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"Daddy, can I have a bedtime story?"
Looking up from the tiny laundry in his hands Mike spotted his four year old daughter out of bed, a pair of perfect little feet sticking out from beneath her frilly pink nightgown. Smiling at her he stood up from his seat on the couch and scooped her up, tossing her in the air before catching her and squeezing tightly.
"You should have been asleep hours ago. Mommy would kill me if she knew you were still up." He jokingly growled into her neck causing her to let out a squealing laugh.
Pulling away she looked him in the eye, and voice turning serious she pointed out, "But Mommy was still playing."
Trying to hold back a chuckle he nodded as they headed towards her bedroom. "True, but it's way past your bedtime Jackie."
Ginny was in Chicago playing the Cubs and the game ran long. True to their tradition Mike and their daughter watched it together the pair cheering on their favorite player and booing when Levian made the wrong calls.
Entering her room he flicked on the light and headed for the small four-poster bed. The small piece had a purple velvet canopy and drapes held back by gold tassels. The other furniture was similarly designed, whimsical and very girly.
Setting her on the bed he pulled up the covers and tucked them in around her tightly just how she liked. He then set to work replacing her menagerie of stuffed animals back around her. Like any child she had tons of the plush toys, however she also had a baseball team's worth of 'uncles" who did all they could to spoil her rotten. Turning to the bookshelf beside the bed he perused the tittles questioning, "Ok munchkin, which one do you want me to read? Moana or Merida? Elsa and Ana? Maybe even shake things up with Corduroy? " He wiggled his eyebrows holding up the book.
Shaking her head she declared, "No I want a story about a girl knight, like Kel. Some one who has adventures like Princess Cimorene."
Smiling he silently thanks Blips sons for introducing Jackie to "unconventional" princesses and female figures. The boys as pre-teens, though wrapped around the little girl's finger, could only stand so many tea parties and versions of 'save the princess' so they had read her "The Protector of the Small" series about Keladry, a girl who wanted to be a knight as well as "The Enchanted Forest Chronicles" which detailed Princess Cimorene's escapades while trying to avoid an arranged marriage. Jackie had been inspired and latched on to similar characters wholeheartedly.
Nodding he pulled up the small stool from his daughter's vanity and sat down beginning, "Ok. Once upon a time there was a strong beautiful princess named Jaqueline-"
"No daddy!" She interrupted. "I want a story about Mommy."
"Ok." He assured raising his hands in acquiescence. Watching her settle in further his eyes drifted to her pillow. While she had traditional pillowcases to make up her bed, Jackie insisted that when it was time to lay down her head, no pillow could replace Galahad. When Mike had bought the horse years ago for Ginny while she was in the hospital for her infamous shoulder injury the nearly two foot long stuffed toy had seemed the perfect size, compared to his daughter though, Galahad seemed big enough to ride.
The night Jackie was born Ginny insisted that Galahad was coming along. After all she claimed, their daughter would one day be in need of their trusty steed so he should know her from the beginning. And so now, years later after a lot of love and 'adventures' Gal was a little grey in spots, his mane had thinned and his hooves were threadbare. But his eyes still glistened untouched by wear.
Beginning again Mike said, "Once upon a time there was a young woman named Genevieve, but everyone called her Ginny. And all she ever wanted was to be a knight."
"Now in the kingdom there was no law forbidding women from becoming knights, but few could pass the final tests and thus enter the fold of the kingdom's warriors. And not many of the orders were willing to call upon a Lady Knight to join their ranks. However, one order was brave enough, or perhaps crazy enough to do so. They called themselves The Soldiers of the Seraphim. But they were more commonly known as The Padres."
"Were they good knights?" Jackie ask, her hazel eyes bright with interest.
Smirking he assured, "The best. They were the bravest, strongest knights in all the kingdom. And they were led by Alfonso Luongo, a legendary figure, he had won countless tourneys and multiple battles. But the greatest among them was Sir Michael, the Marshal of the order, he was beloved by all. Especially the ladies of the court."
"Daddy!" She laughed rolling her eyes and crossing her arms over her chest.
The act was all Ginny and it momentarily stole his breath to see it. Jackie was nearly all Ginny miniaturized, the two striking features she had inherited from him were his chin and his eyes, the hazel somehow winning out over Ginny's dark brown. Blip had remarked upon her birth that many a heart would be broken over those eyes.
"It's true." He insisted smirking. "Even Ginny had a tapestry of the famous knight in her bedroom growing up."
Without his daughter's interruption he continued, "Now throughout the land many orders of knights participated in tourneys to prove which was best, and though the knights within the Padres order were courageous and chivalrous, they won few of these events. They had heard of Lady Ginny's renown and hoped that it would bolster their ranks and bring more victories and glory to their names."
"Did it?"
"No." He told her flatly. "The inexperienced knight cracked under the pressure and lost her nerve during her first tourney, pulling out by her fifth event. Sir Michael was certain they had made a mistake in allowing a female to enter into the knighthood. But one night, while visiting a tavern his fellow soldier and brother in arms Sir Blithe reminded the Marshal that he was no longer a young warrior and that Ginny may be his last chance to leave a lasting legacy. And so he trained with her personally, grew to know her strengths and weaknesses and between them a seemingly unshakeable bond was formed."
"And they won lots of tourneys?"
"You bet they did." He assured proudly. "But sometimes its not just about winning. You see, the Padres, after years of loosing seasons were tight on funds with which to pay their knights, their staff, buy horses and weapons and such. And so they made a decision, to trade their most loyal knight, Sir Michael, to a group of knights called The Order of the Bear."
"But Lady Ginny wouldn't let them would she? She wouldn't loose her friend." Jackie insisted her little mouth turning down.
Smiling sadly he revealed, "There was little she could do. The decision came from the Master and Commander. The Order of the Bear was willing to trade three young able bodied knights for one battle-hardened, yet worn down officer. Not to mention there were many who favored the Order to win the Grand Tourney, the greatest of them all. Wishing to bid his apprentice goodbye Sir Michael invited Lady Ginny to a tavern before journeying to the new city he would now be serving. However, as they departed, feelings they had begun to develop for one another became stronger at the thought of their separation. And so, acting within the moment they leaned in, their lips a breath away from each others...when..."
Jackie pulled her blanket up over her chin but it couldn't hide her smile. She was at that stage where physical affection was as fascinating as it was revoltingly mushy.
"A servant to the Master and Commander found them and revealed that Sir Michael would not be traded. He was going to continue to serve his current city and order."
His daughters face fell for a moment but then brightened slightly exclaiming, "But that means they would still be together! They wouldn't have to be apart."
"True, but Lady Ginny had sworn an oath refusing to be courted by fellow knights, and by acknowledging their feelings, the pair had placed themselves in awkward positions. There were those who may say that Lady Ginny had only been able to become a knight simply by...befriending a high ranking officer."
"But that's not fair!" Jackie argued petulantly.
"No, its not. But Sir Michael didn't wish to ruin his friend's reputation so he buried his feelings deep, even when Lady Ginny began to be courted by a rich merchant. However, during a tourney one day the lady knight was performing a sweep of events, winning all she entered, archery, sword fighting, even jousting. Her fellow knights were impressed yet wary. Many knights who won so many events became injured in the Melee due to the exertion. Yet the fierce knight wanted to participate, she had fought long and hard for such a winning streak and she refused to let herself and fellow knights down due to superstition."
Pausing for dramatic effect he sighed warily, as if what he revealed was a burden for his character, "Unfortunately her compatriots fears were correct and Lady Ginny's arm was severely injured in the exhibition. The pain caused her to fall to the ground and be carried from the field by her fellow warriors."
In a small voice his daughter questioned, "Was she ok?"
"She was hurt pretty bad. The doctors and surgeons helped to heal her but her position as a knight was in serious question. Sir Michael felt responsible as well. His superiors had come to him, asking if she was still able to compete and he had assured them she was. He felt that it was his own arrogance, his desire to win, at possibly any cost, that caused her to become injured. That it was his fault her future as a knight was so uncertain."
"But it was an accident." Jackie insisted.
"That's true sweetheart but guilt can be a powerful emotion. People blame themselves for things beyond their control as a way to make sense of things that are impossible to make sense from."
The little girl didn't seem to understand but nodded, silently encouraging him to continue.
"Now in his guilt Sir Mikael wanted to make amends with his friend. To make sure she knew he would stand beside her no matter what. So he went to see her while she was recovering and brought with him a most spectacular gift to help cheer her up."
"A giant cake? With lots of icing?" Her eyes lit up with excitement.
Laughing at her outburst Mike ruffled her hair, "No, he brought her a great big war horse. He was strong and brave, but also loyal and even tempered. His mane and tail were as pale as moonlight and his hooves shone like silver. The Lady Knight decided to name him-"
"Galahad!" Jackie squealed, reaching back to squeeze the stuffed horse around the neck.
"Exactly. And together Lady Ginny, Sir Mikael and Galahad had many, many adventures."
"Did they live happily ever after daddy?" Jackie ask, a yawn muddling her words as she resettled the plush Galahad and lay back down.
"They lived happily. They're still working on the ever after." He smiled as he rose and placed a gentle kiss on her temple.
Mumbling sleepily Jackie wished, "Goodnight daddy. I love you."
Smiling fondly as he leaned in the doorway he echoed, "Goodnight munchkin. I love you too."
Turning out the light and closing the door part-way Mike quietly padded down the hallway and descended the stairs back down to the living room. Settling back on the couch he finished folding the laundry and just replaced it in the basket when his phone lit up, a picture of Ginny and Jackie with flowers in their hair from their vacation in Jamaica taking up the screen as the Caller ID.
Sliding his thumb over the screen to answer he quipped, "To speak to the husband of San Diego's current greatest player press one. To speak to the greatest San Diego player ever press two."
"And what should I press for world's greatest pushover dad?" Ginny challenged though her voice was light with laughter.
"What are you talking about Rookie? Jackie's fast asleep. Dinner, bath, story time, bed. Like always."
"So our four-year old is capable of doctoring video showing you yelling at Levian for calling a fastball instead of my screwgie? If so we definitely have to set boundaries now otherwise we may just be raising a cyber mad genius."
Panicking he lowered the phone and searched his apps finding the video Ginny was talking about. It had been the sixth inning and the Padres had been down five runs with no outs. Mike had walked over to the TV yelling instruction as he paced, the sound of Jackie's quiet laughter evident in the background. The video had been posted to Twitter and already had half a million views.
Switching gears he assured, "She was in bed as soon as the game ended. I swear."
"Nice save Lawson. Still doesn't remove the fact your a big pile of mush when it comes to our daughter."
"Is that so?" He challenged. "I seem to recall a certain woman who goes by the tittle of 'Mommy' caving when she just had to have that tea set from the flea market just last week."
Snorting into the receiver she bit back, "Just about every girl has owned a tea set Mike."
"Not a full service antiqued silver one!" He replied sure he had won.
"Says the man who still collects Captain America comics."
Mouth dropping open he's silent for a moment before asking, "When are you getting home? I much rather prefer arguing in person. Making up is a lot more fun too."
Laughing merrily she assured, "I'll be home tomorrow. Our flight lands at 11:30 in the morning. Think you can haul your old bones out of bed that early?"
"I most certainly can Ginny Baker-Lawson. You just be concerned about how much time you'll be spending in bed once you get home."
Ginny's laugh came through again as she bid him goodnight along with a vow of how much she missed and loved him.
"Goodnight my beloved Lady Knight." He smiled as the line went dead. "I trust the strong back and able legs of our noble steed to quicken your journey back to us."