Thanks to everyone's who's been reviewing. To answer a couple of questions,
yes, it will all be explained soon, but it's also about to get VERY
complicated, and VERY interesting! Can't you wait?!
Please read and review!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Miranda handed the crayons over to Tori then walking into the kitchen. Gordo hadn't said much when he'd rushed out of the house for his interview, and Lizzie hadn't said anything about the dinner that was tonight either. The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.
"Doorbell, doorbell, doorbell," Tori excitedly chanted racing ahead of Miranda.
"Whoa, whoa, wait," she called, reaching the door before the girl. "Me first," she grinned. She pulled opened the door and a thrilled squeal erupted from Tori.
"Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt!" she yelled, racing onto the porch and into his arms. The young man easily caught her and laughed. His hair was shorter than when Miranda had last seen him and as he drew closer she realized the spiky tips were a caramel color. Had she not known she wouldn't have guessed that he was Lizzie's younger brother. His features were darker and his personality more carefree. Age had helped him along beautifully, and now he focused his energy to helping teenagers after he got out of his classes in college.
"Hello, Precious," he smiled, scooping her up in his free arm. In the other he was barely carrying a large black garbage bag. His kissed Tori on top of her head, then smiled at Miranda as he brought Tori back into the living room.
"You know your sister is at work," Miranda stated, leaning against an arm chair.
Matt dropped the bag, then sat Tori down and shrugged out of his leather coat. "I know."
"What's in the bag?" Miranda asked as Tori grabbed crayons and some paper.
Matt sat down on the edge of the coffee table and struggled to untie the knot. "Well, I heard Gordo is here and broke, and he might need some clothes. This is all like new stuff, that I just don't wear." He shrugged. "So, he can pick from whatever. And if he doesn't like it, tell him to throw it out. It's just taking up space in my closet."
Miranda nodded, then looked up at him and smiled. "That was nice of you. Good to know that somewhere inside of you there is a bit of decency left."
"Don't tell Lizzie thought," he smirked. "She'll want me to apologize for all the torture I put her through."
Miranda laughed. "How are the kids doing?"
"Really good. You know, you should come down there and teach a class. You could give singing lessons.
"I'm not qualified to give lessons," Miranda laughed.
"And strangely enough, you would think Lanny isn't qualified to head the acting classes, but he does," Matt smiled. "How's Lizzie doing?"
Miranda sat down on the arm of the couch and tilted her head. "She's doing good, at least from what she says she's doing good."
"You two need a girl's night out."
"We do?" she laughed.
Matt nodded. "Yeah, probably be good for the both of you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Lizzie has forgotten the meaning of fun, and you need to get out."
"Ah, the philosophy of a younger brother," she chuckled.
"What, you think I'm wrong?" he challenged.
"Well, Lizzie is perfectly happy with Tori, and I have no idea what you mean I need to get out," Miranda replied.
"Really? Then how about tonight, I take you out, and you'll see what going out is supposed to be like."
"I don't like your tone, McGuire," she laughed.
"You're just afraid you might have fun."
Miranda glared at him. "You're full of it."
"Then why don't you come?"
"Fine," she stated. "Pick me up at seven."
"Eight," he shot back. When Miranda raised her eyebrows in response, he smiled and shrugged. "I'm not buying you dinner."
Miranda laughed and shook her head. She heard the sound of the lock turning and Tori let out a squeal. "Mommy!"
Miranda doubled over laughing when she looked down at the girl. She'd pulled clothes out of the bag and pulled out a navy blue, button down shirt, which she almost tripped on while running.
"Hey, Tori," Lizzie smiled, coming into the room. She shifted Tori to her hip and joined them in the living room. "Hey Matt. What are you wearing Tori?"
"Dunno," she smiled, waving her arms inside the oversized sleeves.
Lizzie laughed and sat her down on the floor. "Hey Miranda," she started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I've got to go, but I'll get it," Matt answered, grabbing his coat.
"Thanks," Lizzie called, turning back to Miranda. "Are you busy tonight?"
Miranda sighed, knowing what Lizzie was about to ask. She wouldn't have minded, but she'd just made plans.
"I know I should have said something sooner, I should have said something this morning, but I wasn't thinking, and I can't take Tori to that fancy dinner. Look, never mind I'll just call my mom," she stated hurriedly.
"I'll watch her," a deep voice called.
Lizzie whirled around to see Gordo standing behind her. She stared at Gordo for a second, then shot a look at Miranda.
Miranda was at a loss as to what to say. She was perfectly aware of the emotional struggle Lizzie was having with Gordo, but on the other hand she knew that Gordo would never let Tori get into any kind of trouble and probably be the perfect sitter.
"Well, I wouldn't want to-you know what, it's really not that important," Lizzie sputtered, shrugging as she looked at Miranda.
"Any other time I would, but somehow, Matt conned me into going out tonight. But if you really need me to, I can cancel."
"No, it's fine, me and Tori will have-"
"Lizzie, Tori and I will be fine," Gordo insisted. "Go to your dinner."
Lizzie sighed as she bit her lip and looked from her daughter to Gordo. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," he nodded, sitting down beside Tori. "Go out and have a great time."
Miranda handed the crayons over to Tori then walking into the kitchen. Gordo hadn't said much when he'd rushed out of the house for his interview, and Lizzie hadn't said anything about the dinner that was tonight either. The doorbell rang, interrupting her thoughts.
"Doorbell, doorbell, doorbell," Tori excitedly chanted racing ahead of Miranda.
"Whoa, whoa, wait," she called, reaching the door before the girl. "Me first," she grinned. She pulled opened the door and a thrilled squeal erupted from Tori.
"Matt, Matt, Matt, Matt!" she yelled, racing onto the porch and into his arms. The young man easily caught her and laughed. His hair was shorter than when Miranda had last seen him and as he drew closer she realized the spiky tips were a caramel color. Had she not known she wouldn't have guessed that he was Lizzie's younger brother. His features were darker and his personality more carefree. Age had helped him along beautifully, and now he focused his energy to helping teenagers after he got out of his classes in college.
"Hello, Precious," he smiled, scooping her up in his free arm. In the other he was barely carrying a large black garbage bag. His kissed Tori on top of her head, then smiled at Miranda as he brought Tori back into the living room.
"You know your sister is at work," Miranda stated, leaning against an arm chair.
Matt dropped the bag, then sat Tori down and shrugged out of his leather coat. "I know."
"What's in the bag?" Miranda asked as Tori grabbed crayons and some paper.
Matt sat down on the edge of the coffee table and struggled to untie the knot. "Well, I heard Gordo is here and broke, and he might need some clothes. This is all like new stuff, that I just don't wear." He shrugged. "So, he can pick from whatever. And if he doesn't like it, tell him to throw it out. It's just taking up space in my closet."
Miranda nodded, then looked up at him and smiled. "That was nice of you. Good to know that somewhere inside of you there is a bit of decency left."
"Don't tell Lizzie thought," he smirked. "She'll want me to apologize for all the torture I put her through."
Miranda laughed. "How are the kids doing?"
"Really good. You know, you should come down there and teach a class. You could give singing lessons.
"I'm not qualified to give lessons," Miranda laughed.
"And strangely enough, you would think Lanny isn't qualified to head the acting classes, but he does," Matt smiled. "How's Lizzie doing?"
Miranda sat down on the arm of the couch and tilted her head. "She's doing good, at least from what she says she's doing good."
"You two need a girl's night out."
"We do?" she laughed.
Matt nodded. "Yeah, probably be good for the both of you."
"Why do you say that?"
"Well, Lizzie has forgotten the meaning of fun, and you need to get out."
"Ah, the philosophy of a younger brother," she chuckled.
"What, you think I'm wrong?" he challenged.
"Well, Lizzie is perfectly happy with Tori, and I have no idea what you mean I need to get out," Miranda replied.
"Really? Then how about tonight, I take you out, and you'll see what going out is supposed to be like."
"I don't like your tone, McGuire," she laughed.
"You're just afraid you might have fun."
Miranda glared at him. "You're full of it."
"Then why don't you come?"
"Fine," she stated. "Pick me up at seven."
"Eight," he shot back. When Miranda raised her eyebrows in response, he smiled and shrugged. "I'm not buying you dinner."
Miranda laughed and shook her head. She heard the sound of the lock turning and Tori let out a squeal. "Mommy!"
Miranda doubled over laughing when she looked down at the girl. She'd pulled clothes out of the bag and pulled out a navy blue, button down shirt, which she almost tripped on while running.
"Hey, Tori," Lizzie smiled, coming into the room. She shifted Tori to her hip and joined them in the living room. "Hey Matt. What are you wearing Tori?"
"Dunno," she smiled, waving her arms inside the oversized sleeves.
Lizzie laughed and sat her down on the floor. "Hey Miranda," she started, but was interrupted by a knock on the door.
"I've got to go, but I'll get it," Matt answered, grabbing his coat.
"Thanks," Lizzie called, turning back to Miranda. "Are you busy tonight?"
Miranda sighed, knowing what Lizzie was about to ask. She wouldn't have minded, but she'd just made plans.
"I know I should have said something sooner, I should have said something this morning, but I wasn't thinking, and I can't take Tori to that fancy dinner. Look, never mind I'll just call my mom," she stated hurriedly.
"I'll watch her," a deep voice called.
Lizzie whirled around to see Gordo standing behind her. She stared at Gordo for a second, then shot a look at Miranda.
Miranda was at a loss as to what to say. She was perfectly aware of the emotional struggle Lizzie was having with Gordo, but on the other hand she knew that Gordo would never let Tori get into any kind of trouble and probably be the perfect sitter.
"Well, I wouldn't want to-you know what, it's really not that important," Lizzie sputtered, shrugging as she looked at Miranda.
"Any other time I would, but somehow, Matt conned me into going out tonight. But if you really need me to, I can cancel."
"No, it's fine, me and Tori will have-"
"Lizzie, Tori and I will be fine," Gordo insisted. "Go to your dinner."
Lizzie sighed as she bit her lip and looked from her daughter to Gordo. "Are you sure?"
"Positive," he nodded, sitting down beside Tori. "Go out and have a great time."