Upgrades

"Yes, just two days ago, as a matter of fact. The school had an open house so we got to see her classroom and meet her teacher. Rain? Do you remember your teacher's name?"

"Ms. Tin-man?" she asked not sure how to pronounce it.

"Close. Ms. Tiannaman. Can you say 'Tiannaman'?" Rain repeated and Rachel said, "Very nice."

"She's really pretty," Rain said. "Just like my mommy."

"You're mommy is very pretty," Rodgers chimed in looking at the little girl in the rearview mirror. He could see her getting ready to say something so he quickly added, "Yeah, I know. I'm...funny looking."

Rain started laughing again and Rachel told him, "I haven't heard her laugh this much since before the breakup." She looked at Rodgers and said, "I think she likes you—funny looks and all."

"Not you, too!" he said pretending to be hurt.

Rachel laughed politely and said, "There's nothing funny about the way you look. Trust me."

"So how long have you worked at the cable store?"

"Just over a year," she said. "It's far from ideal, but it pays the bills. How about you? How long have you been a doctor?"

"Well, I graduated from medical school five years ago, then did three years of family practice residency, so I've been at the clinic for right at two years now."

"I'm guessing you must enjoy it?" she said in the form of a question.

"I really do. I thought about several other specialities, but family practice just fits my lifestyle. Or at least the life I hope to have one day. I want to be able to go home at night and spend time with my wife and children and not be called in to do surgery or consult on some condition or accident."

"I have a family," she said as she smiled at Rain, "but it's missing a very important part. As I alluded to, we haven't had much luck in that department. I had Rain when I was 20 and dropped out of college after two years." She spoke very quietly saying, "Her father not only doesn't pay child support, he only sees her a couple of times a year. He's not a terrible person, but he is terribly addicted to drugs. I'm not exactly sure which ones at this exact moment in time, but he is definitely an addict and that leaves no time or money to help raise a daughter."

"I'm in no position to judge, but for me personally? If I had a beautiful little girl like that, I'd want to see her every day. In fact, were I her father, I'd have never let you get away."

Rachel smiled then said, "He was already pretty seriously into drugs at the time, so after I got pregnant, I told him to get sober or get out. He liked cocaine—a lot—so for him, it was an easy choice." She smiled at Rodgers then said, "He was very good-looking, too."

"Oh, so in other words, another funny-looking guy. I see. I'm starting to figure out the kind of guys you go for."

Rachel made a face and said, "I hope to God you're not the kind of guy I normally go for or this will probably our first and last date." She finally laughed a bit then asked, "You don't do drugs do you?"

"Nope. Never. Well, I did inhale twice in college but that's it."

Rachel laughed at the dig on the former president who boldly claimed he hadn't inhaled which no one believed.

"You don't secretly wear women's clothes do you?"

"Um...only on Saturday nights but never before midnight," he teased.

Rachel again laughed politely. "Okay, well, if you don't cheat, then you're my kind of guy."

Rodgers pulled into the strip mall where the Subway closest to the cable store was located and said, "I can guarantee you, that will never happen, so it looks like I might just be your kind of guy."

"Okay. I guess we'll see then," she said smiling coyly at him as he went around to open her door before doing the same for Rain.

Rain wanted a kid's meal consisting of a 3" turkey on white with apple slices and a container of milk. "Very healthy choice," Rodgers told him.

"And milk makes us strong," she informed him as they took their food to a table.

"You're very smart," he told her. "Do you really even need to go to school?"

"Well...I don't know everything," Rain told him as she chomped on a slice of apple.

"Oh, okay. So when you don't know something, you can just ask your mom, right?"

"Uh-huh. My mommy knows everything."

"Not everything," Rachel said. She leaned toward Rodgers and said quietly, "Otherwise I wouldn't have gotten involved with a drug addict or a serial cheater."

Rodgers smiled and leaned toward her. "Oh, yeah? You think that's bad? How about my lawyer-girlfriend I find in bed with a guy in my house who tells me I can cheat, too. In fact, I can bring those women home to her and all three of us can fool around."

"No way!" Rachel said. "Are you serious?"

"Absolutely serious," he told her. "She basically told me monogamy was overrated. Call me old-fashioned, but I like monogamy."

"Wow. You know what? Somehow I feel a whole lot better now," Rachel said trying not to smile.

"Oh, I see. You're one of those people who takes pleasure in other people's pain. I guess I'm the one who needs to keep an eye on you," he told her pretending to be deeply offended.

"I think I like the sound of that," she said stealing his line.

By seven o'clock they were enjoying their ice cream when Rodgers asked, "So what was your major in college when you attended?"

"I never quite got that far," she told him. "I was taking general studies courses trying to figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up." She looked at Rain and said, "I guess the universe had different plans for me. Plans I wouldn't change for anything." She looked at Rodgers then said, "We're not exactly well matched in that arena—education. You're an MD and I'm a...dropout."

When Rachel lowered her head, Rodgers reached for her hand. She let him take it but didn't look up. "You're an amazing mother. That's what you are. And you have values I share." He waited for her to look at him before going on. "I was telling my best friend, Bobby—I think you'd like him in spite of his being a lawyer." Rachel laughed and Rodgers kept talking. "I was telling him how I've always tried to play by the rules by, you know, dating women with professional degrees, women from certain families, etc. He essentially told me I should try looking for someone with the right values rather than the right degrees."

"I finished two years of college but didn't even get an associate's degree, so I hope that means my values are good enough for to hold your interest."

Rodgers' fingers were touching hers as he said, "So far, I like every single thing I know about you, Rachel." He looked over at Rain who was pretty much a chocolate mess then said, "Everything."

"Oh, my goodness! Did you get any ice cream inside your mouth, honey?" Rachel asked as she grabbed some napkins to start in on the clean up operation.

Not understanding the sarcasm, her daughter answered truthfully. "Yes, I did! Chock-lut is SO yummy!"

"I'm glad I didn't put her in a dress," Rachel said as she dabbed and wiped then waited for her daughter to finish so she could do the same thing again.

"Sorry about the mess," she said to Rodgers.

"Are you kidding? I've had more fun just watching her tonight than I've had in a very long time. She's absolutely adorable."

"My mommy tells me that all the time!" Rain said as she chomped on the last bit of the cone. Her hands and face were once again a complete mess of sticky goo and Rachel said she was going to take her into the restroom to wash her off.

When they came back out, her hands and face were clean, but her shirt and shorts were a different story. "I spilled just a little bit of my ice cream," Rain said using her thumb and index finger to quantify the 'tiny' amount she had in mind.

"That's okay," Rodgers said. "That's why God made napkins."

"He did?" Rain said with genuine surprise.

"Uh-oh," he said looking at Rachel. "I think I just stepped in a trap of my own making."

She held her hands up and said, "You're on your own, Doctor. I'm not touching that one."

Before Rodgers could answer, Rain grabbed his hand which was really just one finger. "Can you read me a bedtime story tonight, Doctor Rodgers?" she asked as they walked outside.

"Oh, I don't know about that, sweetie. Your mom is probably pretty tired of me already."

"No, she's not. She likes you. So do I. You can read me Green Eggs and Ham if you want to. That's my favorite."

"So does this mean you want to go to bed when we get home?" Rachel asked her.

"No! I don't wanna go to bed. It's not even dark. I wanna show Doctor Rodgers all my toys." She pulled on his finger and said, "I'll let you play with them," hoping that would convince him.

"That's up to your mom, sweetie. I should probably get going back to my house."

"Why? Do you have a little girl, too?" she asked sincerely.

"No, no little girl. Not even a dog or a cat."

"Don't you get lonely sometimes?" she asked as he picked her up to put her in her car seat.

"Sometimes," he told her honestly.

"Then stay and play toys with me so you won't be lonely."

Rodgers looked at Rachel who said, "Don't feel obligated, okay?"

"I don't," he told her as he buckled Rain in. "But I wouldn't mind staying. If that's okay with you, of course."

Before Rachel could respond Rain began clapping and called out, "Yeah! You get to stay and play with me!"

He helped Rachel get in then drove them back to her apartment.

By 8:00, when Rain had to take her bath, Rodgers had played two games he'd never heard of before called Fish Stix and Feed the Woozle with his two new best girls. He heard Rain singing in the tub as Rachel came out to sit with him.

"I'd offer you a glass of wine, but I don't exactly have any. It was a pretty lean week at the store and wine is a rare luxury."

"No problem. I'm not much of a drinker anyway. In fact, between playing games, ice cream, and...Scupway...this has been really great. I've had a wonderful time tonight, Rachel."

"Me, too," she told him.

Rodgers could tell something was bothering her so he came right out and asked her. "There's something you want to say so, please, go ahead and say it."

She was looking down then raised her eyes and looked at him. "I like you, Phil. A lot. But what we talked about at...well, we'll call going to 'Scupway'...dinner..." She smiled then continued. "We're from two different worlds. I don't see how I could ever be a part of yours or fit into it and I really don't want to get hurt again so maybe we should..."

Rachel was on the sofa and Rodgers was sitting in a chair across from her. Without asking, he got up and set next to her. "Listen. The other things I said matter most."

"Other things?" she asked wanting to look at him but not able to bring herself to do so.

"Yes. Other things. Like your values and being a good mother. Your commitment to a relationship. Things like that. Those things are what matter to me."

She turned toward him slightly then said, "But let's be honest. Were we to keep seeing each other, I just don't see how I could fit in. Imagine a cocktail party where people are talking about medicine or law or whatever people from your world talk about. How do I compete when I can barely pay my bills, let alone discuss politics or current events? Other than being a mom, what have I really accomplished? Talk about feeling like a fish out of water."

Rain was still splashing loudly and singing away. "I think you've got it all wrong," he said once again reaching for her hand.

"You do?" she asked softly.

"Just sit and listen to Rain playing in the tub. Think about her eating her ice cream or trying to pronounce 'Subway.' Those are the really important things that are missing from my life. Not a girlfriend with some certain amount of education or degree or title." He stopped talking and heard Rain having a conversation with some toy in the tub. "That is what I want. Not another doctor in the house."

"I want to believe you," she told him. "It's just that my track record tells me to be very...cautious."

"Rachel? I like you, too." She looked at him then he said with a smile, "A lot. Please don't give up on this...well, whatever 'this' is at this stage, just because you're not a doctor or a lawyer. I can tell you with absolute certainty that is not what I'm looking for."

"Do you know what is you are looking for?" she asked as her eyes fixed on his.

"Uh-huh," he said as he leaned over to kiss her.

Just before their lips met, they heard Rain call out very loudly, "ALL FINISHED, MOMMY!"

Rodgers was so startled he startled Rachel who pulled back as quickly as he had.

"I forgot to warn you. That's the way she announces she's had enough of playing with her toys. Let me go bathe her real quick and if you're still interested, The Cat in the Hat awaits you."

"Not Green Eggs and Ham?" he asked seeking clarification.

"Knowing Rain, you'll probably be coerced into reading both. Feel free to tell her 'no' but I can pretty much promise she's going to ask."

"Maybe I can read one and you can read the other," he suggested as she got up to tend to her daughter.

"Teamwork. That sounds perfect," she said smiling a truly genuine smile at him for the first time since the clinic.

A few minutes later, a blur came screaming around the corner and ran all the way to Rodgers' lap. Her hair was all wet and slick and pulled into a ponytail and her nightie was fresh and clean and free of chocolate ice cream.

"Now you can read me a story!" she told him.

He put one arm under her legs and the other under her arms and quickly stood up taking her with him. Rain shrieked with happiness and laughed as he carried her to her room. She grabbed Green Eggs and Ham off the shelf and handed it to Rodgers. "You can read first and then Mommy can read. That way, you can learn to take turns," she said very authoritatively.

Rachel just shrugged when Rodgers looked over at her. The genuine smile was still there and Rodgers found himself the one who was feeling a kind of tingle. Fifteen minutes later, Rain had heard both stories and gave her mom a big hug and a kiss.

Rodgers nearly choked up when she reached up for him with outstretched arms. "Your turn, Doctor Rodgers!" she said smiling sweetly at him.

He gave her a big hug and told her goodnight. "Goodnight," she told him. "I love you, Mommy!"

"Love you too, sweet pea!"

More than anything he could ever remember, Rodgers wanted to hear this little girl say, "I love you, Daddy," even though it would make no sense for her to do so. Instead she said told him goodnight again.

Her mom said, "Did you forget?"

"Oh! Thank you for playing with me and for ice cream and Scupway!"

Rodgers had to blink a couple of times before he could answer. He cleared his throat and said, "Thank for letting me take you and play with you."

"You're welcome," she said before turning over and clutching her favorite stuffed animal.

"She's the sweetest little girl ever," Rodgers said as they got back to the living room.

"Yeah, I'm kind of fond of her," Rachel said. That same amazing smile was still there.

"I should probably go now," he told her. "I had a really great time tonight."

"That's my line," she said sweetly as she walked him to the door.

They stood there staring at each other in that awkward moment where two people have to decide to either kiss, hug, shake hands, or just say goodnight.

"Would it spoil an otherwise perfect evening if I kissed you?" Rodgers asked not wanting to let this opportunity pass by.

"You told me once you'd never hurt me. If...if you really meant that, then...yes. I'd like that very much."

He put his hands on her shoulders and looked into her eyes then said, "I did mean that and I won't ever hurt you, Rachel. I promise."

He leaned down and kissed softly for perhaps two seconds then slowly pulled away. "So...goodnight then," he said quietly.

"Goodnight, Phil," she said as his hands moved from her shoulders to her own hands. She briefly held his then let go as he turned to open the door.

"I'd like to see you again," he told her.

"You have my number and you know where I live," she replied sweetly.

"I plan to wear out my welcome," he said. "I just thought I should warn you."

"I can probably live with that," she said smiling sweetly at him. "Thank you for a really nice time. For both of us."

"My pleasure," he said. He couldn't stop himself from moving closer and kissing her one more time. It was a very quick kiss but one he wanted very badly. He hoped Rachel wanted it, too.

She didn't say anything, but she very much did want it and as she closed the door she silently prayed, "Please don't let me be making another mistake."

"You didn't tell me you had a date!" his mother said Sunday evening. "Dinner and dessert? Who is this girl? Tell me all about her!"

"Her name is Rachel, Mom."

"Rachel. What a beautiful name."

"She's definitely beautiful," Rodgers told her. "She has a beautiful daughter, too."

"Oh, really?" his mom said, the concern in her voice evident. "So she's a...divorcee?"

Rodgers took a deep breath then said, "No, she's never been married."

"Oh, I see. Well, as long as she managed to finish her education I don't see where that's too much of an issue." Rodgers didn't respond so his mother asked, "Is she a doctor by any chance?"

"No, she's not a doctor."

"Okay. A registered nurse perhaps?" she asked hopefully.

"No, she's not a nurse, either, Mom."

"Does she...practice law or teach school?"

"No, neither of those. But I really like her, Mom."

"This isn't the girl from the cable store, is it?" Rodgers could tell she was hoping against hope it wasn't.

Rather than answer her he said, "I'd like you to meet her."

"Meet her? You mean...here? For dinner?"

"We could go to my place, if you'd like. That way, you wouldn't have to cook. But either here or there would be fine."

"Meeting someone for dinner is usually something you do when you..."

"When you really like her," he said finishing her sentence. "And I really like this girl, Mom."

"May I at least ask how old she is?"

"I'm not positive, but I'm guessing 24 or 25."

"Oh, okay. So she only has a bachelor's degree then?"

"Mom?" he said moving closer to her. "You know how much I love you, right?" She nodded but didn't speak. "And you know how much my last relationship—with a lawyer—hurt me, right?" Another slight nod. "I'm looking...elsewhere now. I'm...thinking outside the box when it comes to relationships."

"I see," she replied. "Um...shouldn't you have gotten this out of your system in college, Phillip?"

"She's not a fling, Mom. She's...she's special. And I want you to meet her and to keep an open mind. Can you do that for me? Please?"

"But you're a doctor, Phillip. How will she fit into your world if she has no education? How will she be able to even hold her own in a conversation at a dinner party?"

Rodgers sighed deeply. "Mom?" he said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't care whether she can give a formal lecture on meiosis and mitosis or if she doesn't even know the difference or even what they are. All I care about is finding someone who loves me and accepts me unconditionally."

"Phillip, doctors make a lot of money. Women without an education don't. How can you be sure she's not just interested in..."

"Mom? I want you to meet her. Withhold judgment until you've spent some time with her, okay?"

"Well, I guess having dinner wouldn't hurt," she finally said.

"Great! How about we have our Sunday dinner at my place next week?"

Later that evening, Rodgers called Rachel and told her he'd like to see her again as soon as possible—if she wanted to.

"Of course I want to," she told him. "I just need time to get a babysitter."

"Tomorrow is Labor Day and if you're not working..."