morrobay1990

Title: A Day in the Life / December 23
Author:

morrobay1990
Warning:
Genre: canon/1990
Word count: 650
Disclaimer: They are AP's
♥ Jack

Inspiration: kj

Catalog castle

He didn’t have much time, and he didn’t know how to do it.

Last night Junior had told him that Meg wanted a princess castle for Christmas, but there was no money in their budget for a store-bought one, so he decided to make one for her.

Early Sunday, since the stores were open extra early and extra late for the last-minute holiday shoppers, he drove to Sears on North Federal Boulevard, right past Boot Barn...made his way to the appliance department and asked the guy showing the new Whirlpools if he could have, not a washing machine, but a box that one of them came in.

The guy said nothing, but gave him an odd look until Ennis explained what he wanted it for, then the guy went in back and found the least damaged box, and motioned Ennis to follow him as he went over to the gift wrap station and asked for the biggest red bow they had, which was donated with a smile from the woman creating gorgeously wrapped packages that would be placed under Christmas trees all over town. Ennis, touched at their thoughtfulness, thanked them and wished them a Merry Christmas.

When he got the box home and wrestled it into the tiny trailer, Chief jumped up from his nap barking and growling at the giant brown thing that obviously didn’t belong in his house...quieted down when Ennis told him to, but still eyed it suspiciously.

Ennis sat at the kitchen table with a cup of coffee and stared at the box, trying to see past its reality and imagine what a “princess castle” would look like, then remembered the picture Junior had torn out of a catalog, went and got it out of his coat pocket.

He could cut out windows, the top of the castle walls and the entrance...but didn’t think he’d have time to paint it...he shook his head – he’d never attempted anything like this before, hoped it turned out half-decent. Junior said just get it to the house on Christmas Eve and she would do the finishing touches.

He started by cutting the top off the box...then using tape measure and pencil he marked windows and the door, and the cutouts on top of the walls – he didn’t know what they were called on a castle - then he measured and cut and measured again...constantly going back to look at the catalog picture, trying to get it just right.

Pretty soon he saw it was starting to come together…he was astonished at how much it looked like a castle, at least in shape, but not in color or decoration. He decided to go to the hardware store and see how much pink paint would cost…it wouldn’t be gray like the picture...for Meg it should be pink and white.

When it was all cut out and painted, he sat and looked at it, sort of surprised that he had done such a good job. It wasn’t as big as the catalog one, not near to perfect, but he knew his little Meg, and he knew she would love it.

With Ben it was easy…horses were second nature to Ennis, it was simple to share that part of his life with the kid. This was different.

When Junior and Jenny were little, Alma had taken care of everything related to presents, both at birthdays and Christmas...Ennis just signed the cards and gift tags Love Daddy...it was his ex-wife who had made their dreams of dolls and toys, stuffed animals and clothes, a reality.

He got up to get a beer and thought back over the holidays he’d shared with his family…he wanted to be there for his grandkids like he hadn’t been for his own girls, the relentless pull towards Jack being unstoppable.

He sighed, feeling the regret of his choices...but he knew they hadn’t really been choices at all.

Ennis's castle