Chapter Nine

Memories

June 1, 2010

Baby Julia was now almost 2 months old. She is perfectly healthy. She has a little bit of cirty blonde hair and big blue eyes. Alex has become very protective over her.

This particular day, Alex's birthday, The Hogarts (Emma, Jay, Alex and Julia), The Camerons (Sean, Ellie, Andrew and Katy), and the new Masons (Spinner, Manny, Elizabeth and Christopher) were sitting in the Hogart backyard watching the kids run around. Well, watching the kids that could run around and the ones who couldn't play/sleep in play yard. They had just finished cake and opening presents. Soon, they would go to visit Alex's grave, out of respect.

Spinner got up, followed by Jay and Sean. They walked over to the kids (Elizabeth, Alex, and Andrew) and started to play with them.

"Look at our families, guys. It's like, perfect." Ellie said to her best friends.

Manny and Emma looked at her.

"OK. Fine. Not entirely perfect, but it's as close as it's going to get."

"Manny, look at Spin. He's amazing with Lizzie. And when Chris cries? Oh my god. You would think they were his kids." Emma said, in awe at how well Spinner adjusted to being a dad to kids who weren't kids.

Manny smiled staring at her husband, "I know. He's amazing. And he's not an alcoholic. Thank god for that."

Ellie laughed, "He's also not crazy. He just has a short attention span."

The three friends laughed.

-cut to the guys playing with the kids-

Jay had just put Alex down after spinning him around in circles. Once Alex was safely laying on the grass, dizzy, Jay fell next to him.

"Daddy..."

"Yeah Alex?"

"Why we goin' to the cemetey?"

"Well, big guy, I'm pretty sure you won't understand, but..." Jay got silent for a minute, trying to figure out the best way to put it, without creating a traumatic experience for his son, "Well, you know how your other sister, Lilly, is up in heaven?"

"Yeah."

"Well, a friend of me and mommy's is there. This friend is really special, though."

"How come?"

"Well, she gave me and mommy you."

"What do you mean?"

"Well she was your biological mommy."

"Hibological mommy?"

Jay chuckled at this, "Yeah, something like that. Anyways, she went to heaven and she gave you to us. She wanted you to have a family."

"And I do."

"That's right big guy."

"Daddy...does my hibological mommy watch Lilly?"

"I hope so. Do you want to know your biological's mommy's name?"

"Yeah."

"Alex."

"That's my name."

"I know. We wanted you to have a part of her with you always."

"So, she was like my first mommy."

Jay mentally slapped himself. Why couldn't he have thought of just saying he had a mommy before Emma..."Exactly. You're a smart one."

"Smatter than you?"

"Of course."

Elizabeth ran over to where they were laying, "Uncle Jay! Save me! Spinner's trying to tickle me!"

"Well, who said I wasn't going to tickle you?" Jay grabbed Eliabeth and tickled her. Spinner came over and started to tickle Alex. Sean and Andrew came over.

Sean kneeled down and whispered to Andrew, "Tell Lizzie and Alex to tickly Uncle Jay and Uncle Spinner, OK?"

Andrew laughed, "OK!"

Andrew whispered to his "cousins" and told them to tickle Jay and Spinner.

"Hey! Hey! Kids! Don't! Sean we're gonna hurt you!" Jay and Spinner were laying on the ground being tickled by 3 kids. Sean just stood there laughing.

In the middle of this, my boyfriend distracted me by offering me cotton candy.

The convo with Jay and Alex...yeah Alex is only 3, so some words he says won't be perfect. I know this because my daughter is 3 and half the things she says I have no clue what she's saying.

I know I stopped short, but my sister wants the computer.