Myles worried that Natalie would grow up wondering about her “real” parents and why her grandparents treated her like a second class citizen. He worried that she would never feel attached. And he worried that she was afraid to cry and demand her own way because she feared that they would decide she wasn’t worth the effort. He worried that if he told anyone these worries, he would be shipped off to the psych ward.

“It is not your turn to be moody,” Lucy told him one morning “You’d think you were the one who was pregnant.”

“I’m not moody,” Myles had defended himself.

“Oh please,” Lucy rolled her eyes then asked “is this what I have to look forward to when the baby is born? I will be up doing 2:00am feedings and my husband will be moody.”

“Natalie eats at 5:00am, well usually, and I’m not moody. Why do the mothers always get off easy with the mood swings excuse? Fathers can’t ever catch a break!” Myles said.

Lucy smiled at that “I never would have thought when I first met you that you could turn out to be the type of father that you are.”

“That’s good right?” Myles asked anxiously.

“Yes,” came Lucy’s exasperated answer.

Myles' fears are so real - and I love him all the more for having them. They show how much he cares!!! I love this so much!!!

Dit-TO! You are showing his inner anxiousness very well. And those are valid questions, I'm thinking.

Valid and ones that need to be expressed, Myles!

Love it, Pam. Keep it coming!

Jill

Those fears are so real and true to life.
A great post!
thanks,
Terie

hoping myles finds someone to talk to about his fears before he explodes

cath

Very realistic for Myles to feel that way, maybe Tara could help...

I can see him taking on the weight of this and taking personal responsibility for his parents' actions. Now I don't like poor Myles feeling so sad. He needs to talk about those worries...any of his friends would be sympathetic so would his wife, but I bet Jenna would know just what to say since she deals with this time of thing all the time.I can see him saying that with a pout! But he has a point, mothers may be hormonal but Dad's sure have an adjustment period and their own anxieties to deal with as well, but everyone expects them to take it all in stride and be the support.Argh! someone give the man a hug!!!!!

kav

Myles finally brought the subject up one evening when he was out for dinner with the guys. It was a rare evening when D. had joined them as well. Eric had caught up with them also and they were joking about “guy’s night out”.

Eric mentioned “I don’t think I’ve had a guy’s night out since Evan was born. However if you tell my wife I will deny ever saying that.”

“Isn’t it funny how your priorities change? They don’t ever seem to change back,” D. responded.

“So any good advice for those at the other end of the parenting spectrum?” Myles had tried to slip his question in nonchalantly.

“It goes fast,” D. grinned.

“That’s it?” Riley asked, expecting more.

“One day you become a daddy and the next thing you know you’re being looked at as father-in-law material,” D. promised.

“Is Tanya…?” Jack was interrupted by D. before he could finish his question.

“No, neither one is getting married, at least that I’m aware of, but once they’re in college you start to think about it,” D. admitted.

Myles looked at Eric then. “Most days I feel that I fake it really well, because I have no idea what I’m doing,” Eric grinned.

“I’m telling Jenna,” Riley teased.

“She knows, she just rolls her eyes at me when I say that,” Eric said. When the others just looked at him he continued “This is my thought – its kind of like being up to bat. You don’t need to hit a home run every time, just make contact, if you fail to make contact then you review the situation, figure out what went wrong and fix it. The problems lie in the people who don’t ever figure out what went wrong or don’t ever try to fix it.”

I love it...are you going to write a baseball parenting manual? Hmmm what would you call it...The Bases are Loaded? Hotdogs and Hunnybuns? Strike Three You're Out?

kav

Wonderful analogy!
thanks,
Terie

Yep. Now he needs to step up to the plate and let the gang know his concerns!

Jill

I just got to read this whole thing. It was quite a treat. You have filled every post with so much emotion and such insight. I have enjoyed each post immensely.

P.S. Yes, the Roller-Rena was the place to be when I was in junior high although I was probably more on the Tara side when it came to my skating abilities.

Kav, you are too much.

Pam, I like the guys night out thing. I promise not to tell anyone what they discussed.

A/N: Short posts because it is a short story and that's just how the posts broke down this time.

“I enjoyed Eric’s interpretation of fatherhood the other night,” Myles told Jenna one evening when he saw her outside.

“Did he give you the up to bat speech or the rules for fatherhood speech?” Jenna wanted to know.

“Up to bat, but maybe I should ask him about the rules for fatherhood,” Myles noted as he watched Bethany ride her tricycle.

“Why are you so worried about this?” Jenna asked.

“Because you said people parent how they were parented and I don’t want to turn into my parents,” Myles pointed out.

“I said people tend to parent how they were parented because most people in my classes do. They've had no other role models in their lives, most have very little education and most did not grow up in households with successful marriages. You have quite a few peers who are good examples, are very well educated and Tara’s personality complements yours, so perhaps you should quit worrying about this,” Jenna answered, smiling as Bethany raced her tricycle towards them on the sidewalk.

That Jenna....she just knows what to say all of the time! I really, really like her!

Jill

Yes, Myles, relax before you give yourself a complex...

I hope Myles listens to Jenna. She gave him some wise advice.

I agreee, Myles needs to relax.
thanks,
Terie

“Do you ever wonder what kind of a dad you’ll be?” Myles asked Bobby one afternoon on their way to meet a snitch.

“Well seeing that I don’t have anyone to make that happen with – no,” Bobby answered.

“What about the flight surgeon?” Myles was surprised.

“That ended before Christmas,” Bobby told him.

“What? Why?” Myles was surprised even though somewhat relieved. The flight surgeon had been nice but she hadn’t quite taken Bobby’s job as seriously as she took her own.

“Too hard to date someone whose schedule is completely opposite and whose hours can be just as crazy,” Bobby explained. “I think Jack and Sue and you and Tara did it for those years because you knew the schedule and at least the craziness happened together.”

“Oh,” Myles didn’t know quite how to respond to that so he went back and rephrased his original question. “Do you worry that someday when you have children you will act like your dad?”

“Nope,” Bobby said.

“Really?” Myles was somewhat amazed.

Bobby just shrugged then said “I probably don’t worry about it because I guess I never really planned on having children.”

“So maybe you do worry about it subconsciously and that’s why you think you don’t want to have children," Myles concluded.

“I didn’t think this ride would entail examining my psyche but if it makes you feel better I will examine yours as well,” Bobby told him “You’re worried about turning into your father which isn’t going to happen so get over it.”

“I just don’t think you should write off fatherhood completely,” Myles insisted.

“Why is it when someone gets married or has a baby that they think everyone else in the world should do the same?” Bobby grumbled.

i loved the little chat between these two, despite the banter and silly comments they have a great deal of respect for each other

cath

Pam are you ever going to do something nice for Bobby? Isn't it about time he found a sweetheart? This just cracked me up and I know it shouldn't because it's serious but it's the way he said it and I love Myles doggedness. This is very, very true....so, why don't you make it happen for Bobby so he can experience the flip side?

kav

Myles I am sure that you won't make the same mistakes the your parents did.
Just the fact that you are worried about it should prove that.

Dianna

Man, Myles is checking every corner, isn't he?

Pam, I just started and caught up on your story!! You have brought back my favorite characters, and you have me thoroughly entrenched in their lives again!! Did I say how happy I am right now???

I can so see Myles and his insecurities as a parent!! I can see him worrying the problem like a dog with a bone, and a little afraid to talk to anyone about it!!!

I love all the advice he is getting!! Eric's up to bat is awesome!! The guys night out was perfect, with their admitting that they didn't do it very often anymore - I get the feeling that the general consensus is that it is not because they don't have time, they don't want to be away from their families!!!

Jenna's advice is the best though - don't worry about it!!! She's always right to the point!!!

The skating rink scene with Myles, Bethany, Sue and Josh was incredible!! You described that so well that I could see them dancing, skating, singing, giggling and having a ball!! I'm so glad Myles took time to have that experience with Bethany - the memories are good forever!!!

Joy

A/N: Kav my characters have been extremely uncooperative of late, in fact I think they have left Oz for some place over the rainbow, so I have no idea what their plans are for the future - sorry!

“Do you think Natalie has bonded well with us?” Myles asked Tara later that week.

“Yes,” came her answer.

“Would you like to expand on that?” Myles pressured.

“No, don’t you think she is thriving?” Tara responded.

“The adoption piece worries me. What if she just never feels loved or wanted?” Myles explained.

“All we can do is love her, guide her, teach her, be there for her and pray,” Tara smiled. “Well we could probably be better at the praying part, Sue is really good at that though, so I’m learning but the rest I think we have covered.”

“I’m just worried that I don’t love her enough,” Myles stated, a frown etching his face.

If he hadn’t been so serious, Tara would’ve laughed out loud. How this could even cross his mind, she didn’t know. Granted babies were not quite his thing, he had been so worried about holding Bethany that it took him six months to relax and enjoy it. She thought he was more confident this time. He certainly took things in stride and there had been a lot of that. The whole adoption issue, his parents, a new house, Bethany’s fears, work and everything else added up to make their lives crazy at best but then maybe that was the part that was best.

“I love you Myles Leland, for being a wonderful husband and daddy but mostly for showering both of our daughters with love,” she kissed his cheek as he leaned his head against hers. The conversation had made him feel better but he was still worried.

Two seconds to myself and I just had to catch up...Myles is such a Wemberly!

kav

Is a Wemberly a worry wart???

Jill

I loved this part. It was so Bobby and Myles.

Tara and Bobby's exchange was so sweet. I think your characters are behaving quite nicely.

Well, let's see, Natalie is just a little tyke - Myles only has about 21 years left to worry full time, then he can cut himself back to only worrying half the time, maybe!!!

Joy

Love family life!
thanks,
Terie

With that much worry, he'll love her more than enough...

what do you mean Bobby has no one to make a family with of course he has! *coughMichelecough* I loved the way Bobby understood him so well, they are good friends and Tara and Myles it's good that he shared his fears with her!

A/N: About the cough Bell, perhaps you should see the note I left for Kav above!

Sometimes though reassurance comes from the strangest of places...

He was sitting in a deli by the office one day, eating lunch alone when Michele happened by. Noticing him, she came in, sat down and eyed him curiously.

“What?” he demanded.

She shrugged then said “Remember that day when you started to tell me how sorry you were that my father had treated me the way he did?”

Myles nodded.

“Thank you for caring enough about your own children to share those feelings with me. Those words stated how much you value your children, and even though you didn’t have Natalie yet, it was such a reassurance to know that you would love your children unconditionally. Bethany and Natalie are so blessed to have you as a daddy and I feel blessed to know you and all the others on the team. I never really had a good view of parents and what they should do but suddenly it’s all around me,” Michele smiled.

“I think I should be thanking you,” Myles surmised.

Aw, Dr. P, you know just how to make it all better...

That is so true. I'm glad Myles got the reassurance he needed.

Perfect timing, Michele!

Jill

It's nice when the good things that we do come back to haunt us! I think Myles might just have had his light bulb moment!

kav

So here he sat again in the middle of the night. The night time wakings had been more frequent since he had taken over for Tara. At first he thought maybe Natalie was protesting the fact that she wanted Tara but since she only ate a small portion and didn’t really fuss he had come to the conclusion that maybe this was Natalie’s way of telling him not to worry. Because most nights she simply sighed, snuggled in to his neck, relaxed and sang herself to sleep. He realized that he was her daddy in every sense of the word and while the course of true love never did run smooth, as long as he loved her, she would be fine.

Fathers be good to your daughters, daughters will love like you do…

The End

I've read this about ten times today and have tried to post a reply but anxious college students keep interrupting! This is beautiful. I love this portrait of Myles -- it has me each time I read it. Now...on to Bobby -- surely you can fit him in the Halloween Challenge somehow -- I would think that holiday would suit him. He needs to know this kind of bliss too!
kav

I love Myles realizing that he was her daddy and not just her father. That one word choice summed up this awesome work for me. I loved seeing this side of Myles.

Now, I agree with Kav. Maybe you could work some magic for Bobby next month.

Thank you for sharing this story!

I couldn't agree more. Myles is definitely a Daddy in every sense of the word.

Kim

I just love Myles as a daddy. Loved the story too.

Dianna

loved the story how myles made such.
a lovely daddy lin

Awesome possum, Pam! You nailed it on the head (and not the toe, like some people we know:D ).

I bow in your general direction.

keep it going, maybe Pam's characters will listen to us!
Beautiful as always, Pam, it fitted that Michele of all people gave him reassurance and I loved the picture of Myles sitting with his daughter in the middle of the night.

Great story, Pam. Thank you for continuing the adventures of these great characters. The Halloween challlenge is a great idea.

While I'm sorry to see your story end, Pam, THANKS for bringing back some of my favorite characters! I'm so glad to see Myles finally starting to relax in his role as a daddy, and not just as a father. GREAT JOB!

This was so wonderful! I love the song you based this on and your interpretation was so profound and very inspiring.
thanks,
Terie

Great story, could see Myles having those doubts and I am glad that he has come through them and realises what a great father he really is.

Thanks for bringing out these characters to play again, looking forward to the next time they appear.

Soph