Chapter Twenty-Eight:
"Whoa! Hey, buddy. Where's the fire?" Hank said. Taking Jake by the shoulders. "Daaaaddd! I have to go. I got to hide before Ali finds me. I can't get beat by a girl. Especially Ali," Jake said in disgust. Hank smiled as his son scurried away. Intent on finding the best hiding spot.
He laughed aloud as Ali scrambled by. "Hi, Uncle Hank!" she waved. "Which way did Jake go?" "You know I can't rat on my own son, Al," he said, grabbing her up and tickling her until she giggled helplessly. He whispered something in her ear before letting her go. Causing a wide, impish grin to stretch across her sweet face.
"Hank Bennett. What am I going to do with you? Tattling on your own son. Just because a pretty girl batted her lashes at you," Pilar said in amusement. Hugging him in greeting.
"You know me so well," he teased her. Smiling at her soft laughter and taking her arm as they went inside. "I heard the good news," he said. Settling himself in the chair she indicated while she fixed them both a drink and checked to make sure the children were okay once more.
"Dios mio!" she exclaimed. He jumped up to see what had her so excited. Payback wasn't always a pretty thing, he mused as he watched Ali giving it to Jake in the back yard. He laughed. He'd known it was coming sooner or later. He just wished it'd come on Gwen's watch. She was never going to let him hear the end of this.
"Ali! Mija! Put that down. Now," she yelled to her granddaughter outside. He only laughed harder. Earning a disapproving look from Pilar. "Sorry," he sputtered. "Ahem. I'm sorry," he said soberly. His attempt was in vain. Ruined the moment she burst into laughter herself. Happy laughter.
"So...where's Luis? With Sheridan?" he asked. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she answered him. "Yes, he is. Hank, he is so happy. Happier than I have seen him in a long time. It almost doesn't matter that Sheridan doesn't have her memory. He's too happy to let it daunt him."
He digested that information before he said, "She really doesn't remember? Anything?" "She remembers bits and pieces. But nothing major. You should have seen the way she held on to Ali. She just knew Ali was her daughter. I can't explain it." "Well," he chuckled. As Ali marched through the door. A triumphant smile on her face. Jake following her. His own face so black with dirt he was almost unrecognizable. "Our Miss Ali is unforgettable," he laughed.
Pilar buried her head in her hands and groaned. Hank winked at Ali as he took Jake's hand. "Come on, Jake. Might as well get it over with," he said with humor in his voice. "Then we'll see if your mom wants to go get a pizza with us." "Pizza," Jake taunted. Sticking his tongue out at Ali. "So," she said. Crossing her arms and glaring at him. Trying to look mad but the twinkle in her blue eyes betrayed her.
"See you two lovely ladies later," Hank called as he and Jake went out the door. "Bye Uncle Hank! Bye Jake!" Ali yelled. Waving until they were out of sight. "Nana?" she asked. Patting Pilar's arm. "Can we have pizza, too?" "Oh, Ali," Pilar said laughing. Pulling her into her arms. "We can have whatever you want. Now. Give me a hug, Mija." "Like this," Ali giggled. Squeezing her neck tightly. "Just like that."
"Whoa! Hey, buddy. Where's the fire?" Hank said. Taking Jake by the shoulders. "Daaaaddd! I have to go. I got to hide before Ali finds me. I can't get beat by a girl. Especially Ali," Jake said in disgust. Hank smiled as his son scurried away. Intent on finding the best hiding spot.
He laughed aloud as Ali scrambled by. "Hi, Uncle Hank!" she waved. "Which way did Jake go?" "You know I can't rat on my own son, Al," he said, grabbing her up and tickling her until she giggled helplessly. He whispered something in her ear before letting her go. Causing a wide, impish grin to stretch across her sweet face.
"Hank Bennett. What am I going to do with you? Tattling on your own son. Just because a pretty girl batted her lashes at you," Pilar said in amusement. Hugging him in greeting.
"You know me so well," he teased her. Smiling at her soft laughter and taking her arm as they went inside. "I heard the good news," he said. Settling himself in the chair she indicated while she fixed them both a drink and checked to make sure the children were okay once more.
"Dios mio!" she exclaimed. He jumped up to see what had her so excited. Payback wasn't always a pretty thing, he mused as he watched Ali giving it to Jake in the back yard. He laughed. He'd known it was coming sooner or later. He just wished it'd come on Gwen's watch. She was never going to let him hear the end of this.
"Ali! Mija! Put that down. Now," she yelled to her granddaughter outside. He only laughed harder. Earning a disapproving look from Pilar. "Sorry," he sputtered. "Ahem. I'm sorry," he said soberly. His attempt was in vain. Ruined the moment she burst into laughter herself. Happy laughter.
"So...where's Luis? With Sheridan?" he asked. Wiping the tears from her eyes, she answered him. "Yes, he is. Hank, he is so happy. Happier than I have seen him in a long time. It almost doesn't matter that Sheridan doesn't have her memory. He's too happy to let it daunt him."
He digested that information before he said, "She really doesn't remember? Anything?" "She remembers bits and pieces. But nothing major. You should have seen the way she held on to Ali. She just knew Ali was her daughter. I can't explain it." "Well," he chuckled. As Ali marched through the door. A triumphant smile on her face. Jake following her. His own face so black with dirt he was almost unrecognizable. "Our Miss Ali is unforgettable," he laughed.
Pilar buried her head in her hands and groaned. Hank winked at Ali as he took Jake's hand. "Come on, Jake. Might as well get it over with," he said with humor in his voice. "Then we'll see if your mom wants to go get a pizza with us." "Pizza," Jake taunted. Sticking his tongue out at Ali. "So," she said. Crossing her arms and glaring at him. Trying to look mad but the twinkle in her blue eyes betrayed her.
"See you two lovely ladies later," Hank called as he and Jake went out the door. "Bye Uncle Hank! Bye Jake!" Ali yelled. Waving until they were out of sight. "Nana?" she asked. Patting Pilar's arm. "Can we have pizza, too?" "Oh, Ali," Pilar said laughing. Pulling her into her arms. "We can have whatever you want. Now. Give me a hug, Mija." "Like this," Ali giggled. Squeezing her neck tightly. "Just like that."