"Yeah it's just.........people can be so mean and judgmental. You just met me, right? What do you think of me as a person so far? She said turning towards him
"I think you are pretty of course! You're a nice, down to earth, sweet, fun to be with, most of all you are funny, very funny."
She couldn't help but laugh when he said that cause she knew that she could be very silly at times and she choked out "Thank you, that means so much more than you think.....thank you."
She grabbed his free hand and he squeezed her hand warmly to say things would be okay she looked at him and smiled.
They were walking around the pet store holding hands for the first time and she said "I want a fish aqauriam , a big one, with lots of fish."
"Well come on, let's go look at those." He pointed as he lead the way.
He pulled Debra over to the tanks as she said "There are so many. No goldfish he laughed I need something that'll last."
He placed his arm around her waist while they walked. "Those last a while." (He said, pointing to some blue fish.
"Yeah, they're a pretty blue."
"Are you going to get those?"
"Yeah."
The sales clerk came over and got the fishes that Debra picked out. Debra got the fish tank and all the equipment she needed.
"I thought we came to get a puppy?"
She laughed "Yeah, but not from here."
They thanked the clerk and went out of the door.
"Where are we going to get the puppy?"
"From an Animal Shelter. Those animals need homes."
He was about to open the door when she stood up against his car. She placed her palm softly on his cheek. They looked into one anothers eyes til she kissed him almost barely and he replied with a small smirk "I know you can do better than that."
"I don't deserve you, you are way to good for me."
"What makes you say that?"
"You don't know me, you know ME but.....you don't"
"Well, I know I like you a lot, and anything about you I don't know I'd like to learn"
"Really...you mean that."
"Yeah"
"Will you come with me to meet someone today? It's kind of a special day for them today."
"Yeah"
"Okay, well I need to pick up a few things and then we will go."
He nodded 'okay' and she kissed him and he opened the door for her, she climbed inside with him on the other, she hoped and prayed he wouldn't change his mind when he met her daughter.
*******
After she went and picked up what she needed, they went back to her place. They went inside, it was beautifully decorated in black and white. She kicked her shoes off and he followed her into the dining area where they sat everything down and him looking around "You have a nice place."
"Thank you, you can sit, get a soda, I need to go shower and change."
"Okay"
She walked out the room, he looked around more and went and sat on couch, He wondered how she could afford so much going to college. After a while she appeared having finished showering in blue jeans and a brown sweater, her heels, her long wavy hair wrapped up in a bun in the back of her head, she walked from the dining room into the living room and signaled for him to follow her and he did back into the dining room and she walked over to the other side of the table holding her hands out proudly.
"How does it look?"
"It looks good you did a good job."
When there was a knock at the door he sat at the table filled with presents and a small cake and a few balloons and she opened the door and there stood her baby, she picked her up into her arms hugging her and her daughter hugging her back.
"Mommy I missed you."
"Happy Birthday froggy." She said as she closed the door and put Nancy down. "How old is my big girl today?"
"I am this many." She said proudly holding up 3 fingers.
"Right my big girl is 3 today"
She pulled the small backpack off her back and sat it down next to the couch.
"We had fun at school, they sing Happy Birthday to me."
"They did."
"Yep."
Nancy followed her mother into the dining room where he sat and to him it was like he was looking at a mini Debra she looked just like her only her hair was more curly and pulled in high ponytail, she had honey brown eyes not quite hazel like her mother's dressed overalls with red tee shirt and white tennis shoes. Debra picked her up and sat her in a chair between them as she sat and Nancy stood in the chair looking around excitedly.
"Nancy honey this is Howie Mommy's friend and Howie this is the very important person I was telling you about my daughter Nancy."
The little girl smiled a little extending her small hand out to his and she shook it he couldn't help but laugh as she said "Hi, I like your name."
Then she turned to look excitedly at her cake. The look of that little girl being happy was priceless to him as Debra asked her pulling the plastic off the top of her cake. "Do you like it honey?"
"Yes it is pretty"
Debra sat 3 candles in the middle of the cake and she lit them as they sang Happy Birthday to her and she smiled excitedly made a wish and blew the candles out and they clapped for her and cheered lightly and Debra quickly got up.
"Nancy I have to show you something."
She picked her up and walked her small bags filled with fish and there she put her down and Nancy pointed "Are all those mines?
"Yep they are and one more thing" she said as she pulled the box from under the coffee table. "Open it"
She fumbled with the top of the box for a quick minute until she got it off and she was so surprised as she squealed "A puppy!!"
She picked the small, cubby, brown puppy out the box and up into her arms
"It's a boy honey, you have to name him a boy name okay."
"Can I show him my room?"
Debra nodded "yeah" as Nancy raced happily out the room and she went and sat in the seat Nancy was sitting in kind of nervous.
"That's the someone, I didn't tell you at first cause most guys you know..my age,Don't date chicks with kids and if you don't want to I-"
He knew what she was about to say and cut in himself "No it's okay
"Really, That is so cool, most guys are like 'I not ready to be a Dad' and I'm not looking for a Dad for her because ...well ....so far I think I have been a pretty good mother"
"She's so beautiful she looks just like you"
"Thank You"
Nancy ran back into the living room fumbling with the puppy in her arms and they both turned to look at her "He has a big stomach mommy, he's going on a diet."
"Come here"
She sat the puppy down and she ran into her mother arms, she sat her in her arms facing Howie and Nancy out of no where blurted out "Do you like my Mommy?"
He couldn't help but laugh as he replay "Yes"
She was quiet a while as she looked at him then she asked "I saw you on TV right" and he nodded 'Yeah' "that's magic you jumped out the TV."
There was knock on the door as Debra laughed a little standing up placing Nancy in the chair "No he didn't jump out the TV."
Her and Howie chatted a while as Debra opened the door not surprised to see her parents and they both came inside and her mother yelled out her arms open "Where is my birthday girl?"
"Grandma!"
Nancy ran into her Grandmother's arms who hugged her and when she saw Howie behind her her mother's jaw dropped. Debra never saw that expression on her Mom's face so she asked "Mom what's wrong?"
"You can't be dating him"
"Why not?"
Her mother extended his hand in total amazement and she just happened to caught her breath and get out "The female students in my classes are so in love with you guys, I have tons of posters and magazines I've took up because the girls spend there time on you guys and not on their lesson."
"I'm sorry about that."
"You're so much cuter in person."
She laughed as she hugged and Debra still was amazed at her mother behavior she never acted so much like a .....star struck teenager as she watched them hug and Nancy picked up her puppy showing it to her Grandparents holding it up.
"Grandma,Grandpa look what she got me........a puppy."
Her father being the person he was blurted out firmly "You don't suppose to have pets here Debra."
She didn't even turn to look at him as she said "Only for a while, we're moving soon to a bigger, better place, plus that's what she wanted."
He just walked out the door yelling for her Mom to follow who didn't.
"Excuse him, Nancy let's get going baby"
Debra hugged and kissed her daughter goodbye as her parents left, she closed the door embarrassed by her father's actions.