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Lizzie picked up the picture frame and gazed lovingly at the angelic smile that stared back at her.
"How are you doing?" the silky smooth voice called.
Placing the picture back in its spot, Lizzie folded her hands on the edge of the keyboard and looked up. Danny smiled as he leaned closer to her.
"It's good to have you back."
"Thanks again for all the time off, Danny," she began.
"Lizzie, don't mention it again, really. I understand. Well, as best as I can understand considering I'm still a bachelor, but I know family is important."
Lizzie placed her hand to the side of her mouth the hid the grin forming. "Well, I have to say that this article I'm going to write will be incredible."
"All of your work is incredible, Lizzie," he assured her, leaning closer. "Let's go get lunch."
Lizzie looked at the screen and the many open windows, ranging from notes to drafts then to the clock on the wall. "Well, a short break won't hurt."
Gordo rolled onto his back and took a deep breath. If felt as if someone was slowly removing a heavy blanket from over his eyes.
In the kitchen he could water running as the smell of cooking sausage wafted to his nose.
He swung his legs over the couch and stood up. The muscles in his legs stretched as he stood up and reached up over his head. He made his way into the kitchen.
Miranda stood at the stove, Matt sat at a table. They both looked up as he came in.
"Hey, look who moves from the couch," Matt laughed.
"You feeling better?" Miranda asked.
Gordo nodded as he looked around the room. "Where's Tori?"
"Still sleeping."
"She's not sick is she?"
Miranda shook her head. "No, Lizzie said she'd probably sleep late. She was up until Lizzie went to sleep, and last night, Lizzie was trying to get papers together for work, so she was up late."
Gordo nodded and opened the refrigerator his eyes quickly scanning over the contents before his stomach did an odd twist. He reached in quickly and grabbed the half gallon of orange juice before he shut the door.
As he poured the drink the phone beside him rang. He grabbed it and cradled it between his shoulder and head. "Hello?"
Miranda and Matt watched as he nodded and making occasional sounds in agreements. "Great...yeah...okay...I'll be waiting."
He hung up the phone and picked up his cup.
"Okay, you can't do that," Miranda stated. "Who was it and what did they say?"
"It was the same company that I worked for on the commercial. They are looking for an assistant director."
"Really? That's great!"
"Yeah," Gordo smiled and nodded. "It's great." He pensively took a deep breath as he glanced towards the stairs. He stood up and walked up the stairs. The carpet softened his footsteps as he crept to Tori's door.
He pushed the door away and looked inside. He smiled as he realized Tori was not asleep, but she was sitting in the middle of a pile of books, one open across her lap as she thumbed through the pages. He leaned his head against the door as Tori's hand moved across the book then curiosity took over him and he stepped forward into her room. Tori looked up from her book.
"What are you doing?" He looked down and saw the familiar picture of Cinderella and Prince Charming.
"Looking."
"Really," he stated, sliding down onto the floor next to her and gently pulled the book onto his lap. He flipped to the beginning of the story and held his arm open to her. Tori crawled over beside him.
"What were you looking at?"
"Always happily ever after?" Tori stated softly.
"What?" Gordo asked, leaning closer. Not only surprised by her question, but the depth that it could lead to.
"Read," Tori answered. "Please."
Still puzzled by her question, but knowing that pressing the issue would get him no where, Gordo began to read. When he finished reading, he looked at Tori who stood up and pulled out a coloring book and crayons.
Gordo didn't like the silence, especially from a chatty child like Tori. He moved over to where she'd settled.
Tori selected a crayon and began to color the figures on the pages.
Gordo blew a mouthful of air past his lips and sighed. "Tori, what's wrong?"
Miranda walked in and leaned against the doorway. "There you are, and look who's up. What ya doing?"
Gordo tilted his head as his blue eyes locked on Tori then he sighed turning his attention back to Miranda. "She's ignoring us."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I read her a story, then she stopped talking to me."
"Tori, let's go downstairs and wait for mommy."
"No," her small voice stated.
"She'll be home soon and she'll want to see you."
Tori chose not to speak again, and instead put down her crayon and took the book from Gordo. She made her way over to her spot in the corner of her room.
Miranda watched Tori for several minutes until she shook her head and nodded in the direction of the doorway. Gordo pulled himself up and followed her.
"You don't know what she's upset about?" Miranda asked.
"No, before I read to her, she said something about always happily ever after, asked me to read, then wouldn't talk to me."
Miranda bit her lip as she glanced at the television. "Well, Lizzie will be here soon, maybe she can talk to her about it."
Lizzie picked up the picture frame and gazed lovingly at the angelic smile that stared back at her.
"How are you doing?" the silky smooth voice called.
Placing the picture back in its spot, Lizzie folded her hands on the edge of the keyboard and looked up. Danny smiled as he leaned closer to her.
"It's good to have you back."
"Thanks again for all the time off, Danny," she began.
"Lizzie, don't mention it again, really. I understand. Well, as best as I can understand considering I'm still a bachelor, but I know family is important."
Lizzie placed her hand to the side of her mouth the hid the grin forming. "Well, I have to say that this article I'm going to write will be incredible."
"All of your work is incredible, Lizzie," he assured her, leaning closer. "Let's go get lunch."
Lizzie looked at the screen and the many open windows, ranging from notes to drafts then to the clock on the wall. "Well, a short break won't hurt."
Gordo rolled onto his back and took a deep breath. If felt as if someone was slowly removing a heavy blanket from over his eyes.
In the kitchen he could water running as the smell of cooking sausage wafted to his nose.
He swung his legs over the couch and stood up. The muscles in his legs stretched as he stood up and reached up over his head. He made his way into the kitchen.
Miranda stood at the stove, Matt sat at a table. They both looked up as he came in.
"Hey, look who moves from the couch," Matt laughed.
"You feeling better?" Miranda asked.
Gordo nodded as he looked around the room. "Where's Tori?"
"Still sleeping."
"She's not sick is she?"
Miranda shook her head. "No, Lizzie said she'd probably sleep late. She was up until Lizzie went to sleep, and last night, Lizzie was trying to get papers together for work, so she was up late."
Gordo nodded and opened the refrigerator his eyes quickly scanning over the contents before his stomach did an odd twist. He reached in quickly and grabbed the half gallon of orange juice before he shut the door.
As he poured the drink the phone beside him rang. He grabbed it and cradled it between his shoulder and head. "Hello?"
Miranda and Matt watched as he nodded and making occasional sounds in agreements. "Great...yeah...okay...I'll be waiting."
He hung up the phone and picked up his cup.
"Okay, you can't do that," Miranda stated. "Who was it and what did they say?"
"It was the same company that I worked for on the commercial. They are looking for an assistant director."
"Really? That's great!"
"Yeah," Gordo smiled and nodded. "It's great." He pensively took a deep breath as he glanced towards the stairs. He stood up and walked up the stairs. The carpet softened his footsteps as he crept to Tori's door.
He pushed the door away and looked inside. He smiled as he realized Tori was not asleep, but she was sitting in the middle of a pile of books, one open across her lap as she thumbed through the pages. He leaned his head against the door as Tori's hand moved across the book then curiosity took over him and he stepped forward into her room. Tori looked up from her book.
"What are you doing?" He looked down and saw the familiar picture of Cinderella and Prince Charming.
"Looking."
"Really," he stated, sliding down onto the floor next to her and gently pulled the book onto his lap. He flipped to the beginning of the story and held his arm open to her. Tori crawled over beside him.
"What were you looking at?"
"Always happily ever after?" Tori stated softly.
"What?" Gordo asked, leaning closer. Not only surprised by her question, but the depth that it could lead to.
"Read," Tori answered. "Please."
Still puzzled by her question, but knowing that pressing the issue would get him no where, Gordo began to read. When he finished reading, he looked at Tori who stood up and pulled out a coloring book and crayons.
Gordo didn't like the silence, especially from a chatty child like Tori. He moved over to where she'd settled.
Tori selected a crayon and began to color the figures on the pages.
Gordo blew a mouthful of air past his lips and sighed. "Tori, what's wrong?"
Miranda walked in and leaned against the doorway. "There you are, and look who's up. What ya doing?"
Gordo tilted his head as his blue eyes locked on Tori then he sighed turning his attention back to Miranda. "She's ignoring us."
"Why?"
"I don't know. I read her a story, then she stopped talking to me."
"Tori, let's go downstairs and wait for mommy."
"No," her small voice stated.
"She'll be home soon and she'll want to see you."
Tori chose not to speak again, and instead put down her crayon and took the book from Gordo. She made her way over to her spot in the corner of her room.
Miranda watched Tori for several minutes until she shook her head and nodded in the direction of the doorway. Gordo pulled himself up and followed her.
"You don't know what she's upset about?" Miranda asked.
"No, before I read to her, she said something about always happily ever after, asked me to read, then wouldn't talk to me."
Miranda bit her lip as she glanced at the television. "Well, Lizzie will be here soon, maybe she can talk to her about it."