"Shit!"

"BELLA!"

There was another loud crash from the room at the top
of the stairs.

"Bella Carter!" Jing Mei yelled

"MOM!"

The yell to Jing Mei sent her husband and other children from
their rooms.

"W..what's going on??" Carter rubbed his neck, his eyes half open
with sleep.

From the foot of the stairs, Jing Mei smirked."Good morning"

"I dropped the perfume bottle" Bella yelled.

"WHAT??" her sister Lucy cried,"Was it mine?"

"Not yours" the bedroom door in question opened a crack,"It was mine"

Carter yawned.

Jing Mei looked up at her family, smiling." I love you all, you're
crazy.Now GET DRESSED!"

"What?"

"Dress rehearsal and brunch for Bella's graduation" she headed back into
the kitchen,"Move it or lose it people!"
**********************************************
**********************************************
She strecthed out in the bed, yawning loudly.

Bella smiled to herself. It was a countdown to her dream. So close
she could count it on her fingers.

There had been nights and nights of arguements. Her father was certain
that the girl had made her decision just to spite him.

Bella laughed, kicking her legs over the side of the bed."Hand me my
robe"

Lucy sniffed the air from the doorway."You broke the lilies of the valley
perfume!"

"Luce? Robe?"

The younger girl shook her short hair, stepping hap hazardly over the
pile of broken blue glass."Here" she shoved the garment at her sister.

"Thank you Lucy" Bella slammed the door after her,"Thank you". She tightened
the robe around her before opening the door one more time and racing half
way down the stairs.
*******************************************
*******************************************
"ALLLLLLLLLLLLLEX!!!!!!!!" the girls squealed, pushing and shoving
each other to race down the stairs to their brother's arms.


"Woah..woah..Hey" he smirked his infamous Carter smirk,"Hello girls"

From the couch, Carter raised an eyebrow from over his newspaper.

"He came for Bella" Jing Mei sank down next to Carter on the couch.

He folded his paper and turned to face her.

"Don't ruin this" she interlocked her fingers with his,"Please?"

"Deb.."

"John"

Carter sighed loudly,"Fine"

Jing Mei got up from the couch, letting go of his hand."Alex?? Did you
have your coffee?"

"Mom..."

"Don't Mom me.Come on you three" Jing Mei replied, smiling."Coffee"
she pushed their lower backs towards the kitchen."John?"

"Deb?"

"Coffee?"

"I need to shower" Carter climbed the stairs huffily.

Jing Mei sighed.

"He's still mad" Alex hugged the older woman's shoulders.

"Not mad" she rested her head against him,"Hurt"
***********************************************
***********************************************
"Black or taupe?"

Carter smirked, watching his wife dig through the closet. He ran a comb
through his wet hair."Who says taupe?"

"I just did, Dr.Carter" Jing Mei replied,falling back onto the bed.
"Which pair of shoes?"

"Black"

Jing Mei raised an eyebrow.

"The black shoes"

"Who do I have to impress?" Jing Mei groaned,"I can't look like a.."

"Wear the taupe shoes" he slipped his arm into the blue shirt she had
laid out for him."Brown or brown shoes,Deb?"

Jing Mei lifted her head, and threw the small pillow she had been resting on
at him."Soooooo not funny"

"Missed" Carter laughed, leaning over Jing Mei.

She reached up ,grabbing the tie around his neck, pulling Carter's
face to hers."John?"

"Hmmm?"

Jing Mei gave him a quick kiss, then pushed him away as she
struggled to sit up and finish getting dressed."I'm wearing the
black shoes"