CHAPTER 13

4 months later.

It's early November. Chris and Destiny have fully recovered. They have been through a series of babysitters in the last month seeing that Chris is going back to work "behind the desk."

"Hey mom," Christy said as she came speeding through the door with Tiffani and her mother close behind. "Hey whoever you are," she said to the lady sitting on the couch.

She guessed it was another babysitter.

"Mom can I - - -,"

"Wait before you do that. This is Shannon John. She's going to be you and Destiny's new 'sitter."

"Okay. Hi Shannon"

"Hi Christy,' the blond haired lady replied, "It's so nice to meet you. Chris has told me so much about you."

"Okay cool. Hey mom can I go over to Tiffani's house? Please mommy," she begged.

"I thought you would have liked to get to know Shannon."

"Can I do that tomorrow? Come on mommy. Please."

"Marva is this okay with you?" Chris asked Marva who was standing at the door.

"Could I ever say no?"

"Well....," Chris debated

"Please," Christy said pouting and doing her special poppy dog eyes.

"Oh not those eyes. Fine. You can go."

"Thank you mom. Love ya!" she said hugging and kissing her quickly.

"Love you too. Have a good time and be back for dinner though."

"I will. Bye," she said as she left.

"She sure is a piece of work," Shannon commented.

"Oh you haven't seen anything yet."

"How long has she been with you?"

"How do you know she hasn't been with us from birth? I don't remember saying anything like that to you."

"No you didn't. I read it in the newspapers.When she needed the heart transplant and then just a while aback with the accident."

"You sure remember well."

"Uh yea. Well her story really touched my heart as well as my husband Shawn's. We just had to give any amount we could as long as it meant giving her a chance to live."

"Thank you then," Chris said "Well January will be a year since we had her. But it seems so much longer. I mean we've been through so much this year. But that's my daughter and I wouldn't change a thing if given another chance."

"What about her parents?" Shannon inquired.

"Wow you sure are interested," Chris remarked skeptically.

"Oh I'm sorry. I'm just so moved by her story," Shannon said quickly

"Her father and stepmother died. We tried contacting a relative but attempts weren't futile."

"What about her mother."

"Christy says she never knew her. We don't know if she's alive or dead. But if she's still alive she's sure missing out on a lot. I mean how could you have a daughter and just don't care?"

"Maybe she does care about her."

"Maybe. But that doesn't matter. She's my girl now and I'm keeping it that way."

Just then Destiny cried out.

"That's Destiny. Come on up and meet her."

"Mom can I have my ears pierced," Christy asked some weeks later as she was getting ready to go to the movies with Shannon.

"Sure you can. When you turn ten."

"Ten? But I'm only six."

"Six and three quarters. See you're older than you think."

"Please mom. Shannon had hers pierced when she was six."

"If Shannon drank from the toilet at you're age would you do it too?" Chris asked.

These past few weeks were always about what Shannon said or what Shannon did and frankly, Chris was getting tired of it.

"No," Chris answered flatly.

"Good then. You'll get pierced ears at ten."

"Fine."

Just then they heard a car horn.

"That's Shannon! Bye mom."

"Bye," Chris sighed as she leaned back on the couch. "Well Des I guess it's just you and me 'til Daddy gets home," she said taking the baby out of her bassinette, "At least you haven't deserted me."

"Had a good time?" Chris asked Christy as she was getting her ready for bed that night.

"Yea it was okay."

"Glad you enjoyed it," Chris said placing a lock of Christy's hair behind her ear.

She gasped at what she saw. There in Christy's ear was an earring.

"Tell me that's a clip on," Chris told her.

"Shannon took me to do it. I told her you said I couldn't but she said that she'd talk to you about it," Christy tried to defend herself.

"T.C.! Can you come up here now please."

"What's all the yelling about? I just got Destiny to go to sleep."

"Look at Christy's ears." He did as he was told.

"Nice earrings," he commented.

"T.C!" Chris shouted, "I told her she couldn't get them pierced."

"Why didn't you listen to Chris then?"

"I did but Shannon didn't."

"Shannon Shannon Shannon. Shannon isn't your mother Christy. I am. I'm done T.C. You handle her," Chris finished walking out the room.

"I called you over here because I wanted to talk to you about Christy's pierced ears." Chris said to Shannon the next day.

"Oh yea those. I told her you wouldn't mind and I'll talk to you about it," she said coolly.

"I wouldn't mind? I told Christy she couldn't pierce her ears and you went against my judgement."

"Look Chris...." She began

"No you look. Christy's my daughter and when I say she can't do something I don't want you going behind by back and telling her that I wouldn't mind. You're not her mother Shannon."

"You aren't either Chris."

"Excuse me?" Chris asked appalled

"Look I didn't mean that okay. I'm sorry I won't go against you're judgement again." Shannon apologized quickly.

The next night Shannon again crossed the line. Chris had told her to be back by seven.... It was after nine when the walked through the door.

"Christy go up and get ready for bed it's way pass your bedtime," Christy ordered before they could say anything.

"How dare you go against Chris' orders, not once but two times. Don't you have any respect at all for her?" T.C. asked her ; his temper rising.

"Sorry. I lost track of time."

"She's our six year old daughter. You can't afford to just loose track of time," Chris said.

"I said I was sorry. It won't happen again."

"It's funny isn't it? You told me that same thing yesterday," Chris informed her.

"This is the last time I swear."

"I'm sorry Shannon but we're not waiting around to see that. We're going to have to let you go," T.C. told her.

"You can't do that!" Christy yelled making her way down the stairs.

"Christy go back to you room," Chris told her.

"Why does Shannon have to leave?"

"Christy just go back to your room," T.C. told her again.

"You guys are so not fair!" she yelled before running back up the stairs.

"Please leave. You've caused enough damage as it is," T.C. asked her nicely.

"You all are making a big mistake. You're going to be sorry," Shannon countered before leaving.

"If I didn't know better I'd say we were just threatened," Chris remarked to T.C.