"Hey, Paul, I made some M&M cookies, here, have one," Laurie handed her brother a cookie, "they're really good," she walked away with a suspicious smirk on her face.

He looked at the cookie and smelled it, "okay, what did you do to them? Why are you smiling like that?" He broke it in half and took a little bite, "it tastes fine," he looked up and saw that Laurie was handing out cookies to the kids.

"I didn't do anything to them, I'm just not a very good baker so if they taste a little weird its probably because I didn't make them right," she eagerly watched Paul eat it, "how was it?"

"Good," he smiled, "why are you watching me eat it? I feel like you poisoned them or something and you're waiting for me to keel over." He swallowed, "Laurie, what are you looking at me like that for?" He uncomfortably opened his bottle of water and took a drink.

"You aren't lying are you? Kevin told me that they weren't sweet enough, and didn't have enough M&M's." She put the platter of cookies on the counter, "isn't it beautiful out here?"

"Just as beautiful as the view from my bedroom," he put the cap back on the bottle and looked up at her, "Sam seems to like Kevin, why didn't I get to meet him until now?"

She shrugged, "because I didn't want you to be a dick to him and scare him away," she cleared her throat, "and plus, you were working for Stephanie still when I met him and she was always stressing you out, and then all of a sudden you two were getting married. I didn't want my news to interfere with yours, you don't even know how excited mom and dad were when they saw you were finally getting married again."

He looked around, seeming paranoid, "I never told Stephanie about that, so shut up. She thinks she's my first wife and that it just took me awhile. And I don't know if she's gonna be okay with my I got divorced."

"Why haven't you told her you were married before? That's one of the first things I tell guys I meet," she fell quiet, "Paul, what does Stephanie know? It seems like you and her don't know a lot about each other."

He got up, grumbling, "why is everyone all in my business all the time? God, everyone is so nosy around here, mom, and you, and even Stephanie, just leave me the fuck alone." He looked up to see Stephanie standing in front of him, with Madison in her arms, "what?" He yelled, angrily.

The big smile on her face turned to a frown and she shook her head, "nothing," she'd never seen him look so upset before, usually it was her always yelling, "what's wrong?"

"Nothing," he pushed past her and slammed the door to the guest bedroom him and Stephanie were staying. He threw his suitcase on the bed and considered telling Stephanie he would rather just go back home. He pondered what to do for a couple minutes before someone knocked on the door, then he felt angry again, "what?"

"Paul, its me and Madison, can we come in?" She opened the door and peeked in, "are you okay? Why are you so pissed off at everyone? And what did I do?" She closed the door and handed him a glass, "here, drink up, your mom told me to give this to you, its vodka and Seven-Up."

He took the glass and put it on the nightstand, "I'm probably not gonna drink it, you know that," he looked down at Madison, who was smiling at him.

"I wouldn't judge you if you did, you've been all upset the past few days, especially today, and if you need a drink to cool off, then have a drink," she waited for him to pick up the glass, "let me have the glass so I can rub some on Maddy's gums, she's teething, look," she put her finger in Madison's mouth and showed Paul the small little tooth that had begun to come out, "and if you didn't notice the huge smile I had on my face when you went off on Laurie a couple minutes ago, you won't believe what happened in the den."

"What happened?" He took a drink and choked, "who made this? I don't even taste Seven-Up, I just taste vodka."

Stephanie pushed Madison into Paul's lap, "I'll be right back, I have to get Lily for you really fast," she got up and left the room. When she came back, Lily was holding her hand smiling, "okay, remember what I said? Tell Madison what to say."

Lily walked up to her uncle and smiled, Paul just stared at Stephanie, confused, "did she talk?" He asked, waiting for Lily, "did you get Madison to talk sweetheart?"

She nodded, "she said daddy," she tickled Madison, "Maddy say daddy," she rhymed, giggling, "she's talking to you Uncle Paul, because you're her daddy," Lily played with Madison a little more, trying to get her to talk.

Paul bit his lip and glanced at Stephanie, who smiled at him, their gaze was broken by Madison's screeching voice, "daddy," she giggled and squeezed Paul's finger.

"She said it to Uncle Paul!" Lily jumped on the bed next to Paul, in all smiles.

"I never realized how exciting that is," he held Madison tighter, "it's a pretty awesome feeling being called daddy." He cleared his throat and began to stare at Stephanie again, "I'm gonna refill my glass," he stood up and handed Madison back, feeling uncomfortable.

"Okay," she grabbed her daughter and sat with Lily on the bed, "well I thought he would be a little more excited, but I guess not. Let's go back to the den and hang out with everyone else."

Paul went back into the kitchen, smiling, "hi Laurie, mom," he put his glass on the counter and sighed, "alright, the drink helped, and so did Madison calling me daddy, but I apologize for getting upset at everyone, but get me another drink, please," he leaned on the counter, "and what do you have to eat, because I don't really want to get like I did on my wedding night. I don't remember eating anything, just drink after drink."

"Here, I'll make you one," Leona grabbed his glass and filled half of it with vodka, then filled the rest with Seven-Up, "here you go honey," she gave the glass back and smiled, "Paul, I want you to relax this weekend, okay? You're just so stressed out, I can see it, and I'm not trying to be nosy, but I can tell Madison's in the way between you and Stephanie, if you know what I mean."

His drink caught up in his throat and he started coughing, "don't worry about that mom, please don't worry about it too much," he held his chest and fought for air.

"I know all about you men, you say you're all fine but us women can tell when you're sexually frustrated. You're stressed out and angry at everything and everyone. That's what happens when you keep all that testosterone in you."

"Remember how I didn't like talking to you about this when I was younger?" He grabbed another cookie and stuffed it in his mouth, "nothing's changed, I still don't feel comfortable talking to you about it."

Laurie smiled, "its not all that bad, mom and dad have been married for 36 years, obviously they know what they're talking about."

"I'm 39 years old, I don't think its normal that I need to take advice about my sex life from my mom," he sipped on his drink.

"Well my advice is always here just in case you ever need it," Leona stood up and walked down the hallway towards the den, leaving her kids alone again.

"Where's the bathroom at?" Paul stood up, "don't worry, I'll find it," he disappeared down the hall.

Laurie looked down at his glass and smirked, "I'll make him a nicer person," she took his glass and filled the rest of it with just vodka, then put it back. She looked up to see if anyone was coming before going in her purse and taking out an M&M cookie in a plastic bag. She put the rest of the cookies away, but kept the one out, waiting for Paul to come back, "here, eat the last cookie before I put them away," she tried not to hover, but devilishly smiled to herself as he took a bite, as she knew what she'd baked in it.