Family Ties

Part 61

"Where's your Papa, little one? Raymond asked Skye who was running around with his friends in the courtyard garden.

"He's gone to pick up something for Gillie," Nanny informed him from where she was sitting watching the group playing.

"Are you sure that you're okay with all of them?" He looked uncertainly at her.

"Don't worry Mr. Jack, we're old friends. There's nothing they can do that I can't handle."She grinned, setting him at ease.

"Okay, well, I'm off to the restaurant then." He waived as he left the house smiling.

His life couldn't be better than it was at this point. He had his perfect family and the perfect person to love. He'd made peace with the fact that his parents were awful people who preferred greed over anything else. It was the callous way they'd used him, then made it feel like it was his fault that made him realise that he wanted nothing to do with them and if their paths never crossed, then he would have the perfect life.

Walking through the doors of Asuka's bakery, it seemed as busy as usual with the low chatter of customers. He immediately grabbed an apron and started helping at the cash register. Before long a line had started outside, with the patrons being in no hurry to end their conversations with him.

"Excuse me, I just need to borrow him for a while." Asuka came out and grabbed him by the arm, apologising to another fainting teenager.

"I love that you've come back to work, but you're causing a bit of a traffic jam in there. Less talking and more selling." She chastised him, with a light punch to the arm.

"So, why are you here? I thought everything was going smoothly with the dad."

"It is. I'm as happy as a pig in shit..."

"I didn't need that, but go on." She commented dryly.

"I suppose I better tell you everything from the start then." He pulled her to a free table in the restaurant section, starting the craziest stories of his life. If he wasn't so sure that Raymond had his facts straight, he would have never been able to believe it himself. He watched as Asuka's eyes widened in surprise and shock.

"God, they're evil, aren't they!" She spat. "What are you going to do now?" She reached over and grabbed his hand lightly.

"Well, that's why I'm here actually. I'm going to take a break from my job at Dealer's, I'm sure the board will handle the rest until I'm ready to go back, meaning that I'll be unemployed for a while. Do you think I could maybe come and work here while I sort things out?"

"Work here?" She looked at him in surprise. "Jack, you've got enough money to retire for the rest of your life, why do you want to work here when you could do a million things that would make you more money in less time?"

"I need a break from all the shit that's been happening and want to do something completely different. And, I'm very popular at the bakery, come on, what do you say?"

"You can work here any time you want, but don't think you're going to get a better salary than anyone else." She snorted, giving him a hug. "You're going to be okay Jack, you've got a whole bunch of people in your corner."

"Thanks, Asuka, you're a real pal. I'll start next week then. Just need to clear out my office and burn all my suits." He laughed, before heading back to the shop to finish his shift.

By the time he got home, he was bushed. He had forgotten what it was like standing on your feet the whole day.

"I'm home!" He called as soon as he entered the front door. Skye came shooting around the corner to greet him. "Hey little one, how was your day?"

Skye needed no further invitation to give a play-by-play rundown of his day, dragging him to the living room. Flopping down on the couch, he pulled Skye closer.

"Have you started your homework already? It's due next week." He asked the all-important question that would delay him from crashing after a hard day at the bakery.

"Not yet. Papa is only coming back later, so maybe you can help me a bit."

Groaning inwardly, he rolled himself off the couch and once Skye had gotten on his back, he crawled to his bedroom to try and make a dent in his homework. Forty minutes later he closed the books, his brain unable to function any further.

"What are you learning in school if you get this much homework?" He couldn't remember having to do this much work each day. Not waiting for a response, he got up.

"Come on, time for a bath, then we can have dinner, and since Papa isn't here, we can watch a movie!" Skye's excitement was palpable, as he rushed through bathing and eating to flop down on the couch, ready to start.

"Come on Pappie!" He called impatiently.

--

Raymond found them asleep in each other's arms, the TV still on. Turning it off, he didn't have the heart to wake them up. Throwing a comforter over them, he sat and watched as they happily lay in each other's arms, his heart swelling with love.

Was he really going to go head-to-head with Jackson's mother? Should he tell him? He said he didn't want anything to do with them, so he shouldn't feel any guilt, right?

It was all a mangled mess that he was in, but he had to move forward if his plan is to succeed. With a sigh, he kissed both and turned in for the night.