When Wishes Come True
"Whatcha workin' on," Lou asked Angelica, ambling over to her, wearing a fedora he'd picked up in Chicago.
"Just drawing," Angelica said, glancing at Chuckie, Phil and Lil who were playing with their blocks while Tommy was over in the sandbox. She had thought about going over to pester and bully them but seeing her grandpa so close by she'd realized that doing so would only get her in trouble. So instead her and Cynthia had decided to draw some stuff on the pad of paper her daddy had recently gotten her; she wanted to make a picture for Susie to thank her for letting her sleep at her house the other night.
"Well, I just picked some strawberries from the garden and I am thinkin' some chocolate dip would go perfect with'em. Wanna join me?"
"Okay!" Angelica said, excited just as Stu came to take over watching the kids, Drew a few steps behind. "Hi Uncle Stu, daddy. Bye Uncle Stu, daddy!"
"Bye princess," Drew said, shaking his head. "I'm so glad her and pop are bonding more."
"Me too. I think its good for them both." Drew sat down at the patio table, Stu joining him. "So anyway I went to the sculptor to get a gazing ball and you know what he showed me?"
"What?"
"A full glass statue of Angelica he'd drawn."
"That's… creepy."
"That's what I said!" Drew claimed. "I love my daughter but making her a lawn ornament? No thank you!"
"Hey Chuckie," Phil asked, "do you think you are ever going to make up with Tommy?"
"Is he going to apologize for always forcing us on his adventures and leaving us behind to get hurt and never listening to a word we say?"
The twins looked at each other and shrugged.
"Then no!" Chuckie declared.
"But… its kind of boring to just play by ourselves."
"Better than being dead." Though, Chuckie could admit, it had been a rather slow day…
Meanwhile in the sandbox Tommy saw it not as a mere sandbox in his yard but a great desert that he was crossing to find a mystical land filled with magic and adventure. He grinned as he ambled along, wiping his brow. "We're almost there everyone! A land full of adventure and excitement!" He took another step and hissed in pain; the sand was very hot. Maybe he shouldn't be walking on it… but no. Adventures were worth pain! "Come on guys!" he said to his companions… a rock and a piece of dog poopy he'd found.
Tommy continued on, wincing as he burned his little feet on the sand (and Didi would be horrified when she realized how hurt Tommy was later that night during his bath, swearing that she needed to stop letting him run around in such limited clothing) while Chuckie stacked blocked and fought back yawns.