I remember after that day, Mom and Dad kept a closer watch on my brother and I. I didn't really notice it since I had school and homework. Dad would come pick me up and we'd all spend time in the café Mom owned. Normally Dad would be able to catch Princeton before he could make it out the door but sometimes he was too swift for Dad. But of course, it would take my Dad less than a minute usually to bring him back.

In the summer, it was a little different. I got bored of doing the same thing over and over again in Mom's shop so my parents decided to let me spend some time with Uncle Tails and Aunt Cream. I played with my cousins and helped my Aunt Cream in her garden. When I got bored there, I spent some time with Uncle Knuckles and Aunt Rouge. I kind of went back and forth depending on what I wanted to do that day. This went on for years and as I got older my aunts and uncles taught me all kinds of stuff from learning how to fix my roller skates to how to find geodes.

I was never bored anymore. If we fast forward a few years to when I was 11, things get a little more interesting.

"That's great Annie. Just keep doing that for the rest of the cake and make four in the middle like a box. Just like the picture."

I was holding a tube of frosting and making flowers around the edges of a cake. Mom had a book set next to me of the picture of the cake. I smiled when I heard my mom happy and complimenting me. "Okay Mama." She left the back to make sure the customers were taken care of up front. I was left with a few of the chefs and bakers working as usual.

I hummed to myself as I worked being careful with every little flower on my own little special working bench. I heard the back door open.

I asked, "Who is it?" as I stopped decorating the cake and looked behind me.

"Aunt Cream, hello Annie." She was wearing a smock over a yellow dress. Her hair was long and she always pulled it back into a bun when she worked.

"Hi Aunt Cream, is it lunch time already?" Aunt Cream, Mom and I would always have lunch together in the café.

"Well yes, but I was hoping you could help me with a huge order of flowers."

"Sure Aunt Cream, but can we have some lunch first?"

She smiled. "Yes of course." She came and gave me a hug. "And thank you so much."

"No problem. Oh but let me finish this cake before we eat. Could you pull the pizza out of the oven when the timer goes off?"

"Oh, what kind of pizza is it today?"

"I wanted to try something a little different. It's pepperoni, chicken, pineapple and hot peppers."

"Sounds delicious."

"I got the idea from one of Aunt Rouge's clients who came in looking for a prom dress and I helped design a custom-made dress for her." I told her excitedly trying not to squeeze so much icing onto the cake.

She giggled. "Oh that's wonderful Annie."

"We just finished it yesterday and Aunt Rouge taught me more tricks with the sewing machine."

"That's wonderful, when does she come and pick it up?"

"Well she has to get it fitted first thing tomorrow."

The front door to the kitchen opened up. "Oh, good Cream you're here." Mom said. "Promptly, as usual."

"I hope you don't mind but I asked Annie to help me with a huge wedding order."

"I already said I would Mama."

"That's perfect. I have interviews to do anyway after lunch."

The most fun I had though was when I visited Uncle Tails in his workshop with my cousins Ben and Whitney to help build and test his inventions. Ben and I learned to fly a plane at the same time too that summer.

"Hey Uncle Tails. Hi Ben, Hi Whits." I said as I walked into his workshop. Dad dropped me off before taking Flash to help him control his speed.

"Hey Annie." Uncle Tails said as he picked Whitney up from the ground to place her in her seat. We call her Whits for short and she's as gifted as Ben and Uncle Tails. She was about 6 at the time. Her sort of auburn hair in a bun with a poof of fur on the top of her head that look a snail shell or something. Ben was on the wing of the plane checking something underneath a panel. He was 8 if I remember correctly. He finally got a haircut in who knows how long. For some odd reason, his hair curled a bit almost like his sister. Neither of them could fly like Aunt Cream and Uncle Tails.

"Hi Annie." Ben said as he looked up at me before putting the panel back.

"Hey Annie." Whits said as she waved.

"We're going to fly today?" I asked. "Is the surprise something we have to fly to like an amusement park or a pretty valley?" I asked walking towards the plane.

Uncle Tails specifically asked my parents if I could come for a surprise.

"No, the surprise is, you and Ben are going to learn to fly a plane."

Ben and I looked at each other and gasped.

"You're serious Uncle Tails?!" I asked. He said he would teach us to fly once we understood how it works and the theory behind flight but I didn't think it would be so soon.

"Really Dad, you're going to teach us right now?!"

"Yes." He took me in his arms and placed me in my seat. "I think you two are ready."

"This is so cool! Thanks Uncle tails." I still can't believe how giddy I was.

"What about me Daddy?" Whits whined.

Uncle Tails looked at her with a soft smile. "Not today Whitney. But I promise, when you turn 8, I'll teach you how to fly a plane too."

"You promise?" She looked at him with big eyes.

He kissed her forehead. "Yes Sweetheart."

After that, Uncle Tails talked and demonstrated for Ben and I, how to take off. We already knew from manuals and book work we did but it's not the same as actual practice.

I went first since I was the oldest. Uncle Tails was right next me ready to take the controls in case of an emergency. "Do you need me to show you first?"

"I don't think so Uncle Tails." He watched me as I prepared to take off. Before I did, I looked in front of us and noticed something. "Uh Uncle Tails, the door isn't open."

"What?" He looked forward. He looked dumbfounded for a second. "Good eye Annie." He smiled kind of funny and got out of the plane. "I'll take care of that."

When he opened up the garage door, we took to the skies. A little rough at first, it took a little while longer than I thought for me to lift the plane off the ground.

"Very nice Annie, can you take us up higher to go over those trees?"

"Sure thing." I smiled and lifted the plane up slowly. I remember humming most of the time and enjoying the view. It reminded me of going on a run with Dad when he would lift me up on his shoulders and I could feel like I could fly. Different view since we see the tops of the trees and houses. It made everything look so small and cute and pretty. It was nice. It was really calming.

"Very good, nice and steady."

"Thanks Uncle Tails, for everything. I thought you wouldn't let us fly one of your planes until we were in high school."

"I thought so too until I saw how determined you and Ben were. I figured, why let you wait?"

"Speaking of which, I think it's Ben turn now. You ready Cuz?"

"Uh-huh."

For the next few weeks when the weather was right, all I did was practice with Uncle Tails and Ben. I loved it. I did feel a little bad that I didn't help my mom and aunts as much but I made sure that I helped for big parties with the cakes and flowers and gowns.

I only stopped when I went on my annual stay with Caleb and his family.

"How's the packing coming along Annie?" Mama asked me while I was finishing up packing up my clothes. She was at the door while I was on my bed.

"I just need to pack my games, books and other stuff." I said pointing around my room.

"Uh… Honey," Mom started to say. I may… have a tendency of overpacking. I like to be prepared.

"I know Mama, I'll only pack my duffel bag." I said as I walked to my closet to pull out a few of my board games.

"Good girl."

"I still don't see why being prepared is a bad thing. Especially since Caleb is busy in the morning."

"Well, you had a hard time carrying it down the stairs."

"But Dad is the one who holds it when we go their house." I said as I moved around my room picking up whatever I was taking.

"There was also a lot of stuff you didn't even use."

"Yeah I know, I'm not taking my roller skates with me this time. Or my knitting needles. Ms. Maria has plenty of yarn and extra knitting needles I can use."

"Ooh, what are you going to make?"

"I want to make a hat for Caleb, a headband for me and a scarf for Dad since he lost the last one I made for him when he was out with Mr. Shadow."

They were gone for almost two weeks because of some sort of work thing with Mr. Shadow. I later found out there was a lot more to it than that.

"Anything else?"

"Well, I want to work on the bird house I was making but I don't think I'll be able to fit everything in my bag."

When I was ready, I came down the stairs and yelled, "Daddy!" The door open and Dad came running in. I felt him scoop me up. "Oh." I giggled. "I'm ready to go."

I got to Caleb's house just before lunch time. I wanted to make sure I got there after he was done training with his dad so we could hang out.