Mari's ANs: Sammy and Ilna, love you to the moon. REAL McRollers and Readers, thanks doesn't seem like enough, but thank you always.

Sammy's ANs: Mari & Ilna-you're the best. McRollers-thanks for reading.

Pastel Lights and Negotiation Skills

When Steve parked at Party City, Angie was already bouncing in her seat.

"We're here!" Her eyes sparkled and she giggled as she got free of her seatbelt. "Decoration time!"

DJ took her hand as they stepped out of the truck and held it until they were through the parking lot. "Looks like lots of people are shopping for decorations." He noted the full lot.

"They all need decorations." The seven year old grabbed on to the cart Catherine selected. "It's almost Easter and it's Passover, too. We talked about that in Brownies." Her head swivelled as soon as they entered the store. To the left of the doors was a giant rabbit, chick and lamb decoration, while straight ahead stood banners that read, 'Hoppy Easter' adorned with hopping bunnies. "I love holidays, they're so fun."

Catherine smiled at Steve with their daughter's next statement, "We need bunnies, and we need goat decorations."

"We can look," Steve told her. "But lambs are more traditional for Easter, baby girl."

"I love lambs, too, but goats are the best," she said without missing a beat.

DJ chuckled at his sister wanting her favorite animal represented. "We'll look for some goats while we shop."

Steve squeezed his son's shoulder with a grin, shaking his head as they made their way toward the first aisle. "Alright, keep your eyes peeled for goats."

Angie squealed at the walls filled with decorations and party supplies. "Look at all the pretty stuff!"

The aisle sported enough Easter decorations to outfit a city.

"Look at these!" Angie held up a pair of glittery, light up bunny ears. "Should we get these for everybody to wear at dinner?"

"Fifty people wearing those is a little much, baby girl." Steve said, bending to kiss her head. "If you'll actually keep them on your head for more than five minutes, you can get a pair and we'll keep looking for decorations for the house and deck, how's that sound?"

"Hmmm, maybe I'll get something different," she said with a thoughtful look. "I don't really like things on my head, even though they are very very pretty."

"Good idea," Catherine said with a smirk for Steve "How about we grab the trays and sternos for the buffett, and then we start on decorations?"

"I'll get the trays," DJ offered, spotting the endcap with hundreds of catering style aluminum trays and covers. "Fifty, like at Christmas?"

"Perfect, buddy," Steve said, while lifting packages of sternos and putting them into the cart.

Angie was first to turn into the next aisle, and a little gasp escaped her lips. "Ohhh, look! Lights! We need... what's it called when colors are spring-y and not bright?"

"Pastels," Catherine said with a grin. "They're called pastel colors."

"We need pastel lights!"

"Pastel lights?" DJ echoed, "Like Christmas lights and Halloween lights? That is kind of cool."

"Yes!" She pointed at a string of flower shaped lights in soft pinks, blues and yellows, her eyes wide. "They'll look very pretty on the deck!"

Catherine exchanged a glance with Steve, who shrugged. "Why not?"

Angie beamed when her mother grabbed several sets of lights and put them in the cart. "Yay! Thank you!"

DJ dropped some fill-in-the-name place setting cards adorned with spring flowers into the cart he was pushing. "What's next on our list? Good thing we got two carts."

"Do you think we should stop at Mr. Jirou's and get some Easter cookies on the way home?" Angie asked with an air of forced casualness.

"It's still a little early for that," Catherine said. "The cookies will be stale by the time Easter gets here."

"But maybe we should get them anyway," Angie said. "We can taste them all now and that way we'll know which ones are good for when Easter comes."

"I thought you and DJ were planning to bake cookies with Grandma this weekend." Catherine placed several aluminum serving platters in the cart. "I'm sure she'd be happy to try a few new kinds with you."

Angie huffed, then a second later brightened. "But Mommy, you always say it's a good thing to support local small businesses and that's Mr Jirou so we should buy things from him as often as possible."

Steve, who had come around the corner with DJ from another aisle just in time to hear the end of the conversation, tried to cover a bark laugh with a cough. When he made eye contact with Catherine he saw she could barely hide her own amusement.

"Are you sure this is about Mr. Jirou's business and not just that you want cookies?" Catherine asked after she regained her composure.

Angie thought for a few seconds and then, wanting to be honest, replied, "Can it be both things at once?"

"Actually, it can," Catherine said. "We need to stop for a few things on the way home anyway so you and DJ can each pick out one cookie to eat AFTER dinner."

Angie beamed. "And one for tomorrow too?"

Catherine chuckled. "We'll see."

As DJ and Angie began talking about what kind of cookies they would be getting Steve leaned in close and whispered to Catherine, "Her negotiation skills are getting better every day. I think we might need to brush up on ours just to keep up."

Catherine nodded. "That's probably not a bad idea."

They moved on, Angie still bubbling with ideas. "Do we need streamers? And balloons! We need balloons."

"We can't put loose balloons outside, remember? If they blow away, they'll end up in the ocean. Maybe a few for in the living room?" DJ siad.

"That's a good idea. And can we get streamers?" Angie added, her voice rising with excitement. "They can hang everywhere cause they disgrade."

"Degrade. They're biodegradable," her brother pointed to the package.

"Yeah, that, cause they won't hurt the ocean." The little girl nodded and Catherine smiled at her son's always thoughtful insights.

In the next aisle, a definite outside voice squeal came from Angie. "Goats!" She exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. She ran ahead, curls bouncing as she weaved through other shoppers.

"And she found goats," Steve said, quickening his pace to catch up, while Catherine and DJ shared a smile at Angie's usual enthusiasm.

In the center of the aisle, was a display of stuffed animals, including goats wearing tiny Easter bonnets.

"These are perfect," Angie said as she snuggled one of the plush goats. "This is gonna be the best Easter ever."

THE END

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