Pick a title

"We could do subs," Jason agrees. "If we're gonna bring stuff back here anyway. I'm sure we can find something for Kaylee too." Standing up, he picks up Kaylee as he does, setting her on his hip. "Alright, kiddo. Time for a ride." He looks between Katie and Sandy. "We can take my truck so we can all ride together." 

...The rest of lunch and partial afternoon goes well. At least for the most part. There was plenty more laughter over Kaylee's antics and by the time Cindy showed up to take her off their hands, they'd been around the pond at least ten times, fed more ducks and chased more dandelion seeds than one could imagine. Kaylee was visibly tired but too stubborn to slow down, even when Cindy picks her up... 

...Jason groans and flops down on his couch. It would be suppertime soon and he had no clue what was on for the evening. At least they didn't have to go in to work or anything. Katie probably had some idea of how to spend their time - she usually did. 

Tugging on her hand, he pulls her down onto the couch with him so she could lie on top of him and he kisses her head. "I think I might be too tired to do anything at all tonight," he admits. "That kid has more energy than a wild mustang." He was ignoring the earlier slight spat with Katie, and he knew it. But he didn't want to talk about it. He just wanted to have a normal evening and forget about the way he'd felt before.

Eric's eyes widen as Ashlee throws her arms around him, and a grin creases his lips. Laughing, he wraps his arms around her in a tight hug. "You're welcome, Kiddo. You deserve it." 

Looking over at Stacy, his eyes lock with hers for just a moment. And for just a moment, he felt a part of something... something more than he had before...

Pulling away from Ashlee, he flicks her cheek with a finger. "If your mom says it's okay, you can have your first ride this afternoon. Moonbeam's been waiting for you." 

He looks back over to Stacy again. "What do ya say, Mom? Think that'd be okay with you?" 

Off to the side, Mick's eyes watch the scene and he smiles. Was anybody else noticing what was going on here, or was it just him? He wasn't sure. But what he was sure of, was that Eric was starting to have two pretty special girls in his life. 

Glancing at his side to Rosetta, Mick tosses her a wink.

"It's definitely a boat."

"Hippo."

"Boat."

"Hippo."

"Boat."

"Hippo!" Mackenzie flicks sand in Justin's direction.

He grins and remains staring up at the clouds in the sky. He and Mackenzie were both lying on their backs on the riverbank, arguing over just about every cloud that passed. It was all in good fun though, as their laughter proved.

"Okay, okay," he relents. "I kinda see a hippo. But that one right over there..." he points. "That's a squirrel."

"What?!" Mackenzie scrunches her nose, squinting into the bright sky. "It's a dinosaur."

"With a bushy tail? Seriously?"

"No, that's his body!"

"Oh, right right." Justin laughs. "I see it now. I think."

Mackenzie smirks. "Sure you do."

"Mm-hmm." Justin keeps watching the clouds, falling silent for several minutes. "So you still haven't told me what your favorite thing to do is." 

"You didn't ask."

"Didn't I? Oh, well, what's your favorite thing to do?" 

Mackenzie thinks and finally shrugs. "I dunno." 

"You gotta at least know something." 

"Not really. But I guess...well, spending time with my dad, probably." 

"Ken?" 

"No. Carson's my dad. You know that." 

"Right." Justin gives her a sidelong glance. "So what's so great about him?" 

Mackenzie shrugs again. "He's nice. And... he's my dad." 

"Dad's are usually nice."

"Not all of them." 

"Really?" 

Silence. 

Justin turns his head to see Mackenzie staring intently at the sky. "What makes you say that?" 

"Just 'cause." 

Justin knew good and well that she was thinking of the couple who had adopted her and kept her for a short while. He knew the details of the abuse and he wasn't surprised in the least that she was clamming up now. "Kinda hurts when people we trust don't love us like we think they will, huh?"

"I guess." 

...An hour later, Justin was driving back through town after having met Ken to drop off Mackenzie. He'd gotten her to talk just a little bit - but an inch to some was a mile for her, so he was satisfied with the day. She had an awful lot of baggage stored up that she'd never dealt with, and it was going to take some time. 

Coming to an intersection, Justin pauses. Left would take him to his mother's. Right would take him to the hospital. He sighs. He'd just spent over an hour working with someone on their problems and he wasn't even facing his own. Finally, he turns right. 

"And up and down and out to the side..." 

Jared listens dully to the nurse as he performs his daily exercise for his right shoulder. It hurt a little less every day, but just lying here day in and day out made him stiff and sore. 

"There we go. You're doing great."

Jared smirks at the older lady. He felt as if he were three years old. "Thanks." Not surprisingly, she didn't catch on to his sarcasm. 

"And now your legs..." She pulls back the covers on his bed. "Can you feel this?"

It was the same old routine. "No... no.... and no." He didn't feel anything. He never did. It was hopeless. He was never going to walk again. He was-

"Oh, do that again!"

He looks up at the nurse with surprise. "Do what?" 

"Your toe."

"What about it?"

"It moved."

It had? Jared stares down at his feet and his heart skips a beat. Concentrating with all he had, he suddenly sees his big toe shift slightly. 

"That's wonderful!" The nurse claps her hands. "The doctor will be so pleased." 

So was Jared. But as his smile spreads and enthusiasm builds, he suddenly realizes he's been left alone again. He felt like there should be some kind of celebration here. The doctor had said that any movement was the first sign that he might regain mobility in his legs. And that was something to be thrilled about. So... he looks around the room again. "Yay," he lamely says aloud. 

"Knock knock." 

Jared's head snaps quickly to the door and he's surprised to see Justin. "Oh hi..."

"Can I come in?" 

"Does it look like it's crowded in here?"

Justin grins as little and wanders in to take a seat near the bed. "How's it going?" 

"I moved a toe." Jared nods solemnly. 

"Really? Well that's great, right? I mean that's what the doctor's been hoping for, right?" 

Jared finally manages a bit of a smile. Maybe there was somebody who could share his enthusiasm. "Yeah. It could mean that I'll actually walk again after all."

"Good for you." Justin nods. "Ma will be thrilled to hear that." 

"Yeah she was here earlier today but that was before all this." 

"I'll be heading to her place after this, so I'll tell her." 

"Okay." Jared fiddles with the edge of his blanket, feeling awkward in the pause that follows. "So did you-"

"I need to apologize," Justin interrupts. 

"For...?"

"For the way I walked out last time." Justin really did feel guilty about it. He needn't have cut his brother off when he'd left. There were better ways to handle it. "I know you're trying to remember and I'm sure it's more frustrating than I can imagine. Some of the things in the past still hurt and I haven't figured out yet how to deal with them when I know you can't remember. So it's just gonna take me a while." 

Jared bites his lip. He really did want to know more. He knew it must be something awful that he'd done, and maybe he really would be better off not knowing but... "I'm just trying to rebuild my life." 

"How about building a new one?" 

Jared sighs. "I just don't understand why you won't talk to me." 

Justin tries not to flee again. "For now... how about this... I'll try to talk to you more if you try to not worry about the past." 

It was better than nothing, right? "Yeah okay, I guess." Jared had a feeling that no matter how much Justin talked, he wouldn't reveal what was really eating away at him. "Tell Mom hi for me when you see her, okay?" 

"Yeah..." Justin realized that he was suddenly being dismissed. He hadn't expected that. But he wouldn't push his luck either. Standing up, he gives a little wave. "Good luck with the toe." 

"Right." Jared waves back and watches until Justin leaves. Leaning back into his pillow, he gives a little growl of frustration.