Daddy's Girl [Sean]

[Eric Liu]

"Daddy, no..." Flora had the lower lip wibbles--as Eric called it whenever she pouted. She tugged on his hand as they walked up the drive, clearly reluctant to meet a stranger. "Daddy I wanna go home." 

He paused and that was all the opening she needed to run into him and bury her face against his stomach, thin little arms snaking tightly around his waist. With a sigh of long-suffering, Eric stroked her hair. "Honey, we've been over this. Doctor Neville is a nice man and we're just going to have a little chat with him."

"No!" She shook her head so vehemently that her hair went flying. "He's a mean old man!"

A smile twitched at the corners of Eric's lips, which he manfully tried to hold back. His tone, when he spoke, was stern despite the desire to smile at her uncharitable outburst against unknown Doctor Neville. "Now Flora, that's not very nice of you."

Sniffle.

Oh geez. The last few times he took her anywhere, she did this too: The pouting, the whining, the reluctance to meet anyone, the sniffling and eventual tears. For an eight year-old, she sure knew how to play Eric like a well-tuned violin but this time he was determined not to cave to her petulant tantrums.

This wasn't normal behavior for a well-adjusted child, especially since she used to be so lively and cute and cheerful in the past. In fact, Eric could barely pry her off the monkey bars and swings, whenever they visited the park near his house. She used to love being the center of attention, dragging guests over to show them her purple unicorn toys and her colorful--if somewhat misshapen--drawings of butterflies.

Now, she didn't want to go anywhere and would sit curled up on the sofa with him under her safety blanket, watching children's shows. Strangers practically sent her into a frenzy and she would hide from everyone, even people she knew. The sudden change in behavior was as worrying as it was shocking.

"Honey... Come on. Be a good girl, okay? For daddy?" She shook her head again but sensing that her resolve was wavering, Eric pressed harder. "If you go in with me and sit for five minutes--that's it, just five little minutes--I'll take you to get hot chocolate after. How's that?" He was not a man above bribing a little girl to get her to cooperate.

After a long moment's contemplation, Flora silently nodded; however, the miserable look on her face clearly stated that she would do it, but she didn't have to like it. Taking what he could get, Eric unwound her arms from about his waist and led her up to the door.

There, he pressed the buzzer, while Flora side-shuffled to hide behind him.

[Dr. Sean Neville]

((OOC: With permission, this thread is set on Monday, April 11, 2016.))

Sean deliberately had his phone number and home address unlisted, because he didn’t want his students to come to his house, neither to play pranks (tping or egging the house, for instance) nor to invade his privacy by showing up in the middle of the night. It was bad enough that, a few years ago, Sam Rixon and Vincent Verax had managed to find their way there while both stoned and drunk; the fact that they had woken all of his neighbors since they had used the time-tested method of trial and error had contributed to their success. Occasionally, he took in students who needed the help, and he had no qualms when former student visited, like Emma Cousins who stayed with him when she came to Pilot Ridge, or Marnie Sullivan who came for holidays since she was now his and Josh’s tenant.

Still, people knew his address, and, apparently, it had been erroneously given out as though he had a home psychiatric practice.

For better or for worse, Sean had shifted his schedule around to allow him time to prepare for his partner’s birthday the following day. This mean that, when his last session ended in the mid-afternoon, he bade the receptionist a pleasant day and drove off campus. He had a grocery trip to complete, and he had to wrap Josh’s presents...most of Josh’s presents. The fact that he hadn’t shaved for the past month in order to grow a beard defied wrapping paper.

Yet, he had only been home for about ten minutes, and he had been in the midst of prepping his ingredient’s for tonight’s supper as well as for Josh’s special birthday supper the next day when the doorbell rang.

Not expecting anyone, he washed his hands and went to the front to greet whoever had come. Yet, when he opened the door, he found himself face-to-face with a man who appeared to be about two decades younger than him and the most adorable little girl.

“May I help you?” He asked gently, looking from the man to the child and then back to the man again.

[Eric Liu]

What sounded like a small mouse being trodden on accompanied the opening of the door, as Eric felt Flora's hands tighten around the back of his shirt. The man who greeted them at the door appeared politely puzzled but there was nothing ill-bred in the way his glance encompassed them.

Feeling self-conscious about what was essentially an unwanted intrusion, Eric smiled back in what he hoped was an equally friendly way. He didn't have an appointment. This man's address was unlisted for a reason but through word of mouth and by grilling a few mutual acquaintances, Eric managed to find out where he lived.

Dr. Sean Neville was Known--with a capital K--in Pilot Ridge for being a highly competent psychiatrist and, most importantly, a decent human being. There was no denying that he was talented, but his services were also somewhat exclusive. Since Eric had no way of consulting him normally, and being close to the point of desperation, he took it upon himself to bother the man at his home.

Hopefully he wouldn't mind, or decide to shut the door in Eric's face, but somehow Eric doubted that the moment he laid eyes on Dr. Neville. "Dr. Neville? Dr. Sean Neville? I'm sorry to bother you. My name is Eric, and... ah..." He paused briefly, awkwardly, and gestured behind him to the little girl in hiding.

"And this is Flora. I was hoping that you could help us... in a professional capacity."

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean hadn’t expected visitors this afternoon, particularly since, but for taking an early afternoon to prepare for Josh’s party, the psychiatrist wouldn’t even be home at this hour on a Monday. Moreover, he certainly hadn’t expected strangers – an adult and a child – when the little girl wore no Girl Scout uniform. And the Girl Scouts knew to come by his house on the weekends, anyway, since he was a guaranteed sale of at least five boxes.

However, the younger man had obviously come looking for him, since he queried about his identity. Sean nodded in confirmation. “I’m Sean Neville.” He knew a good number of people in Pilot Ridge, although not everyone, but his name did get around, particularly in light of what had occurred at the Holiday Bash four months ago.

Then the younger man introduced and his daughter, going further to explain that they had come seeking professional – which was to say psychiatric – services.

Unfortunately, his employment contract forbade that.

However, the psychiatrist couldn’t turn away a person in need, and so he nodded again to convey that he understood.

“Come in,” he offered, as he stepped to the side to allow them entrance into his home. Fortunately, Josh was still in court, and so they would have some uninterrupted time.

He squatted then to smile at Flora. “It’s nice to meet you, Flora. Would you like something to eat or drink?”

[Eric Liu]

"Thank you." The relief was probably evident in Eric's voice. Despite the resistance he felt from Flora, he brought them both inside. Hope swelled in his chest. The door hadn't been slammed in their face and an invitation to come in seemed to signal only good things. 

Although he tried not to be obvious about it, he took a glance around. It was a very tastefully decorated front entrance, he had to admit; he could only assume the rest of the house was equally nicely furnished. If nothing else, it set his mind at ease because as his father always said, a man's surroundings was a reflection of the organization of his mind. 

Flora, on the other hand, appeared less impressed. She was still hiding behind him, holding on to one of his hands tightly. When Dr. Neville bent to speak to her in kindly tones, she turned her head away from him and buried it into Eric's back. "...no." And it sounded to Eric like a very miserable 'no.' 

"Ahh... Thank you, it's all right. We're going to get hot chocolate after this, aren't we, Flora?" Only a nod, and a little face pressing even harder against him.

Eric smiled sheepishly over at him. "Flora is what I came to consult you about, Dr. Neville," he explained in slightly lower tones. 

[Dr. Sean Neville]

Sean remained out of the way until both Eric and his daughter had crossed the threshold; then he shut and locked the door, as was habit. The cul-de-sac consisted of friendly neighbors who respected one another’s privacy, but he didn’t need to chisel cracks in privacy, particularly since the younger man had come for professional reasons. Even if the psychiatrist couldn’t take his daughter on as a patient, he owed them a duty of confidentiality regardless.

Since Flora had turned down his offer of food or drink, he chose to take them into the den. The den had a television set and the pile of board games and puzzles in one of the cupboards. “Come with me,” he requested, as he led them through the foyer and into the den.

To Flora, he asked, “I have some puzzles and cards, if you want to play with some?” Unfortunately, he didn’t have many toys, given that Ryan was twenty-seven now, and no children lived in the house.

He nodded a single time to acknowledge what Eric had said, and he replied, “Once she gets settled, I can talk to you in the kitchen about specifics.”

Some of which included how he needed to refer them elsewhere, but that was no reason he couldn’t play host in the interim.