Disclaimer: The only thing I own are the ridiculous situations in which I've placed these boys.
"Mister Dean! Mister Dean!"
Dean can hear Kelli's excited calls through the still-closed apartment door, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he works to get the door open and wheel himself backwards in order to let in the over-excited child and her rather resigned-appearing mother.
Tammy gives Dean a chagrined smile and a small shrug of her shoulders, her nonverbal apology of what her daughter is about to do.
"Guess what?" Kelli asks, her messy pigtails bobbing to the beat of her frenetic tip-toe bouncing, saucer eyes locked on Dean's face.
"You brought me cookies?" Dean asks, his teasing tone concealing the hope he has that someone out there still bakes with sugar. He's not sure how many more sugar-free desserts Mrs. Walters might have up her sleeve.
"No," Kelli says, shaking her head, the huge grin across her face begging him to continue their little guessing game.
He squints his eyes and purses his lips, trying for the effect of deep thought before he lets his next guess loose.
"You got a job?"
"No, silly," she says, body fairly humming with excitement.
"You're getting married?" Deans asks, eyebrows raised in question.
"Ewwww, boys are icky," she says, her little mouth frowning in disgust at his suggestion.
"Ummmmm," Dean says, studying the ceiling while he tries to pull together his next idea. "You guys came over to braid Sam's hair?"
"No!" Kelli says, giggling, while Tammy bites her lip to keep her own amusement in check.
"Well clearly, I've got nothing," Dean finally says with a shrug.
"It's my birthday!" she cries gleefully, her bouncing now making Dean faintly dizzy as his eyeballs try to follow her movements.
"Well, shoot," he says with exaggerated disappointment. "I didn't get you anything."
"It's not today silly," she says with an eyeroll that looks suspiciously like his own. "It's on Saturday. And I'm having a party!"
Dean takes in her barely-contained excitement, wonders if he can bottle it up to make his fortune. Five-year old little girl energy – the legal equivalent to speed.
"And I want you to come!" she adds on, eyes locked on his in an expression equal parts pleading and hopefulness.
Tammy raises her eyebrows at him and he now understands the meaning behind her previous nonverbal apology.
"Uhhhh," he draws out, right arm stump gliding behind his head before he can stop the futile gesture of rubbing his neck.
Tammy glances back and forth between her daughter and the man she considers one of her "bestest" friends, knowing she's putting him on the spot but unable to explain to her child why Mr. Dean might not want to spend his afternoon with a bunch of overly-sugared children. She can understand his hesitance. The mayhem she knows is likely to ensue makes her want to curl into a ball herself, not to mention the fact that she's not sure just how comfortable he is with his disability. She thinks the kids will probably be okay. It's more likely the parents who will have the questions and the stares.
"Please, please, please?" Kelli cajoles, little hands clasped in front of her heart in a gesture that's comically cute. "You could read for us! I already told Susie and Josh how good you are at voices," she adds, digging the dagger a little deeper into his heart.
This kid is good, Dean thinks to himself, glancing at Tammy whose face says the same thing.
"You know I don't do all that well with turning the pages," he says, holding out his arm stumps in emphasis.
"That's okay," she says, eyes bright with excitement, "I'll help you! You read and I'll hold the book and turn. Just like we always do."
Dean's arm stumps seek out his legs in a quick display of his nervousness over the situation while his brain argues with itself over whether or not he's ready for something like this. Being on display. With a bunch of strangers.
He's been going out in public more frequently with Sam and Laura, has been making an effort to get on with his life. And while for the most part it's okay, the gawking looks and secretive whispers still set his teeth on edge.
But the little girl in front of him clearly sees no such issues, just sees her friend. And Dean doesn't want to disappoint his friend. One of the people who've been instrumental in helping him accept who he is now.
So he gives an audible swallow, glancing quickly at Tammy before returning his gaze to Kelli. "Sounds great," he says, voice thick with tangled emotions. "Hey Kelli," he says, almost as an afterthought, "is it okay if Sam comes along with me?"
Kelli's eyes widen, her head nodding vigorously in answer. She can't wait to tell her friends that Sasquatch will be at her party too.
To Be Continued…