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Chapter 25

Natalie was walking up to the front door of their home carrying a bag of groceries when she was almost run over, run over by a boy who was running so fast that he didn't even see her. She stopped to let him pass and the boy gave her a brief smile tarnished with fear, fear she thought and then she heard all the commotion coming from the house, she knew what had happened, it was John and the boys, doing what they always did.

Natalie opened the door and of course she could hear Lauren's mature seventeen year old voice rising in tone with John, tone rising just enough to make it clear to John that his girl was upset with his actions, again. Natalie looked around the room and saw the twins, Michael and Thomas laughing, acting their age of thirteen, as Natalie scooted the boys out of the room and walked closer to the trouble, the trouble of Lauren and John butting heads, arguing, arguing because he couldn't and wouldn't let her grow up.

"He did it again, mom he scared him away, how am I ever going to get a boyfriend and keep one with him pulling these stunts, stunts to make them run" Lauren said to Natty as she approached her, Natalie looked at John and gave him her accusatory look and John just smirked at her. He thought it was funny, funny cause if he thought about it any other way it might sadden him, sadden him to the fact that she was growing up, his Lauren, his little girl, she was old enough to date, maybe even get married in a few years, then he wouldn't be the most important man in her life, he would just be her dad. John came out of his thoughts when he saw Natalie walk over by the roll top desk in the living room. She looked down at the desk and he knew what came next.

"John, not again, I thought we agreed you wouldn't clean your gun while Lauren had a boy over" Natalie said as she tried really hard to be mad at him but she couldn't. She felt things to, felt that her little girl was at a age where she didn't need her anymore, and like John Natalie wanted to keep Lauren with her, but she knew she had to let go sometime, she had to let her grow up to be the responsible young adult she knew she would be.

"It wasn't all my fault the kid left" John told Natalie as Natalie guided Lauren into the other room so she could have this out with John.

"He ran John, he was running as if for his life" Natalie stressed to him of how afraid he made this boy who was interested in their daughter.

"Well, your precious angel boys had a hand in it too" John argued back trying to change the focus off of himself and on to his boys, yeah, knowing that was an unfatherly thing to do, he did it anyway, his boys, he knew, Natalie's boys, the apples of her eye's, he knew she'd be less mad at them than him.

"So, what did my angels do that was so bad this time? " Natalie asked knowing the pranks they usually played on Lauren's boyfriends when they came over.

"You should have seen it Nat, they tag teamed the poor guy, he didn't know what hit him, Thomas put the whoopee cushion under the seat cushion of the couch and Michael.. oh,.. oh.. Michael showed him a booga, the most disgusting thing I had ever seen." John said all that pausing in between words to laugh. He knew she was softening; she wasn't really that mad, she just felt bad for Lauren.

"John, honey, I know why you do this stuff, but you are gonna have to try, try not to scare them away, she deserves to find someone, deserves to have love in her life, she deserves it like we deserved it, she's going to find someone like we did. Hopefully without all the drama" Natalie said as she moved closer to him and touched his cheek with her hand. John brought his hand up to rest on hers and he stared into her eyes.

"I love you so much, I can't believe how much more I love you with every passing year, as the years go by I love you more and more" John said and he leaned his lips down to kiss her. Natalie and John kissed for a few minutes and then broke apart.

" Natalie" John said as Natalie's eye's got brighter looking, she knew what was coming next, they would go up to the bedroom and enjoy their love for each other.

"What?" Natalie asked taking his hand and walking him towards the foyer to go upstairs.

"Did he pee himself?" John asked seriously

"What? No, I .. I dont' think so" Natalie answered taken back by his question.

"Damn! I'm gonna have to clean the riffle next time" John said as Natalie shook her head and they walked up to their bedroom.

The end