The Backup Plan

Zack rubbed his face with his freehand as he mixed the pancake batter with his other. He had worked all day and a good portion of the night, like all of the other nights before, weeknights specifically. Now here he was, eight in the morning, starting his routine off once again. It was wearing him down, the repetition.

"Daddy, can you braid my hair?" Zack turned in response to the voice, watching the little girl who looked like she just woke up finish descending the stairs. He couldn't help but smile a little.

"Sure, Princess. Why don't you go sit at the table, and I'll do your hair once I finish this." Zack offered. She just nodded and sluggishly made her way to the table, rubbing her sleepy eyes.

Hayden, Zack's pride and joy, his world, was the reason he nearly worked himself to death every weekday. He put every penny he made towards keeping her life in order, even though he didn't make very many pennies.

Zack quickly finished making Hayden's pancakes. He cut them into little pieces, put just the right amount of syrup on them, and then set the plate down in front of his daughter. She looked up at him and smiled widely.

"Thank you Daddy!" She said gratefully, earning a smile from Zack.

"No problem, Princess."

While Hayden began eating, Zack wiped his hands on his jeans, then started braiding Hayden's hair. He never imagined that he'd ever braid, or be able to braid someone's hair. However, he never imagined that he'd be a single dad who only cared about keeping his daughter safe and lessening his pile of bills on the coffee table. Then again, why would he imagine that? He didn't sign up to be a single dad. Before, it was different, he had help.

"Hayden, you know what day it is, right?" Zack asked, twisting the parted blonde sections of her hair into braids. She just sighed quietly and nodded. "You don't have to go to school today if you don't want to, you know that right?"

Hayden bit her cheek as she thought about it. She really did want to stay home, knowing how rough the day was more than likely going to be. However, how was she supposed to get her perfect attendance award if she skipped a day?

I can handle this. She thought. I'm six, I'm a big kid. I'll be okay.

"I do want to go. It'll be fine." Hayden lied through her mouthful of pancakes, knowing that her father would be more than happy to make sure she didn't get upset at school. Zack just nodded and tied off the ends of Hayden's braids with elastics.

"Alright, if you're sure then we have to go now. Daddy can't be late to work today." Hayden nodded and hopped down from her stool, taking her plate, and standing on her toes to put it in the sink.

Zack grabbed Hayden's jacket and backpack in the meantime. Once she came back over to him, Zack helped her slide her arms through the sleeves and zip up her jacket, then handing her her backpack moments before she bolted outside to the car. Zack grabbed his keys and followed shortly after her.

The routine began to take effect as usual. Zack buckled Hayden in to her booster seat, setting her backpack on the empty seat next to her, then getting into his own seat and starting the car.

"Daddy?"

"Yes?"

"Is Uncle Jimmy gonna pick me up from school again?" Hayden asked quietly, wanting to know the answer but not wanting to upset her father. Zack looked back at her in the mirror.

"Yeah, why?" Hayden didn't want to answer, she looked down at her hands in her lap sheepishly. Zack sighed. "Hayden, what's wrong?"

" I just.. I was hoping you would pick me up today.." She mumbled, still hoping that he'd change his mind and pick her up. Zack sighed and looked back at the road again.

"I would if I could, Princess. You know I have to work." Zack felt bad, but knew he was telling the truth. He literally couldn't afford to miss a day at work. Hayden crossed her arms and looked out the window.

"You always have to work..." She mumbled under her breath. Zack pretended he didn't hear her.

He did hear her though. It was upsetting to say the least, but there was nothing he could do about it. Hayden was too young to understand their financial situation. They both needed Zack to work every day, Hayden just didn't know it.

As soon as Zack parked in front of the school, Hayden undid her buckle, grabbed her backpack, and waited impatiently to be let out of the car. Zack got out and opened her door, Hayden immediately jumping down and turning to go inside.

"Hayden." Zack said firmly, making Hayden turn to look at him.

"I love you. I'll see you when I get home, okay?" Hayden nodded, running back over to him and hugging him tight. Zack kneeled down and hugged her back, kissing the top of her head.

"Love you, Daddy."

"Love you too, Princess."

...

Hayden sat in the back of the room of Miss Abbott's first grade class, scribbling a picture of herself and Uncle Jimmy, hoping it would impress him later. She didn't want to sit in the front today, everyone was rowdy and excited while Hayden just wanted to go home.

"Hayden?" Miss Abbott asked quietly, not trying to get anyone else's attention but Hayden's. "What are you doing back here?" Hayden just frowned a little and looked at her drawing.

"Coloring me and Uncle Jimmy.."

"Why aren't you making Mother's Day gifts with the rest of the class?" Hayden bit her lip.

"I, uh, I don't want to." Miss Abbott sighed.

A few of the kids in the front wanted Miss Abbott for something. Either help with a craft or wanting to know how to spell something for their card. However, Miss Abbott had been busy for a while and they were getting antsy. Cassie looked around her friends and sighed.

"I'll go get her."

Cassie got up from her desk, and started walking to the back of the room to Miss Abbott's side, but stopping when she saw her talking to Hayden. It looked serious.

"Hayden, I'm sure your mother would really like if you made her something." She scolded, Hayden visibly getting progressively more nervous as she spoke.

"But-"

"Everyone else is making something even if they don't want to. So what's the problem?"

"I-I don't have, I don't have a mom to make something for..." Miss Abbott's eyes widened in realization, while Hayden's started to tear up a little. Cassie overheard what she said, but didn't understand.

"Oh God, Hayden I'm so sorry. I didn't know.. You can keep coloring whatever you want." Miss Abbott panicked, frantically trying to fix her mistake.

"How do you not have a mom? Everyone has a mom?" Cassie laughed, thinking it was a joke. "I mean, who the heck doesn't have a mom?" Hayden just looked away from her and bit her lip, trying to stay calm.

"Hey Lily!" Cassie called up to the front of the room. "Hayden doesn't have a mommy." She laughed again.

"Shut up!" Hayden yelled, standing and viciously rubbing her teary eyes.

"Make me!" Cassie taunted. "You're just a weirdo with out a mom!"

Hayden couldn't take it. She had enough, her blood was boiling. Everything happened so fast, she didn't even realize what she was doing until Cassie yelped in pain and Hayden was pulling her hand away from Cassie's cheek.

"Hayden! Cassie! Apologize to each other now!" The teacher demanded. However, the two teary eyed six year olds said nothing. They were both hurt and shocked in their own way.

"Fine, then I'm calling your parents, and the office." As she walked away, the two remained where they were, sniveling and rubbing their eyes.

"Cassie Haner and Hayden Baker to the office." the intercom ordered, just being enough to force both pairs of frozen legs to move our of the room and to the office.

The office was completely silent once they got there. Cassie and Hayden sat in chairs on opposite sides of the room, listening to the principal on the phone with their parents, informing them on what had just happened.

Zack came first, right on time. As soon as he walked into the small room Hayden ran over to him and hugged him as tight as she could, burying her face in his shirt and trying her best not to cry.

"I'm sorry, Daddy. I'm really really sorry. Please don't be mad." She whimpered, clinging onto him as tight as she could.

"I know, Hayden. We'll talk about this later." He replied in an even monotone, making Hayden nervous. She just closed her eyes and continued to hold onto him.

Zack and the principal discussed the event and the punishment that will be given, which was simply staying inside during recess for a few days, and being sent home. For a first grader, that was definitely sufficient. However, they couldn't agree on anything until Cassie's mom showed up. So, they continued to talk about what happened, Zack swearing it won't ever happen again.

After a good ten minutes, the office door finally opened again. Zack turned in slight annoyance to look back at who he was expecting to be Cassie's mom. However, he was greeted by a stranger.

Cassie's eyes widened and she shot our of her chair, running up to the man with a wide, surprised smile.

"Daddy! You're back!" The man smiled and knelt down to Cassie's level to pick her up and hug her tight.

"Mr. Haner! Forgive my surprise but I was expecting your wife." Principal Evans explained as he too, looked up at the man in pleasant surprise.

Zack was tempted to roll his eyes at the scene. Why are they praising this guy like he's some big deal?

The man chuckled. "Its no trouble, I was expecting my wife too, yet here I am. Sorry I'm late, I was on a plane."

The man was tall, and had a fairly muscular build on a slender frame. He was dressed quite primly. He wore a white dress shirt with the sleeves cuffed and folded on his forearm, an expensive, yet small looking cross around his neck, a silver wedding ring on his hand, and Rolex watch on his wrist. You could see tattoos on the little amount of skin he was revealing. On his forearms, around his collarbones, on his hands, and behind his ear.

"Daddy I thought you were in New York?" Cassie asked, looking up at her father.

"I was, but I missed my angel too much and had to come see her." He said with a genuine smile on his face, kissing her cheek, causing her to giggle.

"Alright, Brian- I mean, Mr. Haner, we do have to talk about Cassie's punishment." Principal Evans informed, making Zack scoff internally.

Why else would we be here, Mr. Big Deal? And who the hell is on a first name basis with a principal? How often does your kid get in trouble?

"Of course, sir."

Zack completely zoned out as Mr. Evans filled Brian in on the situation and the punishment. He agreed to it with no question. The meeting ended then.

Cassie clung to her father as they walked out to his car. He wasn't really too upset with the situation Cassie was in, because she didn't understand what she did wrong, and she was being punished accordingly. She knew not to do what she did again, and that was Brian's job to make sure it happened.

"Do you want to sit in the front seat?" Brian asked, smiling a little

"Won't Mom yell at you though?" Brian rolled his eyes.

"It'll be a secret between you and me. If you don't want to sir up front with me though, I get it. Since you're a little kid and all." Cassie furrowed her eyebrows at him.

"I'm not a little kid. I'm six, Daddy. I'm big." She crossed her arms and looked up at him seriously. Brian chuckled and opened up the passenger side door, and helping her into her seat. He did her buckle and then got in on his side.

The drive home was short and quiet. Cassie spent most of the drive just watching her dad drive. She thought it was interesting, how he knew what all the weird numbers and meters meant and what the pedals did. It seemed complicated.

When they got home, Cassie knew that since Brian just got back, he'd go straight to his office. So, Cassie ran there first and climbed into his office chair, waiting for him. The office was actually pretty big. It had a leather couch, Brian's desk and chair, a smaller desk and chair set for Cassie, and a closet.

Brian walked into the room and rolled his eyes at the sight.

"You stole my chair." He crossed his arms and looked at her.

"You just got back, you can't already start working." She told him, mockingly crossing her arms over her chest and looking back up at him.

"I can't? Or do you just not want me to?"

"You can't because I don't want you to." Brian chuckled at the girl then walked over to the couch and sat down.

"Fine. Do you want to come sit with me?" He asked, earning a smile and quick nod from Cassie, running over and crawling into her dad's lap.

Brian wrapped his arms around her and Cassie hugged him tight, laying her head on his shoulder. She looked at the strange symbols tattooed on the skin of his neck.

"Daddy, what are the weird thingies on your neck?" She asked, tracing a few of them with the tip of her finger.

"That's your birthday in roman numerals." He explained, looking down at her confused expression. "Roman numerals are just another way to write numbers. Can you read what's underneath that?"

Cassie craned her neck to look at the words. She, only being in first grade, could only make out a few letters, but not full words. She shook her head and looked up at Brian for answers.

"It says 'Cassandra Elise Haner'. Do you know who that is?" Brian smiled big as she giggled.

"That's me."

"You're right, that's you. My little angel."

Cassie hugged her father and laid her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes and yawning quietly.

“Are you tired? You can go take a nap if you want. I'll carry you upstairs.” Brian offered,Cassie shaking her head in response.

“I wanna lay with you.”

Brian carefully kicked his shoes off, then laid back on the couch, letting Cassie curl up and lay on his chest. He took the opportunity to close his own eyes. He was absolutely exhausted from work, his extreme jetlag, and stress. Coming home didn't really relieve any stress. As you might imagine otherwise, it might have even made it worse.

“Daddy?”

“Yeah?”

“How come you sleep in your office and not in your room?”

Brian could feel himself stiffen at the question. He hadn't expected Cassie to really notice that, nor did he know how to, or want to, answer that.

“Why do you think I sleep in here?” He asked, trying to dance around lying.

“Mom says you do.” Cassie explained. That came to Brian as even more of a surprise than the actual question.

“Mom was talking about me?”

“Yeah, to Auntie Michelle.”

Brian bit his cheek and opened his eyes to look up at the ceiling. Maybe there would be tips on how to lie, but not lie, to children up there.

“I don't always sleep in here. I just do it when I get home from work too late so I don't wake mom up.” That wasn't completely untrue, so Brian was sure that didn't completely count as lying to his kid.

Cassie was already half asleep, so she just mumbled a quiet mhm, and started to fall asleep completely. Brian looked down at her and sighed, wrapping an arm securely around Cassie. He closed his eyes again and just tried to avoid thinking about Cassie’s question any further. Hopefully he can resolve that whole problem soon.