Absense Makes the Heart Grow Fonder

Chapter 4- Don't Worry, Be Happy

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! It means so much! ;) blah blah blah, same thing I say in every author's note, I know you're tired of hearing this, but I LOVE YOU ALL! :) now on with the story:D

Alex's POV

Attempting to make dinner with a lot on your mind is pretty difficult. Especially if you can't cook to start with. Even more especially when you hear a blood-curddling scream from your little girl's room.

I jumped clean out of my skin, slammed the pot of pasta noodles on the counter, and raced to Leah's room. My heart was beating faster than I thought possible.

I swung open the door, too see my daughter sitting in the floor with her toys. I relaxed.

"Hi, Momma!" She smiled, waving innocently at me.

"Hi, Lovebug," I replied, "Why did you scream?"

"Oh!" she laughed, throwing her head back. She held up her yellow stuffed hippopotumus for me to see. "You see, the evil Dr. Hipp-hop created a science experiment which was supposed to give people super villian powers. But something went terribly wrong and he created a mutant creature. A creature so ugly that it makes everyone scream when they see him! Dr. Hipp-hop called this creature-" she turned off her lamp and turned her flashlight under her chin, "Willinato," she said in a chilling voice as she showed me a plastic dinosaur that she had covered in torn-up stickers. I smirked at how dramatic she was.

"And why did you have to scream?" I asked.

"That wasn't me," she informed me. She held up a purple stuffed giraffe, "Dr. Hipp-hop was mad at Gizelle for not bringing him the magic rocks he asked for, so he sent Willinato to scare her!"

I squatted down to her level. "So it was Gizelle who made me jump clean out of my skin," I declared, giving her a skeptical smile.

"Yep," she smiled. "And that's when Captain Franchesco comes in to save the day!" She gestured to her stuffed fox Mason had won her from the claw game at Chuck-E-Cheese. "Wana play, Momma?"

I rested my hands on my hips, "Now Leah, I'm right in the middle of making dinner." I paused, "Of course I'll play with you!" Leah smiled and handed me her rainbow seahorse.

"You can be Ronald Rainbow, Captain Franchesco's sidekick!" She explained to me the point of the game, which she was making up as she went along. I smiled and played along. I was actually really into it when Mason called.

"Hi, new British guy," I smiled once I picked up the phone.

"Hello, brown eyes," He replied sweetly. "What are you up to?"

I grinned, "Well currently, I just helped Captain Franchesco save Princess Bea from the toy box of doom by distracting a mutant dinosaur named-" I imphasized just as Leah did before, "Willinato!" I smirked down at Leah, who was happily brushing through her barbie's hair.

Mason laughed, "Sound's like you and Leah are having a great time."

My voice turned serious. "Leah's been watching tv in our room for the past hour." I informed him.

Mason had no response. I laughed. "Just kidding," I smiled. He laughed after finally catching on. Then his voice turned slightly serious.

"I think we have something to discuss with Leah when I get home." He informed me. I instantly got the message. I sighed.

"I think we do," I said quietly. "But I need to call Justin just to make sure."

"Alright. See you in about thirty minutes." I could hear in his voice that he was smiling. "I love you." He told me.

"I love you too." I smiled. I hung up and sighed. I stood up and started walking out of the room. "Sorry, sweetie. Momma's gotta make a quick phone call." I told her.

"That's okay," she told me. "Do you want me to wait for you?"

"No, it's fine. You keep playing. Princess Bea's not gonna save herself, you know." I quickly left the room and dialed my brother's number.

"Alex?" he answered on the first ring.

"No, Justin, it's Rumplestilskin," I replied sacastically.

"Nice. What's up?"

"Um," I began, "Do Mom and Dad have any plans tomorrow?"

"Probably not. The shop's closed on Sundays. Why?"

I hesitated, then answered, "I think I might pay them a visit."

Justin gasped, "Seriously?"

"Yes..?" I answered, sort of confused.

"I don't know if you realize how happy that will make everyone!" He announced.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, today I told them that I ran into you-"

"You what?" I interupted, "I swear Justin if you said a word about Leah, you're gonna be eating carpet the second I get there!"

"Relax, relax, I didn't say anything. As I was saying, I told them I saw you and they all completely flipped out! They were so happy to know that you were okay."

"Well I can assure you that I'm just fine. Mason and I still need to talk this over. Even if we do visit," I sighed. "We won't be able to stay long."

"Why not? What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong, Justin," my voice trailed off. I could feel my heart begin to hurt again. I pushed the thoughts of what could go wrong to the back of my mind. "We just can't. Can we leave it at that?"

Justin started, but realized that I am just as stubborn as I was five years ago. "Okay. So, I'll...see you tomorrow?" he asked. I was about to reply, when I felt the phone slide right out of my hands.

"Hi, Uncle Justin!" a little voice sang. I yelped, then spun around to see Leah standing on the kitchen counter behind me, taking on my phone. How in the world did she get there without me hearing her? I asked myself. Then I realized what she was doing.

"Off the counter!" I snapped, still trying to lower my heart rate. She nodded and hopped off the counter, landing lightly on her feet. She toddled of to the other room. I followed.

"No, it's fine. I just scared Momma a little i think," she laughed into the phone. I watched her pace back and forth around the living room. "Yeah. It was funny."

"What was funny?" I asked. Leah held up her index finger as she concentrated on what he was saying.

"Really?" she laughed, "So that's why Daddy says I'm just like Momma!" I scowled, wondering what my brother was telling her.

"Alrighty." she stopped. "I'll talk to you later then. I love you! Bye!" she shut my phone and placed it in my hand. I was amazed at how quickly she accepted Justin enough to already tell him she loved him. Oh well. She was just naturally accepting.

"What did he tell you?" I demanded.

"He asked why you screamed. I told him that I scared you. Then he told me that you used to scare him on purpose all the time when you were kids. Then he said he had to go."

I sighed as Mason swung open the front door. "I'm home!" he announced. "Anybody miss me?"

Leah immediatly jumped into his arms. "Daddy!" she squealed, hugging him as tight as her little arms could go.

"Oh, there's my little princess," he smiled as he scooped her up in his arms and spun her around. She squealed and laughed and threw her head back. I made my way over to the two of them.

"Hello, love," he smiled.

"Hey, you," I smiled back as I pulled him in for a kiss.

"Gross!" Leah exclaimed, shaking her head at us. Mason laughed and covered her eyes as he kissed me back.

"Ew! Quit it!" she cried, swatting his hand away. I laughed and pecked her on the cheek. I stole her from Mason and bounced her on my hip, enjoying her contaigous laugh. I set her on the ground. Mason leaned down to her level. "Leah, your Momma and I have something to talk to you about tonight." he informed her.

"Ooh! Am I getting a little brother?" she asked excitedly, jumping up and down.

"NO." Mason breathed out.

"No!" I replied quickly, "No. Gosh, no." I sighed.

"Oh," she said, sounding a little disapointed. She shook it off. "Where do babies come from?"

Mason and I exchanged glances. I slightly shook my head, only to a degree that he could notice it. He looked at Leah.

"Ebay," he impulsively blurted out. I elbowed him in the side.

"Oh." she replied. "So what's the news?"

"Go sit on the couch, honey," I told her. She nodded and walked off. I looked at Mason. "Ebay? Seriously?" I demanded. He shrugged. I rolled my eyes and sat next to Leah. Mason settled in the armchair.

"You know who Justin is, right?" I asked her, knowing her answer.

"Yes."

"Who is he?"

"Your brother."

"That's right. And a brother is a part of a..." I guestered my hand in a circular motion.

"..Family?" she asked.

"Right," Mason smiled. "Speaking of family, did you know that Momma has more family?"

My daughter's eyes widened. "Really?" she asked.

"Yes."

"Like who?"

"Well," I began, memories flooding back into my mind, "Justin's my big brother. I have a little brother, too. His name is Max."

"So I have an Uncle Justin and an Uncle Max?"

I nodded. "And I have a Momma and a Daddy, just like you do."

Now, Leah was really surprised. "You do?"

"Yep. They're your grandparents."

"Do I call them Grama and Grampa?"

"Sure. Or whatever you want to call them. Different people call them different things."

"Oh. What are they like?"

I smiled. "They're the best parents ever."

"Besides you and Daddy, right?"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

"Tell me more!"

"Well, My mom was always trying to act younger that she actually was." I laughed. "She used to try and pass as my sister half the time, even though we all knew she couldn't. But she was a pretty cool mom. She had a big heart."

"She sounds really nice." Leah smiled.

I smiled back at her. "She is."

"And what about your Daddy?"

I bursted out with laughter. So did Mason. Leah did too, even though she had no clue what we were laughing at. "Well, I was always Daddy's little girl. My dad was really funny. He was strict sometimes, but he was really just a big kid at heart." I told her about Dad's pudding addiction, and his special mustard, and how he never paid us when we worked at the sub shop. The three of us ended up laughing our heads off throughout most of the discussion. I sighed happily, replaying old memories in my head.

"So what do you think of them?" Mason asked her after she finished her giggling fit.

"The sound like the coolest gramparents ever!" she exclaimed as she climbed into my lap. I hugged her tight.

"I'm glad you think that way, kiddo," I smiled, "because you're meeting them tomorrow."

Leah's face lit up like it did on Christmas morning. Her eyes and smile widened as wide as possible. "Really?" she cried.

"Really," Mason and I said together, smiling at each other. Leah threw her arms around me.

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