I DO NOT OWN ANYONE OR ANYTHING IN THIS STORY BESIDES THE OC'S.
2 Weeks Later-
Leslie's Point of View-
I stood outside Olivia's school waiting for the bell to ring, today we were heading over to Elizabeth's house to meet with her and Neal to discuss Olivia's birthday party. The last two weekends we have spent the night at Neal's place and either Tuesday or Thursday would be date night, Neal would even include Olivia which was great. I didn't see Neal around and knew he must still be at work, Neal and I have really been hitting it off, it truly feels like I was meant to meet him and be with him. I was happy and Olivia was happy, I used to be constantly worrying and stressed and having to pretend to be happy for Olivia compared to now. I heard the bell ring that drew my attention away from the area I was staring at awaiting Neal's arrival when I knew that Olivia and I will be meeting him at Elizabeth's house. I watched as the children ran down the stairs seeing Olivia running out carrying a dreamcatcher she made in class with pink string and ran up to me.
"Mommy, look at my dreamcatcher!" She said excitedly handing it to me, I grabbed it from her grip looking at it closely.
"It looks amazing...maybe we will hang it up in our apartment..."
"I want to give it to Neal..." Olivia said.
"I think he will love it." I said smiling as I hung onto it in one hand and grabbed her hand with another.
"Where is Neal?" Olivia asked.
"He is probably still at work, he said he'll meet us at Elizabeth's." I said as we headed towards her house going through clumps of kids and parents that were uniting on the sidewalk seeing Neal walking towards us, he looked up from looking at the sidewalk making eye contact with Olivia and I.
"Neal!" Olivia said running down the sidewalk, Neal stopped in his tracks squatting down and picked her up over his shoulder getting her to giggle as I walked down the sidewalk to meet with them. Olivia was laughing from hanging upside down over Neal's shoulder.
"Are you missing a bag of potatos?" Neal asked making eye contact with me.
"No...they aren't mine..." I said smiling.
"I'm not potatos..." Olivia said smiling and kicking.
"Your not potatos?" Neal asked trying to look at her over his shoulder before he lifted her back up over his shoulder holding her on his hip. "Your right, your not potatos..." Neal said smiling.
"Told you..." Olivia said laughing.
"You did..." Neal said.
"Look what I made you..." Olivia said grabbing her dream catcher from my grip handing it to Neal.
"A dream catcher for me? Thank you.." Neal said holding onto it.
"Your welcome...may I have a piggy back ride?" Olivia asked.
"Of couse, hop on." Neal said setting her down and turning his back to Olivia letting her climb onto his back, he grasped onto her knees holding them on his hips and Olivia wrapped her small arms around Neals neck. "Hey sweetie..." Neal said as he leant over wrapping one arm around me pulling me into his embrace and pressed his lips against mine for a quick kiss.
"Hey honey." I said smiling as we broke the kiss.
"How was school?" Neal asked.
"Great! Today was arts and crafts...and I was the line leader today..." Olivia said.
"Do you have any homework?" I asked.
"No..." Olivia said giggling from the piggy back ride. We walked over to Elizabeth's house, we walked up the steps seeing the door open before we got to the door.
"Hey guys, come on in..." Elizabeth said as we walked inside and Neal squatted down letting Olivia off his back before she tossed her bag down running after the dog, I leant down picking up the bag carrying it with me over to the table seeing that everything was set out for us to look at, I hung the bag up on the back of my chair letting Neal slide in before I pulled it out to sit down. Neal sat down pulling my seat out for me as I sat down, he rested his arm on the back of my chair and I could feel his eyes burning into the side of my head. "I will be right with you, I got to run upstairs to grab something." Elizabeth said setting down couple of bottles of water for us.
"Okay no problem..." I said nodding and smiling as I heard Olivia laughing and growling back at the dog. "What are you staring at?" I asked turning to look at Neal.
"A beautiful woman..." Neal said smiling as he pushed a strand of my hair behind my ear, it reminded me that I had to re-dye my hair soon.
"Neal..." I said blushing.
"What are you two doing tonight?" Neal asked as we heard a scream from Olivia, we both looked over seeing her run by the kitchen with the dog chasing her followed by chuckles.
"Nothing yet...what are you doing?" I asked turning my attention back to Neal smiling.
"I am going to take my two girls out...I took rest of the day off work so we can spend rest of the day together." Neal said.
"What do you have planned?" I asked.
"I was thinking maybe putt-putt golf at Mulligan's." Neal said.
"I haven't played putt-putt since middle school."
"Maybe it's time you should play it again." Neal said smirking before he started to lean forward for another kiss.
"Alright...I am officially ready..." Elizabeth said making us both jump back trying to act like we weren't about to kiss. "Did I interrupt something?" Elizabeth asked.
"No..." We both said in unison as she just gave us that look before she sat down opening her professional folder.
"So, I was thinking to have hot dogs and hamburgers with chips, fries, potato or macraoni salad, a picnic type bar-be-que style..." Elizabeth said.
"Sounds good." I said.
"Come with me and I will show you what I imagined for our backyard." Elizabeth said as we stood up following her outback hearing the dog collar and felt the dog pushing his way through Neal and I followed by Olivia.
"Whoa, this is a big backyard." Olivia said stopping right in front of me.
"Yes it is..." I said as Neal wrapped his arm around me holding me in his embrace.
"I was thinking we can hang the pinata on the tree, I was thinking have the table of food along this fence and two tables perpendicular to that, one could be for adults and the other could be for children. We can then have a table opposing the yard for games and the coloring, as the kids are playing and doing their activites we can get the cake ready. Still trying to figure out more activites...I got Hannah Montana pinata, table clothes, goody-bags, the plates and streamers but then I got pink and purple silverware to match it." Elizabeth said.
"Sounds great..." I said smiling.
"I was thinking about pulling out the karoke machine..." Elizabeth said.
"You have one?" Neal asked.
"Yeah, it's stored in the garage collecting dust..." Elizabeth said.
"She may like that..." I said.
"Who wouldn't?" Elizabeth said smiling and chuckled.
"It all sounds good." I said smiling as we headed back into the house with Olivia and the dog following us.
"I finished all the invites with the proper information, I made copies of the class for myself, for Neal and the original is for you." She said pulling them out handing us each one before she grabbed the pile of invites, she handed them to me and I slid them into Olivia's backpack. "Neal, when someone RSVP's let me know ASAP." Elizabeth said.
"Will do." Neal said.
"Anything else?" I asked curiously.
"Nope, I got everything else planned...I had ordered the cake and it shall be ready by her party." Elizabeth said.
"What type of cake you having?" I asked.
"Chocolate, I figured that will be a safe bet for kids." Elizabeth said.
"And adults...we shall get going...we got plans." Neal said.
"Okay, I forgot to give you my business card last time, here it is so you can contact me whenever you want...it contains my pager number, email, and my cell and house number." Elizabeth said.
"Okay...come on Olivia." I said as Olivia ran out from the other room with the dog chasing her.
"Where are we going?" Olivia asked.
"We are going to Mulligans." Neal said.
"What's Mulligans?" Olivia asked as I helped her put her bag back on.
"You'll see." Neal said as we headed towards the door.
"Don't you have work though?" Elizabeth asked.
"Peter will understand." Neal said smirking as he led us out.
"I'm not getting involved." Elizabeth said as we walked outside and down the steps.
"Which way to Mulligans? I haven't been since middle school..." I said.
"Follow me." Neal said smiling as he grasped my hand leading Olivia and I to Mulligans, Olivia was skipping and playing hopscotch on the sidewalk before we approaced a crosswalk. Olivia stopped waiting for us, Neal and I both grabbed one of her hands and led her across the street when it was allowed. We walked that way until we approached Mulligans seeing the new decorative and upgraded place from the last time I was there.
"They definitly upgraded since the last time I was here." I said as I looked over to Neal.
"Yep...come on..." Neal said as he grabbed onto Olivia's hand for me as we headed into Mulligans seeing all the new games that they had.
"Wow...that is a lot of games..." Olivia said looking around at the different games.
"Yep, we'll play some later...first we are going to play some putt putt golf." Neal said.
"What's that?" Olivia asked.
"You never played?" Neal asked as Olivia shook her head no, "I'll teach you." Neal said as we waited in line purchasing a round of golf grabbing our clubs and the three balls. Olivia proudly held her club as she skipped towards one of the holes, we allowed her to choose which one she wanted to do.
"This one." Olivia said stepping onto the green turf.
"Alright, what color ball you want?" Neal asked.
"Pink!" She exclaimed the moment she saw the pink ball, Neal squatted down putting the ball in the marked spot before he walked over to me handing me his club and the other two balls so he could go help Olivia. Neal stepped behind Olivia squatting down to be her height, he put his hands on top of hers.
"The club has to be faced like this...you slowly and gently swing your club back and tap your ball like that." Neal said swinging the club with Olivia hitting the ball to where it rolled down the turf and over the tiny bumps landing a mere inch or so from the hole.
"Mommy! Look!" Olivia said proudly running up to me.
"I see, you almost got a hole in one." I said.
"Your turn mommy." Olivia said as I handed Neal his club and the blue ball leaving me with the orange ball. I bent down putting my orange ball onto the marked spot, I stood up grasping my club feeling Neal wrap his arms around me and resting his hands on top of mine.
"You need help?" Neal whispered before I felt a kiss on my neck.
"No...I know how to golf." I said as I smirked tapping my ball getting it to roll down the turf spinning around the hole before coming back out.
"Almost." Neal said smiling.
"I got distracted." I said stepping off the turf beside my daughter watching Neal set his ball down.
"Now watch how the pro does it." Neal said as he was slowly practicing his swing before he actually tapped the ball and it didn't even get close to the hole.
"Some pro you are, you didn't get a hole in one." I joked.
"Not all pros get holes in one on every hole." Neal said as he walked down the turf and Olivia ran down to her ball.
"Now what?" Olivia asked excitedly.
"You hit the ball again to try to get into the ball, but very lightly." Neal said as Olivia set her club the way Neal taught her tapping the ball getting it to go into the hole.
"It went in, now what?" Olivia asked excitedly.
"You wait until we get done then we will get all of our balls out and go onto the next hole." Neal said as I took my turn getting my hole to go in, and Neal went to take his turn but he missed the hole, it took him another two to three hits before he got it in. Neal squatted down bending over to grab the balls out of the hole and he begun to pretend that something was pulling his arm in getting Olivia to giggle, "Oh no, something's got my arm...help! Olivia help me!" Neal exclaimed pretending to freak out and still pretending that something has his arm then he finally pulled his arm and he had his arm pulled up into his sleeve and made it look like it had eaten half his arm.
"Your so funny Neal, nothing ate your arm..." Olivia said chuckling more.
"Really?" Neal asked as he begun chasing her around finally catching her pulling up into his embrace tickling her with the arm that was 'supposed' to be eaten.
"Told you it didn't get eaten..." Olivia said between laughs.
"No it wasn't...I guess not..." Neal said as he looked at the arm then continued tickling her as I leant over grabbing the balls and laughed at the sight.
"Next hole." I said as I headed towards the next hole as Neal carried Olivia over his shoulders and she was laughing the whole time. Neal set her down when we approached the next hole, I put her ball down for Olivia to take her turn.
"You need help?" Neal asked.
"I got it." Olivia said as she went to hit the ball hitting it a tad too hard getting it to fly off the course and going into the pound.
"Olivia!" I said embarrassed and worried about what to do now.
"Sorry..." Olivia said as she walked over standing between Neal and I watching her ball in the pond that was now rolling down the bottom of the pond dropping into a hole and re-appearing at the bottom of the turf getting a hole in one.
"Hole in one, way to go Olivia." Neal said giving her a high five.
"Is that good?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah, you want a hole a one..." I said as Neal and I took our turns until we got the balls into the hole. We finished the round of putt putt golf going to the last hole, it was a hill and if you got the hole in one you got a free round of golf.
"What's this?" Olivia asked looking at the hole.
"If you make a hole in one on this one, you get a free round of golf." Neal said as Olivia set her ball down on the mark and she tapped her ball getting it go under the fence and up the hill but it didn't go into the hole.
"Aw..." Olivia said.
"It's okay..." I said as Neal took his turn and he didn't get the ball in the hole, I went up taking my turn and I didn't make it in either. "What now?" I asked.
"What's that?" Olivia asked pointing to the go-karts and the bumper boats.
"Go-karts and bumper boats, you want to go?" Neal asked.
"Yes." Olivia said excitedly as we walked back to the register turning in our clubs and buying tickets to do the go-karts and bumper boats. We waited in line and let into the fence to get into go-karts.
"Who you want to ride with?" I asked.
"Neal!" Olivia said running over to where Neal was climbing into a car and she climbed in sitting beside him, he buckled both them up and I made sure of it before I climbed into mine and buckled myself up. We waited until the light went green before we both sped out from the parking area and around the track, Neal was driving behind me and I was trying to keep it that way until Neal sped up coming to my side as we went around a corner. I glanced over seeing Olivia waving and laughing the hardest I have ever seen her laugh. "Go faster Neal..." Olivia said laughing more as Neal waved as he begun to go faster, we did at least 10 laps and kept passing each other every other lap until we got the red light and pulled into the parking area. Neal pulled into the area before me and I stopped behind him undoing my buckle and climbed out seeing Olivia climbing out happily. "Mommy, we beat you!" Olivia said running up to me.
"That you did..." I said running my hand through the top of her hair.
"Are we ready for some bumper boats?" Neal asked walking up to us wrapping his arm around me as we begun walking out of the track area.
"I don't like boats nor the water..." I said as we were walking towards the bumper boat area.
"You kidding me right?" Neal asked.
"No, I never liked boats...my parents could never get me on one..." I said honestly.
"Why don't you like boats?" Neal asked.
"I just don't..." I said as we got to the entrance to the line where I stopped, "You two can go and I will watch." I stated.
"Nope...your going with..." Neal said.
"No, I'm not..."
"You have no say..."
"I would like to see you try to make me..." I said smirking because I know he can't make me.
"I will..." Neal said squatting down some wrapping his arms around my waist lifting me over his shoulder.
"Put me down, Neal put me down!" I said as I heard my daughter giggling.
"Nope..." Neal said as I could tell he was smiling, I begun to pound my fist into his back.
"Let me down..." I said not liking the fact he could carry me.
"No..." Neal said as I could hear him giggling as he handed the employee our tickets before Neal walked into the water area setting me down in a sitting position in the one boat, "I won't let anything bad happen." Neal said smiling as he lifted Olivia up setting her in the boat with me and she walked over to sit beside me as other kids and adults were being let in as well to fill up rest of the boats, Neal stepped onto the boat sitting on the other side of Olivia. Neal and I buckled the seat belts tightening it, I grabbed onto the tiny handle bar next to me clenching my eyes shut not liking the fact I was on the water, I didn't mind swimming in water but I just hated boats. I felt an arm wrap around me grabbing my shoulder, I opened my eyes looking over to make eye contact with Neal, "You'll be fine." Neal said.
"Yeah mommy, you'll be fine." Olivia said smiling as the employee came by unhooking our boat and started our engine pushing us back into the free water and I hung onto the railing tightly as Neal was steering the boat and Olivia was hanging onto the steering wheel trying to help, I tried to put my fear behind me watching my daughter laughing as they were bumping into other children's boats getting Olivia to laugh more with every bump. I begun to relax and enjoy my time watching my daughter laughing when we got cornered next to the fountain when the fountain begun to shoot water out getting us soaked head to toe. When the water started hitting me, all three of us squealed.
"Neal!" I screamed as he turned the wheel trying to get out of the area not getting anymore wet. We heard the bell ring which meant it was time to end that session of bumper boats, Neal drove us back over to our spot keeping us there until the employee came by hooking our boat back up. I unbuckled the seat belt when we got hooked up standing up and climbing out as soon as I could and then helped Olivia out of the boat and Neal climbed out of the boat grabbing onto Olivia's hand.
"May we go again?" Olivia asked.
"Maybe later...let's wait until we dry first." I said as we headed back into the building.
"You guys hungry?" Neal asked.
"Yes!" Olivia said as we got in line ordering a pizza and our drinks before we went to the benches in the childrens area, Olivia ran off playing with the games in the section while the pizza was being made.
"Why don't you like boats?" Neal asked.
"Always have and always will...I prefer to have my feet on the ground. I know how to swim but am always afraid that the boat will sink and I won't be able to swim to safety or something like that." I said as I slid into a booth.
"Have you ever been on a boat before?" Neal asked.
"Yeah, once...that is where my fear of boats worsen..."
"Why's that?" Neal asked as he sipped at his drink.
"It was my uncle's boat, we were on it and we went to his 'special' spot where we anchored, the anchor wasn't really big enough to hold the boat so it was moving from it's spot hitting the cliff or rocks next to us getting the boat starting to tip, everyone on board went over and I was only 5 or 6 and I didn't know how to swim, I started to drown but luckily my uncle landed near me and grabbed me before I got too far below." I said.
"I didn't know..." Neal said.
"It's fine...I have overcame water and I know how to swim but never really overcame my boat fear." I said twirling my straw.
"It's hard to overcome fears like that especially when you experience them at such young ages." Neal said.
"Plus when it's something that you don't do often...rarily do us New Yorkers go boating." I stated.
"Very true..." Neal said.
"You have any fears?" I asked.
"I don't have any..."
"You have to have some type of fear...clowns?" I asked when Olivia climbed into the booth.
"I don't like clowns..." Olivia said sipping from her cup.
"Clowns are scary..." Neal said.
"Yes they are..." Olivia said.
"What else are you scared of?" Neal asked when a waitress came over setting our pizza down in the middle of the table with plates and napkins.
"Spiders and snakes..." Olivia said.
"I hate spiders and snakes too." Neal said.
"Do you?" I asked as I pulled a slice onto Olivia's plate.
"Spiders are disgusting and snakes are eewie." Olivia said.
"What she said." Neal said smiling.
"I agree, I don't like spiders nor snakes, but I have no problem killing spiders...except taruntula's, those things are ew!" I said squriming in disgust thinking about them.
"What are taruntula's?" Olivia asked.
"You won't like them..." Neal said.
"If it is a spider, I won't..." Olivia said when I noticed the sauce and cheese all over her mouth area, I grabbed a napkin wiping her mouth but she continued eating her slice getting more around her mouth. When she finished her slice of pizza I wiped off her face before she ran off to play some more letting me finish my slice.
"I hope she doesn't get sick." I said.
"She won't, she isn't playing that rough..." Neal said.
"True..." I said as I looked over at my daughter who was now playing tag with other children.
"How are you doing as a waitress?" Neal asked.
"It's going...I haven't dropped that many dishes as I have since I was a kid."
"You'll get to used to it...waitresses need balance and coordination especially if your wearing heels."
"Which I'm not...I don't wear heels..."
"Good, I don't like when my girls are taller than me..." Neal said smiling.
"I won't wear that big of heels Neal...I would need what? 4 inch heels to be your height." I said.
"How tall are you?"
"5'8." I said.
"6'1, so 3 inches..." Neal said.
"I won't wear that big of heels, I'm a tennis shoe type girl." I said sticking my foot out showing off my worn out tennis shoes.
"They sure do look comfy."
"They are...better than yours." I said looking at his nice shoes.
"They are comfy, you got to get used to them." Neal said smiling.
"Thats with anything, with new hair cut, new shoes, when you move, anything takes adjustments." I stated.
"Yep, throughout life we adjust and adapt to our situations." Neal said smiling.
"Yeah, I like to see someone that understands it."
"No one prior to me understood it?"
"They understood but they never totally got it or understood why I felt that way..."
"I feel that way, I think it's also our criminal ways because you never know what's next and you always have to look over your shoulder." Neal said, I knew what he was saying more than he knows.
"Maybe, but you should be proud...I haven't pick pocketed anyone since I've met you..."
"Very proud..." Neal said leaning over the table for a quick kiss before Olivia ran up tugging at my shirt.
"Mom, what's that?" She asked pointing to the entrance to lazer tag.
"That's where you go to play lazer tag." I explained.
"What's lazer tag?" Olivia asked.
"You get a vest of a certain color and a lazer gun, then others may get a different color, then you will be let into a maze room where everyone runs around and you have to try and shoot those of the other color with your lazer gun kind of like regular tag." I tried to explain.
"May we play?" Olivia asked.
"We will..." Neal said.
"We will?" I asked looking to Neal with a questionable look.
"Yes we will." Neal said as he stood up heading to the counter purchasing the passes, he came back wrapping the band around Olivia's wrist before I held out my wrist letting him wrap it around mine before I wrapped the last one around his. I stood up helping Neal clean up our mess before Olivia ran off to the lazer tag lounge area where we got to choose what color team we wanted to be on.
"Red or Blue?" I asked Olivia as I grabbed a red vest pulling it on and Neal grabbed the blue vest.
"I want to be on your team mommy." Olivia said as I grabbed a smaller size of the red vest handing it to her as she pulled it on and I helped buckle it.
"You sure you don't want to be on my team?" Neal asked.
"I'm sure, I rode with you on the cars, I want to be with mommy on this one." Olivia said as she grabbed the gun that was attached to her vest and I grabbed her other hand.
"Let the best person win." I said to Neal smirking, we made eye contact and he stuck his hand out.
"That we will see." Neal said as we were let into the dark room that had a couple of strobe lights and lights along the floor outlining the walkways so you knew where the walls were. Neal went one way and I grabbed onto Olivia going another way.
"Stay with me..." I whispered as I ducked down trying to blend in with the wall and Olivia was giggling as I was trying to find Neal, when I saw him I dived back some bringing Olivia with me but I would peek out to see where he was. "Now Olivia!" I said as we both jumped out from behind the wall shooting Neal at the same time.
"You got me..." Neal said in a shock manner, Olivia giggled as she begun running the other way and I ran with her when I heard him counting loudly until he got to 30 and Olivia stepped out from the wall we were hiding behind, I started to crawl down the walkway to get away and to try to go around to get him from the back. "I got you Olivia." I heard Neal say before I peeked around the other corner seeing him pointing his gun at my daughter, she stuck out her bottom lip doing the puppy dog look.
"You won't really shoot me would you Neal? I'm just a little girl..." Olivia said sounding like she's about to cry.
"I can't shoot you...your too cute..." Neal said as Olivia then shot him and giggled running back to the hall we were at, I stepped back so she could see me. Olivia ran to me grabbing my hand as we ran to hide in a dark corner when we heard Neal yell "30!"
"Sh!" I said as I grabbed her hand as we ran down the dark walkway and we saw him, I picked Olivia up protecting my vest.
"No fair!" Neal said.
"You can't shoot her!" I said as Olivia giggled.
"I can't shoot you if your holding her." Neal said.
"Shoot him Olivia!" I said as Olivia shot him and I set her down, she took off running giggling as I stood there for a few moments listening to him count along with the clock on his gun.
"You play dirty."
"I don't play dirty, I play smart, I just got a cute kid..." I said when it got to 25 and I took off running trying to find a spot to hide passing Olivia who was hiding behind a small wall, I didn't want to go too far from her.
"Leslie? Come on out..." Neal said as I knew he was trying to find me, I stepped out of my hiding spot holding my gun out coming face to face seeing him in the same position.
"Is this a shoot-out?" I asked as I begun stepping further out of my spot.
"I guess it is." Neal said smirking when Olivia jumped out shooting Neal laughing as she did so. "No fair!" Neal said.
"Sorry..." I said when my vest shook seeing that my gun now said 'Game Over.'
"My vest is shaking." Olivia said.
"Game's over..." I said as I went over to Olivia grabbing her hand.
"Was that fun?" Neal asked.
"Yes, may we play again?" Olivia asked.
"Maybe next time." I said as Neal opened the door holding it open for us going back into the lounge area seeing kids ready to go in for another round, I helped Olivia pull her vest off hanging it up before I took mine off hanging it up beside Olivia's.
"I guess we should head home..." Neal said checking his watch.
"What time is it?" I asked.
"6 PM." Neal said.
"Do we have to go?" Olivia asked as I grabbed her hand as we were heading to the front door of the place.
"Yeah, we'll come back..." I said.
"Yay!" Olivia said as she begun to skip in front of us and out the door holding it open for us.
"Thanks Olivia." Neal and I said as we let the door shut behind us. Neal grabbed my hand interlacing his fingers with mine as we watched Olivia skipping along the sidewalk or dancing about. At one point she caught a butterfly running back to us holding it in her hands.
"Mom look..." She said opening her hands slightly for both Neal and I to look at the butterfly that was fluttering around in her hands.
"Isn't it cute?" I asked.
"Yeah and it tickles." She said opening her hands letting the butterfly fly out of her grip.
"Do you like to catch bugs?" Neal asked.
"Not all bugs..." Olivia said.
"You remember, she doesn't like spiders." I said.
"Yeah, spiders are icky!" Olivia said.
"What about crickets?" Neal asked.
"Crickets and grass hoppers are okay...I love Jimmy the Cricket from Pinocchio." Olivia said.
"He is an awesome cricket." Neal said.
"You like Pinocchio?" I asked.
"Who doesnt?" Neal asked shrugging as we headed up the steps to my apartment building.
"Do you want to watch it with us? We have it don't we mommy?" Olivia asked.
"Maybe, but Neal has work tomorrow." I said.
"I can stay for a while if you don't mind." Neal said.
"If you want..." I said smiling as I opened the door for Olivia and Neal, I walked in behind them making sure it shut.
"I'll race you up the stairs." Neal said as him and Olivia begun running up the stairs to the fourth floor, I walked up behind them seeing them at the fourth floor.
"Who won?" I asked.
"I did..." Olivia said giggling as Neal was hunched over leaning against his knees seeming out of breath.
"I...never...ran...up...that...many...stairs...before." He said as I tried not to laugh when we headed down the hallway to our apartment where I unlocked the door letting them in before I closed the door locking all the locks and Olivia went into the bathroom and I set her backpack aside.
"You want some water?" I asked going to the kitchen part of the apartment grabbing two cups setting them down.
"Please." Neal said as he looked at the stuff on the fridge as I pulled down a third cup, "You have my business card still?" Neal asked pulling it from under the magnet.
"I don't have your number memorized." I said as I went to the fridge standing beside him opening the fridge slightly pulling out water and milk. I poured milk into one glass and water into the others, I went back to the fridge where Neal was still looking at the stuff I had hung up on the fridge that Olivia had done in school when the bathroom door opened. "I poured you some milk." I said taking the milk over to the coffee table where Olivia sat down across from it on the bed.
"Do you put everything on your fridge?" Neal asked.
"Not everything, your not on the fridge are you?" I asked giggling as I handed him his cup of water before I turned around leaning against the sink watching my daughter gulp down her milk.
"I don't think a magnet could hold me up..." Neal said.
"If it could, I would be impressed." I said smiling as I took a sip of my water.
"I would be too." Neal I walked over to sit beside her and Neal wasn't far behind me where he stood beside where I stood watching me cross her t's for her.
"Can we watch Pinocchio?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah." I said as I climbed onto the bed pulling out the movie from the cabinet above the bed and stood up.
"I can do it." Neal said as he helped me climb off the bed.
"Thanks." I said as I handed him the movie, Neal put the movie into the VCR we had and begun rewinding it.
"May we have a snack with the movie?" Olivia asked.
"You can have 3 cookies." I said pulling down the Oreo's that Neal had bought us weeks ago, I was trying to make it last. I pulled down a plate putting 9 cookies on it before putting the Oreo's up and brought the plate over to the coffee table when Neal pushed play. I sat down beside Neal, he wrapped his arm around me and it landed on my hip as Olivia leant forward grabbing a cookie as we watched the previews before the movie played and Olivia was fast asleep slightly half way after the movie was finished. Neal moved Olivia's head off his lap and helped lay her head onto the pillow that was on the other side of me.
"I should get home..." Neal said.
"You sure? You can stay the night if you want..." I said sticking my hands in my pockets looking down at my feet..
"Where would I sleep?" Neal asked.
"In the bed with Olivia and I..." I said.
"Will there be room?" Neal asked.
"What are you trying to say?" I asked in an offended way.
"Nothing...I just don't want you to feel obligated to let me sleep in the same bed as you." Neal said pushing a strand of hair out of my face.
"I'm not...I just don't want to be alone tonight." I said.
"I'll stay then..." Neal said smiling as he leant forward pressing his lips against my forehead as we both climbed into the bed trying not to wake Olivia, he wrapped his arm around my waist holding me to his embrace and I felt safe being wrapped in his arms and in his embrace. We each slept peacefully until his phone went off the next morning.
"Neal." I said rolling over groggily and half asleep still shaking him.
"What?" Neal asked.
"Your phone." I said as he pulled the phone out of his pocket, it didn't disturb Olivia at all and he answered the phone.
"Hello?" Neal asked half asleep, "Peter, it's too early...no I'm not coming over for breakfast to discuss the file...No, I won't be late nor leave early...bye Peter." Neal said finally hanging up.
"Was that Elizabeth's husband?" I asked resting a hand on his chest that was covered by his shirt.
"Yeah...I should get going, I need to change unless if he will be suspicious more than he is." Neal said.
"Okay..." I said as I sat up climbing out of the bed with Neal opening the door with him ruffling his hair trying to make it less like he just woke up. "Thanks for staying the night..." I said hugging him.
"No problem...I'll stop by your work tonight..." Neal said as his arms snaked around my hips from the hug position before he leant forward pressing his lips to mine for a quick kiss.
"Okay..." I said smiling as his hands slowly slipped from their spots on my hips as he headed down the hallway to the stairs, he turned back smiling before he headed down the stairs and I went back into my room waking Olivia for our morning rituals to get her to school on time.