Thanks for the reviews. keep em coming, and i'll keep writing. I might post up another chapter tonight or tomorrow if i'm not too busy and depending on the feedback. Thanks guys!
"So Baby, how do I look?" Vanessa gave a little spin for her daughter, who was sitting on her bed, as she came out of her walk-in closet.
"Beautiful Momma!" Raelynn clapped in approval, smiling at her mother. Vanessa was dressed in washed out grey skinny jeans, a dark red silky top, a bangle on her arm, black heels, and a long necklace. She decided to leave her hair down with its natural waves.
"Well, you look gorgeous as well, hun." Vanessa walked over to her daughter. "Thank you for choosing my outfit." Vanessa picked up her daughter with ease and placed a kiss on her cheek.
"You welcome Momma. Now you look just like me!" Raelynn smiled and kissed her mother's cheek in return. It was true. She hadn't liked Vanessa's first outfit choice, so she picked out one for her. One she knew would look lovely on her mother. And it just so happened to be her favorite outfit because Ashley had bought them similar outfits so that they could match, only Raelynn had black flats.
"That I do." Vanessa nodded at her daughter as she carried her out of the room. They heard the front door open, along with some shuffling.
"Where's my little Miss Rae?" They heard a scruffy older man's voice down the hall as they made their way down the hall and down the stairs.
"Gramps!" Raelynn's eyes sparkled and squirmed in her mothers arms. "Hurry Momma! Hurry!" She urged her mother as they went down the stairs. She knew better than to ask her mom to set her down mid-way of going down the stairs.
"Don't worry sweetie, they're not going anywhere. They're here for you. It's your birthday, remember?" Vanessa reminded her as she finally set her down once they reached the bottom of the stairs. She watched her daughter zoom off to hug her grandfather.
"Hey mom." Vanessa greeted her mother by giving her a hug. "How was the flight?"
"Good, good. You dad wouldn't shut up about seeing his favorite granddaughter." Gina joked.
"You're such a dork dad. She's your only granddaughter." Vanessa hugged her father once he let go of Rae who was now hugging her grandmother.
"And she better be my only grandchild for now." Greg cast a look over to the door where a seventeen year old Stella was just now walking in.(a/n: I'm not sure how old Stella would be at this point, so let's just make her 17 haha.)
"Hey!" Stella pouted, dropping her bags by the door. "I'll let you know once I find out who the father is." She said.
"What?!" Greg's eyes bulged, but Gina just ignored it, knowing her daughters were only playing a trick on him.
"Oh, did you test all five of them yet?" Vanessa played along.
"Yep, and three more." Stella grinned, before the two sisters ran to each other in a bone crushing hug. "I missed you sissy."
"Me too Stells." Vanessa said over Stella's shoulder.
"EIGHT?!" Greg fumed.
"So where's my rad Rae?" Stella asked before almost being knocked over by the little girl to ran to hug her legs.
"Here I am Auntie Stells!" Rae smiled to her.
"Well lookie, there you are indeed!" Stella grinned before crouching down to hug her properly. "And what day is today?"
"MY BIRTHDAY!" Rae told her, jumping up and down as she still hugged her favorite aunt.
"Yep, and I got you the coolest present ever... with the help of Gramps and your Grams of course." Stella began.
"Really? Can I open it? Pretty please?"
"Stella! Eight!?" Greg interupted. "A baby? Tests!?" Vanessa was now standing next to her mother, giggling at the sight.
"Dad, calm down. Favorite little girl in the room..." Stella tried.
"Don't you dare young lady! Eight?"
"Dad, I was only kidding. Right Ness?" Stella gave her sister a pleading look to tell her dad that they were really just messing with him before he blew up the place.
"Yeah, dad. It was only a joke. Promise! Stells knows way better than to get pregnant at 17." Vanessa told him.
"Greg, the girls are just playing with you! You know how they used to do it all the time when Vanessa was still with us." Gina walked over to her husband placing a hand on his arm."
"Hey Rae, I think Gramps needs some special loving. Go calm him down with your special powers I taught you last time I saw you." Stella whispered to her. Vanessa eyed her younger sister as she whispered into her daughters ear. Raelyn nodded frantically, before walking over to her grandfather and tugging on his hand. He immediately picked up his only granddaughter and looked at her.
"Gramps, please don't be mad at Auntie Stells. She loves you berry berry much. Don't be a Grumpy Gramps." She gave a small pout that she definitely inherited from her mother. "I love Auntie Stells. And you and Grams too!"
Vanessa walked over and nudged her sister. "Using my daughter to get out of a mess with dad." She shook her head.
"Hey, it works right?" Stella shrugged, giving her older sister a grin.
"Oh, you're such a cutie. I'm sorry, Gramps isn't going to be grumpy on your birthday. No worries." Greg told her, as he hugged her.
"Uh, where are the others?" Vanessa asked, realizing that Monique, Corbin, Karl, and Kevin weren't there yet.
"They're on their way up with the rest of the bags. The guys said that they were manly enough to bring up everyone's bags." Stella explained. Corbin, Kevin, and Karl had tried to be the manly men they tried to prove themselves to be. Monique decided to stay with them, knowing they'd have trouble carrying all the bags since she and Stella were very much into fashion and Gina and Greg had all intentions of spoiling their 3 year old granddaughter. Suddenly the three guys came stumbling through the door with Monique smirking at the three guys on the floor.
"Hey guys." Vanessa smiled.
"Hey girl." Monique gave a wave, since she couldn't exactly run to her friend since the guys were still blocking the way. The guys groaned their hellos from the ground.
"I told you guys they'd be heavy." Monique rolled her eyes. "I mean, hello! You've got a teenage girl's bag, plus a grown woman's bag? That's two suitcases of shoes!" Everyone laughed at her comment as the guys lifted their heads to groan before letting them drop back down to the floor.
"Auntie Momo!" Raelynn began to run to another favorite aunt. "Hi Boogie. Hi Dumb."
"Hey Rae!" Monique grinned.
"Hi Uncle Corbs!" Raelynn greeted the faced down Corbin by petting his hair, before climbing over the guys' backs to get to one of her many Aunts. Everyone, including Corbin who was grinning, stifled a laugh at how she had petted his hair instead of giving him a proper hug or something.
"Is that how you greet your favorite Uncle Corbin?" Corbin hauled the little girl down as he flipped over quickly, causing Raelynn to lose her balance and fall into his arms and lay on his torso.
"Corbin Bleu, don't you dare do that to my daughter again!" Vanessa scolded him, her hand over her heart after her small panic of her daughter's safety.
"Chill Ness, look Rae thought it was fun." He looked down at the giggling girl lying on top of him.
"I'm sorry, Uncle Corbs." She giggled and hugged him quickly, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck as they still laid on the floor.
"It's okay sweet pea, I forgive you. Now go hug you're Auntie Mo, before she bites my head off like your mommy for doing that cool trick with you." He kissed her head and gave her a wink." The little girl nodded before giggling and jumping off Corbin and running to Monique who was still waiting in the hallway.
"Hi Auntie Momo, I missed you." Raelynn told Monique once she was able to give her a hug.
"Awww. I missed you too Miss Rae." Monique cooed.
"You've done that more than once with my daughter?!" Vanessa yelled.
"Hey Rae, I think mommy needs some special lovin' now." Stella snickered, as Raelynn nodded before walking over to her mother.
"Oh no you don't Stella." Vanessa warned her sister.
"Watch this." Stella giggled, as Monique finally stepped inside and stood next to Stella.
"Momma." Raelyn tugged on her mother's hand. "Please don't be mad at Uncle Corbs. It's not his fault he's not as smart as you. Thats why he takes forevvvvvver with his hair, so he can look pretty just like you!" Raelynn covered her mouth to hide her little giggles, while quickly hiding behind her mother's legs in case of Corbin's reaction. Everyone burst out into laughter except for Corbin. Stella had tears in her eyes before walking behind Vanessa and scooping up her niece into her arms and giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"See, this is why you one day will make a very funny actress. You're so silly." Stella poked her stomach, only causing more giggles from the birthday girl.
"That's why I'm your number one!"
"Yep, and I'm your number two." Stella nodded and carried her niece away with her into the living room.
"Who's her number one then?" Karl asked.
"Vanessa." Everyone but Vanessa chorused except for Rae who yelled "Momma!" from the living room in a 'duh' tone, and Vanessa could only smile at how loving her daughter was. Definitely her father's charm. She thought to herself.
The 3 year old's party was in full swing. Everyone had arrived, and everything was running smoothly. Vanessa's friends and family had all come. Raelynn was sitting at the table, waiting for Daniel to bring out her birthday cake.
"Momma? Do I get to open my presents after this?" The little girl turned in the chair.
"Yep. We can if you like." Vanessa smoothed out her daughter's hair.
"Happy birthday to you--" Everyone began as they saw Daniel slowly making his way over to the little girl. "Happy birthday dear Raelynn, happy birthday to you!"
"Don't forget to make a wish." Ashley reminded, and Raelynn nodded her head, thinking quietly for a few seconds. She nodded again as if reassuring herself, then looked at the flame on the candle as if she was aiming. Then she blew it out and everyone clapped as Vanessa began cutting the cake.
Once the caked was served, and Raelynn had finished the small piece she had since she didn't too much ice cream cake, she ran to her presents. Everyone gathered around, some still eating their cake, and watched as the little girl sat down in front of the massive pile of presents.
"Which one is from you Momma?" Raelynn asked. She always chose to open her mother's gift first.
"The one in the little box. With the gold ribbon." Vanessa said, sitting down on the couch. Raelynn searched for the box that matched her mother's description. Once she found it, she walked over to her mother and sat between her legs.
"What is it?" She asked looking at the box in front of her. It wasn't huge, but it wasn't small.
"That's why you gotta open it Rae." Daniel told her and she nodded her head before tearing the wrapping off the box. Once she opened it she let out a little gasp.
"Momma! You're old shoes!" Raelynn held them as she turned to her mother.
"Yep. Your Gramps and Grams gave them to me when I was your age, and now I'm giving them to you." Vanessa smiled and caressed her daughter's cheek, knowing how much giving her first pair of tap shoes to her daughter meant to both of them.
"I get to dance like you in the old videos?" Raelynn grinned.
"Yep. We'll get you into some classes as soon as your little feet grow a little more to fit them properly, okay?" Vanessa asked as her daughter nodded before placing them down in a safe place and going over to the next present. She opened a few toys that were educational, a couple of books and movies some thought she would like, and of course clothes. She opened all the envelops that were mailed and given to her last, one by one as she chose Olesya to hand them to her while reading who it was from, and Ashley would read what the card said after Rae examined the pictures on the card.
"And this one is from your Uncle Kevin and Auntie Julia." Olesya handed it to her with only one envelope left in the bag that people had put them in. Rae tore open the envelope and revealed, and interesting card.
"Hot Wheels?" Julia turned to her boyfriend with a look of disbelief. "If you haven't noticed Kev, she's a girl!" She yelled at him in a hush whisper.
"I didn't buy it." Kevin told her. "I had to get to class so I asked Karl to buy the card."
"That's why you should've bought it right when I asked you to." Julia glared at him, which caused him to glare at his twin brother who was laughing.
"I thought Hot Wheels were for boys mommy?" Rae asked.
"They are sweetie. You're uncles just bought the wrong card." Julia answered for Vanessa. "But I'm sure they'll make it up to you by buying you and extra present each for your birthday." She winked at the girl. "Right guys?" Julia turned to them, who could only nod instead of turn down the girl.
"Burn." Vanessa giggled. "It's good to know who wears the pants."
"Well, I guess that's it." Olesya announced.
"Wait, there's still more in the bag Olesya." Monique pointed out as she looked into the bag.
"Oh, that's just the rest of the mail for Vanessa. I guess it was mixed in there when she asked me to grab all the mailed cards from the stack to put inside as well." Olesya explained and handed the mail to Vanessa. Vanessa stuffed the few envelopes into her back pocket.
"It's probably just junk and bills." Vanessa said. The party had died down to just close friends and family now. Raelynn was babbling on and on about she was going to be a great dancer like her mother once she could fit into her new shoes, and everyone else was just have small conversations here and there.
The next day, Vanessa decided to clean up from the party. Her mother, father, and sister had all gone out to see a show on Broadway while Monique and Corbin were getting ready to go out to see the city with the rest of the gang. Vanessa declined the offers of going along, saying she just wanted to spend time with her daughter since she didn't get to the previous day.
"Are you sure Ness?" Monique asked as she and Corbin stood by the door.
"Yep. It's just gonna be me and Rae today. Right babe?" Vanessa lifted her higher on her hip.
"Right babe." Rae gave a quick nod and mimicked her mother.
"Alright, don't get too tired cleaning guys." Corbin said before walking out.
"We won't. We cleaned most of it last night anyhow. You guys have fun though!" Vanessa assured them as they walked out to go meet up with Ashley and Chris who were waiting for them in their car to go meet up with Lucas and everyone else.
"Come on, let's get cleaning Momma!"