Lawyer, Lawyer

Turn That Frown Upside Down

Early that next year... 

An audience of two family members were present to celebrate young Elaine's first birthday - a first birthday spent without her father. Jennifer squat down beside her daughter at the dinner table and blew out the candles for her daughter, her mother and grandfather applauded the infant before two even slices of cake were distributed. Jennifer sat down beside her daughter and ate her cake in her depressed state. 

"Jenny, darlin'. You haven't touched your cake," said Morris. "Not hungry for cake? It's your favourite, too." 

"I'm not hungry, dad." Jennifer sighed and pushed the plate away. 

"Not hungry? Since when have you ever passed up a mango meringue cake?" 

"Since (Y/n/n), dad." 

"Oh, I know that. I'm not senile. I'm just trying to make small talk." 

Silence fell on them when Jennifer heard her father let out a single chuckle. She inquired about what he found so amusing when he made his explanation of how the birthday of the infant daughter made him recollect the happy times they spent together as a family when Jennifer's mother was still alive. The mention made the green-haired woman shed a tear of happiness. 

"I miss her so much," wept Morris. "You would not believe how painful the past couple decades have been without your mother." 

Jennifer reached over and placed her hand on top of her father's and rubbed his knuckle with her thumb. With her free hand, Jennifer began to consume the cake to which her daughter smiled and giggled, to Jennifer's delight. The father and daughter watched at Elaine looked back at her bowl of baby food and waved her right hand to the spoon. 

Elaine firmly grabbed the metal cutlery and smacked her food with it to the glee of her mother and grandfather. What came as a surprise was when Elaine was able to get a sizable portion of baby food on her spoon and opened her mouth wide as she fed herself. In jubilation, Jennifer stole her daughter from her seat and gave her a hug as well as her face peppered with kisses. 

"Your papa would be so proud of you, munchkin." Jennifer cooed and wiggled noses with her daughter. 

After a while, Jennifer put her daughter to bed before she suddenly felt tired herself. Morris took notice of this and followed his daughter to her room and stood at the door as he watched herself tuck herself in lazily with the bedsheet halfway down her body. Smiling to himself, Morris crept over and pulled the bedsheet up and gave his daughter a kiss on her temple when she suddenly latched onto his forearm. 

"Mm... ohh, (Y/n/n)..." Jennifer mumbled to herself. 

It took some effort for Morris to pry himself free before he made himself absent from the room and sat himself on the couch and began to watch football to entertain himself until slumber. 

Birds chirped and the sun broke through the curtains, brightening the living room and the kitchen as the sound of car engines running awoke the sixty-three year-old. Finding that that was the best sleep he had in ages, Morris let out a big yawn and stretched before getting up. When he realised that he managed to sleep through the night, he made his way to the kitchen. 

There, he made himself a cup of coffee to start his morning as he stared out the kitchen window at the backyard and the sky in the distance. There were broken clouds but the sun was shining nonetheless. Despite getting old with his chances of going deaf increasing, Morris heard a bedroom door click open. Craning his head, Morris smiled warmly at the pair who'd woken up. 

"Mornin'." Morris greeted and tipped an imaginary hat. 

Yennifer yawned. "Good morning." 

"And good mornin' to you, too, little miss."