Chapter 4
"I cannot choose, Daddy." My five year old daughter said to me.
"You must choose, I said you could bring only 5 books." I was trying to get her packed for our vacation we are leaving for in the morning. We are going to the Grand Canyon and Pearl is going to see snow for the first time.
"No, I need them all." She said crossing her arms and locking her face the way her Mother does when she is about to bully you into giving her, her way.
"No you don't we will only be gone for five days, that is one book per day. I am only bringing three, because we will be doing activities and there will not be a ton of time for reading." She huffed and said.
"Get Mommy, I want to talk to Mommy." She demanded with a stomp of her foot.
"Fine, but she will agree with me." Pearl gave me a look that said 'We'll see about that.' I narrowed my eyes before I called for Sookie.
"Lover, your daughter wishes to speak to you." Sookie came in with a smirk on her face and said.
"Oh, she's 'my' daughter now." She turned to Pearl and asked. "What did you do?" Pearl did her patented Pam eye roll and said.
"He is being unrealistic." She pointed to me with fire in her eyes and continued. "He wants me to only bring five books with me on our trip." Sookie tossed her hands up and said.
"I don't pack, I don't think about packing, and I don't have any say over what does get packed. If Daddy says only five books, then you only get to bring five books." I smiled smugly at my daughter and gave Sookie a kiss before she went back to her studio.
"I told you she would agree with me." I picked her sulking body up and set her on the bed and said. "Now little one, narrow it down and I might let you bring a sixth book to leave in the car." She lit up and gave me a kiss, before returning to pick through her piles of books. I turned back to her closet and selected five outfits and three emergency outfits for her, including some spare shoes and multiple extra pairs of socks and underwear. She has only recently started to grow out of the need to be perpetually bathed, but I don't want to take any chances.
That night all of our bags were by the door, except for Pam's who would most likely be shoving things into a bag while I warm up the car, and then have to buy things when we get there. I laid out Pearls outfit for tomorrow after I rolled her on her side and started her music box. Then I went into our room and found Sookie plucking her eyebrows, and covered from the waist down in wax strips. Sexy. I went to our closet and pulled out our outfits for tomorrow and laid them across the trunk at the foot of our bed and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. I did my nightly routine, but was caught by Sookie on the way out.
"Baby, pull my cooter wax strips off, I can't bring myself to do it." I looked at her, then down to her crotch which was covered in a smattering of cloth wax strips, and back up to her.
"No, thank you." I said and started to walk away, but she caught me again and said.
"Baby, please!" She looked at me with pleading eyes and I knew I was going to have to rip the hair from my lover's crotch. I knelt in front of the counter to get a better look at what I was dealing with and asked.
"Okay, how do I do this?" She was panting and sweating.
"Pull against the grain." She said.
"Pubic hair has a grain?" I asked. She rolled her eyes and made a motion for me to pull one of the strips up towards her face. I grasped the end of the strip and looked to her face for approval. She just gave me a 'do it already' look, so I shrugged and pulled. The ripping sound was bad, but not as bad as the blood curdling scream that came from my lover. I tossed the strip like it was made of hot lava and fell on my ass. I held up my hands and said.
"I am sorry, but I won't to that to you again." She shot daggers at me and hissed.
"I do this for you! Now help me!" I shook my head and stood firm. I was NOT going to be doing that to her again.
"I will not, why didn't you go to that salon?" She rolled her eyes and mumbled.
"I missed my appointment because I forgot."
"What?" I asked. She tossed a decorative soap at me and hissed.
"I forgot, I knew I had something to do all day, but didn't remember until the place was closed and this shit was getting real." She said pointing to her vagina.
"This is horrific; I do not understand why you do it." I said crossing my arms across my chest as I sat on the floor in our bathroom looking up at Sookie who was still spread eagle on the counter.
"I do this for you! You like me smooth!" I furrowed my brows and whisper yelled.
"I have no preference! You were already like this when I got you so I assumed this was your preference!" I was wildly motioning my arm in front of her crotch. For some reason Sookie just knew how to push my buttons. There was no logic when it came to her, she would make an awful Vulcan.
"But you liked it!" She yelled, seemingly forgetting our child was sleeping and more than likely Pam was listening at our door.
"Oh no, I love you vagina! Let's think back to all the adjectives I use to describe it shall we, tight, wet, perfect, ambrosia, mine…" She cut me off and said.
"I don't think Mine is an adjective, I think it's a possessive pronoun." I tossed my hands in the air and shot off the ground pacing and hissed at her.
"Whatever! My point it, as long as the pussy is there the frame really doesn't matter to me!" With that I grabbed another one of the strips and ripped it off before stomping out of the bathroom while Sookie let out a noise only dog's could hear. I flopped on our bed and placed my head in my hands. I have read hundreds of book on relationships, but still nothing has been able to shed light on Sookie for me. I heard her shuffling over to me and I felt her try to remove my head from my hands, but seeing as how I am much stronger and larger than her, I don't have to if I don't want to, and I don't want to.
"Baby, I love you."
"I love you too." I mumbled, she knows I like to freeze her out, but as a matter of principal I will never ever NOT return an I love you to her unless I truly no longer love her, which I am pretty sure would be impossible at this point, in fact I think I may have fallen in love with her when I saw her trying to comfort herself on the roof the first day we met and I never even noticed it.
"Baby, I'm sorry." I ignored her and rolled on my stomach.
"I love you." She said in a sing song voice.
"I love you too." I replied tersely, She figured out the I love you angle a few months ago and has been using it to her advantage ever since.
"Will you please rip off the last four strips?" She asked sweetly, I continued to ignore her.
"Please baby? I love you so much." I let out a long sigh and sat up. I roughly flipped her on her back and forced her legs open. She was looking up at me stunned. She clearly had not been expecting this. She will see that I can also be completely unpredictable.
"Baby?" She squeaked out as I grabbed the bottom of one of the strips. I looked deep into her eyes and said.
"I love you." As I ripped it off of her. I did the other three in rapid succession telling her I love her each time. Her eyes were watering and I felt bad, but she had brought this on herself and I tried to have no part in it, but she would not allow that. Her little lip was quivering as she choked out.
"Kiss the boo boo." I smiled and shook my head before I bent down and kissed her red, swollen, angry vagina and asked.
"All better?" She shook her head and said.
"No, it fucking hurts." I quirked an eyebrow at her and asked.
"You kiss your daughter with that mouth?" She frowned and defiantly said.
"Fuck yes I do." I rolled my eyes, but removed her bra and shirt. I got up from the bed and retrieved one of my grey t-shirts for her to sleep in and put it over her head. She looked like a wounded kitty when I pulled her up to her pillow and tucked her in. I quickly stripped to my boxers and climbed in next to her, hitting the button on the remote next to my bed to turn the lights off. It was a necessity to have all of the lights in the house wired to a remote, because Sookie thinks she owns the electric company and it was taking forever every night for me to follow her trail through the house and turn off every light she had flipped on since I turned them all off at lunch. I curled up behind her to snuggle and said into her ear.
"You piss me off, but you're the love of my life." She giggled and said.
"I know, I really can't help it." I chuckled and said.
"Oh, I know." She turned over a little and placed a soft kiss on my lips and sweetly said.
"You're the love of my life too." I looked at her seriously and said.
"I would hope so." She smiled and kissed me again before settling in to sleep. In the morning it was going to be a Northman road trip.
"Pamela, you have four minutes before we leave without you! Sookie where is Pearl?" I called up the stair case as I mad dogged Pam's door.
"I don't know Eric! Have you seen my red belt?" I rolled my eyes and said.
"Sookie, I put it on top of the clothes I laid out for you. Look on the ground to see if it fell." I waited a second and heard exactly what I thought I would.
"BINGO! Thanks Baby!" I turned to find Pearl.
"Never a problem Lover, Pearl, where are you?" I turned around when I heard some shuffling by Pam's door; I nearly died when I saw the horrors that walked out hand in hand.
"Pamela, what did you do to my baby?" I growled out as I took in my five year old daughter who was wearing more make-up than a mime and baby sized stilettos to match her child sized black tube dress that matched what Pam was wearing. They both looked like absolute tramps, but Pearl was not old enough to look like a tramp.
"It's our special 'Auntie and Me' outfits!" Pam excitedly beamed. Sookie was flying down the stairs trying to put in an earring when she caught sight of our daughter and tripped and fell as she gasped out.
"What the fuck?" I caught her before she hit the bottom and righted her.
"Hi Mama!" Pearl yelled as she jumped into her Mothers stunned arms.
"Hello Baby Girl, what are you wearing?" Sookie gritted out, her eyes never leaving Pam, who looked like she really didn't give a shit what we thought.
"I am matching Auntie Pam today, just like when we wear our matching Easter dresses!" I scowled at Pam. This was nothing like that. When Sookie and Pearl dressed the same for Easter it was precious watching Sookie help her hunt for eggs in their matching blue sundresses with little pink bunnies on them. Right now my little sister and my little girl look like they should be walking Vanburan at night. Sookie reached behind her and grabbed my half drunk and now cold cup of coffee and like the maser that she is, she 'tripped' and spilled it on Pearl who screamed.
"AHHHH MESSY, CLEAN NOW! CLEAN ME NOW! GET IT OFF!" She started to rip at her clothes and I helped her get it off and carried her trembling form up to the bath while Sookie had some terse words with Pamela. Pearl seems to have inherited my mild OCD and hatred for all things filthy. I started the tub and placed her in it. She filled her little star trek cup and started pouring water over her head and huffed out.
"Soap please Daddy." I pumped out some of her shampoo and rubbed it into her wispy blond hair. She was frowning and I could already tell that she would be in a mood for the rest of the morning, but it was worth it for her to not look like a street walker. I will have to reward Sookie for her quick thinking with one of those 'high fives' she seems to crave so much. I cleaned her from head to toe and dressed her in her sock monkey footie pajamas so she would be comfortable as we drove and maybe even sleep a little.
I realize just how young she is at times like this, sometimes she is like a little adult, but right now she has her thumb in her mouth and is holding her arm out indicating that she wants me to pick her up. She rests her head on my shoulder and hugs me tight as I tuck her Hamtaro in between my body and hers; she secures it with her elbow, never removing her thumb from her mouth. She looks truly sullen. I carry her back down stairs and she hides her face in the crook of my neck. I smile down at her and ask.
"Now are we ready to go?" Sookie lets out a sigh and nods. We walk out to the garage and I see Pam sitting in the last row of our Volkswagen minivan, with her ear-buds in and her arms crossed. I can see that she is now wearing a sweatshirt and jeans. I raise an eyebrow at Sookie who just smiles and shrugs. I get pearl into the car and secure her in her booster seat. Now we are on our way, we head up the I-17 north on our way to our first family vacation.
Three hours later
"Dear God, why did I agree to this!" Pam groaned with her hoodie pulled up over her face. Pearl had gotten a bit car sick and didn't exactly tell anyone before she tried to issue a formal challenge to Mt. St. Helen.
"Pam you shut your pie hole! She is just a little girl and you don't need to make her feel worse." Sookie scolded as she plucked her out of her seat and passed her to me so I could take her into the rest room and clean her while Sookie manned the car. Pearl was sobbing and screaming by this time. I knew she was distraught about being covered in vomit and not necessarily the actual act of vomiting itself. In fact based on personal experience, I'm pretty sure she feels much better now. I took her into the men's room of the Denny's we stopped at and started to clean her. I didn't worry about stripping her down in the open, because her piercing screams were keeping any males with restroom related needs at bay while I worked my Daddy magic.
"Who is Daddy's little Pearl?" I asked as I smoothed out her fresh set of clothes and trashed her PJ's. They were done for, we won't have access to a washer and dryer for days and they would need it ASAP.
"I am." She sniffled and smoothed her hair in the mirror.
"Are you hungry?" I asked. She nodded and held her arms out. I pulled her Hamtaro out of my pocket and passed it to her. She smiled and cuddled into my chest. When I walked out Sookie looked frazzled and was seated in a booth with a smug looking Pam. I scooted in next to Sookie and filled the Lilliputian booth with my massive frame. I tried to disengage Pearl, but it seemed better not to rock the boat with her right now. If she needed a cuddle then she could have it.
"How is she?" Sookie asked rubbing her back and placing a kiss on her head.
"Better, but now she's hungry." Sookie laughed and said.
"I bet she is! I saw what came out, I don't remember feeding her half the stuff in there and I think she may have eaten a Barbie shoe." Peal looked up at her Mother with a serious face and said.
"It did not taste pink." And with that, all of the tension from the first leg of our Northman family vacation was cut and we all laughed. Pearl obviously did not understand our amusement and cocked one of her tiny little eyebrows at me. She may look just like Sookie, but many of her mannerisms are all mine.
"Little one, please refrain from eating your doll's accessories. We only eat food from the kitchen, okay?" She nodded and snuggled back down into my shoulder, shutting her eyes and drifting in and out. We spoke quietly until they came to take our order. Pearl would just have a little of what Sookie and I ordered, because we knew if we ordered her, her own meal that it would mostly go to waste, because she would much rather eat our food. That is fine with me, she is small and does not eat much and it prevents monetary waste.
When our food came we asked Pearl what she wanted, she asked for a piece of my bacon, some of Sookies eggs that were slathered in Tabasco (I don't know how she can eat that shit) and half of Pam's English muffin. We all set out to dig in, but Pearl just sat there and stared at her food.
"Pearl, is something amiss with your meal?" I finally asked her.
"It's not from our kitchen." She replied and stared longingly at it. I smiled and said.
"Yes Little one, that is true, but this is from Denny's kitchen so you may eat it. The food just has to be from 'A KITCHEN' not necessarily ours." She smiled and tentatively picked up her bacon and took a hesitant bite, her eyes never leaving mine. I nodded and motioned for her to continue and that seemed to squelch her fears, because she dug right in and later moved onto Sookies lap to pick at her potatoes.
"Eric, how much longer until we're there?" Pam asked as I secured Pearl back into her seat.
"About four or five hours." I stated and looked back at Pearl and took her book out of her hands and said. "No more reading for you until we get there." She looked at me like I had just snapped the neck of a kitten in front of her and asked.
"But Daddy why?"
"Because, I don't want you getting sick again." She stared at me and said.
"I won't I promise." I shook my head and said.
"No, but I will let you pick the music, what is your choice?" She crossed her arms and said.
"Spice Girls." I saw Sookie pump her fist, and Pearl gave me a defiant look with a smug smile as I secured all of her straps. I started the car and groaned when Sookie started the music. She bopped along, but I just wished to meet my maker. Pam was grinning like a fool when Pearl started to sing the words. I just groaned and Pam said.
"Oh Eric, you are a party pooper. Say Daddy's a party pooper Pearl." Pam provoked from the back seat. Pearl looked at her skeptically and caught my eyes in the mirror before asking.
"Daddy, did you really poop on a party? I'm only supposed to poopie in the potty." I burst out laughing and had to yet again pull the car over to let it pass. Sookie was doubled over clutching her sides; Pam however just looked stoic and said to Pearl.
"Yes he did, don't you have a birthday coming up?" She asked Pearl innocently.
"I do!" She exclaimed. She turned in her seat as much as possible and said.
"Daddy, DO NOT poop on my party! I mean it." She was waving her little finger and frowning. I tried to hold in my laughter and said.
"I will try my best." Pearl narrowed her eyes and said.
"Do or do not, there is no try." I whipped my head back to her with pride and Sookie burst out laughing again. I knew playing the world's greatest movies through headphones into Sookies womb while she was pregnant was a great idea! I smiled at her proudly and said.
"That is correct little one." She smiled and said.
"No poopin' okay." I raised my hands in mock surrender as I pulled back onto the highway and said.
"I promise not to poop on your party." She smiled and said.
"Good, mommy I want olli ollies for my birthday."
"Raviolis', and that's fine. What kind of theme do you want? Barbies or kittens maybe?" Sookie asked hopefully. However Pearl had had one sound obsession lately and I could guess what the theme of my daughters fourth birthday.
"No thank you, I want Jurassic Park please. Extra raptors." She caught my eye in the rear view mirror again and said.
"Stay out of the tall grass Daddy."
"Will do, little one." I retorted. The fact that she was obsessed with one of my favorite movie franchises only served to fuel the fire that I did have the best child on the planet. I will have to crunch some numbers and do some research, but perhaps I should broach the subject of creating another human with Sookie, who in this moment looked pained and asked.
"Are you sure you don't want Disney princess' or something?" Pearl shook her head and said.
"No thank you Mommy." Sookie sighed and said.
"Okay, if that's what you want I'll make it happen." Pearl squealed and screamed.
"Thank you Mommy! I love you!" Sookie smiled and reached over to hold my hand and said.
"I love you too, Princess." Pearl held up her hands in little claws close to her body and flopped them up and down while saying.
"I'm not a princess; I'm a T-rex… RAWRRRR!" I beamed at her and Sookie quietly laughed and said.
"Anything for you, baby." Miraculously the rest of the trip went by without incident, and we only arrived at the cabin two hours late, which was actually one hour early, because when I told everyone of the schedule I gave them three hours of wiggle room. If I had given them the real time we would have been late for sure. I checked us into our cabin and let the girl's ohhh and ahhh over everything while I unpacked our clothes so they would not wrinkle and lined up our toiletries properly in the bathroom. I also switched out the roll of toilet paper with a roll of Charmin, because I have a strong dislike for bargain basement toilet paper. I went and repeated the process in Pam and Pearls room; however after the shenanigans Pam pulled this morning I'm not so sure it's a good thing to have them share a room anymore. I return to the front room where Sookie is showing Pearl how to draw on the frosted windows. I smile at my girls and say.
"Ready to bundle up and see the snow?" Pearl squeals and flops out of Sookies arms onto the floor with a thud. All three of us shot towards her, Sookie was first but Pearl pushed her away and took off like a shot towards her room to get dressed. It will never cease to amaze me that she can test the integrity of the floor with her head and seem unfazed, but a splinter can be more dramatic than living in Hollywood. Sookie shrugged and rolled her eyes before she followed Pearl. I looked over at Pam and said.
"You will need to wear something warmer than that." I pointed to her sweat shirt and jeans. I myself had already changed into my snow clothes. They were all back except for a red 'S' on each on my butt cheeks. I didn't have to think too hard to know that Sookie picked these special for me. Sookie and Pearl walked out a few moments later in matching snow clothes. They were both head to toe in white with red 'E's on their tushies. I laughed at them and helped Pearl get her gloves on. She seemed entranced with moving her fingers in them. Then I helped Sookie with hers before I put my own on. Pam came out a while later wearing a pink snow suit half unzipped so her cleavage was hanging out and showed her playboy bunny bikini top. I sighed and took Pearls hand before asking.
"Should we build snow men first?" Pearl looked up and said.
"I want to build a snow otterbot." Sookie laughed and corrected.
"Autobot, come with Mommy I'll help you." Pearl, unfortunately is about as artistic as I am, so Sookie did most of the work on our 'otterbot'. It turned out great! We had to practically force Pearl inside. She was trembling and her teeth were chattering by the time we finally got her inside. I sat her in front of the fire place and built a fire while Sookie went and made some hot chocolate. I stripped Pearl out of her snow soaked clothes and wrapped her in a blanket before I went upstairs and changed out of my own wet clothes and brought some fresh clothes down for Pearl.
I picked the trail of Sookies wet clothes up and draped them over the shower rod before I removed my own and changed. I slipped into some dark wash jeans and a blue long sleeved sweater. Sookie said it brought out my eyes, I however found it to be my least itchy sweater option. I grabbed Pearls pink leggings and her mini mouse sweatshirt before I went back down stairs. My feet touched the cold wood of the stairs and I quickly went upstairs and got a pair of socks for both Pearl and myself. I also grabbed a pair for Sookie, knowing that even if she had felt how cold the wood was and it bothered her she would still ignore it and press on.
I got down stairs and Sookie was holding Pearl and rubbing her back while she sipped her hot chocolate. Her cup had no marshmallows because she did not care for them, mine had exactly six just the way I like it and Sookies of course was about 60% marshmallow to Hot chocolate ratio. I smiled at Sookie and held of the socks for her. She mouthed 'thank you' and snatched them before she immediately slid them onto her feet with a groan. I quickly dressed Pearl and returned her to her confines of the blanket. She must have been completely spent because she crapped out in front of the fire only about a third of the way through her hot chocolate, which was a shock to me, because much like Sookie she would rather die than waste chocolate.
Sookie stood up and took the cup, placing it onto the coffee table before she turned to me and made a little humping motion and mouthed. 'wanna' fuck?'. Who was I to deny her? I checked to make sure Pearl was sleeping one more time before I stood and followed Sookie up to our room. She quickly pulled me into a kiss and said.
"I want more kids and I want to do this trip every year." Her eyes were serious and she had a fire that let me know she was serious.
"I have also been cogitating upon this point lately." She looked confused and asked.
"Is that a yes? Are we going to try to make another baby?" I lifted her sweater over her head and said.
"Yes, I would like more children with you. The first one was such a success that another could only go better now that we know all of the things they do not tell you in books." She flopped back on the bed with her legs wide open and asked.
"Are you ready to do all the hard work Eric?" I snorted and laughed and said.
"Oh yes Sookie, my part of this process is such hard work. Damn near torture." She smiled and said.
"You're getting so good at sarcasm!" I beamed proudly and pulled her pants off before I said.
"I have been practicing." She pulled me into another kiss and said.
"I love you so much, you are so cute." I was done being cute for her, when Sookie thinks I'm cute she starts telling me I'm precious and talking way too much. Now is a time for fucking before Pearl wakes up. She usually naps for about 74 minutes, leaving us with 63 minutes to fuck and clean ourselves up before Peal will be in need of our attentions again.
"I am not cute, I am very sexy and I am about to fuck you." I said as I ripped her shirt off.
"Well, okay then." She said in a stunned voice and licked her lips. "How long do we have?"
"62 minutes, now shut your mouth and let me do my work." And let me work she did. The next time she opened that pretty little mouth of hers was to scream my name. 49 minutes later we were in the shower and I was cleaning Sookie up.
"What if we just made a baby?" She excitedly squealed.
"I doubt it, even if you stopped taking your pills right now it would take a month or so for your cycle to regulate, but I enjoyed the warm up." She seemed to frown and started to look sad and I tried to comfort her.
"But you never know Sook, I may have sniper like accuracy." She smiled and nodded her head and rubbed her tummy a little. I placed my hand over hers and said.
"It will happen soon, just relax." She took in a deep breath, but her eyes looked determined.
"Okay, I'm relaxed right now."
"You don't look relaxed." I stated as I turned off the water and grabbed a towel for her.
"I'm relaxed!" She growled at me.
"Do you always yell when you're relaxed?" I asked with a smirk. She huffed and said.
"I do things how I want and if I want to yell while I'm relaxed than I will." I raised and eyebrow and said.
"Well okay then Pearl." Sookie whipped around and looked at me and said.
"Again with the sarcasm! That's two today!" She smiled at me.
"I told you I had been practicing."
"I'm really glad you're my best friend." Sookie said pulling me down to her.
"As am I." I replied just before I kissed her. As if on cue exactly 76 minuets after she fell asleep, Pearl bounded into our room and asked.
"What's next on the agenda?" I pulled a shirt over my head and said.
"We're going to go out for dinner, then watch a movie and go to bed. Tomorrow we will take a trip to see the Grand Canyon, and then we will play in the snow the rest of the time. Would you like to take Skiing lessons with your mother on Wednesday?" She looked thoughtful for a moment before she said.
"I would like to observe the activity before I make a firm commitment." I nodded and said.
"You may watch me or Pam that morning." She nodded and asked.
"What's for dinner?" I rolled my eyes and said.
"Sizzler, it was your Mothers choice." Sookie scoffed and smacked me on the arm and said.
"This is the only Sizzler left in Arizona that's not all the way out by metro center. Just let me have my fun." I smiled at her indulgently and said.
"As you wish lover." She took Pearls hand and said.
"Okay, let's put your hair up before we go." She walked Pearl into the bathroom and set her on the counter and started to brush her hair. She turned to me and said. "Call your sister and tell her to get her ass home or she's going to have to go hungry." I pulled out my cell and called Pam. She answered her phone in her usual manner and said.
"What do you want?"
"We are getting ready to go out to dinner and Sookie says to get home or you shall have to go hungry." There was silence on the line and she asked.
"Where are you going?"
"Sizzler." I replied in a flat tone.
"I will be home in fifteen, do not leave without me."
"Will do." I replied and shut my phone. Was I honestly the only one who did not care for sizzler? I walked back into our room and saw Pearl with two adorable blond pig tails sticking straight out of the sides of her head. I smiled at her while Sookie was brushing her wispy little bangs.
"Daddy, where is auntie Pammy?" Pearl asked, while Sookie checked for symmetry. Not because she feels like it need to be symmetrical, but if Pearl thinks it is off she will make a snit until it is corrected. Plus, it will grate my nerves like no other.
"She is on her way to join us for dinner." She smiled and asked.
"Do you like my Mini Mouse sweater? Mama said it brings out my eyes." I looked down at my own Blue sweater and raised an eyebrow at her. Apparently if Sookie wants you to wear something she tells you it brings out your eyes.
"Yes Pearl, it is lovely." She turned on the counter and made some final adjustments to her pig tails before pulling some lip smackers chap stick out of her Barbie fanny pack and applying it in the same manner that her mother was applying her lipstick right next to her. She even mimicked the little popping noise Sookie made as she rubbed her lips together to spread the color evenly. Sookie tucked her lipstick into her purse as Pearl slipped hers back into her fanny pack.
"Get yo' asses down here, I'm ready to get my Sizzler on!" Pam yelled from the bottom of the stairs. Pearl popped off the counter and sauntered out of the room. I helped Sookie get her coat on and grabbed my own and headed down stairs. Pearl and Pam were prattling on about something that was most likely not appropriate for her five year old ears. I walked past them and started the car. When it was warm I texted Sookie and the girls came out to join me. A few minutes later I pulled in and paid for us. Pam and Sookie had broken off together leaving Pearl and I to make our selections. I gauged her reactions and put the things she eye balled the most on my plate. I know I could make her, her own plate, but I know she will not touch it, even if it is food she likes. She would just rather eat off of our plates.
I was holding Pearls hand and holding my tray as I walked up to Sookie and Pam who were putting ungodly amounts of cheese sauce on baked potatoes. I smiled and laughed at them and directed Pearl to a table. I scooted her into her inside of the booth and removed our drinks and food from the tray. A young woman came by and admired my daughter and said.
"Your wife and daughter are lovely." She said wistfully. I saw the ring on her finger and I assume she wishes to have children of her own. I smiled and said.
"Thank you, but she is not my wife, we are just best friends." Sookie came up just then and slid into the booth and smiled at the young girl who blushed and walked away. Sookie and Pam emptied their trays, but no sooner had they sat down Pearl asked.
"Mama, what is a 'wife'?" Sookie looked briefly concerned so I said.
"Some Mommy's and Daddy's like to get married and after you get married you become husband and wife." She grabbed a crouton off of my plate and dipped it in Sookies cheese and asked.
"Why don't you want to marry Mommy?" She popped the little piece of crisped cheesy bread into her mouth and chewed. Her watchful little eyes never leaving mine.
"It's just not the right decision for us." I said with what I thought was finality.
"Are Bill's parents married?" I cringed; Bill was a weird kid that clung onto Pearl in kindergarten. He is such a weirdo. He strikes me as the type who will grow up into a serial killer or rapist.
"I do not care for Bill." I said to her.
"Neither do I." She said, I was instantly filled with relief and she continued. "But he is the only person I know who also has both a Mommy and a Daddy." Ah yes, sometimes I forget the divorce rate is so high. Remind me to put that on my list of reasons not to marry Sookie.
"I believe his parents are married, but Hoyt only has a Mommy and Jessica only has a Daddy and you like them. Their parents aren't married."Sookie said, she smiled at the mention of her two best friends and said.
"Your right, I do not want you to get married, Bills parents are weird, but Jessica's Daddy is nice and so is Hoyts Mom." She turned to Pam and asked.
"Aunt Pammy, can you get married?" Pam smirked and said.
"No it is not legal for me to get married because I am a lesbian." She looked thoughtful and said.
"But you love Auntie Amelia, and mommy and Daddy love each other… so getting married is for people who don't love each other."
"No." Sookie and I both said quickly. I looked to her for help and she took the reins. "Marriage is like ice cream, some people like it some don't, just like chocolate ice cream, you and I like it, but your father and Pam do not. Understand?" Pearl nodded and said.
"Ya I get it now, different strokes for different folks, right Pammy?" Pam took another bite of her cheese with a little potato and said.
"That's right my love." Pearl sat up on her heels and leaned over the table offering Pam a kiss. Pam accepted it with a smile and continued with her food. Pearl then kissed both Sookie and I before really digging in. I knew that this would come up some day, but it went surprisingly well.
Our vacation had begun to feel like an after school special; lucky for us Pearl broke her arm skiing 2 days later and asked us to get her a cast for her leg for her birthday. I almost vomited. I thought watching her bump her head was bad, holding her while she cried over an injury sustained during an activity that was my idea was the worst. We went home a little shaken and Pearl was tired of me following her around and created a 'no boys' space in her room. It however did not stop me from pacing around her door.
Six weeks later we went to get the cast off and I nearly jumped for joy. I was bringing Pearl home from her celebratory shaved ice when Sookie kicked open the garage door and screamed.
"Eric, I'm pregnant!"
Okay everyone, I need ideas for the new baby's name, another girl and I want to know if you have any other shenanigans you want these two to get into. I have caught up to the age and events of the people I based this Eric and Sookie after so I can wing it from here.