PLEASE READ! VERY IMPORTANT!
(A/N: The hard drive on my computer is bad, and it's over $200 to replace. If I can edit the original documents and post them as new chapters, I will do that. If I cannot, I want to let you know that under this chapter, I will draw a line and will continue to write each chapter on my iPad, since you can't upload documents to the Internet on the iPad (which really sucks in this case). I will write on the description of the story "NEW UPDATE!", leave that up, and if I update it a second time within a matter of three days, I will write beside it "(2)", "(3)", and so on. After three days, I will start over. But that is only if I cant edit and post the chapter. Thanks for the cooperation!)
Troy waited outside the airport. He leaned against the building, looked down at two sleeping kids in car seats, held a four year old boy's hand, and a leash connected to Marley in the other hand. They arrived in the evening, at about 8:00.
His mom's new van pulled up. Jack was driving. They both got out and opened up the van. "Oh my god Troy, they're getting so big!" Kay gave Talon a big hug. "He looks just like Troy, doesn't he Jack?"
"Look over here, Kay. Doesn't Brie look like someone familiar?" Jack pointed at Aubrey.
"She looks like Gabriella… " Kay turned towards Troy. "Are you sure Gabriella didn't have twins?"
"I'm sure, mom." Troy gave Kay a squeeze.
"We miss you guys a lot. Why don't you stay for a couple weeks up here? Use your vacation time at work?"
"A week is enough. I have to get back or they will fire me." Troy pulled away from his mom. "Sorry."
…..
Talon was the first inside the house, along with Marley. He was astounded by all the decorations that Jack and Kay made for Christmas. This was the first time in 2 years he had actually been in Ohio, so he didn't remember the house at all, really.
"Daddy, look at the tree!" Talon marveled as Troy came into the living room. "It's so big and it's pretty!"
"Grandma and grandpa always have a big Christmas. We're going to have a nice Christmas dinner, too."
Aubrey ran into the house, crying, and Lyle ran after her, laughing as Jack chased him.
"Aubrey, daddy and Talon are over here." Troy turned around. "Come on, sweetheart."
Her short body sprinted towards Troy, her arms out wide. Troy picked her up and looked down at Talon. "Go tell grandpa to come here."
Troy stepped towards the tree, watching Talon run towards Jack screaming his head off. Aubrey didn't stop crying until Troy flipped the switch to turn the tree on. Aubrey lifted her head off Troy's shoulder, still sobbing, and stared at the tree. Her beautiful chocolate brown eyes scanned the tree, every inch, making sure she didn't miss one detail of the golden, hand-painted bulbs or the red velvet silk that circled around the entire tree. A little smile creeped up on her face. She reached her tiny hand to touch the gorgeous, round glass bulb that hung in front of her.
"No baby, don't touch that. It will break if it falls off the tree."
She quickly drew her hand back.
"What do you want, Troy?" Jack walked into the living room. "Is something wrong?"
"Be careful with Aubrey, okay? She's sensitive. She is scared of a lot of people and she doesn't like horsing around, unlike Lyle."
"I didn't mean to scare her. Lyle wanted to play and when I chased him around, she freaked out." Jack walked towards Troy. "She's a beautiful little girl, I'll tell you that. She looks a lot like Gabriella. I'm surprised she's not Talon's fraternal twin that was frozen for two years."
"No, she's definitely not Gabriella's. I don't know who her mother is, nor do I care."
Jack adjusted a bulb on the tree and stood back, looking at it. "You should care, son."
"Why? It's not like the bitch means anything to me."
"Language, Troy… " He raised an eyebrow. "In my house, no. Outside of my house, whatever you want."
"Sorry."
"She should mean something to you. She's your daughter's mother. She carried that baby for nine months and gave birth to it. If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have a daughter, would you?" Jack said. "If it wasn't for Beth, I wouldn't have a daughter either."
"Is Julie coming over?" Troy quickly changed the subject.
"Yeah, she's bringing her husband and her kids."
"Oh, the bitchy sister… " Troy muttered. "Great, wonderful. So you invited her to ruin everything? Great dad, just great… "
"Troy, they are family whether you like it or not." Jack began to walk out of the living room. "Deal with it."
…..
It wasn't long before Julie, her husband, and kids came over. They were always early just to rub their jobs and successful lives in Troy's face.
"Daddy! I missed you!" Julie hugged Jack as she walked in the door. "You won't believe it! I got a promotion!"
"Oh wow, that's great sweetheart!" Jack gave her a pat on the back. "Where's the kids?"
"Daniel was following me. Tessa, Cassie and Mara are outside with Jake playing in the snow."
Troy sat on the top step with Lyle, watching down at them talk like they hadn't seen each other in ten years. She wasn't a sister to Troy. She was from a different mother. A mother who happened to use his father's sperm to get pregnant. Her daughter didn't see Jack until she was 17 years old, so therefore, Troy never had siblings growing up, nor did he want any now. She was a complete asshole to Troy and completely hogged Jack. Troy didn't care. He had been fending for himself for so long that he didn't want attention from the bitch.
"Hey Lyle… " Troy pulled Lyle on to his lap. He figured if he was going to use one of his kids, he might as well use the tough one to pull off the trick. "Do you know who that is?" He pointed to Julie
"Who daddy?" Curiously, Lyle turned around with wide eyes and open ears.
"That lady, her name is Bitch."
"Say hi? Me say hi?" Lyle got excited. "I say hi to Bitch?"
"Yeah, go tell her 'Hi Bitch'." Troy let go of him. "Go on! Go tell her!"
Lyle excitedly ran down the stairs, past Jack, and stood right below the lady. He tugged on her pant leg.
She looked down at him. Before she could say anything, Lyle started talking.
"Hi Bitch!" Lyle looked up at Troy with pride on his face. "Me Lyle!"
Julie was completely shocked. Jack picked Lyle up and stared him in the eyes. "NO swearing, got it?"
"Hi Bitch! Hi Bitch!" Lyle continued on, laughing.
"Her name is Julie. Say hi to Julie."
Jack turned Lyle around so he could face her. "Hi Bitch!"
"Lyle!" Jack suddenly realized what was going on and turned around. He looked at the top of the steps as Troy was failing to keep quiet and was laughing hard.
As he laughed, Troy stumbled down the stairs, took Lyle from his dad, and looked at Julie. "Now my kid is going to call you Bitch all week. How do you like that, bitch?"
"I'm going to tell my kids that your name is asshole. How about that, asshole?" She gave a big smile to Lyle. "Hey, that guy, his name is asshole." She pointed to Troy.
Lyle turned around. "Nuh-uh, that daddy Troy." He smacked her arm. "You asshole." He giggled. "Asshole-bitch, asshole-bitch, asshole bitch." He sang as Troy put him down. He ran into the dining room with Kay, singing "asshole-bitch, asshole-bitch".
Troy was tickled silly by the fact that Lyle was just like himself.
"Troy, Julie, you know the rules." Jack said. "If I catch you two torturing each other all this week, there's going to be trouble."
"Oh, I know the rules… " Troy turned around to go catch Lyle. "Doesn't mean I'll follow them." He muttered to himself.
