Chapter 1
Paul rushes into her house without knocking. " Stephie, where are you?" " The bar." Comes a muffled, drunken voice from a couple rooms over. He runs to where the voice came from and sees Stephanie's motionless, seemingly lifeless body crouched under the bar table and all the color drained from her face. If she hadn't told him where she was, and he would have found her, he would think that she was dead. He crouches down to her level and tilts her head up. Her eyes are big, red and puffy, all her mascara smudged everywhere. But to him, she was still beautiful. Just as he was about to say something a little boy's screeching voice comes through the house. " MOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY." The second Paul turns around Beau runs into his arms. And before Beau could see his mommy, Paul brings him into the living room and sits him on the couch. " Uncle Paul, where's daddy?" Beau asks, not understanding why his Uncle Paul was there at this hour of the night and daddy was no where in sight or earshot. " He's.on a, a. He's working the weekend." " Daddy always works on da weekendz." " I know buddy. Now why did you come running down here?" Paul asks, trying to change the subject. " Because Terra and Trista woke me up with chocolate syrup." And it was just then that Paul noticed the chocolate stains on Beau's pajamas and in his hair. " Well then I'm gonna have to investigate. Go upstairs and tell them that daddy wants them down here right now. No ifs ands or buts about it." While Beau is getting his sisters Paul goes back into the bar and doesn't see Stephanie anywhere. " Steph?! Steph?!" he goes into the dining room and doesn't see her there, then the bathroom and guest bedroom. She is nowhere to be found. Then he hears the thump of four feet and the scream of a little boy. Apparently Terra and Trista had gotten a hold of Beau and one had his feet, the other his head and the two had completely lifted their brother high above their heads. But when they see their dad, the twins simply drop Beau onto the couch. " Dad." Trista screams and runs over to her dad. She hadn't seen him in a good month or so. She just thought that he had to work but what she didn't know was that her other dad, Chris, had forbade Paul from coming over to his house. " Beau why didn't you tell me dad was here?" Terra asks her little brother while walking over to her dad's open arms. After a few moments of getting reacquainted Paul finally speaks. " Alright, game over. What did you two do to Beau?" Terra," Well at dinner." Trista," . he said that he liked." Terra," . chocolate, so." Trista," . we thought that he." Terra," . might like it as a." Trista," . midnight snack." The twins say, sounding like they were reading from a script. " No you guys, that's not gonna work. Go upstairs and back to sleep. Oh yeah and I will be telling your mother about this. " But daddy." " And take your brother with you." " Fine!"
10 minutes later all the kids are back in bed, not necessarily asleep, but in bed and quiet. As Paul is about to go back to searching for Stephanie, it's as if she walks out of nowhere and plops down onto her couch. Paul comes and sits down next to her and puts her in his lap. " Pour your heart out kid." He said, knowing that she just needed to talk about stuff. " Okay" sniffle, " Well."
Paul rushes into her house without knocking. " Stephie, where are you?" " The bar." Comes a muffled, drunken voice from a couple rooms over. He runs to where the voice came from and sees Stephanie's motionless, seemingly lifeless body crouched under the bar table and all the color drained from her face. If she hadn't told him where she was, and he would have found her, he would think that she was dead. He crouches down to her level and tilts her head up. Her eyes are big, red and puffy, all her mascara smudged everywhere. But to him, she was still beautiful. Just as he was about to say something a little boy's screeching voice comes through the house. " MOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYY." The second Paul turns around Beau runs into his arms. And before Beau could see his mommy, Paul brings him into the living room and sits him on the couch. " Uncle Paul, where's daddy?" Beau asks, not understanding why his Uncle Paul was there at this hour of the night and daddy was no where in sight or earshot. " He's.on a, a. He's working the weekend." " Daddy always works on da weekendz." " I know buddy. Now why did you come running down here?" Paul asks, trying to change the subject. " Because Terra and Trista woke me up with chocolate syrup." And it was just then that Paul noticed the chocolate stains on Beau's pajamas and in his hair. " Well then I'm gonna have to investigate. Go upstairs and tell them that daddy wants them down here right now. No ifs ands or buts about it." While Beau is getting his sisters Paul goes back into the bar and doesn't see Stephanie anywhere. " Steph?! Steph?!" he goes into the dining room and doesn't see her there, then the bathroom and guest bedroom. She is nowhere to be found. Then he hears the thump of four feet and the scream of a little boy. Apparently Terra and Trista had gotten a hold of Beau and one had his feet, the other his head and the two had completely lifted their brother high above their heads. But when they see their dad, the twins simply drop Beau onto the couch. " Dad." Trista screams and runs over to her dad. She hadn't seen him in a good month or so. She just thought that he had to work but what she didn't know was that her other dad, Chris, had forbade Paul from coming over to his house. " Beau why didn't you tell me dad was here?" Terra asks her little brother while walking over to her dad's open arms. After a few moments of getting reacquainted Paul finally speaks. " Alright, game over. What did you two do to Beau?" Terra," Well at dinner." Trista," . he said that he liked." Terra," . chocolate, so." Trista," . we thought that he." Terra," . might like it as a." Trista," . midnight snack." The twins say, sounding like they were reading from a script. " No you guys, that's not gonna work. Go upstairs and back to sleep. Oh yeah and I will be telling your mother about this. " But daddy." " And take your brother with you." " Fine!"
10 minutes later all the kids are back in bed, not necessarily asleep, but in bed and quiet. As Paul is about to go back to searching for Stephanie, it's as if she walks out of nowhere and plops down onto her couch. Paul comes and sits down next to her and puts her in his lap. " Pour your heart out kid." He said, knowing that she just needed to talk about stuff. " Okay" sniffle, " Well."