CHAPTER FOUR
(chapter title - Watching Sara and Scott)
The next day, Collins and Jeffery were watching Sara and Scott while Roger, Mark and Joanne went to Maureen's latest protest.
The kids were arguing over one of Sara's toys - a pink Barbie jeep and two Barbies - a blond haired one dressed in a blue evening gown and a black haired one that was dressed in a bright pink bikini.
"It's my turn!" Sara argued.
"No! mine!" Scott yelled.
"MINE!" Sara screamed.
"Okay, break it up you two." Collins commanded, nodding to Jeffery to tend to Scott while he went to Sara's side. She was holding the blond Barbie's head in her hands. Tears were streaming down her cheeks.
"What happened, Sar?" Collins asked gently, getting down to her level.
"Scott broke Krissy." Sara told him, holding up the blond Barbie's head.
"Aww. I'm sorry, sweetie." Collins kissed her forehead and opened his arms for a hug. Sara stood up and hugged Collins, sobbing quietly. Collins scooped Sara up and walked her to the movie collection - all Disney movies.
"What movie do you want to watch?" Collins asked. Sara looked over his shoulder.
"LION KING!" Scott screamed from across the room, running over to the movie collection, Jeffery panting as he struggled to catch up with the active nine-year-old.
"Scott, its just Sara and me time right now. You're hanging out with Jeffery, remember?" Collins informed the nine-year-old.
"Okay Uncle Collins." Scott walked back over to Jeffery as Sara held up a blue video box.
"Whatcha got there, Sar?" Collins inquired.
"Cinderella." Sara answered, smiling. Cinderella was her all-time favorite movie.
"Okay, Cinderella it is then." Collins plopped Sara down on the couch and put the movie in the VCR. He then sat down next to Sara and put her on his lap.
Towards the middle of the movie, Sara fell asleep, her head resting on Collins' shoulder. Carefully standing up, Collins carried Sara to her room and tucked her in, making sure her pink unicorn and security blanket were with her. He watched her sleep, stroking her hair and humming a bit of a song from Cinderella. Walking out the door, he shut the overhead light off and smiled one last time at Sara before closing the door.
"I JUST CAN'T WAIT TO BE KING!" Scott was singing at the top of his lungs.
"Scott, turn it down, please." Collins told him, sitting next to Jeffery.
"Why?" Scott liked to ask 'why' a lot.
"Because I just put Sara down for a nap and she needs it to be quiet." Collins told him, squeezing Jeffery's hand. Jeffery smiled and squeezed Collins' hand back.
"Why?" Scott asked.
"So that she can sleep." Collins answered.
"Oh. Okay." Scott hopped down off the couch and walked to Sara's bedroom door. Jeffery craned his neck around.
"Scott, what are you doing?" Jeffery asked.
"I'm gonna scare Sara." Scott informed him.
"Didn't you hear Collins say that he just put Sara down for a nap? She needs quiet right now." Jeffery told him.
"But I'm bored!" Scott said, folding his arms across his chest.
"Why don't the three of play a game?" Jeffery suggested.
"Like what?"
"How about Baby Animal Memory?" Collins suggested, holding up Sara's game of Baby Animal Memory.
"Okay!" the three of them mixed the pieces up and spread them along the floor of the living room. Collins and Jeffery exchanged smiles once in a while as their way of saying 'I love you.'
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A couple hours later, Mark and Roger came into the house to see Collins, Jeffery and Scott sitting in front of the TV watching a documentary on alligators.
"Hey guys." Mark and Roger greeted them in unison.
"How was the protest?" Collins asked. Roger shrugged his shoulders.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Collins teased.
"It means that it went okay." Roger answered, looking around as if he had dropped something.
"Whatcha looking for?" Jeffery asked.
"Just looking for Sara." Roger told him.
"Sleeping Beauty has been asleep for three hours straight." Collins informed him. Roger smiled and went to Sara's room while Mark went to get Roger and Sara's AZT ready for them to take.
"Sar, baby, time to wake up." Roger whispered in Sara's ear. She just moaned and turned over on her side. Roger sat down next to her and rubbed her back.
"Baby, you and I need to take our AZT." Roger told her. Sara opened her big brown eyes and blinked up at him.
"There's my girl." Roger smiled and gathered her in his arms. He then carried her to the kitchen. He smiled at Mark, who was paying Jeffery and Collins for watching the kids. Maureen and Joanne were just walking out the door with Scott.
"Thanks so much for watching them." Mark thanked Jeffery and Collins.
"It was no problem. The kids were really good." Jeffery said, taking Collins' hand in his and walked out the door. Mark smiled and walked over to Roger and Sara.
"It's time for my two favorite people to take their AZT." Mark told them as he handed Roger and Sara their AZT. The two of them swallowed it and sat down on the couch, Mark in between them. Roger put an arm across the back of the couch and smiled. Mark smiled back as Sara looked up at him with her big brown doe-eyes.
"Hey babe, Sara's never seen Today 4 U: Proof Positive. She should watch it so that she can see her Aunt Angel and her mom." Mark told Roger.
"That's a good idea, baby." Roger smiled at his partner. Mark stood up and went to get the projector out of the extra room and wheeled it out to the living room. He then set it up and sat next to Roger and Sara.
As they watched the reel, Sara asked Mark questions about Angel and Mimi. Sometimes, she asked about Benny. Mark and Roger did all they could to answer the curious six-year-old's questions.
By the time the reel ended, Roger had tears streaming down his cheeks. Sara was seated on Mark's lap, but looked up at Roger when he let out a loud sob.
"Dad? What's wrong?" Sara asked.
"I just miss your mom and Aunt Angel." Roger told her, tears streaming down his cheeks.
"Baby, I'll give Sara her bath tonight." Mark whispered in Roger's ear. Roger nodded, kissed both of his loved ones and watched Today 4 U again.
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Sara was settled down for the night. Mark was working on a new film while Roger wrote a song. The house was quiet. Just the way Roger and Mark liked it.
