Aaren sighed in pure relief. Her cereal had managed to full her up. Mike noticed and couldn't help but laugh. "Full?" He asked. Aaren nodded. "Do you wanna go to the park?" Mike asked another question. Aaren immediately perked up. "Yeah!"
"Well go get get dressed." Mike laughed a little before he slapped Aaren's back slightly as she ran upstairs. Mike stood there for a moment. A grin plastered across his face. He laughed lowly to himself before following Aaren to her room. He peeked his head into the door. "Know what you gonna wear?"
Aaren looked toward the door clutching her jean overalls. She nodded toward Mike. "Yeah. My daddy must have picked it out for me before he left for work."
"Okay...Well let me help you get dressed." Mike offered before walking over to her. He got down on his knees to be around Aaren's height. Mike took in hand the hem of her night gown. "Arms up." Mike demanded gently. Aaren only flung up her arms before Mike pulled her Hello Kity night gown over her head. Mike tossed the gown on the floor but he knew he would pick it up when he was finished.
He politely took the jean overalls from Aaren after he grabbed the sky blue V neck from Aaren's tiny rocking chair. He tossed the overalls over his shoulder then he managed to put the V neck on Aaren. Mike took hold of the overalls again. He held then out stretched out in front of Aaren. "Step in." Mike said. Aaren grabbed his shoulders tightly as she stepped into the overalls. Once she did Mike pulled the straps up to her shoulder.
"Shoes?"
Aaren nodded and turned and walked behind her rocking chair and grabbed her black Converse. Mike flashed her a smile when she handed him her shoes. He picked her up and sat her down in the chair. He carefully and slowly put on her shoes.
Aaren quickly jumped up once her cousin was finished putting on her shoes. Mike stood up before smiling down at her. "You ready?"
"Yep!" She grabbed Mike's hand and they walked down the stairs. "Alrighty then." Mike said and picked up Aaren and walked toward the front door. Next to the door was the security alarm. It was a note under it that said;
"Mikey just hold away and it sets the alarm for the whole house."
"Hn..." Mike said as he set the alarm. He grabbed the car seat that Briggs left by the front door and left. He put Aaren in Briggs' Volvo. Briggs knew that Aaren riding in Mike's truck wouldn't be smart so he took his car instead.
Mike arrived at the park and he walked with Aaren to the playground all the while holding Aaren's hand. As soon as they reached the playground Aaren dropped Mike's hand and took of running on the playground.
"Aar―!" Mike had begun to call out to her. He just shook his head with a slight smile and let her go. He watched her run around the slides for almost five minutes until she ran over to the swing sets. She turned to Mike. "Push me, Mikey?" She asked with begging eyes. Mike could only smile and he walked over to his cousin. Mike began to push her. Aaren smiled and lowly screamed in pure excitement.
Mike's phone began to ring. He pushed Aaren with one hand and reached into his pocket with the other. He looked at the caller i.d and smiled. It was Abby. "Hey." He answered his phone.
"Hey." Abby greeted him. She heard screaming in the back ground and gave herself a puzzled look. "Where are you right now?"
"Oh I'm at the park." Mike shrugged a little with a smile still plastered on his face.
Abby chuckled. "By yourself?"
"Oh no. I'm here with my little cousin."
"Aww. Boy or girl?"
"She's a she." Mike laughed again.
"What's her name?"
"Aaren." Mike continued to smile.
"How old is Aaren?"
"She's three."
"Wow, that young. I was looking for ten years old." Abby said a little shocked but she laughed it off.
"Yeah...she's something all right."
"Can I meet her?" Abby asked.
"Right now?"
"Sure, why not? I just left one of my girlfriend's house right now."
"Sure." Mike agreed.
"Great. What park are you at right now?"
"The one on Lenor's road." Mike said.
"Okay see ya soon."
"See ya." And with that Mike hung up the phone.
"Mikey?" Aaren called out to her cousin. "Can you stop me? I wanna go get on the slides now?" Aaren asked.
"Yeah, sure." Mike agreed as he shoved his phone back into his front pocket. He held out his arms and grabbed the chains softly and stopped it. Aaren shook around for a while but came to a stop. She turned to her cousin. "Thanks, Mikey." She flashed him a smile before running to the slides. Mike watched carefully as she climbed the stairs to get to the stairs. There were a group of boys hanging around the slide but weren't any of them going down the slide. Aaren slowly pushed past the boys. She grabbed the bar that hung right about the slide and readied herself to go down.
"Hurry up will ya?" A boy asked rudely.
Aaren didn't turn back to face him. "Leave me alone." She muttered.
"Leave me alone." Another boy mocked her eyes.
"I said hurry up!" The first boy stood up and pushed her down the slide. Aaren didn't scream like most girls her age would have done. She just tumbled down the slide until she reached the wood chips. She sat up and growled up at the boys before picking the chips out of her hair.
"Aaren!" Mike yelled as he ran to her. Aaren faced him and forced a smile upon her face. "I'm fine." She assured him."Thank God the slide wasn't the ones that's covered like a tunnel." Mike said.
Aaren stood back up and ran back up the slide toward the boys before Mike could say anything to her. She grabbed the bar and hoisted herself up and little and kicked the boy who had pushed her dead in the chest with both her legs. Mike stood there wide eyed amazed that she could do such a thing at the age of three.
"Don't rush me next time." Aaren said through gritted teeth. She glared at him angrily before sliding back down the slide. Mike watched her and scolded her. Aaren could only cringe at the sight. "Sorry, Mikey.' She apologized.
"Where did you even learn this?" Mike asked.
"Well, I watch a lot of shows like CSI, Criminal Minds, Psych and stuff. I pick up on those kind of things."
"Your dad knows you watch those kind of shows?"
Aaren shook her head. "My mom and Noal let me watch it. I don't watch things like Dora The Explorer. We don't have those kind of channels at home."
"Oh..." Was all Mike could say. This three year old was watching shows she shouldn't be watching at such a young age and picked up on it very quickly."Well don't do it again or I'll give you a spanking." Aaren's eyes grew wide and she backed away. "Sorry!" She shrieked. "Good. Now go and play." Mike said and gave her a slight hit on her butt. Aaren squealed and quickly scurried off.
"Wow...Someone is very strict."
Mike turned around and saw Abby. He smiled. "I am not." He chuckled.
"She's cute...But you guys don't look like you could be related." Abby admitted to Mike
"Well...she's my first cousin so..." Mike chucked again. "My auntie was Native American and my uncle was well...mixed with I have no idea."
Abby laughed. "Well she is such a cutie." Abby stared at Aaren who was on the monkey bars. "Ooh. I have an idea. Why don't we take her out for ice cream? It'll be my treat." She offered.
"Yeah. We should. But I'll pay for it." Mike admitted. "And by that time I'll have to take her home. My uncle should be home soon."
"Aaren!" Mike called out to her. She looked up from the monkey bars and dropped down from them. She ran over to Mike and Abby. "Wanna go out for ice cream?" Aaren's face could only brighten as she nodded. "Oh, and this is Ms. Abby." Mike introduced Abby who smiled and bent down to Aaren's height. "Why, hello. I heard so many great things about you." Abby said as she held out her hand. Aaren smiled and shook her hand.
"Come on." Mike took Aaren's hand and escorted her to the car. He put her in her car seat before turning back to Abby. "See ya there?"
"Yes I will." Abby smiled and walked to her car. Mike watched and made sure she got there safely.
Mike then got into his car and turned back to look at Aaren to make sure she was okay. Mike turned around and started up the car and left.
Once they both arrived at the ice cream stand the ordered. Abby and Mike looked like a real couple with a child. It actually felt...right. Like this was real and that it wasn't fake and that none of this was a lie. Like this was Mike Warren's life. But sad to say it wasn't. And there was a matter of time before that all ended.
Mike parked the car outside the house in the driveway. He had noticed his car on the curb and knew it was Briggs when he pulled up into the driveway. He looked back at Aaren who had worried eyes. "What's wrong?"
"Please don't tell my dad about what happened at the park! He'll whoop me for sure!" Aaren begged.
Mike sighed as he got out of the car. He closed the door behind him. He opened the door that lead to the back seat. He unbuckled Aaren and picked her up before closing the door. "I won't." Aaren smiled put her head in Mike's neck.
"You're home early Uncle Paul." Mike admitted when he walked through the front door and saw Briggs.
"Yep. We had early release." Briggs lied. He looked at Aaren. "Aaren go upstairs for now. I wanna talk to your cousin Mikey."
Mike bent down and put down Aaren who scurried up the stairs.
"So...how was she?"
"Aaren Briggs get down here!" Briggs yelled.
Aaren peeked around the corner of the stairs and came down them. "Yes, daddy?"
"Did you kick a boy at the park when he pushed you down the slide?" Briggs asked. Aaren stood there. Frozen almost. "No, daddy." Aaren lied. "Oh?" Briggs began. "That's not what Mikey said." Aaren tensed up.
Briggs sighed and sat down on the couch. "Come here." He motioned his hand telling her to come over to him. She stood still for a moment before obeying him Briggs raised his hand and hit her on her butt. Aaren cringed and began to cry. "I'm sorry daddy! He pushed me down the stairs!" She cried harder.
"I'm not mad that you used self defense. I'm mad that you lied to me." Briggs admitted. "Now go to your room."
Aaren sniffled before doing what her father had asked. Briggs could only sigh and shake his head.
(A/N: I hope you guys liked it! I updated later than I had planned. :( But I really hope you guys enjoyed it! And about that 'Uncle Paul' thing...I had not thought of that when I started the story. It had just occurred to me when Mike was talking to Abby. But whatever. *hands up* I'll try to update again this week. .)
