For disclaimer, please see chapter one. Thanks!

A/N: Thanks so much for the reviews! You guys have been sending tons! I hope that you all enjoy this next chapter, and of course…don't forget to review!

For The Moment

Chapter 8: On The Go

Lucy smiled as she hung up the phone. Sarah had called to tell her all about her trip, and Lucy loved every second of it. She would have loved to go and see her little sister during this special time, but with young children in the house, and a husband often at work, she wasn't in the position to be able to leave. Her moment was ruined when she heard an ear piercing shriek coming from none other than her daughter, Haylie. Seconds later, the 15-year old raced down the stairs furiously.

"Mother!" She screamed loudly, making Lucy wince. She frowned slightly at the loss of her happy thought, then shook her head.

"What Hailey?" She asked. Hailey sighed dramatically.

"Anna took my red heart shirt last night when she went to the movies without asking and then she spilled nacho cheese all over it! It's ruined! She didn't even ask, mom, and now my favorite shirt is ruined! I hate her!" She turned to the stairs. "That's right, Anna, I hate you!" She screamed up the stairs. Anna ran down with the same angry look.

"Well I hate you too, freak wad!" She yelled. "You always take my clothes that you fit in with out asking and I never freak out at you!" Hailey scoffed. "Ok well I do every once in awhile, but that's beside the point. It was an accident, OK! You make mistakes too, little miss oh-so-perfect! You…" Lucy cut her daughter off by throwing her arms out to her sides.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Cut it out! Now, Hailey, don't say that you hate your sister because you don't and you know that. Anna, you know that it's not ok to take your sister's clothes without asking. You need to pay for a new shirt for her. Got it?"

"Yeah" Anna said sadly.

"Good. Now apologize to each other and go away." She said with a laugh. The girls did so quietly then started up the stairs silently. Lucy laughed quietly and shook her head. As she began down again, she was interrupted from a small voice in the next room.

"Oops!" Cried Maddy. "…Mommy?" She called. Lucy sighed and hurried into the kitchen where her four-year-old sat staring at the milk covered floor. "I spilled my cereal." She said quietly. "Sorry." Lucy shook her head and grabbed a towel.

"Ok, let's get this cleaned up." She said. "Come help me." Her youngest child jumped down from the chair and hurried over to help her mother clean up the mess. The floor was soon dry once again, and Lucy looked at her daughter with a raised eyebrow.

"Why were you eating cereal, anyway?" She asked skeptically. Maddy blushed and looked down at the floor, not answering. Lucy sighed. "Madison, you know that you're not aloud to have snacks without asking me. Plus, you know it's almost dinner time, sweetie. You need to put this away." She said. Maddy nodded and started cleaning up. Lucy walked back into the family room and sat down on the sofa. Soon, 5-year-old Elizabeth walked into the room. "Hey Libby girl" Lucy greeted her nicely. "What's up?"

"Can I invite Grace over? I'm bored." She said. Lucy looked around.

"I thought you were playing with your brothers outside." She said, wondering what in earth the twins were up to now. Elizabeth sighed.

"I was, but now they're playing basket ball, and I don't want to play that." She reasoned. Lucy moaned and looked at her daughter.

"Sweetie, I'm sorry, but not today. I'm really tired, it's been a long day. I don't know if I could handle a seventh child in this house right now." Elizabeth nodded sadly and started out of the room. Lucy grabbed the tv remote and switched on the six o'clock news. She watched in until Kevin came home. He walked over and sat down next to her on the couch after greeting his kids. He kissed her on the cheek and she smiled at him.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked, scanning her jeans and tee shirt unsurely. Lucy frowned at him, confused.

"Ready to go…where?" She asked. Kevin's eyebrows raised and he put his hands on his head.

"Lucy! It's Natalie's birthday! David is throwing her a party, remember? I reminded you twice today, honey, come on. Go change, we're going to be late!" Lucy moaned and stood slowly.

"I'm so sorry, Kev, I totally forgot!" She said, starting up the stairs to her room. Kevin cupped his hands around his mouth and faced the stairs.

"Haylie, Anna, can you come here for a second?" He called. Soon his oldest daughters came down the stairs and walked over to him, waiting for what he had to say. "Your mom and I are going to Aunt Natalie's party tonight. Will you two be ok holding to fort down?" He asked.

"We'll be fine dad, like usual." Haylie told him. He nodded and the girls started back up the stairs. He always asked them that before he and his wife left, and always received the same answer. He knew that they would be fine, they always were, but he still always liked to ask, just to be on the safe side. Lucy came down the stairs ten minutes later in a pair of dress slacks and a form fitting dark red turtle neck.

"Now I'm ready to go." She told him, laughing softly. Kevin smiled at her. Lucy turned towards the stairs. "Guys, dad and I are leaving! We'll be back at 9:30 or 10:00!" She called. It was only seconds before Maddy came running down the stairs screaming. She ran to her mother and threw her arms around her legs.

"Mommy!" She sobbed, "Don't go please don't go! I don't want you to leave I want you to stay right here!" Lucy sighed impatiently. Lately, Maddy had been doing this every time she went out, and it was getting old fast. "Stay with me and Libby and Collin and Ty and Anna and Haylie! We'll all play a game with you! You won't be bored, really! Just stay, mommy, stay!" She whined between her tears. Lucy peeled her four-year-old off her legs and took her by the hand, leading her into the kitchen. She knelt down and looked her in the eye.

"Honey, I have to go. I…" She was cut off when her daughter shrieked loudly and threw herself onto her mother, having an all out temper tantrum. "Madison Faith Kinkirk, get a hold of yourself, young lady." Lucy scolded. "I don't have time for this. You know that we always come back, you're always fine here. You sisters take good care of you. Now, I'm leaving now. I'll be back later tonight with daddy." She said, standing. Maddy threw herself to the ground and began to kick and scream. Lucy ignored her and walked to the bottom of the stairs. "Haylie, come here please." She called. Haylie came down with a long sigh.

"Is she doing it again?" She asked sounding exasperated. Lucy nodded and they started into the kitchen together. Haylie knelt down next to her youngest sister. "Madison, cut it out." She said. "You're not acting like the big girl that I know you are. You're acting like a baby." She said.

"I am not!" The little girl yelled.

"You are too, and you know it. Now come on, get up. Let's go play dollhouse upstairs. Anna will play too." When Maddy didn't budge, Hailey leaned down and took her hand. "Madison!" She said sternly. "I'll help you up, come on." She said. With a frown, Maddy let her sister help her up and she stomped up the stairs, calling for her sister to hurry up. Lucy kissed her oldest daughter on the cheek.

"Thanks sweetie. Good luck. I have my cell and so does dad if you need anything." Haylie nodded and hurried after her sister. With that, Lucy turned to her husband once more. He took her hand and they started out the door.

Upstairs, Haylie stuck her head into she and Anna's room, knocking on the wall to get her 12-year-old sister's attention.

"Maddy had another melt down. She wants to play doll house, and you're playing too." Anna sighed and stood up, then the girls continued down the hall into Elizabeth and Maddy's room where the latter sat angrily on her bed.

"Finally!" She moaned. "You took forever I thought you weren't coming, jeese." She hopped of her bed and walked over to the doll house set up in the corner. "Libby wants to play too." She announced. Elizabeth walked over to the doll bin and chose who she wanted to be. Anna and Haylie chose as well and sat down to play with their youngest sister. Within minutes after they started, Maddy's attitude changed, and like usual she soon acted as if nothing had ever happened-a typical four-year-old.

A/N: Hey guys, I hope you liked this. Please review! Chapter nine will be up sometime soon.