Sorry that it been a while since I last updated... I have just had a terrible couple of weeks. :(
Thank you so much for the reviews.... and JAS don't worry you might know some of what's ahead.....but pretty soon we will get to the new stuff!! I can't wait until you see it!!!! Hope you enjoy!!
They were all seated in the explorer, Dawson hadn't really said much. He looked around the car. His mother always kept the car immaculate. Besides Lily was a small tote filled with toys and books. Joey had offered to let him drive, but he insisted that she drive. He could still feel the effects of jet lag mixed with the fact that there was a four-hour time difference from where he was accustomed to being.
They were backing out of the drive, when he leaned over to turn the radio on, at the exact same time Joey was doing the same. They brushed hands.
"Sorry I wasn't looking." Joey responded as she pulled her hand back.
"No, no problem at all." He said as he leaned back. "Anything in particular you want to listen too?" He asked.
"No this channel is fine, Jen is usually on at this time. Sounds weird but I half expect to hear her voice." He said as she pulled out of the drive.
"I've heard Jen talk on the radio before, she is so silly." Lily spoke up from the back seat.
She then opened up her book and started to read aloud. Joey turned the radio off. Dawson was amazed that his little sister was able to read so well. He looked over to Joey who glanced his way at the stoplight and smiled, silently laughing to herself.
"I take it you haven't been told of her most recent talent." Joey said as Lily finished the small book. She glanced in the rear view mirror at a proudly smiling Lily.
"Lily that is so good, you are such a big girl." Dawson said in complete awe.
"Yup I can read all by myself." Lily said as she smiled so brightly. "Oh look there it is Dawson, there's the zoo!!"
As the pulled into the parking lot Lily became more excited. She was bouncing around in her carseat. Dawson was amused by her excitement. Joey quickly found a parking spot close to the entrance. They all unbuckled, Joey helping Lily out of her carseat. Joey made sure to grab her backpack and rummaged through it for a moment. She quickly pulled out three passes.
"Just enough." She said to a wide-eyed Lily. "It doesn't hurt working for the paper when you get benefits like these." She said to Dawson. "Free passes to most of the attractions in the Boston area." They made their way to the gates where Joey handed the attendant the passes and they made there way in the entrance.
Once inside they stopped at a bench. Joey had grabbed a zoo guide and had opened it.
"Okay where first?" She asked Lily.
"I think the monkeys are closest." Lily answered. She grabbed Joey's hand then Dawson's hand with her free hand. She quickly started pulling them along.
After an hour of constant moving Dawson, Joey and Lily took a break to stop and have some lunch. It took Lily several minutes to decide where she wanted to eat. She finally decided to settle on the Jungle Café conviently located between the lion house and a play area. As they walked closer to the area Dawson turned to the two girls.
"Okay lunch is on me, why don't you two grab a table while I stand in line." Dawson said as Lily then pulled Joey over to the table closest to the play area.
"Whoa there silly girl." Joey said laughing as Lily jumped into her seat. Dawson followed behind them.
"Okay, I'm assuming you two know the menu, so what do you want." Dawson asked as they sat down. Lily didn't hear him, she was concentrating on the children running all over the play equipment behind her.
"Just ignore her, she'll be fine after we let her run off some of that energy after lunch." Joey laughed as she pulled her backpack on the table. "I have a juice box and some raisins packed for her so just grab her a hot dog, we'll be lucky if she eats anyway." Joey reached over and tickled Lily's sides. "Just grab me something to drink and some fries."
"That's it then." He asked to be sure that everyone was happy.
Joey nodded and Dawson set off for the line. After several minutes he returned. As Joey had predicted Lily quickly ate barely half of her lunch and was ready to set off on the playground equipment. She became fidgety when she proclaimed she was done.
"Okay let us clean up this mess then you can go play. Okay." Joey said.
Lily quickly became incredibly helpful, helping throw away any trash. Dawson and Joey grabbed their drinks. Joey making sure she grabbed her backpack. Lily held Dawson's hand as was skipping over to the play area.
"Okay, here you are kido." Dawson said as he let go of her hand. She was about to bolt when Joey spoke up.
"Okay, Lily what are the rules?" She asked Lily. Lily turned around and counted on her small hands.
"One, no talking to strangers. Two, don't eat anything I find. Three, I can only go where you can see me." Lily then smiled widely at Joey.
"Okay young lady, you may go and play." Joey winked at Lily and Lily was off.
"Come over here" Joey said to Dawson as she headed towards two benches played in the middle of the play area. "It's easier to keep an eye on her from here."
They sat down and watched as Lily played. She would occasionally run back and laugh at her latest actions.
"She has way to much energy." Dawson proclaimed.
"Oh this is nothing, I kept her up late last night. Just imagine if She had gotten a few more hours of sleep." Joey teased. Dawson then remained quiet. Joey looked over at him he was silently watching Lily.
"What?" She asked.
"Oh, I didn't say anything." He said as he looked at Joey.
"No, but I can see the wheels turning. You know you might think you are so different, but oddly enough, I can see that something is on your mind." Joey answered.
Dawson sat up and rubbed his hands. He looked at Joey then back at Lily.
He took a deep breath.
"What's she like?" he finally said.
"Who Lily?' Joey asked somewhat surprised at this question.
"Yeah, Lily. I feel like I barely know her, and then there's you who she is completely connected to. Your all she talks about." He said looking at Joey, directly into the eyes. He could see she was a little shocked. "I didn't mean that in a bad way, I'm really glad she has you. I just feel like I don't know her." He paused to glance up and check on Lily. Joey watched also. She wasn't sure what Dawson wanted her to say. So she sat quietly.
"Just tell me about her." Dawson decided to break the silence.
"You know your sister Dawson, but I'll humor you here and answer anything you ask." Joey answered.
"I don't even know what her favorite color is Joey." Dawson stated, as he looked back at his little sister.
"Well lately it's been pink, but that's likely to change again soon, she has changed favorite colors three times in the last year." Joey shrugged her shoulders. She actually felt incredibly sympathetic to Dawson's situation. He followed his dreams, but his new career kept him so far away and so busy. She decided to fill him in a little bit more about Lily.
"Her favorite food is spaghetti, but she is incredibly fond of those little happy meals, something I completely don't understand." Joey continued. " Favorite activity, well that's hard. Probably what she's doing now, she loves to go to the park and just play for hours. Umm, what else is there?"
Dawson chuckled for a moment to himself.
"What's her favorite movie?" he asked, it was an obvious interest of him since movies had inspired him through out his life. Joey's expression changed a little. She had tensed up her forehead and scrunched up her nose.
"Well, I don't know how to tell you this, but she's no Spielberg fan. Actually I showed her ET once, she said he was just to ugly to watch." Joey laughed and Dawson looked confused. His face slowly grinned as Joey filled him in on Lily's movie preference. "Well I would have to say Little Mermaid closely followed by Cinderella."
"Well I guess I'll have to work on that this summer." He said chuckling from the revelation that his sister was the typical American little girl.