"Grandpa! Look we're in the magazine," Alex said running through the house and into the kitchen were her grandfather was chopping up an apple.
"Yes I know, your grandmother already brought five copies," he said greeting his granddaughter with a laugh. "How would you like an apple?"
"Yes please."
Just then Troy came in with bags in his arms bringing everything to the table with a grunt. As soon as all the bags were on the table and steady he placed both hands on his hip and let out a breath. "Where is Maria I want to make sure I got everything?"
"Oh trust me if you forgot anything," Luis said with smirk, "she'll let you know," he added shaking his finger.
"Daddy can I go see Little Guy?" Alex begged jumping up and down for a moment.
"Alright," Troy called after as she ran towards the back sliding door, "just don't get dirty," he called nervously.
Luis waved it off and held up an apple slice for Troy, "She's a kid, their meant to get dirty."
"Not according to Gabriella," Troy said with smirk as he took the apple slice.
"Your mom was looking for you earlier she wants you and Gabriella to go look at the flowers she picked out."
Troy nodded his head as he took ate the slice whole and looked outside to watch Alex as she ran around chasing Little Guy.
"How is my new son-in-law doing?" Luis said patting Troy on the back and breaking him from his thoughts as he brought his attention back to Luis.
"Well Brie went up to her old house with the movers," he said looking a bit overwhelmed, "Everything should be at the house later tonight." Troy let out a sigh, "I'll be happy when everyone in one place."
"I can understand that," Luis nodded before taking a bite of the apple.
"In the mean time Alex is decorating her room like the Mystery Machine from Scooby-Doo," Troy said reaching for an apple slice off the plate and biting into it.
"Very brave thing to hand over your home to two women," Luis said picking a slice up himself.
"It's worth it," Troy laughed, "I love your daughter and I love my daughter." He paused as he felt his phone vibrate to indicate an incoming text. Opening the phone he read the message then looked up at Luis. "Gabriella just started to load the trucks."
Luis smiled and his eyes glistened, "Tomorrow we will celebrate the engagement, then the wedding, then you will get started on giving me a grandson," he said chuckling as walked over to the table where Troy had left all the bags.
"Wow," Troy said rubbing the back of his neck with his hand, "Isn't that a bit rushed?" he winced with a smile.
"Nonsense," Luis said as he began shifting through the bags. "I knew you were going to marry my daughter the first time you poked your little head over the fence and offered to help me carry the watermelon in from the car," he said with a grin. "We're completely surrounded by females, I've waited twenty-six years for a boy, don't make me wait any longer," he said pointedly as he walked the milk to the fridge.
"Oh don't listen to him," Maria said coming into the kitchen. "He is just old," she said patting Luis on his chest, "You and Gabriella take your time."
Troy nodded and called for Alex. As she came running inside he smiled and bent down to scoop her up. "Thanks again for hosting the engagement party," Troy said leaning in to place a kiss on Maria's cheek.
"Don't mention it," she waved him off, "you guys have a lot to do before that house becomes a home, and you're in no place to be throwing a party."
"Thanks again," Troy repeated anyway. Alex leaned over and kissed her Grandparents and said her good-byes as Troy gave her the piggy back ride out of the house and back to the car.
The night of the engagement party Troy and Gabriella smiled as they danced together smiling into each other eyes. It was really beginning to sink in that they were a family. Gabriella was dancing with the man of her dreams. Troy had finally found that love he had been searching for. Spinning her under his arm he couldn't help but smile at the happiness in his life.
To this day, I'll never understand why grownups make everything so much more complicated than it really is. If only Mom would have took my advice on Doug and if only Dad would have told her how he felt sooner. Then again grownups think they know everything don't they. After getting the whole story from my mom and dad I was able to piece together what happened nine years ago when mom left to Stanford.
Turns out she thought Dad was going to stay with this lady named Susan and she didn't want to make Dad choose between his dreams and being a father right out of high school. Which, seeing how happy Basketball makes my dad, I can see where that was a concern. Mom loved dad too much to take him away from his dreams and Dad loved mom too much to hold her back in a small town when she was destine for something more.
Four months after the wedding Mom was pregnant and carrying my future baby brother Luis. We named him after grandpa because grandpa wanted another boy in the family more than anything. We even got a puppy and I named him Scooby.
Needless to say I guess everything happens for a reason and as much as I hate to admit it but Doug actually did me a favor in the end. He helped me find my dad, untie my parents and move into a small quiet town where I could be closer to my grandparents, both of them. People ask me if I resent my parents all the time. They say it was because of them that I grew up without father for so long.
I could never hate my parents. After all they were following their hearts and by doing that it brought them together again and made their love that much stronger. Growing apart doesn't change the fact that for a long time they grew side by side; no matter what their roots will always be tangled. I'm glad for that. My Family isn't perfect but whose is? Having a family is about having people around that love you.
I've apparently been the victim of growing up, which apparently happens to all of us at one point or another. It's been going on for quite some time now, without me knowing it. I've found that growing up can mean a lot of things. For me, it doesn't mean I should become somebody completely new and stop loving the things I used to love. It means I've just added more things to my list. I still love sparkles and grocery shopping and really old dogs that sleep on your feet. I still love writing in my journal and wearing lots of color all the time. But I've found some new loves as I got older, I love spraying perfumes I used to wear when I was in high school because I get lost in the memories. I love old buildings with the paint chipping off the walls and my dad's stories about college. I love the freedom of living alone, but I'm homesick every night and every morning. I still believe that every once in a while you just need fries, a chocolate milkshake and your mom or dad.
Summers have come and gone for me but I'll never forget that summer because it was the best summer of my life. That was the summer I met my father.
Looking up from the page a young woman sat on a chair opposite side of a discussion board. Her blue eyes still had the same sparkle, her sandy brown curls had straightened out a bit and her features were more defined.
"Well no doubt about it, she can write, and report," an older woman said looking over at an older man who was smiling to himself.
"Yes," he murmured, "I agree. I am very impressed with your work Miss Bolton," the older man smiled.
The other two gentlemen nodded in agreement. "Plus you can't over look who her father is?" said of the older gentlemen, "that alone gives her an edge the other girls didn't have. She grew up around this stuff."
"Well," the woman sitting at the edge said as she closed her notebook, "I believe we found or sports caster. When can you start Alexandra?"
"As soon as possible," Alex said with a wide smile trying to contain herself from combusting into a million pieces.
As soon as she was dismissed Alex got in her car and dialed her father number.
Without a beat Troy answered, "Did you get it?"
"You are talking to the brand new Sports Caster for Fox News," she said beaming from ear to ear.
Cheering could be heard in the back ground from her mother and brother. Smiling Alex click her seat belt and turned on her blue tooth as she went further into details about her new job. Pulling out of her parking space she merged into to traffic getting lost in the hustle and bustle of Chicago.
The End.
Thank you for reading my story and for reviewing. This is my 4th fan fiction. Please feel free to look up more work by me on my fan fiction profile, or follow me on twitter at Punkpoet69. I really enjoy reading the reviews it makes me happy to know that the fantasies I dream up all day while I'm at the copy machine at work aren't just a waste of my time. Thanks for everything you guys rock!
This is Punkpoet69 AKA Jamiesgirl over and out!