I meant to get this up days ago, I'm sorry! I'm so busy with work and my animals that when I have a few extra hours I try to sleep… though I will admit I do most of my writing when I'm standing in front of my register at work…
Since Shane is going to be called Shane unless she is in trouble I'm officially going to stop referring to her as Margaret.
Chapter Three: Paw-Paw
Matt carried Shane into the room her father was in even if he was currently bent over a piece of paper looking the most intense that he'd seen in a while. He really was growing up and by the looks of him he'd do anything to get his little girl home, he might need that latter when it came to telling Beth about the girl.
"Now she is five and she needs to be put into kindergarten come September." The woman said Jeff just slightly nodded kind of grunting but not muttering a single word, the woman must have been prattling on to him since Matt left them. Jeff just looked at the form it was getting rather tedious and yet it amazed him how many ways you could word the same damn question!
He was up to counting five about jobs, three on housing, two on transportation, and a feeling of more to come just as Shane piped up. "I get to start school this year?" She was grinning hugely from her spot on Matt's hip. Jeff turned finally noticing his brother and daughter had joined them, seeing that excited look on her face made him break into a grin, she loved to learn just like her foster mother had said she was very bright. Her mother had never baby-talked her even as an infant, she didn't want her to get used to that nonsense. She knew her alphabet and even her numbers up to about fifty-three before she started to loose track and had to start over again.
"You sure do, Princess." Jeff said making her smile even brighter if that was possible.
"When do we get to go home daddy? Uncle matt said we're having a cook out with Paw-Paw." I've never had a Paw-Paw before…" Shane said then turned to Matt, "what kind of family is a Paw-Paw?"
Matt chuckled lightly, yep she really was five. "Paw-Paw is a grandfather. In this case he is your daddy's and my father."
"So if Momma had a daddy he'd be my Paw-Paw too?" She asked a little confused, her mother had never talked about her family other then to call Shane's father, dad… in context of course.
"That's right Shortcakes." Matt said with a smile.
"Do you think Paw-Paw will like me?" Shane asked.
"He'll love you Princess, I promise." Jeff told her with a reassuring smile as he handed over the paperwork to the woman.
"Well I guess this is all… Shane why don't you go get your stuff." The woman suggested from her seat.
Matt set Shane down on her feet and she ran out of the room grabbing her back pack and the giant stuffed pig from the bed she'd used the night before. She hadn't been able to bring much with her, but her mother had enough money stashed away that after her funeral Jeff would be able to move the little girl's stuff to her new home.
Shane went to the front door where the three adults stood talking and waiting for her. Her foster mother bent down hugging her, "good luck Shane."
Shane looked over at her father and uncle, "thanks but I don't think I need luck this time…" She whispered in the woman's ear.
"I hope you don't Shane, but I want all the good luck for you right now." She told her pulling away.
"Thank you." Shane told her before she held her hand out to Jeff who smiled taking it. He was amazed at how small that hand was, so soft and delicate… it was at that moment that he actually felt like a dad for the first time. This was his baby; he'd helped bring her into the world… he felt horrible that he hadn't been there with her every waking moment since she'd been born.
He felt the tears sting his eyes until he felt that small hand squeeze lightly in his palm he smiled down at her, "come'ere you." He said laughing as he picked her up making her squeal as he swung her around holding tightly to his arms her pig flying out of her hold and smacking him in the face. He made an odd face and started to laugh, "Ok I guess I deserved that." He said and bent picking up the pig depositing the thing in her arms.
"That's how Schwein says hi to new people." She giggled, the first time she'd seen the stuffed pig, he'd fallen off the self right into her face.
"Schwein?" Jeff asked grinning.
"That's kind of cute where'd you think of it?" Matt asked.
"Schwein is German for pig… Momma found it on a website and it stuck." She said with a nod hugging her pig. "Oh Schwein how rude you haven't met Uncle Matt yet." She said and promptly threw the pig at the man, he caught it easily though. He even shook the pig's hoof saying it was a pleasure to meet him making the little girl giggle and Jeff just laughed shacking his head telling his brother he was nuts.
Matt handed the pig back to Shane as Jeff got her into the back seat of his car. "Buckle up Princess." Jeff told her with a smile before getting in. Matt got in his own car, "the cook out is at your uncle's house. Shane if people start to argue it's not your fault, it's just new to everyone ok?"
She nodded, "I understand… one of momma's boyfriends didn't know about me and when he came home with her he saw me with my babysitter in the living room and slapped momma yelling about her 'bastard brat' saying he wasn't going to raise another guy's kid… momma cried but she promised it wasn't my fault… what does bastard mean?"
Jeff felt for the girl she'd been through so much but she took it in such stride it was amazing really. He had to hold back his laughter when she asked what a bastard was. "A child born out of wed-lock is a bastard and that isn't a good word honey."
"Oh… I'm sorry daddy." She said softly cuddling Schwein to her little chest; she didn't like the thought of upsetting Jeff when she'd just met him.
"You didn't know its ok… but now you do and we won't be using that language anymore right?" Jeff asked looking back at her for a moment from the front. He took his right hand from the wheel holding it back to her, "deal?"
"Deal." She said slapping his hand a five.
"There's my girl. So are you excited to meet your Paw-Paw, Uncle Shannon, and Beth?" Jeff asked.
"I get another uncle? And a Beth? Wait who are Uncle Shannon and Beth?" She said the first two questions were an excited gasp.
Jeff laughed and grinned back at her, "Shannon is a very good friend of your Uncle Matt and me, he's like our brother… he'll probably be like a brother to you, he acts young enough for it. As for Beth… Beth is my girlfriend."
"Oh… Beth probably won't like me." She said softly.
"Why do you think that?" Jeff asked.
"I'm not hers…" She said, "None of momma's boyfriends liked me a'cause I wasn't theirs…"
Jeff sat there silently, what could you really say to that? He looked at her in the rearview mirror as she stretched to try and see there surroundings, after all she was used to the city and New York. This was so different and new to her but she liked it a lot so far. "Here we are." Jeff said pulling into the drive way at Matt's house just before his brother. He got out and tilted the seat forward helping her out, she left her back pack but refused to leave Schwein.
"Matt, Jeff were have you two been? We are about the throw the burgers on th… who's the kid?" Shannon asked loosing his thought seeing Shane.
"Shannon this is Shane, she's Jeff's kid." Matt said as the girl grabbed Jeff's hand only catching his middle and ring finger on his left hand. Jeff smiled down at her.
"Yeah, Reject, thought you were all knowing yesterday…" Jeff said with a grin, "why didn't you see my girl coming?"
"I was all knowing yesterday not today." He said grinning from ear to ear. "Well good news is she looks nothing like your ugly mug. But I do believe I see a tiny Amy Rockland standing next to you. It's like the Midget version 2.0."
"I'm not a midget… I'm five…" Shane said looking up at him like he was weird.
"That's my girl." Jeff said ruffling her hair with his free hand.
"Can we go meet Paw-Paw now too?" She asked pulling on Jeff's hand.
"Sure Princess." Jeff said with a little smile leading her to the backyard of Matt's house. "Ugh hi dad."
"Jeffery Nero why do you have a tag-a-long?" Clyde asked turning from the grill and spotting Shane.