Chapter 2
". And that's pretty much it. He left and is never coming back. A fresh batch of tears comes streaming down her face. " Stephie, it's gonna be okay. He'll come back, he always does." " No he won't, he said that if he left he wouldn't come back. And he wouldn't lie about that." " Steph. Everything's gonna be okay. Look, why don't I take you to your bedroom so you can get some sleep." " But the kids will be up soon. I have to get them ready for school." " I'll get them ready Steph, you really need to sleep." " You will?" " Of course I will. Now come on." He picks her up and carries her to the master bedroom and tucks her into bed. Before he was even out the door she was sound asleep.
***** Two Hours Later *****
" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Beau screams as he flies down the stairs, Terra chasing him. He is about to jump off the fourth stair but Paul catches him in mid air and spins him around, then Paul press slams Beau into the couch. Beau is laughing so hard that he can barely breathe. " Alright, c'mon little boy. Go into the kitchen and eat breakfast. And Terra," he turns his attention to his daughter, " Are Tris and Ash up?" " Ash is, Tris isn't." " Okay, then go wake 'er up and tell 'er to get her buts down here now or she won't eat breakfast." " Okay daddy." She hops up the stairs screaming Trista's name. " Terra!" " What daddy?" she turns around once she is at the top of the stairs. " Mom's sleeping. Don't wake her up. Be very quiet." " Okay daddy."
Trista and Terra are speed racing down the stairs, seeing who can get to the breakfast table first, but Beau, who was going the opposite direction as the twins, was mauled by both Terra and Trista. His head hits the hardwood floor of the dining room, both the twins run away from the scene. " Hi daddy." Terra said. " Hi dad." Trista chimed in. " Girls, why's Beau screaming?" " Ash knocked him over. The he ran back up to his room." Trista said, nodding. " Alright, you two just eat your breakfast then go get dressed." " I don't wanna go to school dad." " You have to." " But I wanna stay home with you. I haven't seen you in forever." " Well kiddo, its Friday. The day will be over before you know it. Now eat." Paul goes into the other room to check out Beau. He is sitting there holding the side of his head. " Buddy what happened?" " Trista and Terra ran me over." " Oh they did, did they?" " Yea. They did." " Is your head gonna be okay?" " Yea. It is." " Okay good. Now go ahead and get dressed." Just then the decides to pull up. Apparently Paul hadn't been looking at the clock and it was already 7:15. The kids have to be at school for 9, which is a one-hour drive but a 1-½ hour bus ride. Well with the exception of Ash, who rides his bike to his school, which is right down the street. " Oh holy Jesus." The bus' horn was honking wildly. Paul knows that Beau is ready, hopefully, and calls him down. " But I haven't brushed my teeth yet, or put a shirt on!" " Fine!" Paul hears the bus pull away from the front of the driveway. " Damn it." " Paul, what's the matter?" Stephanie appears at the top of the stairs, tear stains still on her face. " Nothing Steph. Go back to sleep." " No, I'm up now. What's going on?" she is now sitting on the counter looking at the girls, " What did daddy do?" " We missed the bus. But it's not dad's fault." " Okay, go on up to your room and dress then come down here and we'll figure something out." " Okay mom, come on Terra." " I'm coming!" " Girls, be nice!" " Yes mom." They say simultaneously and run upstairs. " I'm sorry they missed the bus Steph." Paul walks over and sits on the counter next to Steph. " It's okay. I'll drive them." She smiles. " No you won't. I fucked this up so I'll bring them to school, I insist." " You know you don't have to." " I want to." " Okay. Fine."
An hour later Steph is home alone when somebody knocks at the door. She knows it's not Paul. So who could it be?
". And that's pretty much it. He left and is never coming back. A fresh batch of tears comes streaming down her face. " Stephie, it's gonna be okay. He'll come back, he always does." " No he won't, he said that if he left he wouldn't come back. And he wouldn't lie about that." " Steph. Everything's gonna be okay. Look, why don't I take you to your bedroom so you can get some sleep." " But the kids will be up soon. I have to get them ready for school." " I'll get them ready Steph, you really need to sleep." " You will?" " Of course I will. Now come on." He picks her up and carries her to the master bedroom and tucks her into bed. Before he was even out the door she was sound asleep.
***** Two Hours Later *****
" Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Beau screams as he flies down the stairs, Terra chasing him. He is about to jump off the fourth stair but Paul catches him in mid air and spins him around, then Paul press slams Beau into the couch. Beau is laughing so hard that he can barely breathe. " Alright, c'mon little boy. Go into the kitchen and eat breakfast. And Terra," he turns his attention to his daughter, " Are Tris and Ash up?" " Ash is, Tris isn't." " Okay, then go wake 'er up and tell 'er to get her buts down here now or she won't eat breakfast." " Okay daddy." She hops up the stairs screaming Trista's name. " Terra!" " What daddy?" she turns around once she is at the top of the stairs. " Mom's sleeping. Don't wake her up. Be very quiet." " Okay daddy."
Trista and Terra are speed racing down the stairs, seeing who can get to the breakfast table first, but Beau, who was going the opposite direction as the twins, was mauled by both Terra and Trista. His head hits the hardwood floor of the dining room, both the twins run away from the scene. " Hi daddy." Terra said. " Hi dad." Trista chimed in. " Girls, why's Beau screaming?" " Ash knocked him over. The he ran back up to his room." Trista said, nodding. " Alright, you two just eat your breakfast then go get dressed." " I don't wanna go to school dad." " You have to." " But I wanna stay home with you. I haven't seen you in forever." " Well kiddo, its Friday. The day will be over before you know it. Now eat." Paul goes into the other room to check out Beau. He is sitting there holding the side of his head. " Buddy what happened?" " Trista and Terra ran me over." " Oh they did, did they?" " Yea. They did." " Is your head gonna be okay?" " Yea. It is." " Okay good. Now go ahead and get dressed." Just then the decides to pull up. Apparently Paul hadn't been looking at the clock and it was already 7:15. The kids have to be at school for 9, which is a one-hour drive but a 1-½ hour bus ride. Well with the exception of Ash, who rides his bike to his school, which is right down the street. " Oh holy Jesus." The bus' horn was honking wildly. Paul knows that Beau is ready, hopefully, and calls him down. " But I haven't brushed my teeth yet, or put a shirt on!" " Fine!" Paul hears the bus pull away from the front of the driveway. " Damn it." " Paul, what's the matter?" Stephanie appears at the top of the stairs, tear stains still on her face. " Nothing Steph. Go back to sleep." " No, I'm up now. What's going on?" she is now sitting on the counter looking at the girls, " What did daddy do?" " We missed the bus. But it's not dad's fault." " Okay, go on up to your room and dress then come down here and we'll figure something out." " Okay mom, come on Terra." " I'm coming!" " Girls, be nice!" " Yes mom." They say simultaneously and run upstairs. " I'm sorry they missed the bus Steph." Paul walks over and sits on the counter next to Steph. " It's okay. I'll drive them." She smiles. " No you won't. I fucked this up so I'll bring them to school, I insist." " You know you don't have to." " I want to." " Okay. Fine."
An hour later Steph is home alone when somebody knocks at the door. She knows it's not Paul. So who could it be?