still cared about her.
"And here you offer me my long lost daughter. She's very important to me now. Knowing her will make me feel whole again. It's kind of you, giving me a second chance after what I did."
It took Michael a few seconds to sort through the erratic flow of mixed emotions. "I was waiting on the sidelines, waiting for you to straighten up, and for Jennifer to be old enough to understand," he explained. "She's a tough little lady. I think you'll like her. I love her very much... She's been an anchor in my life for the past ten years. I've known some hard times, too... You know my problem. I've been pretty good recently, though."
Suddenly, Michael felt Jennifer's presence. How long had she been standing there? The girl had guessed who was calling and she could hardly contain her exhilaration. She looked ready to burst. It made Michael grin. "There's someone here who's dying to talk to you, Tori. Are you ready for this?"
"Oh my God! Jennifer is there? Yes, yes of course. What do I tell her?" Tori’s precipitated speech betrayed traces of panic.
Michael handed the receiver to Jennifer. "Would you like to say something to your mother, Jen?"
Jen’s eyes opened wide. "So, it is my mother? What do I say?"
"Whatever you want, you always know what to say when you talk to your friends, same thing." He smiled at her confusion.
"Hello... Yeah, this is Jennifer." Michael observed a little tension around his daughter's mouth at first. Suddenly, the green eyes smiled, and the child's face filled with pleasure as she listened. When Jennifer turned to look at her father, her eyes said, "Incredible, I do have a mother."
Michael gently probed into his daughter's thoughts, like Amrah had been teaching him for the past few days. He could read happiness and gratitude. The quality of their psychic contacts had improved greatly. Michael now felt comfortable with the idea of parting from her since he could contact her mind and respond at the slightest threat. Soon, Amrah promised, Michael could even materialize anywhere, if needed, to help or protect her.
Jennifer, voluble as ever, gaily spoke of new clothes, hairstyles, and fun things to do with her newly found mother.
Before hanging up, Michael confirmed the flight number and arrival time with Tori who would meet Jennifer at the airport in Paris. He worried about the little girl traveling by herself, but it was for the best. Paris was a good place to hide someone.
*****
Philadelphia International Airport resembled any other, but Michael had never been there. He checked in Jennifer's bag, had her passport approved, then found the boarding gate to the Continental flight. It was crowded. European businessmen with dark suits and attaché-cases, nice-smelling ladies, and skinny young men in casual attire spoke a foreign language he assumed was French.
After father and daughter waited at the gate a short time, a blonde flight attendant met them and introduced herself. The young woman flashed a friendly smile accentuated by red lipstick, assuring Michael his daughter would be in good hands, cared for, watched over, and delivered safely into her mother's custody as soon as they arrived.
"Well, kid, this is it." Michael found it hard to speak. "You have a good time with your mother. And remember, anything goes wrong, anything at all, you can contact me the way we practiced, okay? You have my mobile phone number. You'll be fine." As he uttered the words, Michael realized it was himself he tried to reassure.
He picked Jennifer up in a hug. "I love you, Jen," he said softly.
"I love you too, Dad."
The child's eyes glistened as Michael lowered her to eye level. "Send me some postcards at Dave's address." He cleared his throat.
Jennifer nodded as he set her on her feet. "Bye, Dad." She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Say hi to your mother for me, will you? Bye, kid." Michael straightened up, gave the hand-carry to the blonde attendant and braced himself to
"And here you offer me my long lost daughter. She's very important to me now. Knowing her will make me feel whole again. It's kind of you, giving me a second chance after what I did."
It took Michael a few seconds to sort through the erratic flow of mixed emotions. "I was waiting on the sidelines, waiting for you to straighten up, and for Jennifer to be old enough to understand," he explained. "She's a tough little lady. I think you'll like her. I love her very much... She's been an anchor in my life for the past ten years. I've known some hard times, too... You know my problem. I've been pretty good recently, though."
Suddenly, Michael felt Jennifer's presence. How long had she been standing there? The girl had guessed who was calling and she could hardly contain her exhilaration. She looked ready to burst. It made Michael grin. "There's someone here who's dying to talk to you, Tori. Are you ready for this?"
"Oh my God! Jennifer is there? Yes, yes of course. What do I tell her?" Tori’s precipitated speech betrayed traces of panic.
Michael handed the receiver to Jennifer. "Would you like to say something to your mother, Jen?"
Jen’s eyes opened wide. "So, it is my mother? What do I say?"
"Whatever you want, you always know what to say when you talk to your friends, same thing." He smiled at her confusion.
"Hello... Yeah, this is Jennifer." Michael observed a little tension around his daughter's mouth at first. Suddenly, the green eyes smiled, and the child's face filled with pleasure as she listened. When Jennifer turned to look at her father, her eyes said, "Incredible, I do have a mother."
Michael gently probed into his daughter's thoughts, like Amrah had been teaching him for the past few days. He could read happiness and gratitude. The quality of their psychic contacts had improved greatly. Michael now felt comfortable with the idea of parting from her since he could contact her mind and respond at the slightest threat. Soon, Amrah promised, Michael could even materialize anywhere, if needed, to help or protect her.
Jennifer, voluble as ever, gaily spoke of new clothes, hairstyles, and fun things to do with her newly found mother.
Before hanging up, Michael confirmed the flight number and arrival time with Tori who would meet Jennifer at the airport in Paris. He worried about the little girl traveling by herself, but it was for the best. Paris was a good place to hide someone.
*****
Philadelphia International Airport resembled any other, but Michael had never been there. He checked in Jennifer's bag, had her passport approved, then found the boarding gate to the Continental flight. It was crowded. European businessmen with dark suits and attaché-cases, nice-smelling ladies, and skinny young men in casual attire spoke a foreign language he assumed was French.
After father and daughter waited at the gate a short time, a blonde flight attendant met them and introduced herself. The young woman flashed a friendly smile accentuated by red lipstick, assuring Michael his daughter would be in good hands, cared for, watched over, and delivered safely into her mother's custody as soon as they arrived.
"Well, kid, this is it." Michael found it hard to speak. "You have a good time with your mother. And remember, anything goes wrong, anything at all, you can contact me the way we practiced, okay? You have my mobile phone number. You'll be fine." As he uttered the words, Michael realized it was himself he tried to reassure.
He picked Jennifer up in a hug. "I love you, Jen," he said softly.
"I love you too, Dad."
The child's eyes glistened as Michael lowered her to eye level. "Send me some postcards at Dave's address." He cleared his throat.
Jennifer nodded as he set her on her feet. "Bye, Dad." She gave him another hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Say hi to your mother for me, will you? Bye, kid." Michael straightened up, gave the hand-carry to the blonde attendant and braced himself to
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