You are proof that love before first sight does exist. – Areceli M. ReamThe first Saturday in February, Helen and Bunny went shopping for the babies. Jolene and Dean went with them also. While they were loving the Nightmare Before Christmas themed items, the expectant mothers were looking at the more traditional fare.“I would totally do Jack and Sally for my nursery.” Dean admitted.“OH!” Jolene turned around with a stuffed Zero. “Does Monster need this?”“You have no idea how much he needs that.” Dean said.“What size is his bed?” Jolene asked, picking up a crib set.“I need a buggy.” Dean declared and the two went towards the front of the store.Zack followed them at a discreet distance without drawing attention to himself.“I’m glad she decided to come.” Bunny told Helen as they were looking at Pooh Bear décor.“That was all Jolene.” Helen said.“Really?” Helen laughed. “Jolene told Dean that we were going to surround her with pastels and pretty bows.” They both looked at the p
You know my feelings: Everyday is a gift. It’s just, does it have to be a pair of socks? – Tony Soprano“Dean told me an interesting story about the house.” JD said as he and Reese jogged on the treadmills at Golden Iron.Reese chuckled. “The guy that built the house got killed by the Mafia?”“Yeah. She didn’t seem very convinced.”“She used to be.” Reese admitted. “The family that built the compound actually wanted to turn it into a hotel. The bottom floor was for them, and the top floor was for the hotel. My house was originally two joined cabins. Which is why it’s a weird L-shape. Shortly after they finished it, their financing backed out.”“How did she get the idea of the mafia?”“When she was about eight, she was obsessed with the Sopranos.”“Who would let an eight-year-old watch the Sopranos?”Reese grinned at the younger man. “Her favorite uncle.”“You?” JD laughed.“Never said that I was a good uncle.” Reese shrugged as both machines e
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt. – Charles M. SchulzBunny didn’t realize what she had gotten herself into when she handed over her dreaded gender reveal to Dean and Jolene. Since Valentine’s Day was on a Saturday, Reese’s restaurants were already booked full of reservations. The next obvious choice was the big house. Jolene and Dean added pink and blue fairy lights to the white ones that were always on the large deck and around the pool. The tables had pink or blue tablecloths with cupid centerpieces. Jolene had been concerned with the paper centerpieces being blown away.“Zip ties.” Dean said holding long white zip ties in her hand. She showed Jolene and Helen how to anchor the centerpieces to the red bricks. Decorative tulle was then hot glued onto the bricks. “When we’re done, we strip them and put them back in the corner for the next party.”“You’ve done this once or twice.” Helen laughed as the princesses set up an assemb
Self-defense is not just a set of techniques; it’s a state of mind, and it begins with the belief that YOU are worth defending. – Rorion GracieShelby thought that Neo was an idiot.Not with business. He was good with business. And he knew how to keep his clients and employees happy. They had never made it that far, but she was certain that he knew how to keep a woman happy.And this is why she thought that he was an idiot.Shelby was driving out to the new facilities, house, compound, whatever he was calling it. Nate sat in the backseat of her pickup chatting happily about what he and Uncle Neo were going to do tonight. Ever since Neo said that he had signed both Shelby and Jolene up for the RAD class, the only thing that Nate could talk about was his Thursday nights with Uncle Neo.Nate seemed to think that this was going to become a regular thing. She didn’t have the heart to tell him that this was only a three-week course. She waved at Chris who was work
My best dreams and worst nightmares have the same people in them. – PhilipposAfter class, Jolene and Shelby stopped for a burger at a fast-food place.“I can’t believe that little girl…” Jolene said softly.“Oh my God, yeah. When her mom called, she asked what the age cut off was and I’ve never been asked that before.” Shelby admitted. “I went and talked to Neo and she’s doing the class and Andre is also meeting with her and her mom and sisters. Did you see the story about the little girl that was raped by her neighbor on a dare?”“Oh God.” Jolene whispered as she covered her mouth. “She’s a baby.”“I know. I won’t even tell you what Neo said. Mainly because I don’t use language like that.”“I’ve never heard him really use bad language.”“He did that day. A lot of it.” Shelby shook her head. “After he made the arrangements, he disappeared down into the gun range for about an hour.”“He said something about teaching me how to shoot.” Jolene said nervo
The best way to find out what we really need is to get rid of what we don’t. – Marie KondoThe intoxicating smell of chicken and matza ball filled the station house. By the time Douggie walked into Gina’s office, her mouth was watering. She hated that bastard. He knew her weaknesses and how to get her to agree to just about anything.“Good morning.” Douggie boomed.“Fuck off.” She growled but her eyes never left the plastic bowl in his hands.“And here I came bearing a peace offering.” He smiled broadly.“I don’t trust your peace offerings.” She admitted as he placed the bowl on the desk and produced a plastic spoon from his jacket pocket.“With good reason.” He agreed, sitting down and pulling out a packet of papers.Seeing the pack of papers, she replaced the lid on the soup that she had just removed and groaned as she held her hand out for them. “What kind of hell have you brought me today?”“I bring you Matza ball soup and good tidings of cheer.”
In the twilight woods of wishes, dreamers rest their weary souls. – Angie Weiland-CrosbyJD sat on the floor with his math workbook opened for the assignment as he watched Dean use chalk to sketch out her design on the wall. He had always wondered how murals were made. She had shrugged her shoulders as she drew out the first layer.“This is what works for me.”Never before had he thought about the details, thoughts and planning that went into something like this. To him, they just... appeared. But to Dean, they were a glimpse into another world. She had started out with a bunch of lines that made no sense to him, not that any of the others made much more sense. Then she sloppily painted three different colors. A bright light blue that was about two feet down from the ceiling. Next were about four feet of dark blue and the remaining was brown. They all blended into one another, and she completed a full wall before moving to the next.Once she was done in the morn
If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. – BuddhaWillow looked outside at the pouring rain and shivered. It was an early spring rain that was cold and hard. Rubbing a hand over her very rounded belly, she turned away from the large window adjacent to her desk.When Reese decided that they would have an actual office, he found an older building. It was what he liked. It was just his way. He loved to take something old and mold it into something new.At the turn of the century, this building had held a dry goods store and greengrocer. The old dry goods counter sat across from her with brochures, flyers, testimonials and three small screens showing before and after pictures from each of the three companies.The large window that used to hold a display of dry goods now had topsoil and construction equipment toys. The children that came in always eyed it with longing and when Willow would tell them that they could play, they would light up.