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Chapter 5
Tiffany's View
We were sitting in the living room eating pizza while Michelle watched Peter Pan on the TV. All the guys were watching it with her. I really missed these guys. My life has been real empty without them.
"Tiffany do you have any desert?" Nick asked turning around.
"Yeah if you guys want ice cream I have some," I said getting up from the couch.
"Yeah that would be great! What do you have?" Kevin asked.
"Well, I have mint chocolate chip, vanilla, chocolate, and cookie dough," I said getting everybody's plates.
"You sure have a lot of ice cream," Howie said giving me his plate.
"I like ice cream OK?"
"So do I! I just want to know what it's like around here when a birthday party is goin' on. You must have tons of ice cream."
"We do believe me," I laughed. I headed towards the kitchen and threw all the plates away. I went to the freezer and took out all the ice cream.
"Do you need help with anything?" Brian asked from behind me. I turned around and said, "Um yeah can you ask what all the guys want?"
"Sure," he said turning around and heading back into the living room.
He came back a couple of minutes later and said, "AJ wants cookie dough, Kevin wants the vanilla, Howie wants vanilla and chocolate and Nick well Nick wants everything."
"I figured he would want everything," I smirked.
"Yep he loves his food," he said coming over to me. He picked up some bowls and started to put ice cream in them.
"What kind of ice cream does Michelle like?" he asked putting some vanilla into a bowl.
"She likes anything really but her favorite would have to be mint chocolate chip," I said putting some cookie dough into a bowl.
"Just like you," he smiled at me.
"Yep just like me. It's one of a couple of things she has in common with me."
"Oh come on! She has to have a lot of things in common with you. From what I can tell she has a lot."
"Like what?"
"She's as beautiful as you, she's always smiling, she's nice, she's creative, I can go on and on."
"I guess your right. It's just that all the things that she has in common with you stick out the most."
"How?"
"They just do. I can't explain it. Everyone I meet always say that 'Michelle is a spitting image of her mother that's for sure.' I always wonder what they're talking about. I see some of me in her but you stick out the most in her."
"It's the opposite for me. To me you stick out the most in her not me."
"Oh well. Anyway Nick's probably getting impatient so we better give him his ice cream or he'll trash the house."
He smiled at me and picked up a couple of bowls. We handed them out and then sat back down.
"Look!" Michelle said pointing to the TV.
"Peter Pan's flying!" she said giggling.
"He sure is!" I said.
"I want to be like Peter Pan," Nick said.
"What?" AJ asked. "You want to be like Peter Pan?"
"Oops did I say that out loud?" he asked turning red.
"I'm afraid you did," I laughed.
"I worry sometimes about you," Kevin said shaking his head.
"Really!" AJ said laughing.
"Uncle Icky!" Michelle said jumping into his arms.
"What?"
"Want cookie?" she asked holding out her hand.
"Yeah! At least somebody loves me," he said taking it.
"Michelle where did you get that cookie?" I asked. I been looking for a box of cookies I bought at the store a couple of days ago.
"Nowhere," she said putting up her hands.
"Nowhere huh?"
"Yep!"
"Where did you put the cookies?" I asked.
"Don't know?"
"Yes you do. Can you give them to me please?"
She turned around and went up the stairs to come back downstairs with a box of cookies. She handed them to me and ran and hid behind AJ.
I shook the box and found that it was empty. "Michelle! You ate all the cookies!"
"That's my girl!" Brian said smiling. I whacked him on the arm.
"OW! What was that for?"
"For being an idiot. Michelle I told you not to do this again. Do you remember what I said if you did?" I asked. She looked down at the floor and whispered, "No teddy bear."
"That's right. Now go up to your room and think about what you did."
She turned and walked up the stairs slowly with her head down. All the guys looked at me wide eyed.
"What?" I asked.
"You didn't have to do that," Nick said.
"Yes I did. It's the only way she's going to learn."
"You've changed a lot Tiffany," AJ said.
"No I haven't! I'm still me. I just have a daughter now and that's a big responsibility."
"That's true guys," Brian said.
"Brian will you tell the truth. Just because Tiffany said it doesn't mean you have to agree with her," Kevin said.
"I am telling the truth."
"Whatever," Howie said.
"I am!"
"Just drop it. Look it's getting late so you guys should leave. Michelle had a little too much excitement today and she needs her sleep. So what time are you going to pick us up?"
"7:30," Kevin said getting up off the floor.
"OK! I'll see you tomorrow then," I said getting up as well. All the other guys got up also.
"Thanks for dinner Tiff," Nick said hugging me.
"Your welcome," I hugged him back.
Each one said the same thing and hugged me. Brian was last. "I'll see you tomorrow and tell Michelle good night for me."
"I'll do that," I said. He hugged me and in my ear he said 'I love you' and then went out the door with the other guys. I waved to them and went back inside. I picked up all the bowls of ice cream and brought them to the kitchen. I cleaned each one and found that Nick's bowl was licked clean. It made me smile. He loves his food. I put them in the dishwasher and turned off the lights and went upstairs to Michelle's room. I opened the door and found Michelle in her bed with her eyes closed. I walked over and bent down so my face was in front of hers.
"Open your eyes," I said.
She opened them and stuck out her tongue.
"Don't do that. You know I told you not to take the cookies."
She just looked at me madly.
"Don't give me that look. Tell me, did you learn your lesson?"
"Yes," she said quietly.
"Are you sure?"
"Yes"
"Are you going to do it again?"
"No"
"OK then. If you promise not to do it again then I'll get you that teddy bear that you want."
She smiled and hugged me.
"Thank you mommy!"
"Your welcome baby. Now go to sleep. We're going to the mountains tomorrow and we want you to have all the energy that you can have."
She smiled brightly at me. She grabbed her teddy bear and curled up in a ball.
"Good night," I said kissing her forehead.
"Night," she whispered.
"And daddy wanted me to tell you good night too."
"Night," she said again. I smiled and got up. I turned off her light and closed the door until there was just a little crack. I walked to my room and turned on the light. I got in my pajamas and did my usual routine and then got into my bed. I turned my light off and closed my eyes. Brian popped into my head and I smiled but soon after Sara showed up. Her arm was around Brian and Brian was smiling. I was on the side crying. I shook that scene out of my head and quickly thought of something else. Sara better not ruin anything because if she does she's going to live to regret it.
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