Part Twenty
"M-I-C..K-E-Y" Catherine sang at the top of her lungs as the bar of perfumed soap slipped from her fingers, disappearing under the bubbles that surrounded her. "M-O-U-S-E," she cried triumphantly as she resurfaced, the retrieved bar of soap once again serving as her microphone. Watching her from his tubside crouch, Luis couldn't help but smile. She was a true marvel. "Luis, j'adore Mickey," Catherine grinned at him, scooping a handful of bubbles into her tiny palm and blowing them gently in his direction. When they landed on his nose, Luis pretended he felt an almost physical blow, sending him to a heap on the bathroom rug and causing Catherine to giggle riotously. "Luis, you are silly." "Not as silly as you, Kitty Cat," Luis said, giving the wet curl brushing against her button nose a playful tug. You adore EVERYTHING, he thought to himself. Catherine beamed at the gesture and the nickname. Her emerald eyes sparkled mischievously just seconds before she released a rather pitiful roar, slapping her hands in the water and sending bubbles flying everywhere. She shrieked with little girl giggles though when Luis grabbed her up in an enormous fluffy white towel and carried her off in the direction of her bedroom.
Luis released Catherine and a grateful sigh when he spied the clothes Gwen had so thoughtfully lain out across the twin bed. He chuckled embarrassedly and faced the opposite wall when Catherine promptly dropped the towel and reached for the Little Mermaid panties with an excited squeal. He just knew she was going to give him a heart attack in her teenaged years if she didn't acquire any modesty. Once he was sure she had them on, Luis reached for her small hand, rubbing the abandoned towel vigorously over her damp curls. Laying the towel across the foot of the bed, he prompted Catherine to turn around while he worked a brush through her hair as best he could. Finally, he gave up, directing Catherine to raise her arms over her head so he could slip the white cotton tee-shirt on her. A cheerful cluster of daisies decorated the front, and again he found himself unable to resist Catherine's infectious personality when she smiled proudly, smiling right back at her. Catherine held onto his knee as she stepped into the rest of her smart little ensemble then lifted her tiny feet up one by one so Luis could help her buckle the white sandals that adorned them. "Are we ready?" he asked. "Oui," Catherine nodded affirmatively, black curls bouncing back into charming disarray, "We're ready."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sher, I can't believe I let you and Luis talk me into this," Gwen sighed as she gave her appearance in the mirror a critical once-over. Reaching into her purse, she withdrew a tube of lipstick and reapplied it to her lips, watching Sheridan's profile out of the corner of her eyes. Sheridan adjusted the strap of her own purse distractedly, keeping a watchful eye on Catherine's sandaled feet peeking out from beneath the bathroom stall. "Catherine, are you sure you don't need any help?" Sheridan repeated her earlier question. "Sheri, I'm a big girl. I can do it by myself," Catherine huffed behind the bathroom door, causing both Sheridan and Gwen to smile. Gwen tucked the tube of lipstick back into her purse and turned around to smirk at Sheridan. "I'd swear she was yours. The stubbornness is a dead giveaway."
Sheridan laughed softly and entreated, "You're really not having a good time? He seems like a nice guy. And," she dropped her voice to a teasing whisper, "I saw him checking you out." "Sher," Gwen groaned. "The man's ego is bigger than his brain. Obviously he hasn't read the tabloids. He wouldn't give me a second glance if he knew I were pregnant." "Gwen," Sheridan reproached. "I'm not having THAT bad of a time," Gwen relented. "My God, do you have any idea how long it's been since another man besides Ethan has flirted with me? I hardly remember how to respond." "Ethan flirts?" Sheridan giggled, immediately stifling her laughter when it earned her an odd look from a matronly woman exiting the bathroom stall next to Catherine's. As soon as the woman was gone, Sheridan started laughing softly again and Gwen joined her. "Enjoy the attention," Sheridan advised. "Flirt back." "Sher, I don't know," Gwen said hesitantly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how," Sheridan shook her blond head, blue eyes twinkling at both the expression on Gwen's face and Catherine's grudging admittance behind the bathroom stall that she did, in fact, need help. "I'll just have to give you a refresher," she winked as Catherine emerged sporting a frustrated pout on her lips, the straps of her short-alls dangling freely. "It'll be fun."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Following the amusing spectacle that dinner at the Lobster Shack had turned into, Luis and Sheridan walked hand in hand along the pier with Gwen, Hank, and Catherine trailing behind them. Catherine had all but adopted Hank as her newest friend, and Hank, after bragging about his time spent in France and the bits and pieces of the French language he'd picked up, doggedly fielded Catherine's rapid-fire, unending barrage of questions in a terribly unconvincing French accent. His vocabulary, Sheridan and Gwen had quickly discovered, was rather limited and not much better, but his willingness to make a fool out of himself to humor Catherine had already won him several brownie points with the two women, grudging and otherwise. Gwen liked Hank despite herself, and Sheridan couldn't be happier. Luis, on the other hand.
"Luis," Sheridan slid her arm through his, resting her head against his shoulder as her fingers traced patterns on the back of his hand. "What's wrong? You know I wasn't serious back at the Lobster Shack, don't you? I'm not interested in any other man but you. I love you," she told him with simple sincerity, gazing up at him and willing his long face to disappear. Luis regarded her silently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and finally he spoke, putting her fears to rest. "I love you too, and trust me," he grinned, "Hank has a snowball's chance in hell of winning you away from me." "Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to look so smug," Sheridan laughed, giving his arm a playful swat. "What's bothering you then? You haven't said two words since we left the Lobster Shack," Sheridan mused. Glancing back at Gwen and Hank, Luis muttered, "He's interested." "Luis," Sheridan pulled away from him slightly as indignation started to well within her on Gwen's behalf. "Gwen's beautiful, intelligent, successful.Hank could do a lot worse."
"Not to mention pregnant and vulnerable as hell right now," Luis retorted. "I'd hate for Hank to do something to hurt her, that's all. She needs someone she and her baby can depend on, and I'm not so sure Hank's that person. He's a good guy, but commitment tends to, well, terrify him. He's never been serious about anybody. No strings attached flings are more his style." Melting impossibly at the protectiveness he was displaying toward her best friend, Sheridan smiled at him once again, this time with tears shimmering in her blue eyes. She'd marry him in that moment if he asked her. She'd met the most perfect imperfect man, and she was realizing a little more everyday that she loved him to distraction. "Keep it up, and you're never going to get rid of me," she tried to inject a little teasing into her words. "That's the plan," Luis answered her with a smile in his eyes. He kissed her and pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek against her soft hair as he sought out the rest of their evening entourage. Chuckling when he saw Catherine fit Gwen's and Hank's hands together then scamper in his and Sheridan's direction, he shook his head and drew back to look into Sheridan's not-so-innocent, pleased blue eyes. "You're raising a little matchmaker."
Sheridan didn't deny the accusation.
"M-I-C..K-E-Y" Catherine sang at the top of her lungs as the bar of perfumed soap slipped from her fingers, disappearing under the bubbles that surrounded her. "M-O-U-S-E," she cried triumphantly as she resurfaced, the retrieved bar of soap once again serving as her microphone. Watching her from his tubside crouch, Luis couldn't help but smile. She was a true marvel. "Luis, j'adore Mickey," Catherine grinned at him, scooping a handful of bubbles into her tiny palm and blowing them gently in his direction. When they landed on his nose, Luis pretended he felt an almost physical blow, sending him to a heap on the bathroom rug and causing Catherine to giggle riotously. "Luis, you are silly." "Not as silly as you, Kitty Cat," Luis said, giving the wet curl brushing against her button nose a playful tug. You adore EVERYTHING, he thought to himself. Catherine beamed at the gesture and the nickname. Her emerald eyes sparkled mischievously just seconds before she released a rather pitiful roar, slapping her hands in the water and sending bubbles flying everywhere. She shrieked with little girl giggles though when Luis grabbed her up in an enormous fluffy white towel and carried her off in the direction of her bedroom.
Luis released Catherine and a grateful sigh when he spied the clothes Gwen had so thoughtfully lain out across the twin bed. He chuckled embarrassedly and faced the opposite wall when Catherine promptly dropped the towel and reached for the Little Mermaid panties with an excited squeal. He just knew she was going to give him a heart attack in her teenaged years if she didn't acquire any modesty. Once he was sure she had them on, Luis reached for her small hand, rubbing the abandoned towel vigorously over her damp curls. Laying the towel across the foot of the bed, he prompted Catherine to turn around while he worked a brush through her hair as best he could. Finally, he gave up, directing Catherine to raise her arms over her head so he could slip the white cotton tee-shirt on her. A cheerful cluster of daisies decorated the front, and again he found himself unable to resist Catherine's infectious personality when she smiled proudly, smiling right back at her. Catherine held onto his knee as she stepped into the rest of her smart little ensemble then lifted her tiny feet up one by one so Luis could help her buckle the white sandals that adorned them. "Are we ready?" he asked. "Oui," Catherine nodded affirmatively, black curls bouncing back into charming disarray, "We're ready."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Sher, I can't believe I let you and Luis talk me into this," Gwen sighed as she gave her appearance in the mirror a critical once-over. Reaching into her purse, she withdrew a tube of lipstick and reapplied it to her lips, watching Sheridan's profile out of the corner of her eyes. Sheridan adjusted the strap of her own purse distractedly, keeping a watchful eye on Catherine's sandaled feet peeking out from beneath the bathroom stall. "Catherine, are you sure you don't need any help?" Sheridan repeated her earlier question. "Sheri, I'm a big girl. I can do it by myself," Catherine huffed behind the bathroom door, causing both Sheridan and Gwen to smile. Gwen tucked the tube of lipstick back into her purse and turned around to smirk at Sheridan. "I'd swear she was yours. The stubbornness is a dead giveaway."
Sheridan laughed softly and entreated, "You're really not having a good time? He seems like a nice guy. And," she dropped her voice to a teasing whisper, "I saw him checking you out." "Sher," Gwen groaned. "The man's ego is bigger than his brain. Obviously he hasn't read the tabloids. He wouldn't give me a second glance if he knew I were pregnant." "Gwen," Sheridan reproached. "I'm not having THAT bad of a time," Gwen relented. "My God, do you have any idea how long it's been since another man besides Ethan has flirted with me? I hardly remember how to respond." "Ethan flirts?" Sheridan giggled, immediately stifling her laughter when it earned her an odd look from a matronly woman exiting the bathroom stall next to Catherine's. As soon as the woman was gone, Sheridan started laughing softly again and Gwen joined her. "Enjoy the attention," Sheridan advised. "Flirt back." "Sher, I don't know," Gwen said hesitantly. "Don't tell me you've forgotten how," Sheridan shook her blond head, blue eyes twinkling at both the expression on Gwen's face and Catherine's grudging admittance behind the bathroom stall that she did, in fact, need help. "I'll just have to give you a refresher," she winked as Catherine emerged sporting a frustrated pout on her lips, the straps of her short-alls dangling freely. "It'll be fun."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Following the amusing spectacle that dinner at the Lobster Shack had turned into, Luis and Sheridan walked hand in hand along the pier with Gwen, Hank, and Catherine trailing behind them. Catherine had all but adopted Hank as her newest friend, and Hank, after bragging about his time spent in France and the bits and pieces of the French language he'd picked up, doggedly fielded Catherine's rapid-fire, unending barrage of questions in a terribly unconvincing French accent. His vocabulary, Sheridan and Gwen had quickly discovered, was rather limited and not much better, but his willingness to make a fool out of himself to humor Catherine had already won him several brownie points with the two women, grudging and otherwise. Gwen liked Hank despite herself, and Sheridan couldn't be happier. Luis, on the other hand.
"Luis," Sheridan slid her arm through his, resting her head against his shoulder as her fingers traced patterns on the back of his hand. "What's wrong? You know I wasn't serious back at the Lobster Shack, don't you? I'm not interested in any other man but you. I love you," she told him with simple sincerity, gazing up at him and willing his long face to disappear. Luis regarded her silently, a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth, and finally he spoke, putting her fears to rest. "I love you too, and trust me," he grinned, "Hank has a snowball's chance in hell of winning you away from me." "Just because it's true doesn't mean you have to look so smug," Sheridan laughed, giving his arm a playful swat. "What's bothering you then? You haven't said two words since we left the Lobster Shack," Sheridan mused. Glancing back at Gwen and Hank, Luis muttered, "He's interested." "Luis," Sheridan pulled away from him slightly as indignation started to well within her on Gwen's behalf. "Gwen's beautiful, intelligent, successful.Hank could do a lot worse."
"Not to mention pregnant and vulnerable as hell right now," Luis retorted. "I'd hate for Hank to do something to hurt her, that's all. She needs someone she and her baby can depend on, and I'm not so sure Hank's that person. He's a good guy, but commitment tends to, well, terrify him. He's never been serious about anybody. No strings attached flings are more his style." Melting impossibly at the protectiveness he was displaying toward her best friend, Sheridan smiled at him once again, this time with tears shimmering in her blue eyes. She'd marry him in that moment if he asked her. She'd met the most perfect imperfect man, and she was realizing a little more everyday that she loved him to distraction. "Keep it up, and you're never going to get rid of me," she tried to inject a little teasing into her words. "That's the plan," Luis answered her with a smile in his eyes. He kissed her and pulled her into his arms, resting his cheek against her soft hair as he sought out the rest of their evening entourage. Chuckling when he saw Catherine fit Gwen's and Hank's hands together then scamper in his and Sheridan's direction, he shook his head and drew back to look into Sheridan's not-so-innocent, pleased blue eyes. "You're raising a little matchmaker."
Sheridan didn't deny the accusation.