Chapter Nine:

I sat on the sofa in my living room, flipping through a magazine, when there was a knock at the door. I rolled my eyes and stood up, "Ike, did you forget your house keys again?" I asked pulling open the door, yet it wasn't Ike.

It was Marcie.

Marcie smiled at me, "Hi baby sis!" She pulled me into a tight hug.

"Marcie?" I said, "What are you doing here?"

Marcie smiled and side stepped me into my house, "Like a big sister needs a reason to come see her baby sister."

I shut the front door, "Not normally, but you are Marcie West, you want something."

Marcie turned to look at me and smiled, "You know me so well."

I leaned against the front door, "What do you want Marcie?"

Marcie clapped her hands together, "Well, you see, I was going on a me shopping trip because I just haven't had time, you know four kids and all, and I wanted a shopping buddy."

"What about Zuri?" I asked.

Marcie waved her hand, "Is it a shame that I love my sister and want to spend time with my sister."

"What about my kids? I have to pick them up from school."

"I already called Ike and he told me to drag you out kicking and screaming if I had too. Also that he loves you and he wants you to have fun."

I sighed, "You really will drag me out kicking and screaming won't you?"

Marcie nodded, "And remember you can't out run me, I have super speed too!"

I shook my head, "Okay, just let me grab my purse."

"Yay!" Marcie cried.

I shook my head and walked into the kitchen grabbing my purse and then a spare piece of paper, I quickly scribbled on it, Left with Marcie. Don't forget the kids.. Love, Norah.

Then I walked back into the living room. "Let's go."

Marcie looped her arm through mine, "Yes! And guess what, since Hale needs the van to pick up the kids, I got to borrow his car, so the seats aren't stained with juice."

"That's a relief," I said, "because it's not like I don't know what it's like to sit on a seat stained with juice."

Marcie shrugged and waited as I locked the door, "It's nice to spend time with you again, I feel like we haven't seen each other in forever."

I shook my head, "We saw each other last Friday when mom and dad invited all of us over for dinner."

"But it hasn't been just the two of us in forever."

We walked down the stairs and to Hale's car. Marcie ran to the driver's side and I pulled open the passenger door. "WHOOP!" Marcie cried.

I rolled my eyes, "Marcie, we are just going shopping."

"But alone, without anyone else."

I shook my head and Marcie started backing out of my drive way, "Speaking of anyone else, mom invited you to the thing at her house in a couple weeks, right?"

"Yea," Marcie said, "why wouldn't she?"

I shrugged, "Did she invited Parker."

Marcie nodded, "Yep."

"I'm excited to get to talk to Andy again, I mean I got to meet her at the wedding, but still."

"Parker is strange, so it makes sense his wife is the same way."

"Isn't their daughter a couple years younger then Marcie?"

"Audrey is thirteen and then they have Charlotte who's eleven and uh..."

"Felix, right?" I said.

"Felix that's it and he's three."

"How does Parker have a kid younger then both my kids?"

Marcie shrugged, "I don't know. Magic? Parker doesn't age, if you looked at him. I think his body froze him as a eighteen year old boy forever."

I laughed, "I wish I had froze as an eighteen year old girl."

Marcie rolled her eyes, "I don't believe you do. Eighteen year old me, scared me."

"But you had been dating Hale for like ever by then, I think you were on the right track."

"But eighteen year old me was a girl worried about boys and got super jealous and crazy when Hale even looked in the direction of a girl."

I laughed, "I like how to act like you got wiser with age, but I believe you just got more crazy, but then again I am your sister, I see things from a different point of view."

Marcie turned on to the highway, "How'd I get crazier?"

"Hmm," I said, "Well you basically talked Ike into the plan to ask me to marry him and now this."

Marcie shrugged, "Those are only two things and Ike was going to ask anyway, I just helped him with the plan."

I rolled my eyes, "You know, Mar, I love you."

Marcie smiled, "I haven't heard you call me Mar in awhile. And I love you too."

I laughed, "How did Mar even become a thing? I just remember calling you it one day when I came home from kindergarten."

Marcie glanced at me, "You couldn't really say Marcie as a baby, don't know why, it wasn't that hard, so you called me Mar-Mar. I guess as you got older you just stopped with Mar-Mar and went to Mar."

I laughed again, "Why did Parker have to be the middle kid, I missed you a lot once you married Hale and moved out, I wish we weren't as far apart as we are."

Marcie smiled, "I don't know, I was so excited when mom and dad told me I was going to get a sister. Parker, he was crushed, he wanted a boy."

I smiled, "But Parker loves me too."

"Well of course, you are our baby sister."

"I remember when dad took Parker and I up to the hospital to see you after you had been born, I was the fourth person to hold you, falling only behind the doctor, mom, and dad."

"Grandma hadn't yet?"

"Nope."

"What about Parker?" I asked.

"He wouldn't touch you, he was really upset. But I got to hold you and you actually fell asleep in my arms and I got to kiss you too. You were very cute back then."

"Hey!" I cried.

Marcie shrugged, "I guess that's one good thing about our age difference, I can remember holding you, I can't even remember going to see Parker."

"Who cares, Parker was a smelly boy."

"I remember being like, 'what do you mean my new sibling won't like dresses.' to mom. She laughed so hard, she almost peed herself."

"Do you remember the day we learned I had super speed?" I asked.

"Yes, do you?"

"Vaguely," I said, "I was six."

Marcie nodded, "And I had just driven us home from the library when you realized you had forgotten Stuffy, the stuffed bear, not to be confused with your cat, and before I could even offer to drive, you took off running and came back in about three minutes."

"Mom didn't know if she should be proud or mad at me," I said.

Marcie smiled, "You know I was the one who picked out that stupid bear, that you had until it lost both eyes and an arm."

I nodded, "Mom told me that."

Marcie turned into the mall parking lot, "So baby sister, you ready for some shopping?"
I sighed, "Sure?"

Marcie smiled, "It's going to be fun," she cut off the car.

I shook my head, "Sure."

Marcie smiled, "Let's go," She pushed open the car door.

I pushed open my door too and climbed out.

This probably was going to be a long day.

LIDILIDI

Hours later, Marcie and I came out our arms piled high with bags. "That was totally fun!" Marcie laughed.

I sighed and tossed my bags in the back of her car, "Sure, for you. You forced me into like seventeen outfits I didn't want to try on."

"But that dress was so cute on you."

I rolled my eyes, "Just drive and take me home."

Marcie opened the car door, "Can do sis, Ike said he needed you anyway."

I climbed in, "Of course, the kids are probably driving him crazy."

"Or he just misses you."

I nodded and Marcie pulled out of the parking lot and we started the drive home.

LIDILIDI

Marcie pulled in my driveway and put the car in park. She turned and looked at me, "Thanks for today Norah."

I smiled and hugged her over the seat, "You are welcome, I miss being able to hang out with you when ever I want, we are both so busy with our kids."

Marcie shrugged, "Just call Norah, I'll always make time for you."

The front door opened and Ike stepped out, he waved and Marcie waved back. "I love you Marcie, you are the best sister a girl could ever ask for."

` Marcie smiled, "I love you too Norah."

I pushed open the car door, "I'll see you soon."

Marcie nodded, "And maybe next time we can invite Parker."

I laughed, "Yea, maybe, if he will even step into a mall."

Marcie rolled her eyes, "We'll force him."

I pulled open her back door and grabbed out my shopping bags, "Bye Mar."

"See you Norah."

I shut both doors and hurried up the porch steps. Ike pulled me in a hug and kissed me, "Hello dear, I missed you."

I smiled, "I missed you too."

Marcie honked her car horn and I turned around and waved and Marcie waved back. "Don't be a stranger!" I called.

"Don't worry!" Marcie called back, "That's not in my nature," She backed out of the drive way, "Bye Ike! Bye Norah!"

"Bye!"

Marcie took off and Ike and I turned into the house.

"Mommy!"

Nick and Jenny came running at me and hugged me. Ike gently released the shopping bags from my hands and I wrapped my arms around my kids, "Hi!"

"Where were you mommy?" Jenny asked.

"Out with Aunt Marcie," I said kissing her and Nick's head, "how was school?"

"We played with monster trucks!" Nick cried.

I smiled, "I'm glad you had fun, have you eaten dinner yet?"

Jenny shook her head, "We were waiting for you mommy."

I stood up, "Well then, let's go eat."

Jenny took one hand and Nick took the other and together we walked into the kitchen.

Ike smiled as we came in and we all took our seats and under the table Ike pressed his knee against mine. "I love you Norah."

"I love you too Ike," I said.

I looked towards Nick and Jenny, "I love you Jenny, I love you Nick."

"We love you too mommy!" They chimed.

I smiled, sometimes family was all you needed.

Author's Note: Sorry for not updating this is like a month. (Almost.) I just haven't had time. School is killing me.

Other news, next week is my last week in school before winter break, but it's also exam week. UGH.

So wish me luck.

Hope you liked this chapter.

-Lidi999