-5-

"So let's get this straight Jay, you want me to go in there?" Claus asked. 

"Come on Claus, please. I have to practice my act."

"And just what are you going to do with me." He grinned widely.

"I'm going to stick swords through the box and hope I don't stab you." 

Claus' smile disappeared. "No what I had in mind."

"Let's make a deal, if I don't kill you, I'll get in there with you."

"Oh yeah? And just what's gonna happen?"

"Whatever you want to happen baby." 

Jaylee did get Claus in the box, but he didn't cooperate at all. He chatted the entire time and even managed to make the entire box rock. "Are you trying to make me kill you?" Jaylee shouted at him. She did get the swords in and out without killing Claus.

Although she wanted to scold him for being uncooperative, the boyish grin he wore when he emerged changed her mind quickly. "Now get in here." Claus giggled wrapping his arms around Jaylee's waist and pulling her into the box with him.

Later, Claus spent the day with the other woman in his life. "Let's go to the park to see Momma." He told Egypt.

"We walk Daddy?" Egypt asked, she squealed and clapped her hands when her father nodded. She usually spent her days locked in the house with her grandparents, so Egypt was thankful for the smaller blessings like an hour or two of fresh air.

A car crawled by and tooted it's horn at Claus, poor Egypt nearly jumped out of her clothes. Claus had to stop their walk and take her out of the stroller. "It's okay baby, they're just hailing us that's all." He bounced Egypt and patted her back until she calmed down and her trembling subsided, and then they resumed their stroll.

Jaylee had begun to draw bigger crowds, some people even called her by her stage name. Her tips were sometimes three hundred dollars.

The sun had set when Claus and Egypt reached the park. It was a warm night so Claus was sure that Jaylee wouldn't rag on him for not bringing Egypt's hat. "Wake up Egypt, we're here."

"The hell?" Claus murmured looking at the good sized crowd that had gathered around Jaylee. He wasn't fooled by her cheap party tricks. There had to be a reason Jaylee was brushing up on her skills and he'd be damned if he didn't figure it out. 

While he waited for Jaylee to finish her show, Claus decided to make his daughter walk. He was pretty sure that Egypt could, but the baby was afraid to and he couldn't understand why. Another one of Egypt's weird fears was her potty, she would have a fit whenever they put her on it. 

"Hey honeys." Jaylee greeted her husband and daughter after her show. "What?" She asked Claus seeing the look on his face.

"Jay, you're not fooling anybody. What the hell are you up to?" He hissed. 

"Why do you think I'm up to something Claus?"

"Because I know you Jaylee. I've noticed the late nights, the whispered phone calls..."

"What? You think I'm cheating on you?"

"You'd be a jack..." Claus looked at his daughter. "Never mind. I don't think you'd stalk me all though high school and then show up on my doorstep some years later just to cheat on me. I love you Jaylee, why can't you just tell me what's going on?"