Sorry for the delay in updating! So what do you all think? Do you like it?
Do you hate it? This one's different from what I usually write, and I'd
love to hear some input on what you think! So please read and review!
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Gordo stared at the magazine in his hand. He contemplated putting it on the table and going to find real want ads, but Miranda's words rang in his had and he picked it back up. After flipping through the pages, he saw what she'd been talking about. She'd been correct. There were several jobs he was over qualified for, but that would be better than what he had now.
He glanced towards the stairs as Miranda ran down then turned into the kitchen. Reading more ads, he didn't hear the soft footsteps on the stairs, but soon was aware that he was being watched. Lowering the magazine, he slowly turned his head towards the stairs. Peering at him from between the railing on the banister, Tori's bright eyes watched him carefully. When she realized he was watching, she quickly tried to flatten herself to the stairs.
A smile toyed at the edges of his lips as he turned his head back to the magazine, but watched her out of the corner of his eye. When she began to sit back up, he quickly jerked his head in that direction and she quickly attempted to hide again.
Miranda walked into the room, not realizing the game that was beginning. "Tori," she smiled, picking up the toddler. She looked down at the child, then smiled at her then at Gordo. "Tori, that's Gordo. Want to say hi?" Tori smiled at her hide-and-seek-buddy, then quickly buried her head in Miranda's shoulder.
Gordo laughed as they went into the kitchen and turned back to his magazine, but couldn't help but listen as he heard the young woman talk to the little girl.
Miranda switched Tori to her other hip and smiled at her. "You hungry?"
She smiled and nodded. Miranda sat her down on the table and let her feet dangle over. "Pancakes? Do pancakes sound good, Sweetie?"
The head of sandy brown curls bounced on her head as she nodded.
Miranda laughed and pulled out the box and measuring cups to prepare breakfast. After she had the ingredients set out and was measuring them, she heard footsteps crossing the tiled floor. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Gordo as he came closer and leaned against the counter.
"She's a good kid," he nodded towards the small child. "At least this early in the morning."
Miranda smiled. "Yeah, she is."
"How long have you watched her?" he asked.
Miranda poured orange juice into a spill proof cup, twisted on the bright green lid and handed it to the girl. "Since she was born."
"Did she know her father?" he asked, watched her tiny hands lift the cup to her mouth as her wide innocent eyes looked around the room."
"She was just a baby when he died," Miranda stated, mixing the batter until it was thick.
Gordo nodded, slowly biting the inside of his lip. He was asking questions that were none of his business and he wouldn't be surprised if she told him to shut up very soon. "How long had they been married when he died?"
"Just over a year," Miranda informed him. She poured the batter into the pan then pulled a spatula out of the drawer. The delicious aroma filled the room quickly, Gordo smiled.
He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this, how much he missed the home feeling. A warm breakfast, a soft bed, a family. His eyes looked over Miranda. She was like a sister, he'd done some stupid things, and they'd fought insanely, but still, whenever he needed her, or he needed a firm message, she would be the one to deliver it.
Before he really realized what was going on, breakfast was over and Miranda was leading the child upstairs. Not wanting to be left out, he walked up the stairs after them. He saw the door to Tori's room was partly open, and he peered around the corner, Miranda had changed her outfit and was tying her shoes. "Where are you two going?"
"A walk," Miranda smiled, tickling the girl so she laughed softly.
"Can I come?"
"I don't know. Tori, can Gordo come on our walk?"
With two fingers in her mouth, the little girl examined him, then shyly smiled and nodded. Miranda laughed softly and retrieved a ball from the closet and handed it to Tori. She raced on ahead of them down the stairs and pulled her stroller out of the downstairs closet.
Gordo followed quietly behind the pair. The child fascinated him in ways he couldn't believe. He'd never had a younger sibling, and he'd never been around a small child. But watching this little girl, and he was continually shocked at the similarities between the child and her mother.
As they strolled down the street, Tori watched everything. He smiled, wondering how the world must look to her. Before he'd realized it, they'd arrived at the park. Miranda had lifted her out of the stroller and placed her on the concrete.
"Randa!" she squealed, running with the ball.
Gordo smiled as he settled down on the bench. The first time he'd heard her talk.
He leaned back comfortably and watched as Miranda ran after her. Tori tossed the ball away from her and Miranda grabbed it then tossed it back to her. Tori giggled as she grabbed for the ball then her short arms tossed it back. He didn't play, though he was tempted, he enjoyed watching the pair dart around without a care in the world. When Miranda finally stopped running, Tori ran up and locker her small arms around her legs. "Leavin?"
Miranda slowly nodded. Instead of protesting, Tori nodded, then grabbed the ball and tossed it into the back of the stroller. Miranda lifted her into her seat then looked wearily over her shoulder at Gordo. "You ready?"
He nodded and fell into step beside her. "Looks like Tori can out run you," he joked.
Miranda laughed and peered around the stroller. Tori had settled back against the seat and closed her eyes. "Maybe, but I can keep it up longer than she can." They laughed as they walked quickly down the streets. Suddenly, Miranda came to an abrupt stop in front of a store. "Keep and eyes on her, I'll be right back," she stated, disappearing into the store.
Gordo walked around to the front of the stroller and knelt down in front of Tori's sleeping figure. He pulled out a blanket from the bottom of the stroller and gently tucked it around her. He smiled gently at the figure.
"Was she cold?" Miranda asked, reappearing at his side, a bag in hand.
"I was afraid she might get cold," he stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. Miranda smiled and handed him the bag then took over pushing the stroller. "Look inside," she commanded.
Raising his eyebrows, Gordo peered inside and saw the new clothes, men's clothes. "Miranda, you shouldn't have bought these."
"You need new clothes for interviews."
"You didn't have to do this," he insisted.
"I wanted to though," she stated as they arrived at the house. Gordo helped her pulled the stroller into the house then watched as she gently woke up Tori. "Let's go watch a movie, Sweetie, you can pick it out."
He shut the door and smiled. This wasn't turning out the way he'd expected, but he also wasn't complaining either.
Gordo stared at the magazine in his hand. He contemplated putting it on the table and going to find real want ads, but Miranda's words rang in his had and he picked it back up. After flipping through the pages, he saw what she'd been talking about. She'd been correct. There were several jobs he was over qualified for, but that would be better than what he had now.
He glanced towards the stairs as Miranda ran down then turned into the kitchen. Reading more ads, he didn't hear the soft footsteps on the stairs, but soon was aware that he was being watched. Lowering the magazine, he slowly turned his head towards the stairs. Peering at him from between the railing on the banister, Tori's bright eyes watched him carefully. When she realized he was watching, she quickly tried to flatten herself to the stairs.
A smile toyed at the edges of his lips as he turned his head back to the magazine, but watched her out of the corner of his eye. When she began to sit back up, he quickly jerked his head in that direction and she quickly attempted to hide again.
Miranda walked into the room, not realizing the game that was beginning. "Tori," she smiled, picking up the toddler. She looked down at the child, then smiled at her then at Gordo. "Tori, that's Gordo. Want to say hi?" Tori smiled at her hide-and-seek-buddy, then quickly buried her head in Miranda's shoulder.
Gordo laughed as they went into the kitchen and turned back to his magazine, but couldn't help but listen as he heard the young woman talk to the little girl.
Miranda switched Tori to her other hip and smiled at her. "You hungry?"
She smiled and nodded. Miranda sat her down on the table and let her feet dangle over. "Pancakes? Do pancakes sound good, Sweetie?"
The head of sandy brown curls bounced on her head as she nodded.
Miranda laughed and pulled out the box and measuring cups to prepare breakfast. After she had the ingredients set out and was measuring them, she heard footsteps crossing the tiled floor. She glanced over her shoulder and smiled at Gordo as he came closer and leaned against the counter.
"She's a good kid," he nodded towards the small child. "At least this early in the morning."
Miranda smiled. "Yeah, she is."
"How long have you watched her?" he asked.
Miranda poured orange juice into a spill proof cup, twisted on the bright green lid and handed it to the girl. "Since she was born."
"Did she know her father?" he asked, watched her tiny hands lift the cup to her mouth as her wide innocent eyes looked around the room."
"She was just a baby when he died," Miranda stated, mixing the batter until it was thick.
Gordo nodded, slowly biting the inside of his lip. He was asking questions that were none of his business and he wouldn't be surprised if she told him to shut up very soon. "How long had they been married when he died?"
"Just over a year," Miranda informed him. She poured the batter into the pan then pulled a spatula out of the drawer. The delicious aroma filled the room quickly, Gordo smiled.
He hadn't realized how much he'd missed this, how much he missed the home feeling. A warm breakfast, a soft bed, a family. His eyes looked over Miranda. She was like a sister, he'd done some stupid things, and they'd fought insanely, but still, whenever he needed her, or he needed a firm message, she would be the one to deliver it.
Before he really realized what was going on, breakfast was over and Miranda was leading the child upstairs. Not wanting to be left out, he walked up the stairs after them. He saw the door to Tori's room was partly open, and he peered around the corner, Miranda had changed her outfit and was tying her shoes. "Where are you two going?"
"A walk," Miranda smiled, tickling the girl so she laughed softly.
"Can I come?"
"I don't know. Tori, can Gordo come on our walk?"
With two fingers in her mouth, the little girl examined him, then shyly smiled and nodded. Miranda laughed softly and retrieved a ball from the closet and handed it to Tori. She raced on ahead of them down the stairs and pulled her stroller out of the downstairs closet.
Gordo followed quietly behind the pair. The child fascinated him in ways he couldn't believe. He'd never had a younger sibling, and he'd never been around a small child. But watching this little girl, and he was continually shocked at the similarities between the child and her mother.
As they strolled down the street, Tori watched everything. He smiled, wondering how the world must look to her. Before he'd realized it, they'd arrived at the park. Miranda had lifted her out of the stroller and placed her on the concrete.
"Randa!" she squealed, running with the ball.
Gordo smiled as he settled down on the bench. The first time he'd heard her talk.
He leaned back comfortably and watched as Miranda ran after her. Tori tossed the ball away from her and Miranda grabbed it then tossed it back to her. Tori giggled as she grabbed for the ball then her short arms tossed it back. He didn't play, though he was tempted, he enjoyed watching the pair dart around without a care in the world. When Miranda finally stopped running, Tori ran up and locker her small arms around her legs. "Leavin?"
Miranda slowly nodded. Instead of protesting, Tori nodded, then grabbed the ball and tossed it into the back of the stroller. Miranda lifted her into her seat then looked wearily over her shoulder at Gordo. "You ready?"
He nodded and fell into step beside her. "Looks like Tori can out run you," he joked.
Miranda laughed and peered around the stroller. Tori had settled back against the seat and closed her eyes. "Maybe, but I can keep it up longer than she can." They laughed as they walked quickly down the streets. Suddenly, Miranda came to an abrupt stop in front of a store. "Keep and eyes on her, I'll be right back," she stated, disappearing into the store.
Gordo walked around to the front of the stroller and knelt down in front of Tori's sleeping figure. He pulled out a blanket from the bottom of the stroller and gently tucked it around her. He smiled gently at the figure.
"Was she cold?" Miranda asked, reappearing at his side, a bag in hand.
"I was afraid she might get cold," he stated, shoving his hands into his pockets. Miranda smiled and handed him the bag then took over pushing the stroller. "Look inside," she commanded.
Raising his eyebrows, Gordo peered inside and saw the new clothes, men's clothes. "Miranda, you shouldn't have bought these."
"You need new clothes for interviews."
"You didn't have to do this," he insisted.
"I wanted to though," she stated as they arrived at the house. Gordo helped her pulled the stroller into the house then watched as she gently woke up Tori. "Let's go watch a movie, Sweetie, you can pick it out."
He shut the door and smiled. This wasn't turning out the way he'd expected, but he also wasn't complaining either.