As Ace and Mel exit the building; Ace hears a voice she is beginning to memorize shout her name. "ACE wait up." She turns around. "I told you I would give you my number so I could give you my notes."
"That you did," he feels around for a pen and paper. "Here," she rips out a piece and quickly squibbles her name and number on it. "My number. I'll see you tomorrow Graham."
"You betcha you will." She gets in the car as Graham heads to the bus.
"So kiddo, how was your first day?" Her dad asks.
"It went better than I thought it would."
"She already made a new friend." Mel teases her.
"Really what's her name?"
"Oh Harry, it isn't a her, it's a he."
"A boy."
"His name is Graham and so far we share every class together."
"Is he nice?"
"Yes, Dad he is, he moved here from Sheffleild last year."
"So something in common," her Dad points out.
"I think they have more in common than that, but they just met," Mel jokes.
"He seems to be an all around good guy."
"I am glad to hear that. Do the two of you want to do something while we wait for Liam to get out?"
"Ice Cream," Mel asks.
"Only if we also get him a cone." Ace, not wanting Liam to be left out, suggests.
"You are a great big sister Dorothy."
"I had to be, Mum didn't do much of anything for us."
"Well, that has changed you and Liam are loved and cared for here," his knuckles go white while driving knowing what his ex wife put his two kids through.
"Harry, are you ok," Mel asks, seeing how Harry's knuckles look different.
"Yes, just glad my two kids and you Mel are in a good household." They pull up to Cold Stone and get out of the car as Ace's phone goes off. "Will that be the young man you gave your number to?"
"His name is Graham, Dad," she looks at the message.
'Hi Ace, this is Graham, I am glad I met you today.'
Smiling at it she responds, 'thank you for being in all my classes, it made it a lot easier to get through my day with a friendly face.'
'This friendly face will be happy to see you tomorrow with copies of his notes.' She laughs as a horrible selfie comes through.
"It's good to hear you laugh, Dorothy."
"I agree." Mel knows it could only be one person causing this reaction and she wonders if Ace knows it yet.
"So may I know what caused that laugh so I can replicate it," asks Harry.
"I don't think it's something you can do," replies the girl who he sees like a daughter but he sometimes regrets that he does.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, I think it's Graham."
"Oh," he watches his daughter as she takes a goofy picture of herself and sends it. "Ace, is there something more about Graham?"
"No, we just met today and I said having him in every class today helped me out, and he sent me a goofy pic telling me that he is looking forward to tomorrow."
"Oh I think there's more, you haven't even eaten any of your Ice Cream, your head is buried in her phone talking to this Graham. Though if it's him that helps you smile again, he's ok."
"I'm sorry Dad, let me just tell Graham I'll talk to him later." She quickly sends off text to Graham telling him she will talk to him later. "How was your day off Dad?"
"It was relaxing, I had lunch with Zoe." He mentioned Mel's mom.
"That is not new Harry, you and Mom have lunch together often."
"We also talked about you kids, and much the three of you mean to us. Ace my Fire Princess."
"Please don't Dad."
"I know you still make some of your Nitro in the shed, why do you think I did construction on it? I wanted to make sure it was safe for you."
"You don't care?"
"Only if you keep your brother away and take precautions and the second part if you and Graham ever get together."
"DA-ad, there is nothing there. We just met today."
"With that I think you two need to finish your ice cream and I will go order your brother's."
"Is he this bad?"
"I haven't dated or had any interest in dating."
"I don't have an interest in dating."
"You say that now, but Ace when you talked about Graham and lunch you blushed."
"I did what?!"
"Hey it's ok, if you like him from what little I know about him he's a good guy. Cares about everyone."
"I just have to get to know him more."
"That's good. If you want any advice on anything you know where I live."
"We live in the same house."
"I know."
"Are you two finished," Harry comes up to them with a cone for Liam.
"Yeah, let's go get Liam." They head to the car Ace again hoping Liam had a good day. As they arrive at his school Ace is the first to get out. Harry is again glad that the two are so close. "Ace, wait up, I have to be with you. After you get your license, I can put you on his contact list."
"I understand, but today I want to see him. See how his day went." The three wait, Ace barely sees a streak of dirty blonde almost brown hair before she is being crushed by a hug. "Liam I can't breathe."
"Sorry Dotty," Liam steps back, "I had a great first day."
"That's great Li, come on we have something for you."
"What?"
"Ice cream Champ." Harry ruffles his son's hair. Mel stands back and watches the family.
"Melanie, did hear that, ice cream."
"Ace made sure we got you some."
"Thank you Dotty, I love you."
"I love you too Li. Come on, let's go home."
In the car, "Dotty guess what."
"What?"
"I made a new friend."
"That's great, what's their name?"
"Adric, he has an older sister. Do you know her?"
"Maybe?" She looks over to Mel.
"She met his sister today."
"That's great, maybe they both can come over one day. Wouldn't that be awesome?"
"It would be Liam, though I am not sure which one of the people I met today was his sister.
"You only talked to three people, not including myself today."
"So Tegan or Nyssa."
"He said her name was Tegan." Liam pipes up. "He said she is annoying at times, especially when her girlfriend is around. He likes her girlfriend, she is nice to him, but the two of them sneak off at times."
"Maybe one day that will be your sister with a boyfriend." Mel jokes.
"Or girlfriend," Liam says, "she likes both."
"Well, this time it's a boy."
"Cool, is he different?"
"LIAM!"
"What I don't like is when you cry." What Liam doesn't know is that she lied about seeing people. She wanted to protect him from everything their mother ever did.
"Who hurt you before Dorothy."
"I'll tell you later," she makes eye contact with her dad through the rearview mirror.
"Why don't you text Graham."
"I think I will call him later to go over some notes." She is glad Mel changed the subject, when they arrive home a small blue car is sitting out front.
"Okay you three start on homework." Harry tells them.
"I want to hear how their days went first." Zoe says as they are inside.
"My day was normal Mom, but Ace."
"Did everything go ok Honey?"
"Everything went fine Ms. Heroit," after her divorce from Mel's father she went back to her maiden name.
"I told you to call me Zoe."
"It's just that if I ever called an adult by their name," she lets the sentence trail off remembering that Liam is right there.
"It's ok, you don't have to say anything. I wish I didn't understand, but I do. What sounds good for dinner?"
"Umm Zoe, Dear."
"What did you do Harry?"
"For the first day of school I treated them all to ice cream."
"Well, this one time it's okay. A first day can be nerve wrecking, but you three," she points to Mel, Ace and Liam, are still going to eat dinner tonight.
"I understand Ms," a look, "Zoe." Zoe gets up and gives each of them a hug, Ace freezes for a second before returning the hug.
"I want you to know Ace, that you are loved by everyone here." Mel watches on knowing there has to be a lot that happened for Ace to react that way.
After Mel completes her homework she goes to Ace's room and knocks on the door. "Come in."
"Ace, can we talk about something?"
"Depends on what?"
"What happened between you and your mom?"
"None of your business," she looks away hoping for a subject change.
"Please tell me so I can help."
"How can you help, you were never abused, never had to protect your little brother from it all."
"Your mom hit you?"
"More than hit me, I know how to hide it all and make up excuses for everything now, can you get out of my room?"
"You can talk to me about anything you know."
"I only need Liam."
"You need more than him and you have more people."
"I."
"Girls dinner is ready," they hear Zoe's voice.
"What my Mom said earlier about you being loved, well, that is true. Coming Mom." Mel heads out, Ace a little bit behind her.