Chapter One
"Cree," I yelled up the staircase, "sweetie, you aren't old enough to take this long to get ready, we are going to miss the concert."
"No, Auntie Gwen, I am coming." With that, there was Cree, running down the stairs into my arms.
"I missed you sweetie!" I love Cree, she is my only neice and the most precious 7-year old girl I have ever seen. With her waist-length blond pigtails she had a look of innocence that poured from her. My sister-in-law, Hana, always had her dressed like a little woman, wearing a gray turtleneck with some black pants and a pair of little platforms. Her outfit is not much different than from my black v-neck 3/4 sleeve shirt and tan riding pants with black chunk heeled boots. We almost look like we could be mother and daughter, both with long blonde hair and subdued blue-gray eyes, but it is obvious that I am not old enough to be her mother.
I had just flown from San Fransisco to Dallas to take her to see the Backstreet Boys. My fiance is a radio personality in Dallas and he got us the tickets and backstage passes. I have just relocated to San Fransisco to do Public Relations work for the GAP's new add campaign. Although there is a distance now, I have never had a doubt about my relationship with Collin, we have been together since our freshman year in college. He is a wonderful person, not to mention extremely handsome. My family loves him and he would do anything for any of us. He loves Cree more than anything, that is why he suprised her with these concert tickets, which I had promised to take her to the last time I was in Dallas. We were going to meet Collin backstage at the arena.
As I put Cree down, my older brother, Max, walked out of the study, "Gwen, it is so good to see you."
I reached up to give him a hug as we discussed my plans to take Cree to the concert and stay downtown afterwards. We were finalizing the details when I would have her home when she started tugging on my black leather jacket, "Come on Auntie Gwen, lets go - aren't you so excited?"
Max interupted, sounding fatherly as usual, "Sweetpea, aren't you a bit young to be this excited about men Daddy's age?"
"Daddy, they aren't men, they are boys, Backstreet Boys, and I know they aren't as old as you," Cree replied in a know-it-all tone.
Max was awestruck, so I decided I should break the silence, "Come on Maxwell, she has to start somewhere..."
"I don't need you influencing her Gwendolyn, you were enough trouble."
"Well, you were no walk in the park either, that is probably why you have a daughter, so you can live in fear of boys that behave like you did as a kid."
"Yeah yeah yeah, whatever, you two have fun. Take care of my little sweetpea."
"Don't worry Max, she is in good hands, Collin and I will take excellent care of her."
We hugged out our good-byes and we were off to enjoy the biggest night in Cree's life.