Courtney

After Doe leaves you stay and talk with your mother for fifteen or twenty minutes until she falls asleep. You quietly leave her to her nap and walk down the stairs as the front door opens and your father and Courtney walk in. You smile at the little girl as you get to the bottom of the stairs.

“Hey, Courtney. How was your day today?”

She shrugs grinning at you, “I was okay. But Jason and Jermamy…”

Your father chuckles, “Courtney, it’s Jeremy…”

“That’s what I sayed. Jermamy. Anyway…they were teasing me. Jason kept pulling on my hair and Jermamy…”

“Jeremy.” You correct.

“Yes, him, he kept pinching me.” She says with a cute little pout.

“You know why they do that?” you ask her.

“Mommy says it bacuz they like me.”

You nod, “That’s it exactly. And they don’t know how to deal with it.”

Courtney puts her thinking face on, “So…what do I do?”

“Well, if they ever actually hurt you, you tell the teacher, otherwise, turnabout is fair play.”

Her brow furrows at the large word. “What does that mean?”

You grin, “It means pinch them, and pull their hair. But don’t hurt them, either.”

She nods at the idea, “Ohhh…momma sayed the same ting.”

Your father chuckles, “You want milk and cookies?”

Courtney’s face brightens at the prospect, “Yes! Yes yes yes! Then catoon time!” With that she rushes up to you, and hugs your leg, then proceeds into the kitchen.

You look at your father, “She’s so cute. Very cheerful.” You think back about your impression of Hank the first time you met him, “Not at all like her father. Hank was always so dour. Never knew what Doe saw in him.”

Your father looks at you, then snorts, “Right. Right. Never liked him either.”

Finally your suspicions override your caution. Everyone had been acting a little funny whenever you mention Hank as her father. “Alright, Dad. What the hell is going on?”

You father doesn’t respond for a couple seconds, then “All I will say is that the reason, the piss poor reason, in my opinion, that Hank started hitting Doe is because he is NOT her father.” With that he walks into the kitchen to get the milk and cookies for Courtney.

You stand there dumbfounded. Doe was not the type of girl to cheat on her man.

You are drawn out of your reverie as Courtney comes out, “Hey Mr. John come have cookies with me.”

You smile at her and walk into the kitchen, putting your thoughts out of your mind. Though you do make a note to ask Doe about that.