Hey guys, there is still another part to this one. I didn't want to squish it all into one chapter. For the first part of this chapter I switched it up some and it's told from Aria's view point. Enjoy this one and I will have the next chapter up as soon I as can for you.
Aria woke with a start, forgetting for a moment where she was at. The pale purple walls and the bed bigger than the one she calls hers at home, brought her back to remembering she spent the night in Zoe's old room, by far too tired to stay awake on the car ride home to make it to her bed. Not that she minded staying at Zoe's. She really liked Zoe. Not only did Zoe make her dad happy, happier than she could ever remember him being, but Zoe got her as far as growing up with only a father. She got along with Zoe and she had no reason to sabotage her dad's happiness. Besides if he focused more on Zoe and less on her than maybe she could spend more time with Mitchell.
Hearing the shower in Zoe's room turn on, she got up and walked over to the closet, smiling when she noticed that Zoe still had some of her clothes hanging up. She didn't think they would fit, but she saw a pretty purplish blue halter sweetheart dress, with a white belt. She wasn't one to wear a dress. The idea of wearing a dress never occurred to her, but today she really wanted to wear the dress hanging up in Zoe's closet. She wanted to step outside of her comfort zone.
"Morning sweetie," Wade said, sticking his head into the room, getting the all clear from his daughter.
"Morning dad," she smiled. "Do you think Zoe would mind if I borrowed some of her old clothes?" She asked. She really didn't want to spend the morning in her clothes from yesterday.
"I don't think she would, do you want me to check with Zoe?" He asked.
"Would you?" Aria asked, looking to her dad. She didn't feel comfortable enough to go on her dad's words. She didn't want to make Zoe upset with her for going through her things.
"Of course, sweetheart," Wade smiled, heading back down the hall to where Zoe's room is located at.
Aria went back to looking through the clothes Zoe had in the closet hanging up. Noticing that Zoe had quite a few dresses and skirts in the closet. The complete opposite of her own style. Though her eyes kept going back to the one dress she is itching to wear. She didn't want to because her whole family would be getting their way in seeing her in a dress again, but on the other hand, she did want to dress more girly, especially now that Zoe would be helping her getting her dad on board with her dating Mitchell.
"Zoe, said you can help yourself to whatever you want," Wade announced sticking his head into the room.
"Okay," she said. "Can you shut the door, so I can get dressed?" She asked looking over at her dad.
"Come down when you're ready so we can head over to grandma's," he informed her.
She nodded, waiting for her dad to shut the door, so she get dressed in the one article of clothing she swore she wouldn't wear on her own accord if she didn't have to. She can't remember where her dislike of dresses comes from, it was just there, clearly not the same thought process as Zoe as she didn't see any jeans in the closet. Taking a look at the dresser she wondered if that is where Zoe keeps them. She'll find that out another day.
She smiles at her reflection in the mirror, seeing the dress fit her perfectly. Spinning to make the dress puff out; that has to be her favorite part. She can't for the life of her figure out what was so bad about wearing a dress. The shoes on the other hand, she wouldn't dare try to wear anything that isn't her chucks.
"My little girl is wearing a dress," Wade said shocked seeing his daughter in a dress.
"What? It is a pretty dress and I like it," she lamely said.
"You look gorgeous, Aria. Better than I ever did in that dress," Zoe complimented, wearing a black and white dress of her own. "You can keep the dress if you want and any other articles of clothing that fit you," Zoe told her.
"You don't have to do that," Aria said, shaking her head. She couldn't take Zoe's clothes. Even though she really wanted to do so.
"I want to, Aria. Dust is all they will collect here. I got rid of everything else clothes wise, just a select few pieces I couldn't part with. And you are more than welcomed to have them," Zoe assured her. It wasn't as if she would be able to fit into them again.
"I'll have a better look another day," Aria promised, with a smile. "We best be going before we are late and have to deal with grandma," she said on a serious note.
"Your grandma is going to faint than freak out over you wearing a dress. She is going to worship Zoe for getting you into one," Wade remarked, walking outside, waiting for Zoe to lock her house up.
"Can we shut up about me wearing a dress already?" She asked. "It's not the end of the world, zombies aren't walking around. Life will go on," she dramatically stated, rolling her eyes. She knew she wasn't even close to hearing the end of it. Not when they had to have breakfast with her family.
"I don't see the big deal in her wearing a dress," Zoe piped in, walking to the passenger side of Wade's car.
"Exactly, Zoe," Aria smiled at her. "See dad, your girlfriend gets it. Why can't you?"
"The big deal is the last time Aria wore a dress she was 3. Ever since she has refused to wear a dress, demanding she dress herself so she didn't have to be forced into a dress she would only tear off seconds later. So for her to be wearing one is a miracle in itself," he explained, unlocking his car, for everyone to get in.
"Still don't get the big deal," Zoe said with a shrug, sharing a look with the girl in question.
"Can we just move on to something else already?" Aria asked, buckling up in the backseat of the car.
"Like the fact midterms are coming up and you need to start putting your focus on them instead of the gossip going around school?" He asked his daughter, looking in the rearview mirror at her.
"What gossip dad?" She asked with an innocent smile. "And I am studying, double what my friends are, thank you very much," she sarcastically said.
"You will be thanking me when you ace them and your friends barely pass," he smirked, coming to a stop at a stop sign. Aria rolled her eyes at him.
"Or we can talk about the fact you are taking Zoe, your girlfriend to breakfast at Grandma's place," she smirked, from the backseat.
"Kid, I hate to break it to you," Wade started to say, stopping at a stop sign to turn left.
"Zoe, has been to grandma's for breakfast many times. So many in fact she has been given her own spot at the table growing up," he shared, making the turn when it was his turn to do so.
"You mean the spot that no-one is allowed to sit in?" Aria asked, looking at her father through the rear-view mirror.
"The one and same," he smirked, casting a glance at Zoe.
"Wait! You're telling me that after all this time, I still have my spot at your mom's table?" She questioned.
"Zo, you were a daughter to her, she wouldn't let anyone sit there. If someone had to sit there it would be me. Mom, sees it as your place. She isn't about to replace you," he told her.
"That's oddly sweet," Zoe commented. "Does she know I am coming with you today?"
"It'll be a fun surprise," Wade chuckled. "She's been getting on my case to bring you over, now she can stop."
"Zoe, I am starting to see that it might be a good thing you already know this family. That way you don't have the impulse to dump my dad for his half brain ideas," Aria spoke up from the back.
"You might be onto something there," Zoe smiled.
Wade really wanted to question his daughter about the comment she made, he figured it would be best not to question her while they had a small audience. To him it sounded like she was worried that if they happened to break up at any point in the future that Zoe would want nothing to do with her after they had started to bond. He knew Zoe would never do that, but Aria? She didn't know that about Zoe.
"Zoe?" Jesse questioned, seeing her enter right after his niece who he quickly wrapped up into a hug. Giving her a little grief for her outfit of choice. Which earned him a small punch to his arm.
"Jesse, hey," Zoe smiled, sharing an awkward hug with the guy that was more of brother figure to her than a friend.
"Did I hear Zoe's name?" Jackie asked, emerging from the kitchen. "Aria, sweetie," she said, sharing a hug with her granddaughter. "You look lovely in that dress," she complimented.
"Thanks grandma. And yep, dad brought Zoe as a surprise," she shrugged, heading off to find her cousins, after stopping to say hi to her aunt.
"It's about time," Jackie pointedly told her son, pulling Zoe into a hug. "How are you doing?" She asked, pulling Zoe to the kitchen.
"Mom just hijacked your girlfriend," Jesse laughed. "Should've known mom loves her more than you. She did want a daughter but got you instead," he teased.
"Shut up," Wade laughed. "You are the one that has a name that can be used for a girl," he pointed out. "I knew mom would and I really don't think Zoe minds one bit. How is the whole adoption coming along?" Wade asked.
"It's crazy," Jesse sighed.
As the brothers chatted in the living room the women chatted in the kitchen, Zoe jumping right in to help finish the meal, all while being introduced to Becky, who pointed out which of her sons was Charlie the youngest and the oldest one, Bryson. Watching them for a moment Zoe could make out the striking resemblance to the older Kinsella brother. It goes without saying that Zoe could see traces of Becky mixed in there as well.
"I'm shocked you're oldest isn't out there sitting on a phone or playing a handheld game of some sort," Zoe commented, moving over to help Jackie with the food on the stove.
"Trust me, he wants to and he does," Becky sighed. Her son had a horrible addiction to any electronic device, but it is the world they live in. It's hard to get him to go a mile to a store without the light from the screen from either his phone or his gaming system in his face. "We've set a very strict rule that Sunday's he needs to stay off of them and be the sociable kid that we raised him to be."
"If it were up to me, Bryson would be on them far less than he is now," Jackie commented. "I raised two boys and they were outside rather than cooped up in their rooms battling some monster," she ranted, moving about her kitchen.
Zoe and Becky shared an amused look behind Jackie's back, trying their hardest to hold their laughter in. Jesse and Wade joined them in the kitchen a that moment sharing confused looks seeing their better halves ready to burst into a laughter fit.
"Do we even want to know?" Jesse questioned, walking to the fridge to get the juice out to pour himself a glass, skipping what would have been his fourth cup of coffee that morning.
"I don't think we do," Wade commented, with a soft chuckle, grabbing a coffee cup. "Do you want some?" He asked Zoe.
"I'm good," she smiled at him. "Your mom is going off on how evil technology is," she shrugged, moving to help Becky get the table set.
"That topic again?" Jesse asked with a groan. "We hear this every week when she comes over for dinner in the middle of the week."
"Wouldn't it be easier if you just kept both your kids from playing their games that night?" Zoe whisper asked the oldest brother.
"It doesn't help," Jesse commented. "She sees the X-Box and she drags it out. That woman can be so infuriating."
"I heard that Jesse," his mom sweetly called out over her shoulder.
"You were meant to, Ma," Jesse laughed.
Zoe laughed standing back watching the people that were a second family to her while growing up. And in that moment watching how the family expanded but hadn't changed, she came to realize just how much she had missed spending time with all of them.
"You okay?" Wade questioned, coming up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his chin falling to rest on her shoulder.
"I'm okay," she smiled, resting her head against his. "I missed this," she told him.