�Mooommyyy!! Isabella and Jayccceeee are here!� Kaela grinned. �You can come in.� Isabella smiled. �Where�s Lady?� Kaela shrugged. �Prolly with Mommy.� JC laughed. �And where�s mommy?� Kaela shrugged again. �Dunno. C�mon, Bella, let�s go to my room.� Bella nodded and they took off. JC smiled after his daughter, looking around. He looked up, as Corinne came out of a room. She smiled upon seeing him. �Hey! Come on in!� He grinned and walked towards her. She looked around, confused. �Where�s the girls?� He smiled. �They�re in Kaela�s room.� She nodded. �Ok, well, why don�t you get them, while I grab my purse?� He nodded and headed for Kaela�s room. He opened the door, slowly and peered in as he saw the two little girls on the floor, playing with Kaela�s dolls. He grinned, and stepped in, crouching down beside them. �Hey, guys, whatcha playin�?� Kaela grinned. �Hey, Jayce. We�s playin� house. Yoo wanna play?� Isabella nodded. �Yah, daddy, yoo play, too.� He grinned, and kissed her cheek. �I would, punkin, but I thought you wanted to go with Kaela and Cori to the park.� Isabella nodded, jumping up. �Can I have a piggy ride?� He nodded. �Climb on.� She did, as he said, and JC stood, holding his hand out to Kaela. �Princess Kaela?� She grinned and placed her tiny hand in his, and together, they walked out into the hall. Corinne smiled, as she saw them. �Let�s go, kiddos.�
Corinne�s mouth fell open, as she realized where they were. �When I said, park, I thought you meant, your average one, swings, slides, picnic tables. That kinda park. Not Disney World.� Kaela grinned. �But mommy! It�s fun here!� She sighed. �If you say so.� JC grinned, slinging an arm around her shoulders. �C�mon, Cori, it�ll be lotsa fun.� She looked at him curiously and he blushed. �Sorry� I meant, Corinne. Isabella calls you Cori, and�� She shook her head. �It�s ok. Cori�s fine with me.� She knelt down in front of the girls and sighed. �Ok, munchkins. Where to first?� Isabella grinned, brightly. �I wanna see where Cinderella lives!� Kaela nodded. �Me too.� JC grinned. �Let�s go then!�
The 4 made their way towards Cinderella�s castle, stopping by the Dumbo ride for the girls. �Stop me, if I�m getting too personal, which I probably I am because it�s just me, but� if you don�t mind my asking� what happened to Kaela�s father?� Corinne shook her head, glancing up from the bench to the ride. �No, I don�t mind. Um, Kaela�s dad left when she was 1. Her name was Sheila. Long flowy dark brown hair, sultry blue eyes� I couldn�t compare to someone like her. So, it was over� we never got married. My dad pretty much condemned me to a life in eternal hell.� She laughed bitterly. �He�s a pastor� we lived in a really small town, so everyone found out I was pregnant and unmarried. And it made him look really bad. So I shamed the family, so to speak. My mom, however, was another story. She was on my side� when my dad wasn�t around. She didn�t want to be put against him. And I understood that. I didn�t want to be responsible for my parents unhappiness. But, yeah. He tried to get custody, but being her mother I won. Then there�s also his alchoholic history� I don�t have any regrets though. She�s my baby, and I would do anything for her.� He nodded, standing. �I�m sorry, Corinne.� She shook her head. �Don�t be. I�m not.� He smiled, holding out his hand. �Looks like they�re done.� She took it and smiled. �Thanks.� He looked at her, confused. �For?� She looked up at him. �For listening.� They made their way over to where the girls were bouncing up and down, neither one letting go of the other�s hand.
�Mommmmyyyy� I�m hungry!�
�Daddyyy, I wanna see Goofy!�
The 2 adults looked down at the 2 girls and looked at each other tiredly. �How bout we eat first, and THEN see Goofy?� JC asked. Isabella sighed, but nodded reluctantly. �Pwomise?� He grinned, and held out his pinky. �Pinky-swear.� Corinne watched as she giggled and looped her pinky with his, both kissing their hands. JC grinned and hugged her, before standing. He grinned at the look on Corinne�s face. �Um, guess you think we�re pretty weird, eh?� She grinned. �Not really, I think it�s cute.� He smiled. �Thanks. What do you kiddos wanna eat?� Kaela looked at Isabella, who whispered something in her ear. Her eyes lit up and she nodded fervently. �We want pizza.� JC nodded. �Pizza, it is.�
�Ok. Well, you know my story. What�s yours? Does Bella have a mom?� He sighed. �Yeah. She does. I, like you, never married. Hallie found out she was pregnant, and she seemed happy about it. Of course, I was scared to death. My parents were supportive, which helped. And I proposed� not really because I wanted to, but more that it felt like I had no other way out. Due to my hectic schedule, it didn�t happen anytime soon. Isabella was born, and about 10 months later, Hallie broke off the engagement and left. She said she didn�t want the responsibility� didn�t want to be tied down� but worst of all, she didn�t want to be a mother. So I raised Isabella by myself. And like you, I wouldn�t trade the life I have for anything in the world.�
Corinne nodded. �We�ve certainly been through some hell, haven�t we?� He laughed. �I�ll say so. But we�ve already hit rock bottom� it can only get better right?� She smiled. �I can only hope so.� He smiled. �Before I go and forget, Isabella�s birthday is next Satuday, as is Monica�s. You and Kaela have to come. As well as Charlotte.� She nodded. "We'll be there." He grinned. "Ok, then."
"Daddy, I'm tired. I wanna go home." Corinne grinned. "You don't wanna see the fireworks?" Isabella shook her head, burying her face into JC's shoulder. "Noooo, I don't like the booms." Kaela giggled. "I do! Boom! Boom!" She laughed, as she twirled around in circles, before almost crashing into JC. Corinne sighed. "You
calm down, now." She smiled up at JC. "I'll trade you." He laughed. "Not on your life. Let's get going."
Corinne grinned down at Isabella, who was struggling to keep her eyes from falling. "Sweetie, why fight it?" Isabella yawned. "I wanna say bye." Corinne smiled. "Kaela's already asleep." Isabella nodded. "That's o-tay. I can say bye
to you." JC smiled, looking back. "We're here. Say bye, Bella." Isabella smiled.
"Bye-bye, Cori. I see you at my party?" Corinne nodded. "You sure will. Night sweetie." She picked up the sleeping Kaela and grinned. "Hey, Bella?" The little girl looked up, sleepily. Corinne smiled. "I'm afraid of the booms, too." Isabella smiled, before closing her eyes, drifting off into sleep. Corinne smiled at JC.
"G'night. Thanks for today. I know I speak for both us, when I say we had fun."
He smiled. "Us too. Night, Corinne." She shut the door, heading inside. He watched after her, then looked back at his sleeping daughter and smiled.
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