his mind. Amazingly to him, he didn’t wonder what his child could have been
like – instead he wondered if he’d ever have the chance, in his new life, to
have a child. The past mistakes didn’t
matter anymore, that child wasn’t meant to be.
Could I be a father?

Suddenly, everything seems much more possible
than before. Mort smiled.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Glad you’re seeing the light.

You’ve changed your tune about my life quite a
bit, haven’t you?

Only since you met her.

Mort snapped himself out of his inner dialogue.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “She’s a good little eater.”

Alex laughed.
“After several bouts of being covered in her food, she realized that
eating it was far better than wearing it and having to have a bath.”style="mso-spacerun: yes"> After taking another bite of her own meal,
she said, “By the way, your meal’s a hit.”

Mort swallowed what he was chewing.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Oh yeah?”
Alex nodded. “Glad you think so,
because I was thinking of introducing a frequent diner’s incentive program – to
be used at the diner’s leisure, of course.”

“Will you deliver?” Alex asked, giggling.

“Hm…possibility.
For the right client, that is.”

After all the tension that both of them had
struggled with about the previous night, neither Mort nor Alex could believe
how at ease they were. Both were soon
full and Mort insisted that the dishes would wait until after she left.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Alex attempted to protest, but Mort won out
in the end. They went into the living
room; Alex changed Julia, then Mort found himself asking if he could hold her.

Alex smiled.
“Sure.” She handed her now sleepy
daughter to Mort, whose eyes brightened.
“She’s tired, so don’t be surprised if she gets a bit cranky with you.”

Mort looked down into Julia’s eyes, they did look a
bit groggy, but not cranky. “Is she
getting close to walking?”

“She’s still trying to master standing, but it’s
coming along. Her doctor says every
baby’s different.” Mort seemed
satisfied with the answer and went back to studying Julia.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He bent his head down a little closer to him
and she reached for his glasses, pulling them roughly from his face.

“Oo, sorry, she’s grabby.”

Mort laughed.
“No problem.” He smiled at
Julia. “You’re just curious, aren’t
you?”

“You’re brave,” Alex said, resting her chin on her
hand. “Usually her uncle puts her down
after that.”

“Well, she can’t help it,” Mort said softly.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> He watched as her eyes began to close.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> “Anyway, I think the triumph of stealing my glasses
was a big enough victory to tire her out completely.” He looked back up at Alex.
“Should you be going?”

“Only if you want me to.”

“Well, um, is it her bedtime?”

“She’s a good sleeper – she can conk out anywhere.style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Could we put her in your room for a while?”

“On the bed?
You can do that?”

Alex laughed.
“Yeah, you can do that.”

“And you’ll stay a while?”

“Mm hm.”

Mort gently stood up, Julia still asleep in his
arms. “Welcome to Hotel Rainey,” he
chuckled.

***

Author’s Note:style="mso-spacerun: yes"> Well, would you look at that – a chapter
that’s not wimpishly short! Heehee…style="mso-spacerun: yes"> O.K., put aside the fact that Mort had a
bout of murdering and picture him with a baby – Awww! If it was too cheesy for your liking, I apologize (but I think
everyone can appreciate some cheesy goodness now and then).