The Padded Palace Act III: Chapter 9

DISCLAIMER: This story contains diaper usage, crossdressing, inappropriate language, humiliation, masturbation/diaper sex, and other ABDL themes. Be sure to check out the link in the description if you need to start all the way back from the first chapter in Act I! I hope you enjoy!

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“You like that, don’t you? C’mon, you sissy bitch, be Mommy’s good little slut and beg for more.”

Standing over a man wearing a black, rubber maids outfit and obscenely thick diapers that had been tugged down to his ankles, a young, college-age Latasha rubbed the flat end of the paddle in her hand against the sissy’s bare and bruised bottom. She sank her teeth into her plush bottom lip, extracting an equal amount of pleasure out of this scenario as the man she was dominating, at least if her dripping panties were anything to go off of.

“P-Please, Lady Latasha! I need more!” said the sissy, who was quivering in anticipation of the next hit. Thankfully, Latasha didn’t keep him waiting for long.

*SMACK! SMACK! SMACK!*

The paddle crackled like thunder as it landed against the sissy’s exposed rear, with sweat dripping from Latasha’s short bangs as she put her all into spanking her paying customer. Sadly, this was not a pace she was able to hold for long, feeling winded after a solid ten strikes. She leaned against the hilt of the paddle, catching her breath.

“If you can’t go longer than your sissy, how on Earth do you expect to make it on your own?”

Picking her head up, Latasha looked deep into her mistress’s eyes, finding her gaze and subtle smile as comforting as they were intimidating. “I’m sorry, Mother Elma. I promise I can do better,” she responded, fixing her sights on Elma’s black, thigh-high boots.

Approaching her diaper dominatrix in training, Elma placed two fingers under Latasha’s chin, forcing her to attention. “I know you can, Tish, but you’ll need to learn to pace yourself if you want to get this right. The client isn’t paying for you to catch your breath,” she said, shifting her fingers to Latasha’s cheek in a gentle manner. Without breaking eye contact, she directed her next statement at the sissy, “How are you doing, Sammy? Do you need a break?”

Shaking his head, Sammy was quick to respond, “I’m okay but I’ll definitely need to stop for water in like fifteen minutes or so.”

“Excellent. Thank you, Sammy. You’re being such a good doll,” said Elma, squatting down and using her free hand to pet Sammy’s hair, “Alright Latasha, you’ve got fifteen minutes. And I don’t want to see you stop until your sissy is begging for mercy. Let’s go again.”

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Smacking her lips on a piece of watermelon bubblegum, Mother Elma took a deep breath in through her nose, savoring the nostalgic aroma as her eyes scanned the wide reaches of CrissCon’s vendor hall. She was in her element. Next to her, wearing an adorable pink party dress and a very exposed diaper, was her benefactor for the weekend. After all, what better way to spend time at an ABDL convention than by spending someone else’s money?

“Mistwess, I don wansa wait no mo,” said Missy, the “baby girl” who had commissioned Elma for a full weekend of her Mommy Dom services. She was a petite little thing with a pension for humiliation and a gluttony for punishment. Tugging on Elma’s sleeve she continued in her whining, “Da awcade is wite ovew dere! I pwomise I won go faw-EEP!”

Tugging on the child safety harness that she had lovingly placed on her sissy baby, Elma pulled Missy in close and grabbed a big handful of her sissy’s diaper fluff. “Now now, Missy-Wissy, Mother Elma told you to be patient. My friend will be here soon. So keep your lip shut, baby girl, or I might just forget to turn on your cute, widdwe Hush plug,” she said, reaching her arm around Missy's backside and ending her statement with a light diaper swat.

“O-Okie, Mistwess…buh I nuh a baby girw. I’s a boy!” responded Missy, melting at Elma’s loving touch as she denied the very thing that filled her with so much euphoria. She whimpered, gushing over every second that she wasn’t allowed to have her way.

Patting Missy’s hair condescendingly, Elma could only snicker at the cute baby girl she had trapped in her clutches. “Really? Because you could’ve fooled me, sugar bee,” she said, feeling her client quiver next to her as she teased her to the point of babbling. She smiled, happy that she could keep Missy placated for now. However, she knew she couldn’t make someone who was paying her to be here stand around all evening. She looked toward the distance once again, whispering under her breath, “C’mon Tish, where are you hiding?”

Thankfully, Elma and Missy weren’t forced to wait much longer. Pushing Skye in her stroller through the crowded shopping area, Latasha was on a warpath to find her friend, whom she hadn’t seen in what felt like a lifetime ago. Her heart rate ticked upward as her head swiveled in all directions, searching high and low for any signs of Mother Elma’s presence. While both of them were Bigs, she had to concede that Elma was a far more domineering personality than she was. And while being around bigger Bigs wasn’t something that she typically found intimidating, her former tutor was a whole different story entirely.

“Oh! Latasha!” shouted Elma, holding her hand up high and waving as she caught a glimpse of Latasha's face from in between the bustling crowd. Her smile grew as she watched Latasha snake around the myriad of ABs and DLs to arrive at her feet. The two didn’t even hesitate to drop the holds they had on their respective Littles as they threw their arms around each other, “Tish! It’s been too long!”

Giggling like a school girl who’d just learned her first naughty word, Latasha squeezed her old bestie extra hard. “Goddess, you don’t know how much I’ve missed you! We’ve got so much catching up to do,” she said as the pair finally broke from their embrace.

“Ahem.”

Forcing out a noticeably fake cough, all eyes fell on Skye, who was less than enthused to have been yanked through one of the busiest sections in the entire convention. She looked up at her Mommy with an undeniably pouty expression.

“Oh, I’m sorry. This is my little cutie pie, Skye,” said Latasha, scurrying around Skye’s stroller and pushing her forward, “Skye, this is Elma. She and Mommy go way back.”

Looking Mother Elma up and down, Skye could feel the overwhelming amount of dominance this woman possessed radiating off her like a thick fog. As Elma flashed her pearly-white teeth at her, she shrunk back, bumping her diapered butt into Latasha.

“Awww, what a shy, little tyke,” said Elma, who was able to get a read on the kind of Little that Skye was pretty quickly. She bent her knees and lowered herself to Skye’s eye line before placing a gentle hand on Skye’s head, “I’m sure we’ll both be great friends soon enough.”

Strangely enough, Skye’s anxiety began to ease up due to Elma’s surprisingly comforting hand. Somehow it was as if the dense fog of domination dissipated as Elma willingly lowered herself. “I-Ish nice ta meet chus,” she said, powering through a brief greeting for her Mommy’s sake much like she had with Jesi and Aanya.

Returning to her normal posture, Mother Elma knew there was one more member of their party who’d yet to be greeted. “I’m not certain if my little one will be the most compatible friend to pair Skye with but for the sake of introductions, this is Missy. She’s a prissy little sissy and she’ll be attached to my hip all weekend. Isn’t that right, baby girl?” she said, prompting Missy to speak.

“H-Hewwo,” was all that Missy could muster the strength to say, unable to contain the blush in her cheeks.

Locking her eyes on Missy, Skye was a bit surprised by the number of sissies she’d seen and been introduced to throughout CrissCon. Though, if there was an award for the sissiest sissy, Missy would definitely take the cake in her eyes. Unlike a large number of the sissies she’d come across, there wasn’t a single hint to Missy’s appearance that even hinted at masculinity. She giggled silently behind her paci, finding the sheer concept of a sissy baby both adorable and unbelievably silly.

“Ish it time fo da awcade nows,” said Missy, returning to his previous position of pulling on Mother Elma’s sleeve.

Rolling her eyes playfully, Elma finally relented. “Yes, and thank you for being such a good girl,” cooed Elma, tickling her fingers along the underside of Missy’s chin, “Well then, Tish, shall we?”

“We shall!” said Latasha, positioning herself at the helm of Skye’s stroller as the group of four exited the vendor’s hall and set off toward CrissCon 2023’s big centerpiece, The ARcade!

Unlike your average convention gaming area, The ARcade took up an entire two-story atrium at the heart of the convention center. On the upper floor, there were a plethora of gaming machines that ranged from classic arcade cabinets to fully interactive VR setups that decorated the massive area as far as the eye could see. Meanwhile, the lower floor was far more Little-centric, with an enormous playpen that was nearly as wide as a basketball court. For as fantastical and Little Space-inducing as those two elements were, it was the centerpiece that connected the two floors to each other that captured everyone’s attention upon entering The ARcade; that being the giant inflatable slide that started from up on the second story and led down into a glorious ball pit. It was truly a magical sight for both Littles and Bigs alike.

Flashing their wristbands to the security team guarding the entrance, Skye was bouncing up and down in her stroller, ready to run wild. And she was far from alone, as Missy was stretching Elma’s arm to full extension as he attempted to quicken his group’s pace. Even Latasha could feel her inner child screaming for a chance to let loose. The only one able to maintain her cool in the face of such an awesome sight was Elma, who after well over a decade in this business, wasn’t phased by much anymore.

Unbuckling Skye from her stroller, Latasha lifted her baby girl out of her seat and set her down next to Missy as she and Elma prepared to lay down the ground rules. “Okay, kiddos. Us Mommies are going to get a drink at the Big’s Only bar just around the corner and catch up while you two spend some time playing,” she said, pulling an old iPhone out of the diaper bag and handing it off to Skye, “If either of you needs us for any reason, Skye’s phone has both my number and Elma’s number in it.”

“Now, that doesn’t mean call us because you’re in desperate need of headpats. It’s for emergencies only, understand?” said Elma, getting nods of affirmation from both Skye and Missy, “Good girls. Now, off you go! We’ll meet you back in this spot at 8 pm.”

Normally, Skye was far too much of a nervous wreck when it came to leaving her Mommy’s side, especially in such a crowded place. However, her anxiety couldn’t hold a candle to her utter excitement over being in such a magical place. If there was anything that could bring out Skye’s playful side, it was a child-friendly arcade with a ball pit.

Perhaps even more excited than Skye was, Missy didn’t hesitate at her Mistress’s dismissal, taking off like a rocket and sprinting toward the nearest section of the games. “H-Hey! Waid up!” shouted Skye, rushing off to catch up to her new companion.

This left Latasha and Elma alone with each other for the first time in years. Looking her former protege up and down, Elma began fingering Latasha’s hair, twirling it around her finger, “I see you grew your hair out again,” she said, taking on a slightly judgemental tone, “You’ll have to tell me what else has changed. I only ever knew Latasha, the Diaper Dom, after all. 

“Well, Latasha, the caregiver, isn’t all that different,” said Latasha playfully, yanking the strands of hair out of Elma’s hand. Deciding not to let the snide comment get to her, she softened her smile and threw her arm around Elma’s shoulder. “C’mon, first drink’s on me.”

TO BE CONTINUED…

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Edited by AllySmolShork

02 liner aussie girl joining the group

Masterlist

...

Bang Chan

° Sees you as a little sister, and will baby you nonstop for that reason alone. Expect very long hugs and him trying to beg you for some affection.

° Let Felix take charge in helping you around JYP, watching from afar like a proud father. Even if you aren't much younger than the members, he can't help but become a giddy mess when you literally do anything.

° Since he sees you as a little sister, that also means he is very protective over you. Not even Minho can tease you for too long without Chan becoming a bit tense. He just doesn't want you to ever feel uncomfortable.

° Does many vlives with you, chatting about your life and what parts of Australia you grew up in. Whenever he is introducing you or if you call him during a vlive, he'll call you little sissy.

° Many stays have made edits of Chan babying you or treating you like a literal angel, you both have watched edits like these and neither of you can deny that he doesn't do either of those things.

"My little sissy y/n did great today in our dance practice, isn't that right sissy?" he asked, sitting you on his lap.

"Yeah, Minho Oppa helped me learn quite a bit. But I couldn't have succeeded it without my personal cheerleader Chris." You replied.

Lee Know

° Doesn't make a huge deal out of it, is honestly just really happy to have a new member. He doesn't care that your a girl or a fellow aussie, just sees you as a member.

° If you are ever struggling with Korean he'll do his best to try and help you, even if it is only on small thing such as the way you pronounce words. He admits to finding your struggles pretty adorable.

° Even though he is a huge tease, he'll go easy on you for the first two months. Letting you get settled in and get use to the chaotic behavior of all of them. But after those months pass, he'll start to tease.

° Minho likes to challenge you to dance battles during practice, seeing if you will ever beat him on one. But luckily whenever Snsd comes on you are in your element, showing him the true Gee master.

° Minho has a soft spot fro you due toy your age, he won't tease you too harshly and won't get mad if you don't remember one of his cat's names. All of the members notice his new soft spot for you.

"So I know Soonie, Doongie... And?" you sighed, trying to remember the third cat of Minho's.

"Dori, it's okay. At least you remembered two of them." He reassured, Felix looking at him with shock from across the room.

Changbin

°When he heard that you would be joining the group, he hoped that you wouldn't make fun of him as much as the other members. And if you did, it wouldn't be too harsh.

° Appreciated that you weren't teasing him 24/7, and if you are shorter than him then he would be very smiley and giddy for days. Changbin likes your company and would often want to hang around you.

° Buys you coffee/tea every morning, and only you (occasionally Felix). And when the members ask, he explains that you earned your coffee/tea by not teasing him. Even if they haven't teased him for days.

° You are his favorite member, even if he won't admit it... Everyone knows it. You are his best friend and he doesn't want that relationship to change. Unlike the fan's pov, he sees you only as a best friend.

° Whenever he does a vlive with you, your ship name is all over the chat. Neither of you speak out about it, but both of you don't like each other in that way. And it makes situations awkward when they ship you two.

"I can't believe we're a ship, that is so weird to me." You chuckled, scrolling through Instagram on your phone.

"I know right! I don't get why a girl and a guy can't be friends without people shipping them." He sighed, clearly frustrated.

Hyunjin

° Becomes putty in your hands, he just finds everything about you adorable. It also doesn't help that you are Australian, which he happens to have an interest in.

° He wouldn't describe his feelings towards you as a crush, more as a little sister and der brother relationship. He would feel weird if you ever developed something for him, since he is too close to you to be a couple.

° Very clingy towards you, constantly draping himself across you. Or sitting you on his lap when you are worn out from practice, he often let's you take naps on him. He also treats you to sweets, even when on diets.

° Hyunjin once got frustrated over how JYP was treating you, giving you an extreme diet even though you were already working hard enough. So he'd reassure you that him and Chan would talk with JYP about it.

° Hyunjin can be seen copying your accent, whether it be for fun or just to tease you. He'll copy or pick up on your accent, many fan's hearts melting at his determination to be part of the aussie line.

"I shouldn't be having this cupcake." You sighed, placing the cupcake you've been eyeing for the past few minutes.

"Screw JYP, eat what you want. You are your own person and shouldn't listen to some old man." He defended, passing the cupcake.

Han

° Was the first member you met, even though it was by total accident. You both ran into each other when he was leaving the building and you were entering.

° You dropped the coffee all onto yourself in shock, making him chuckle as he tried to help you clean yourself up. He helped you into JYP, having no clue that you are going to be the new member joining.

° When Chan introduced you to the members the next day, Han was shocked. He was surprised to see a familiar face, but was also pleased knowing you seemed to be quite a sweet and charming person.

° You both are the stars whenever on reality shows together, many seeing you both as a chaotic duo. Doni and Coni once tried to correct you, telling you that women shouldn't be so hyper. Han got pissed.

° Not only did Han correct them on their manners, but also told them that a man shouldn't tell a woman what to do. Many fans and netizens applauded him for protecting his new and sweet Maknae.

"I swear those guys get on my nerves sometimes, don't listen to them." He sighed, patting your head softly.

"It's okay Hannie, I'm glad that I have some older brothers to stand up for me." You reassured, melting his heart.

Felix

° You are nervous to be around Felix, not because he's intimidating or harsh. But because he is so nice and angelic, and you don't want to develop a crush on a member.

° Even if you don't see him in that light at first, it will happen eventually because he has such an addicting energy that surround him. Felix is a sunshine, and it isn't hard to see why everyone loves him.

° Felix wants to make you feel as comfortable as possible, usually being the member picking up pads/tampons for you. He secretly develops a small crush on you, but he knows it would end up bad.

° You both would be worried about it ending bad due to the popularity of the band, Felix's popularity, your new career, and JYP's strict rules. So both of you don't truly progress that side of your relationship.

° It could blossom into something more serious in the future, but for right now it is just a mutual crush that both of you must hide. Your friendship is still very strong nonetheless, and you appreciate that.

"Okay here's a hard question, Back Door or All In?" you asked, as the managers watched you both from behind the camera.

"Neither because you aren't in them." He answered, trying to play it off as playful more so than flirtatious.

Seungmin

° Seungmin is your dorm mate, who always manages to make your nights more calm. He reassures you every night that you are doing great, even if you don't believe him.

° You both wrote down a schedule for dishes, laundry, cooking ect. The only exceptions to it is having a terrible day, birthday, or being sick. Either than that then you must follow the schedule stuck into the fridge.

° You both have derpy photos of each other as your wallpapers, both being taken when both of you just woke up. Seungmin can't help but giggle silently whenever he opens up his phone, looking at your bed head.

° Seungmin helps you out with waking up, letting you get use to the schedule of being an idol. Taking as many pillows to the face as he needs to for you to finally wake up, Once getting feathers in his hair due to it.

° Many think you both knew each other before you became a member, but you both explained that you just understand each other well and clicked when you met. Neither of you grew up together.

"Is today you dish day or mine?" he asked, bottle of soap already in his hand ready to begin cleaning.

"Mine, but I had a terrible day today. JYP critiqued everything about me." You huffed, getting a soft hug from Seungmin.

Jeongin

° Is glad he won't be babied as much since he isn't the maknae anymore, but will miss the benefits of being able to aegyo your way out of responsibilities.

° All of the members call you the babies or the baby line, even if either of you ar taller than some of them. Jeongin is also appreciative that he now has someone to relate to with being a babied quite often.

° He'll still call you noona just to get under your skin, but you honestly don't mind being called noona or unnie. Especially since some stays are younger than you, but you can become playfully annoyed at times.

° Jeongin will warm up to you very fast and treat you like a sister, he'll spoil you with stuffies and share his food with you every meal. Even though mama gets scold him for it, he doesn't care and continues to do it.

° Chan will cover both of your eyes when the members do something sexy, even if you kind of want to see it (mostly to tease them). But you understand why, since both fo you will get flustered by it easily.

"Y/n noona likes to steal my food sometimes." Jeongin admitted to fans, smiling at your playful glare.

"You share your food and insist I eat it Jeongin Oppa." You defend, watching the fans respond to the situation.

truth or dare

- @someoneovertherainboww​ heey i dont know if u tak requests but i loved ur writing and i was wondering if u could make prompts 20 and/or 25 for zuko pls prompt(s):  “i’m not playing truth or dare.” “why don’t you take a picture? it’ll last longer.”

pairing: zuko x female! reader words: 2,210 genre: modern au, high school au, cafe au, fluff, comedy, requested

a/n: tysm!!! yes requests are opened atm! omg while writing this i thought of that thing that dante said at like a con or something where he was ordering at starbucks and the lady was like omg ur zuko!!!😂 art in title isnt mine! hope yall enjoy this ball of cheesiness that cures my acne and enjoy the love that i have for zuko to make me become a disaster for him （＾コ＾）V

Your back ached from the way you hovered over your laptop and sat at your desk. Your mind was focused on learning and getting good grades it didn’t mind the pain. Your eyes burned from the strenuous gaze at your blue screen. Your hands felt as if you churned butter and not to mention the mean girls were extra rude today at school. High school was tough and you needed the rest of the day to be filled with relaxation and peace before you hit the books tomorrow. 

“Where are you going?” Your best friend Sokka asked through the phone.

You hopped off the bus with all your items almost spilling out of your bag. “I’m going to Fire Tea Shop. I read the reviews online and people say its pretty good.”

“No, c’mon Y/N you had your chance. You mean its pretty lit!!!!” Sokka sounded too much like a kid that had eaten edibles. 

“I’m hanging up,” you said deadpanned. “I don’t even know how I’ve kept up this friendship this long. I’m so proud of myself.”

“Its because you love me.” Sokka sang. 

“It might be because I think you need my help. If I wasn’t with you and had your back like where do you think you would be? Probably eating crap off a cave right now and starving.” You walked up and inside the cafe was so cozy. It had an earthy yet red contrast feel to the place. It sure matched with the name Fire. It had some vintage Chinese architect to it. It was stunning and really caught your eye. And it was peaceful. “Do you want anything babes?” You asked as you looked at the menu. “They have cactus juice.” 

“No!” Sokka shouted on the phone. “I tried that, I couldn’t get out of the bathroom the whole day! Plus I thought I saw like mushrooms of some sort.” 

You snickered, “baby, I think you’ve been eating too many mushrooms!”

“I’m good. You enjoy it there.”

You said your goodbyes and hanged up the phone. As you did an old man came up with a long beard to say his welcoming. 

“Hello there, young lady. Might I interest you in trying our newest tea? White Jade tea. It’s very delicious.” He smiled wide. 

You read his name tag. He was such an adorable old man. “Hmmm, Iroh? Actually since this is my first time I want to try your most popular tea. How about-”

“So White Jade?” Iroh was about to punch in your order when you heard a shriek and what seemed to be a pot dropping on the floor. “One moment please. That is probably my angsty, incapable nephew that made a mess. Please look to see what you would like.” Iroh made a hasty get away. 

Out came a teen your age as he rubbed the back of his head. He was so handsome looking. His hair was disheveled and he wore a red apron. His attitude really attracted you. “Good thing I made a distraction, that White Jade tea is not a hit. I’m not that good at making tea also. That’s more my uncle’s job.” His voice was low and had an edge to it. It was so handsome. 

“Oh he’s your uncle. That’s sweet!” You grabbed your wallet out. “I would like a Jasmine tea please.” 

“Good choice. My uncle loves that tea. That will be $4.25.”

You grabbed your money and went to give it to him when you saw the huge scar. It was red and didn’t scare you but you couldn’t look away. The thoughts that went through your mind was how in deep pain this person must of been in to endure and cope through that painful wound. 

“Why don’t you take a picture? It’ll last longer.”

You wanted to hit yourself. You were taught to have manners and here you were staring at this young man. He probably felt self conscious and insecure and you made him feel worse. “Oh my God I am so sorry. I wasn’t meaning it like that. I’m just sorry that you had to go through that.” You read his name tag. “Zuko. Its a beautiful name.”

Zuko’s nose flared up, “yeah, thanks.” He grabbed forcefully at the money and you sat and awaited your order. 

You dug your head in your arms. ‘Why are you like this Y/N? Why did you stare?’

“Here is your tea miss,” Iroh instead brought the tea out. “My nephew felt he didn’t want to scare you away.”

You bit your lip, “I am so sorry. Please forgive me, I didn’t mean to make him feel uncomfortable. It was so insensitive for me to do that. Please can we start over.” You felt so bad and guilty. 

Iroh thought about it then pointed to the tea. “I make the tea myself. Taste it and I’ll think about your offer.”

You sipped the warm tea and no lie it was amazing. He definitely knew what he was doing. You weren’t thinking it was fantastic because you wanted to make amends with these folks but it was actually the truth. 

“Honestly?”

Iroh nodded. 

“This is really good and totally what I needed today. Thank you for this and please take this tip.” You gave Iroh the money. “Its a way to say I’m sorry.”

Iroh saw the money and smiled wide, “I can think we can find it in our hearts to forgive you.”

You finished your tea and went to the order counter and rang the bell. Zuko came out thinking you left. 

“Yes?”

“I was thinking. Do you maybe want to go to the park tomorrow and catch some lunch? Its A way for me to apologize for my behavior today.”

Zuko looked around sheepishly, “I don’t know.”

“Please,” you pouted your lips. 

Zuko agreed and the date was set. 

After school the next day you went straight to the cafe. 

You were going to be honest in saying Zuko was really cute. You were nervous and thinking about him the whole day non stop. You even dressed up for the occasion which rarely happens! Even Sokka knew and wouldn’t stop teasing you the whole day. He should of been your hype man but he made you feel like a little girl with a crush!

“You ready Zuko?” 

“Yeah just give me a sec.” Zuko went in the back and came back with a changed look. He wore instead a red bomber jacket. Could he be anymore boyfriend material?

“Love the jacket.” You poked him on his side and he blushed awkwardly. 

The way to the park was more silent and you were considering if this was a bad idea. 

“So do you go to school or are you home schooled?’ You tried to break the ice. 

“Actually, I go to the school not to far from here.” Zuko pointed in the direction your school was at. 

“Wait! I think we go to the same school! Yeah, I’ve seen you before!”

“I’m not that hard to miss.” Zuko, in a way, brought up his scar. 

“No I would remember you from being so handsome.” You smirked. Zuko almost choked. “That school sucks though. Its the same everyday. Work my butt off and then get kicked around like dirt by the schools mean girls. I feel like my life is a movie sometimes.”

“Yeah I get made fun of too.”

“I’m sorry.” You touched his arm. 

“My dad did this to me,” he pointed to his scar. “Didn’t like me as a son and loved my sister more, I guess.”

“It’s a touchy subject. I didn’t realize it, I’m sorry.”

Zuko chuckled which was something new to you and almost shocking, “you can stop saying sorry. I already forgive you. Its not a big deal. I like you though, I think you’re cool.”

“Thanks.”

“And those people that make fun of you, they're crazy. They're probably jealous of you because you're so beautiful.”

You almost died right there! You were like already ready to get married to this man it felt like. Would it be wrong to ask if he was single? You prayed and hoped he was. 

You two sat at the bench. It was such a peaceful, sunny day. You crossed your legs and faced him. “So Zuko, lets play truth or dare!”

“I’m not playing truth or dare.”

“Alright I choose dare to get it started.”

Zuko rolled his eyes. He knew you weren’t going to do this. “I dare you to ask that old lady over there if she knows any place that sells laxatives.” You shot up and Zuko immediately regretted it. “Y/N I was just kidding. Let me do another one.”

“A dares a dare my man.” You fist bumped your chest like the warrior you were. You went up to the old lady like a lost kid. 

Zuko couldn’t help but laugh hard and try to shy away from the world. 

You ran back and fist bumped the air with a skip. “In your face fire prince!” You nicknamed him. “She said around the block they got a drug store. Boom! Now your turn.”

“Okay, truth.”

“Boriiiiiiiing! Oh my God! Fine! What’s the most embarrassing thing you’ve ever done?”

He groaned, “really? We’re going there? I said a joke, okay, that my uncle said and it came out terrible the punchline left the building and nobody laughed. It was [pretty brutal.”

“I would of loved to see that,” you said in awe. “That’s full on cringe right there sweetie.”

“Okay, you now.”

“Truth.”

“Sissy much?” Zuko raised his brow. 

“Hypocrite! I’m just following your footsteps.”

“Okay, feisty. Have you ever kissed anybody?”

“Totally!” You struggled on that one. It was such LIES!

“You stumbled on that one. I can tell you’re lying.”

“Yes, fine I am. I’ve never kissed anybody in my life okay. Only my pillow. I’ve practiced on that and lets just say its been through a lot.”

“Wow,” Zuko tried to stifle his chuckles, “you’re unbelievable.”

“And what about you? Have you ever kissed anybody?”

“It’s not my turn.”

“Truth or dare?” You were starting to see a different side of Zuko that you really liked. He was fun and made you smile. 

“Truth.”

“Have you ever kissed your girlfriend?” You wanted to see if he was single. 

“I’ve kissed before but I don’t have a girlfriend.”

You legit wanted to party and cry because this could actually happen. “Who’d you kiss?”

“A customer.”

“Oooh, you have to spill the tea on that later. I choose dare!”

“I dare you to try your first kiss with me.” Zuko raised his brow. 

Oh my Lord was he serious? You were sweating profusely and at an alarming rate. “Are you for real?”

Zuko nodded his head, “it is a dare. And you wanted to start this. I told you not to.”

“I’ve never kissed anyone! How do I do it?”

“Just look at me and try it out and I’ll critique it.”

“I’m kinda hating you right now.” You glared at Zuko. “Only 3 seconds okay.”

Zuko surrendered to that and you closened up on him. He smelled of tea leaves that were light and airy and a burning flame of musk. He was really growing on you. You came closer and closer until your lips met. You wanted to keep still but Zuko moved his lips so you followed. You felt the whole shebang. Fireworks, butterflies, everything. You clutched onto his bomber jacket. They seemed so strong and vigorous the kisses but they were tiny pecks to start you off. Your lips moved in sync with his because you got the memo and started getting used to it. You looked down at your watch as saw that it passed the three seconds. Separating from him you wiped your lips, breathless for a puny kiss. It seemed like such a milestone for you and something so big but in reality some kids kiss their posters longer than what you did. 

“How was that?” Zuko looked away blushing. 

“Very invigorating and exciting.” You were speechless. You were such a daredevil is what you thought to kiss this complete handsome stranger. It was like a dream though. You stood on the bench and screamed out the park, “I just had my first kiss everyone!!!”

Zuko pulled you down, “oh my God it wasn’t that amazing. Chill out. I choose truth.”

You evilly smiled, “do you think I’m attractive?”

Zuko’s blush was even redder this time. “Yeah, you’re cute. My type.”

You wiggled your brows, “you’re type? You think I’m cute? He’s think I’m cute! I have finally a guy! Who thinks I’m cute! I have a chance! At not being alone! And being a crazy cat lady!” You sang as you shook your body. “Okay last one, I choose dare again. Yolo. Living on the edge.”

“I dare you to go on another date with me,” Zuko asked as he played with his fingers. 

It was silent and you were surprised on one factor. ‘This was a date?’ You grabbed his hands and smiled at him, “I’d love to go on another date with you! And you said you didn’t want to play truth or dare.”

a/n: IROH IS SUCH A MOOD OMG 😂 and zuko is so sly and cheesy sdkgjfdskgfkgjfdgk omg. i loved this wayyyyy to much as u can tell and like made this like a chapter book bc im extra like that! would u kiss a stranger if he was zuko? i prob would bc im a thirsty nerd fam 🥵

Tag list: @carat-bebe, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @hyehoney, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag), @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @fromfoolishpeopletodeadpeople, @collectiveyou, @wtfisalltherandoms, @dirbel, @eastcoasthaven, @fangirl-4-life415 (wont let me tag), @melonreblogsstories, @fandomchick80,

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Day at the zoo

So, I've wrote this out of a cute idea and I wrote this to an amazing friend/son and since he loved it that much, I wanted to share it with everyone! Hope you enjoy it!

Summary: Aragon spends a day at the zoo with her daughters.

Au idea: Aragon had adopted three adorable kids when they were babies. Now, Anna is 13, Cathy 8 and Jane 4.

Jane jumped up and down in her bed, really excited. Cathy, who was her roommate while Anna had a room for herself, was smiling softly at the sight of her baby sister really excited about what's happening tomorrow. She put down the book she was reading and approached her sister's bed.

"Janey, calm down. You're gonna break the bed and it's your new big girl bed." Jane just got a bed, finally getting the protectors out of it.

Jane, still jumping while holding her seal plushie, grinned down at her older sister. "Can't. Too. Excited. For. Zoo!" She said between jump and jump.

Aragon, at the frame door of their room, smiled softly at it. Anna was with her as she was helping her with her brackets. "Okay, everybody gotta sleep now."

Jane pouted, sitting down. "Why sleep?"

"Because if you sleep than tomorrow will come earlier and we'll can get to the zoo sooner."

At those words, Jane ran to the head of her bed, covering herself up in the blankets. "Night night, sissies. Night night, mommy." And closed her eyes, holding Mr. Seal up to her.

Aragon let out a gentle giggle, kissing her youngest daughter forehead before tucking her better under the blankets. Then, she turned to Cathy, doing the same. "Good night my little fairy."

"Good night mama." Cathy closed her eyes, falling asleep quickly as she felt safe.

Aragon walked towards the door, turning the lights off but the fairy lights were on, a gift from auntie Anne. Anna was still at the door, smiling gently at her baby sisters. She loved being the oldest if she had to be honest.

Aragon smiled softly at her and guided her to her room. "Time for you to go to bed." Tucking her oldest daughter in bed, Aragon felt full. She had three wonderful daughters and they gave her the purest and kindest love she could ask. She kissed Anna's forehead in a gentle manner. "Good night, mi vida."

"Good night, mom." Anna fall asleep after a few minutes.

Aragon had to admit that she was lucky on the little family she had. Her daughters were the best thing that ever happened to her and she loved them with her whole heart.

The three sisters felt really lucky of it too. They had each other and that was the best thing of all.

What a surprise for Catherine that Jane was the first one up the next morning. Her little four year old ran inside the kitchen and hugged onto her leg while she was cooking breakfast. "Morning mommy! When we go?" She asked with a bright smile.

Aragon looked down, nearly cooing at how cute she was. Gosh, her daughters will be heartbreakers one day without noticing because they'll have all the boys and girls after them because, being honest, they were beautiful.

"Morning, sugar. We'll go once we eat breakfast and get dressed, sounds good?"

"Yes!" Jane was super excited. She loved animals with her whole and tiny heart and, expending one entire day surrounded by animals and with her mom and sisters, was the perfect plan. She sat down at her seat quickly, nearly falling down because she was a bit clumsy. Aragon's heart skipped a beat when she saw her nearly falling.

Next up, Anna walked down holding Cathy's hand. Cathy seemed as she was worried but, once she saw Jane in her seat, she ran to her and hugged her. "Morning mama, morning Jane." Cathy talked softly.

Anna hugged her mom, repeating her sister's words and getting some answers. Then, she looked up at her mom's questioning frown. "Cathy came to me because she was afraid when she didn't see Jane in her bed. She was really worried."

"But she's here and safe." Cathy mumbled, still in an embrace with Jane.

Aragon smiled softly at her daughters. What has she done to get such wonderful little humans to be under her care? "Okay, girls. The plan for today is getting breakfast and then get ready for a day at the zoo."

The three sisters cheered, completely excited about it. It wasn't that common that they had the time to spend a whole day the four together and, when they do, it's a big treasure.

Aragon had to make sure Jane didn't choke with her food as the girl was eating faster to get to the zoo sooner. Cathy and Anna tried not to laugh as, when they let out a soft chuckle at Jane, they got the mommy look and that was a sign of not laughing because it would make Jane feel sad.

Jane insisted on going combined today as it was a special day and the others just could no other than to agree to the youngest one. Jane kept asking different questions about animals, most of them being answered by Cathy and when she didn't know something, Anna answered and when the three of them got curious for it, Aragon answered. It was a really cute pic that Aragon was fully getting into her memory.

Putting away the dishes, and nearly starting to wash them, she felt a tug in her shirt. Looking down, there was Jane.

"Mommy, help?" Jane asked, holding up the jean dress and the white shirt. Aragon smiled softly.

"Of course, my love." She quickly got her fully dressed, shoes, dress and shirt done. While brushing her soft hair, Cathy walked downstairs wearing the same jean dress but with a baby blue shirt with the same style as Jane's. "Mama, can you help me with my hair too?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Jane's ponytail done, she started with Cathy's while Jane sat down in a chair and played with her stuffed seal.

Anna walked down wearing an overall, she hated wearing dresses, and the same red style shirt as her sisters. "I've done the ponytail by myself! Does it look good?"

Aragon looked up and smiled proudly at Anna, finishing Cathy's ponytail. "It looks awesome for a first time."

Cathy held up a white lace. "Jane forgot it upstairs." Aragon quickly put it on Jane after the younger one asked for it.

Once Ari got dressed in an overall too, to match with Anna, and a yellow shirt and put her hair up in a ponytail as Jane asked her when she walked out with her hair down, she grabbed some snacks and water bottles for her girls. They walked out, Anna walking in the middle of her sisters and grabbing their hands and Ari right behind them, checking they were alright. Jane couldn't leave Mr. Seal at home, so she was holding it against her tightly. Cathy was mumbling out to Anna, who was the one listening to her, some facts about lions and tigers she looked up on some books. Anna asked her some doubts of things she quite didn't get as she talked too fast sometimes.

At the sight of the zoo, the three girls let out a gasp of excitement, Jane even squeaking of happiness. "Zoo! Zoo! Mommy zoo!" Jane looked behind her towards Aragon, excitement written all over her face.

"Yes, sweetheart. We're already at the zoo." Aragon smiled softly, making their way quickly to the entrance and getting in. Jane was bouncing of excitement.

Anna looked at her. "Jane, please, stop. You're hurting my hand." During her whole excitement thing, Jane didn't realize that she was squishing too hard her sister's hand. Quickly she set free her hand, apologizing several times. Aragon stopped her. "Janey, it's okay. Anna is fine, don't worry." Jane was still sad, she didn't want to hurt her sister.

Anna knelt down in front of Jane, smiling softly. "You didn't hurt me, it was a bit uncomfy, but I'm fine. See?" She held her hand up and, when Jane looked up at her, she quickly started tickling her making Jane laugh at the top of her lungs. Cathy joined a bit after, both torturing in a joyful way at their baby sister. Once they freed her, Jane hugged both of them, her seal slipping off her hand. Aragon grabbed it before joining the hug. "You forgive me?" Jane asked, looking straight onto Anna.

"I forgive you." Anna hugged her one more time before they started walking. Jane looked around scared before Aragon put her seal in front of her. "Here you go."

"Mr. Seal!" She squeaked, her voice breaking a bit at the high notes. Aragon nodded to her oldest daughters and the four of them walked to the seals habitat that, luckily, the zoo had.

Once in the habitat, Jane was even more excited than before. She quickly made her way to the front, holding her stuffed seal up to her face and pointing at the actual seals. "Look, Mr. Seal. They're like you! But you're fluffier and my best friend. Don't worry, I won't change you."

Aragon walked Anna and Cathy to where she saw Jane walked to. "Jane, dear, don't run like that again, okay?" Jane nodded, apologizing, before looking at the seals again in awe. Cathy stood next to her, telling her some curiosities about the seals and Jane loved listening to her sister talking about it.

Aragon smiled softly at the sight, quickly taking a pic. Anna called for her attention. "Can we watch the lions or the tigers next? I know Cathy will love seeing them." Aragon smiled at her daughter, she was such an amazing big sister.

"Sure, honey. Now, why don't you join your sisters?" Anna nodded, joining them and Aragon took a pic of it. This pictures were going directly to her album.

Aragon called them. Jane waved enthusiastically at the seals. "Bye bye!" She blew a kiss at them and quickly grabbed her mama's hand. "Where we're going now?" Jane asked tilting her head.

"I proposed to see the tigers." Anne said and, automatically, Cathy squeaked. "Tigers!" Cathy was now the most excited one. She hugged Anna tightly, saying in repeat Thank you! and I love you! Aragon had to take a quick pic of the moment.

Jane called for her attention, looking up at her mama with a bit of fear. When her mom looked down at her, she lift up her arms to ask to be held. Aragon accepted. Jane wasn't a kid that wanted to be held if it wasn't because she felt scared or nervous. Jane hugged quickly onto her mama, the fear making her tremble. "Tigers bad?"

"Aw, sweetheart. Tigers are not bad. They won't do anything, I pinky promise." Jane hid her face even more, hugging her dear friend to her chest.

"Mr. Seal scared too." Aragon smiled softly and kissed Jane's head and the seal's head. "Then, we have to be brave for him. Okay?" Jane nodded.

They walked a bit more, finally seeing the tigers. Cathy dragged Anna to the fence, telling her even more curiosities about them. Jane got scared at the sight, hiding her face on her mama's shoulder. "Are you scared sweetheart?"

Jane shook her head. "Mr. Seal scared. I'm protecting." Aragon smiled at that, rubbing gently her back. She was going to let her stay like that until she found it was the right moment to move on. "Where do you wanna go next?"

"Monkeys! Anna loves monkeys!" Jane turned a bit to look at her, smiling brightly.

"Then, we'll go to the monkeys." Jane relaxed a bit in the embrace. Mama was warm and she always made her feel loved, safe and calm.

After a while, Aragon called over Cathy and Anna. In the moment she told them they were going to see the monkeys, Anna jumped in joy and thanked Jane a lot. Jane felt great and proud of herself for making her sissy happy.

Jane didn't want to walk all the way to the monkeys habitat. It was a bit far away from the tigers so, with their agreement, they stopped to see other animals on the way. They saw zebras, giraffes, pandas, bears, lions (which Jane got scared again), leopards, lemurs, penguins. They had a good time.

The time passed quickly as they enjoyed being together. While they stopped to eat something, Anna grabbed the camera taking some pics of her sisters and her mama and then setting it to take a pic of the four of them. Finally, after patiently waiting for it, they saw the monkeys. Anna was incredibly excited. She approached to the field, her baby sisters behind her and it was her turn to tell curiosities about them. Cathy looked at her in awe because of the information she was learning and Jane because her big sissies were incredibly smart. Jane aspired to be like them.

Sadly, that was the last stop and they had to walk home after saying bye to the monkeys.

Once at home, Anna and Cathy took a shower by themselves while Aragon bathed Jane in her bathroom. Putting Jane into her koala pajamas, Cathy and Anna quickly made their way in.

"Mom! One last request." Anna said, incredibly excited but nervous.

"Movie night?" Cathy asked for the both of them. Jane quickly nodded, pleading with her puppy face to make her accept.

"Please!" The three of them said at the same time.

Aragon couldn't say no. Come on, her three daughters were asking for it. Who would she be if she says no? "Okay, okay. We can watch a movie. Just one and after you brushed your hair and teeth." The three accepted quickly and Anna started brushing Jane's hair while Aragon brushed Cathy's. Anna then brushed her own.

Aragon set everything for the night while the three were brushing their teeth, Anna and Cathy helping Jane, and let herself enjoy the time with her daughters before going back to work the next morning.

Hope you enjoyed it!

Tags: @woulddieforkhoward - @eousins - @badass-monarchs - @drop-the-curtain-123 - @wicked-books-101

Mr. Love: Ike’s Choice CH3 PT 9

Warnings: Mentions of child abuse (just stories and old scars), Fluffff, also some angst but it’s like the last few paragraphs so don’t get your hopes up, ewwy googy baby high fives, and cliffhangers that will make you beg for more >:D

(Chapter Three (Victor and Lucien) prologue and part one, and parts two, three, four, five, six, seven, and eight here~)

((Please read the author’s note (and the beginning of the story) on chapter one part one if you’re new here :D))

Chapter three:

Part nine:

I crashed the moment I hit my bed. When I woke up I called Maria and told her everything that had happened. She was silent through most of the call, partially out of exhaustion from how early it was, and partially because of how angry she had been with me the night before. After hearing the story, she seemed to have eased up a bit but made me promise to call her right away if anything like that were to happen again. I also promised to try extra hard to welcome the new foster child, Adrienne, to the family that night. Maria accepted the proposal without hesitation.

Throughout the entire conversation, Bart hadn't uttered a word to me. I could tell he was angry, so I made it a point to call him later that day. But no matter how many times I had tried to call him, he never picked up.

I also made sure to tell Sam what happened that night when I picked him up from school. “I never trusted Lucien.” Sam growled over the phone, “If he ever tries to bug you again just let me know! I’ll teach him a lesson!” Sam’s adolescent voice made the threats adorable but I accepted his offer nonetheless. It was nice to know he would be by my side no matter what. Now I just had to convince the other members of the family to do the same...

>>>

I tugged lightly at the tie around my neck as I approached the foster house. I had decided to dress semi casually that evening with a white button-up shirt, nice black jeans, and a loose red tie. I had also bought some pies for dessert that night. Hopefully, that would make Bart happy enough to talk to me again.

I rapped on the door. Hurried footsteps sounded from the living room then the door swung open. I was greeted by a wide-eyed and grinning Sam. He was carrying a giggly Lola.

“Look, Lola!” He bounced the baby and pointed at me, “It’s Sissy Ike!” Lola screeched and reached out for me happily. I took her up from Sam’s arms and held her close with my free hand. Sam took the opportunity to take my bags and peer inside of them.

“Hey!” I reached to take them back but Sam dodged my grasp.

“Pies!” Sam cheered, “I hope you got pumpkin!”

“What kind of a fool doesn’t get pumpkin pie in the fall?” I huffed, “Those were supposed to be a surprise.”

“Welp, you shouldn’t have taken Lola, leaving me free to be nosy.” Sam stuck out his tongue. I looked over to Lola who was sucking happily on her fist.

“I can’t believe I trusted you.” I booped the little baby on the nose. Lola giggled and booped me right back with her slimy, saliva ridden hand.

“Come in.” Sam said through a fit of laughter, “I’ll put these in the kitchen for Dad to warm up.”

“Is the newbie here yet?” I asked, walking into the house and closing the door behind me, “Have you met her?” Sam stopped walking.

“Yeah.” Sam laughed nervously, “She’s… a character.” With that, he sped off into the dining room.

“How reassuring.” I said to Lola, who cooed in response. Doors shut from upstairs and footsteps retreated from the bedrooms. Maria appeared at the foot of the stairs, obviously at a loss for words. As she descended, she looked to be lost in thought, completely oblivious of my presence. “Wow.” I said, making Maria jump, “I think I can see smoke coming out of your ears.”

“Evie!” She said sweetly, quickly bouncing down the last steps and into my arms. I moved to complete the hug but Maria had already pulled away. She reached up and held my face in her hands, “How are you feeling, Evie? Any better?”

“I’m ok, really.” I pulled her hands away and gave her a soft smile, “Our talk this morning helped a lot.” Maria gave me a look of shock. My smile dropped. “What?”

“I don’t know.” Her shock melted into curiosity, “You seem… different today. Softer almost.”

“Perhaps the leaky baby in my arms makes it look that way.” Annoyance trailed from my words as another slimy slap hit my face. Maria laughed and took Lola from my arms.

“Come here, you!” She cooed, rubbing her face into the giggling baby’s, “Sister Ike has to go greet Sister Adri and hopefully put her in a better mood!”

“She isn’t in a good mood?” I asked looking up the stairs.

“Nope!” Maria kept up her playful tone for Lola, “In fact, I think I made it worse! Hey, Lola. Can you say ‘good luck, Evie!’?” Maria waved Lola’s hand to me, wordlessly pushing me upstairs. I sighed and accepted her challenge, walking to the bedrooms carefully.

I approached the pink bedroom door quietly. Scuffling came from inside the room, guaranteeing the existence of the new occupant living there. I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

“Come in.” An annoyed, high pitched voice welcomed me. I pushed open the door and looked around. The room was fairly simple but had a clear aesthetic.

Neon lights in spring.

Pale pink based every furniture in the room and neon displays outlined them with various colors. My eyes landed on a teenage girl sitting on a comfy looking bed. She was tall and lean, legs splayed out and body contorted uncomfortably as she hunched over the phone in her hands. She wore black leggings, red converse, a large band tee shirt, and an even bigger tan jacket that poofed nicely around her arms. Her hair was black, bobbed, and straight, framing her heavily makeup ridden face. Her style seemed sharp enough to cut anyone who approached her and it was clear that was what she intended.

Adrienne pulled her attention from the phone as I walked in. She let out an annoyed huff as she eyed me up and down. “You must be Ike.” Adrienne said in a disgruntled tone.

“I take it you’ve heard about me?” I asked, shutting the door behind me.

“The old man wouldn’t stop talking about you.” Adrienne rolled her eyes, “It was ‘Ike this’ and ‘Ike that’ with him. I’m surprised you didn’t walk in with a halo and wings.”

“So they didn’t say anything bad about me?” I sighed and shoved my hands in my pockets.

“No.” Adrienne deadpanned, looking back at her phone.

"They didn’t mention anything about me being an emotionally distant adrenaline hog?"

Adrienne looked back at me, eyeing me in a way that made it clear that she was waiting for me to tell her it was a joke. Once she saw I really wasn't kidding, she straightened herself slightly, ".… I think one of the twins might have touched on it." She said cautiously. Ah, good ol Ashton. "The other twin made me a macaroni picture." Adrienne gestured to her vanity. I approached it to find a macaroni picture of a smiling dog that read, Welcome to your new home, A-Dog!!

"Sam and his macaroni pictures." I shook my head and picked up the picture, "I threw out the first one I got from him. When he saw it in my trash, he didn't get angry. He simply made me another one. I stopped trashing them after the tenth try. It's still hanging in my apartment as we speak." I had two of his works actually. The one he made me at the foster home and the other one he had made me when I moved out. They were proudly framed and placed by my bed.

Some macaroni started sliding down the picture. He must have just made it. I placed down the picture carefully and walked back over to Adrienne. I pulled her desk chair out and swung it in front of her bed. Straddling it, I leaned forward, placing my head on the palm of my hand. “Ashton would be the other twin. He tends to be blunt about things. Bart and Maria could learn a thing or two from him. Now, allow me to introduce myself correctly.” I held out my hand, “Hi, I’m Ikamara Bikira. But you can call me Ike. I’m pleased to make your acquaintance.” Adrienne hesitated a moment but eventually took my hand. She shook it limply, making my grasp seem like that of a giant’s.

“Adri.” She murmured slightly, withdrawing her hand rather quickly from mine, “So.. you aren’t the super prissy heiress they make you out to be?”

“Nope.” I deadpanned, “In fact, most of the people I work with hate me. Say I don’t have any human decency or manners. They’re right, of course, but it still hurts.”

“But, the folks made you out to be this super caring person who only thinks for the people around her and never herself.”

“They tend to do that for the people they care about.” I sighed somewhat happily, “They only talk about the redeeming qualities so you seem so much better than you are. In fact, Maria did it for you.”

“She just barely met me.” Adri huffed, trying to catch me in a lie.

“You’ve seen Maria. Do you really think time will stop her from deciding whether or not to love and adore you?”

Adri seemed to be at a loss for words. She huffed and looked down at her phone. I took the opportunity to admire the poster hanging over her bed.

“You like Kiro?” I asked, staring into those familiar eyes on the poster. He was singing into a microphone and smiling charmingly at the camera.

“Who doesn’t?” Adri scoffed, keeping her eyes on her phone, “I have all of his albums on my phone.”

“Me too.” I found myself saying, as I got lost in his eyes.

“What?!” Adri laughed, snapping me back to reality, “Really?! I didn’t take you for the type!”

“What is that supposed to mean?!” I eyed Adri.

“I mean, Kiro’s music is full of emotion! You’re,” Adri looked me up and down again, “Not.”

“I’ll have you know Kiro’s music got me through highschool.” I said, redirecting my eyes to that dazzling smile, “He also connected me with this family.”

“How so?”

“Sam and I would listen to his music together all the time. I even used Kiro to communicate to Ashton while I was mute.”

“You… were mute?” Adri asked, hesitantly. My eyes unfocused from the poster and became large. Dang it, Victor. I thought to myself, Now you’ve got me spilling my guts to a seventeen-year-old. I hope you’re happy.

“Yeah.” I replied slowly, unsure about what to say, “For three years.”

“So it was selective.” Adri crossed her legs and sat in front of me, making me straighten my posture in response, “Why did you choose to be mute?”

“Since when did you become so interested in me?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Since you stopped being a prick and actually became interesting.” Adri answered eagerly, gesturing to me to start talking. I looked blankly into her eyes. Victor’s words swam through my head.

“...I don’t blame you for needing time to ready yourself for the world, but you can’t stay in your head forever.”

Maybe talking to Adri about this stuff could be the step forward I needed to take.

I unbuttoned and rolled up the sleeves to my shirt. “My mother left me and my dad when I was a baby, and my dad had important business to attend to… business that didn’t involve me. So, my dad put me in the foster program when I was just a child. Since then I was admitted to six different homes, counting this one. The first home sent me to a sort of Bootcamp, the second home neglected me, the third home gave me too much of the wrong kind of attention, the fourth home made me lose parts of myself; Including the feeling in my left arm... and my voice; and the fifth home… was featured on the news.” The scars on my arms radiated strangely in the neon lights, “By then I was discouraged. It had been ten years since my father had promised to come back for me and I was still in the system, bouncing from house to house. From one family who didn’t want me to the next. When I had arrived at this home, I was ready for it to be the same way…

“But it wasn’t. I was greeted with a macaroni picture, a hug from a large friendly man, a bright smile from a kind lady, the cold shoulder from a strange little boy, and a large welcoming meal. It still took me a month until I was sure I could trust them, but that was thirty-one days I wish I could take back. I wish I had started speaking to them right away. I wish I told them everything I felt and exactly how thankful I was that they didn’t hate me. That they wanted me around to love and welcome me as their own. Their love means more to me then they will ever know… which is why I want to ask one thing of you.” Adri had been transfixed on my arms as I spoke. I took her chin and pulled it up so she would match my gaze, “Give them a chance. Before you know it you will be out of here and reunited with your family. Let them love you the way you deserve because, whether you like it or not, they are going to do it anyway. And they aren’t ever going to stop doing it. No matter how badly you mess up. Trust me, I know. They…” I paused, “...we are your family now. We’ve got your back. So there’s no need to fight us.” Adri stayed silent, staring blankly at my face. I let go of Adri’s chin and stood up from her chair. I held out my hand, “Now, why don’t we head downstairs? Bart normally likes it when we set the table for dinner.”

Adri ignored my hand as she looked up at me. She had a clear sparkle in her eyes. Many emotions filled them. Sympathy, sadness, regret…

... but also realization, adoration, and above all, respect. Adri raised a shaky hand to mine.

Before she could take it though, the door swung open. Sam stomped in, worry and anger brimmed on his face. Those emotions morphed into awkwardness as he realized what he had interrupted. “S-sorry!” He said sweetly, “Did I ruin a moment?”

“I’m sure there will be more to come.” I smiled at Adri. She smiled back meaningfully, “What’s up, kiddo?” Sam’s face returned to the state it was in before as the topic returned to him.

“N-Now, don’t kill the messenger.” Sam spoke slowly and shakily, “But we have a visitor.”

“Who is it?” I asked, bracing myself. One knowing look from Sam made the answer clear. “No.” I wined slightly, “Please be joking.” A familiar laugh came from downstairs. Anxiety rushed into my stomach as I groaned. I hid my face in my hand.

“Who is it?” Adri asked warily.

“Oh! He is just delightful! Super fun!” Sam smiled sarcastically. Then his smile dropped, “and also a son of a-” I held a hand up to Sam to stop him from contributing to the swear jar.

“Why don’t we go meet him.” I groaned, moving towards the door, “There could be a chance he got amnesia within the few hours we last saw each other and he could have completely forgotten about me.”

“What, hold on, tea?!” Adri jumped up from the bed and grabbed onto my arm, “Spill it! Is this guy an ex??”

“He wishes!!” Sam spoke up again and jumped in front of Adri, “Go on down, Ike. I’ll be the one to catch Adri up to speed.”

“What, so I can go face him alone?!” I scoffed, “No way! I’ll stay here. You go.”

“How about we all stay?” A low melodious voice came from the doorway, “I would like to hear what happened as well.”

(Next)

💜 - If you would please. Pairing of your choice. *SMOOCHES*

FIRST KISS! This screamed JJBella in high school to me, so here is some JJBella first kiss adorableness :) :)

The snow crunched under JJ’s boots as he made his way downthe sidewalk, a single rose clutched in his hand which twitched against his legin a nervous rhythm. Around him flakes were still falling, building smallmounds over parked cars and hiding bushes from sight. Wind whistled across hischeeks adding pinkness to the already present blush. Cold air burned into hislungs, and he lifted his head only briefly to make sure he hadn’t missed hisdestination.

It was rare that school closed in Canada, especially forsnow, but the freak blizzard had shut nearly everything down. Snow had beenfalling since the night before, almost faster than rain normally did, creatingnear white-out conditions and rendering travel unsafe in any manner.

JJ smirked into his scarf remembering his parents’ shockedexpressions when he declared he was leaving the house. They tried to persuade himnot to, his mother running through every fact about frostbite that she couldremember. Finally his father had been the one to give in, plunking the world’s ugliesthat on JJ’s head and wishing him luck.

His parents had always supported and survived all of JJ’scraziest ideas. When he had wanted to follow in their footsteps and become afigure skater himself, they had rushed out to buy him skates. They were therethrough all his awkward phases and through the years where he struggled to makefriends. They had helped him build his confidence and coached him every step ofthe way.

When he got into high school, JJ used all the tools hisparents had given him to make a name for himself. He had finally startedfilling out his scrawny teenager frame and girls had started to notice him.Despite training as a male figure skater, he had fallen into a group with theother athletes. His confidence about his own skill gained him respect, insteadof the torture he had experienced during his preteen years. He was no longerthat sissy ice skater boy, now he was one of the popular guys and he ruled theschool along with the hockey and baseball players.

None of that mattered to Bella though. She had arrived intohis world, bursting into his dance class with flushed cheeks and hurriedapologies for her lateness. JJ couldn’t take his eyes off of her as shecarelessly tossed her bag against the wall and fell into the warmup exerciseswith flawless form. In fact, JJ hadn’t been able to pull his gaze from Bella atall, even with all the girls attempting to gain his attention.

Beyond her beauty, which JJ dreamed about both awake andasleep, Bella was astounding in her contradictions. She was brilliant, yetquiet about this fact, flying under the radar despite being a top student. Shetripped over her own feet in the hallway (always giggling at her ownclumsiness) but moved through ballet class with more grace than anyone else inthe room. Bella was soft and caring with her friends, but a force to bereckoned with if anyone tried to hurt them.

JJ had nearly died of shock on the day that Bella hadpunched Liam in the nose, declaring it to be on behalf of her best friend. Liamhad deserved it, as he had been cheating on Lea as long as they had beentogether, and JJ watched as Bella walked away, her back straight with a look ofpure satisfaction on her face. That was the day that JJ knew he wanted to marryher someday.

Unfortunately, Bella had zero interest in him when theyfirst met. She recognized him from dance class, but had simply raised aneyebrow at him when he had dropped an arm around her shoulders and asked her tohave lunch with him. Grinning, JJ buried his face into his scarf, rememberingthe way she had slipped away from him, calling over her shoulder that he wouldhave to try harder than that.

So he had. Notes, flowers, stuffed animals, he had evendedicated a skate program to her. She finally agreed to come see him skate, andhe had skated his heart out to a program designed around the concept of firstlove. He had left the ice to find her waiting for him, tears in her eyes andaccepting his request to have dinner with a crushing hug.

Their first date had been a little over a month ago, andevery day since had been the best day of JJ’s life. Bella made him laugh whenpractice and school felt overwhelming and unmanageable. She listened when hewanted to babble about competitions and comforted him after his losses. She hadquickly become a staple in his life, and he couldn’t imagine ever being withouther.

Taking a shaky breath, JJ turned to his right, pushingthrough the little gate in front of Bella’s house. Even through the drivingsnow, he could see the impressive blue house. He had picked her up from thisdoor and dropped her off many times over the last few weeks. No matter how manytimes he had come to this door, he still hadn’t mustered up the courage to doone thing, but that was going to change. Today.

Bella’s front door was only afew feet away, but JJ’s feet were rooted to the first stair, his nerves overcominghim and preventing him from taking another step.

“JJ!” Bella’s voice startled him as the door was flung open,and JJ found himself falling backwards, landing with a muted thud in thesnow. “You crazy boy, what are you doing here?” Bella tromped through thegathering snow, sliding on the stairs and falling to her knees beside JJ. Thewetness instantly began to soak through the fabric of her jeans as she laughed,pushing JJ’s hat up from where it had fallen over his eyes.

“It’s Valentine’s Day,” JJ grinned, pulling his rose fromthe snow and offering it to Bella. “Our first Valentine’s Day. I couldn’t notsee you.”

The wind picked up and Bella visibly shivered as she tookthe rose from JJ’s gloved fingers. “Thank you,” she smiled, teeth chattering.Standing, she grabbed JJ’s hand and pulled him to his feet. “Come on, let’s getyou inside. My parents will not like the idea of you walking back home in thisso you might be stuck with me for a bit.” Tugging him toward the house, Bellamade it one stumbling step before JJ pulled her back.

“Bella,” JJ felt his heart hammering against his chest, snowcovering both of them as they stood on Bella’s front lawn facing each other. “Ifwe go in your house, your parents are going to be all over us, and there is one thing I have been trying to get the courage to do and I can’t do it if wego in there or even if I wait a minute longer. Bella, I….” JJ took a breath,pausing in his rambling.

“JJ?” Bella looked at him with an amused smile. “Just shutup and kiss me already.” Wrapping a hand around JJ’s scarf, Bella pulled himdown to her and kissed him.

Despite the freezing snow, the howling wind, andthe extreme wet coldness of the butt of JJ’s jeans, he was the warmest he hadever been.

When The Sun Met The Moon: part 2

A/N: Okay so I got a pretty positive response to the first little part of this that I did and decided to do another part because I kind of fell in love with my characters and wanna see where I can take them! Anyway please let me know if you guys like this! Enjoy! <3

*************************************

“Niall Horan....”

And just like that I fell back into the fandom.

“You must be Olivia, yer sister mentioned tha you like our music, is that right?” Niall asked bending over a little so he could be on my sister’s level.

“UH HUH THATS RIGHT! I LOVE ONE DIRECTION SO MUCH! Harmony doesn’t like you guys anymore though!”

Oh shit

“LIV!”

“What?! It’s true!”

I was so embarrassed and caught up in arguing with Olivia that it wasn’t until Niall’s laugh cut through our conversation that I realized how ridiculous we must’ve looked.

“ Haha! Harmony? Right?”

“Yes... Mr. Horan?”

“Ah please, just Niall! Its okay, not everyone is a fan. It’s no big deal really!” 

“I am a fan! I mean I was before! I drifted away once you guys went on break and all that mess happened! Ugh it’s complicated...”

“Well listen, if that’s true then I’m terribly sorry and I hope you’ll give me an the lads a chonce to make it up to yeh tonight but we should probably get moving because yeh weren’t kiddin when you said it was freezin out here!”

And with that he started to lead us towards the buses to meet the rest of the band. Meanwhile in the back of my mind I’m trying to make sure I remember to breathe and that I’ll survive this night.

Olivia was doing phenomenal compared to me.

********************************

Before we went in I decided it would probably be best to give my little sister a small pep talk for her sake aswell as the boys’ sake. I could never forgive myself if my sister got banned from concerts forever for being a little hooligan!

“Olives listen to me real quick okay? I know how much you adore these boys but remember they are people just like you and me alright? So remember when I would show you those videos and tell you how some fans dont respect personal space?”

“Yeah I remember Harmony! You said we gotta use our manners!”

“Exactly! Good! So dont forget to use your manners and give the boys some space okay?”

“Got it! I’m gonna be the best fan ever!”

“You already are babe! Go in and say hi, I’m gonna try to catch my breath really quick okay? I wont be long at all!”

“Okay sissy! Hurry though!”

While she went in I stood on the side of the bus for a second. I felt terrible. How could I have just gave up on them so easily? I know I had a lot going on but I completely forgot that these boys were some of the nicest people until now. Niall had just made tonight a night my sister (and honestly myself) would never forget.

“Hey Harmony, you okay?” he sounded worried and yet gorgeous all the same

“Niall, hey, yeah I was just thinking.” I replied honestly

“Oh? Wanna talk about it? I’ve been told that I’m an amazin listener!” 

Imangine me telling my small problems to Niall Horan! How many girls would kill to be me right now? But I opted to keep the conversation light, I wouldn’t want to weird him out off the bat.

“I’m sure you are but its okay really! Nothing important at all anyway!” I gave him a small smile

“Yeh sure? I mean it, if there’s anything at all I can try to help,,,”

“Nah, I’m fine really! Maybe next time I’ll let you pick my brain about it!”

Did I really just say next time? Who was I kidding other than myself?

“Alright, I’m gonna hold yeh to that! Come on inside, yer sister is ravin about you and how yer the best sister ever so all the guys are dyin to meet ya!” he said with a nudge.

I felt like I was dreaming! One Direction wants to meet me? On what planet is that reality? Oh, this one, this is real. I decided to suck it up and head on the bus as bravely as I could.

********************************

Oh. My. God.

“H-Hello-Hi... I’m Harmony” my inner teen was crying but I was pretty composed so that was good! 

“Hello Harmony, your sister here has told us so much about you! It’s great to meet you!” Harry said giving me his hand to shake

“Yeah apparently you’re the best sister in the world” Liam continued also shaking my hand

“Well I like her already! She’s got a wicked name and she managed to convince her mum to name her sister after one of our songs which takes balls and dedication. Let’s have a hug then luv” Louis blurted out before yanking me into hug

“Wait am I dreaming?! I just hugged Louis Tomlinson and shook Harry Styles’ and Liam Payne’s hands!” I squeaked out

“Haha! Harmony I thought you said that we needed to treat the boys like they are normal just like me and you?” Olivia reminded me giggling and doing some funny dance with Louis

“I know Liv I’m trying, thank you though.” I said sheepishly grinning

“Ah no need to be shy love!” Liam said attempting to be helpful

“Right, we’re just hanging out. Just relax, come sit on the couch with me” Harry said patting the seat next to him

“No funny business Styles, you’ll give ‘er a heart attack if yeh do something weird!” Niall shouted from near the door

“Oi! I don’t do weird things ever! We’re just sitting and having a conversation...” Harry replied “Soooooo Harmony.... I just have one question for you”

“Of course Harry! Anything! What do you wanna know?” I said a little more eager than I would have liked

“Your sister also mentioned...”

“HARRY STOP! We decided we wouldn’t!” Liam cut him off

“What’s he goin on about now?” Louis chimed in

“I NEVER AGREED TO ANYTHING! I Simply said I wouldn’t make her uncomfortable, she looks comfy on the couch does she not?”

“JUST ASK ME HAROLD!” I yelled above the bickering

They all looked at me

“Well... why don’t yeh like us?” Harry said 

Uh oh

“But I do” I replied quickly

“Nuh uh Harmony! Don’t lie! Momma says its a sin!” Thank you Olivia

“I like you all as people!” I defended

“But you don’t like our music?” Liam asked

“Ugh Olivia I should beat you with a stick!” I sighed “Listen, I used to love your music and I still have very special and fond memories with your music but I thought you guys had really broken up when you went on your hiatus okay? And when you came back it just wasn’t the same! I can’t handle this pressure! I’m just gonna go back outside, Liv I’ll peep my head in when they have to go onstage.” 

********************************************

I tried my hardest not to just bolt as soon as I got off that bus, the only thing keeping me glued was the fact that I was with my 9 year old sister who would never let me live peacefully if I decided that we needed to leave.

They sounded like they were having a great time probably joking around and being silly. I on the other hand was miserable again and freezing.... again. 

Suddenly I heard the bus door open and shut and saw Harry coming over to where I was standing. Great. Time to get chewed out.

“Harry...”

“No Harmony, just listen for a second.” 

I nodded allowing him to go on

“I’m so sorry...”

“What?”

“I shouldn’t have put you on the spot like tha’ an’ I feel terrible. We knew when we decided to take a break that some of our fans might leave us and I dunno why it still hurts but I’m sure you have your reasons and either way tha’s not what matters. You’re here and I’ve been really rude”

“Harry you’ve been wonderful! I feel horrible. I shouldn’t have come! I wouldn’t have come! I’m sorry. After tonight you won’t ever have to see me or hear from me again, I promise.” I have no clue how I was holding my tears for this long but I was proud of myself for doing so.

“Ah no no no love don’t say that...” he said wiping a runaway tear from my face “I’ve quite enjoyed getting to know you! ‘M glad yeh came! Please come back on the bus? The rest of the lads feel pretty gutted and I think Liam has developed a bit of a crush on yeh” he winked

I couldn’t help but laugh. Harry was far too charming for his own good.

“Alright Styles but only because I can only imagine what sort of influence you boys will have on my sister if I leave you all alone too long!” I said nudging his tummy

“Hey before you guys leave she’s gonna be a master prankster is Louis has his way!” He said holding the door open for me but grabbing my wrist before I walked on

“Yeah Harry?”

“I jus wanted to say thank you for bein honest. Its refreshing and I meant what I said about bein glad yeh came with Olivia. I really want to be friends okay?”

“I’m glad I came too Harry, I would love to be friends. Its been a memorable night.” 

And as I said that my night became even more memorable when THE Harry Styles kissed my cheek before climbing on the bus. 

I had no idea how I was supposed to think straight after that but I did have an idea of how much of a long night this was gonna be.

18th Birthday - Landmark for Mom

Just do it. Just pick one and run with it, like the wind. No looking back. Pick your *1 *out of 20 to 25 viable creative ideas that have been stirring in your head for years and fleshing themselves out as you age and grow and learn. Take it and run with it -is what I keep hearing… From God and from good understanders of me and my ideas and  how I tick.   Run with it, WW! Like the wind. No looking back and questioning whether it was the right one to start with......or not. The others aren't going anywhere any time soon, hopefully(?). Just do it, I hear Nike reverberate between my ears.  Just take the first steps and God will bless it. God and  other "importants" in my life are well aware of my ADD 'stuck'  struggle for years.  Too much creativity flow at times can be a problem when life is already slam- jam packed, full of necessary responsibilities and life's  necessities beaming at you.   That rare gift can be a gift(ADD), a blessing to be thankful for, which I am, but it can be a curse in other ways. So they say, and I believe them more every new year, indecisiveness is for sissies.....so here I go… Out into the wild blue yonder of this "reveal yourself" blog world. With my music, writing, photography, painting, appreciation of all things beautiful and creative/artistic, all based in love and positivity, it's time to Flow🌬🌬🌈☀️ And to start on the night after my son's 18th birthday (appropriately sentimental, as it should be), i'm tending towards introspection.   First of all, I feel enormously blessed and gifted as a mom in the parenting department of my three. They're the only three I can speak for. Parenting is NOT for sissies, especially single parenting(🙃), or lazy or settled or self-centered or too-busy-to-get down-to-it parenting. Ha, or all of the above, for that matter.. Judge not that you be not judged :-&! I'm the last to throw stones, at anyone, for anything, especially parents. I have had my share of plenty well-deserved stones thrown and plenty not-so- deserved stones. Something my parents didn't tell me enough… Life isn't fair!  Don't expect it to be. Even when you make mistakes and you fess up. Or even when others who have left you come back and beg your forgiveness and fess up themselves, (although, admittedly, that part Does feel more fair;)!) If nothing else, being the target/the focus of the gossip tree, will humble you and teach you to look outside of the box when it comes to what I may hear about others. I don't succeed 100% of the time, but I try to hear it from all sources before I speak.  I'll make my own decisions based on proper, well gathered facts, thank you very much ;) So, BY THE WAY, welcome to my free-falling (Tom Petty style🎵) - mostly - unapologetic  first blog entry of 2017!! 🎬🏹🔛🥂🆓🈂🔓✒️📆📬🎉🔮💡⌛️🌠🛤🎡🗽🚥🚀🎤🍻🌛🌙🌒🌝🌻🐶👢💃💁🗣👉🏼👻🤔🙀👣🇺🇸☮️ On THAT note, I'm already apologizing…😑- lol. I'm not one to go on an emoticon binge like this, but I have to say it's a pretty good description....one by one by one.....of where this, my new stream of conscious blogging very well may lead! 9 and 17 are my lucky numbers, I was born on July 17 and my son was born on January 17. J and A seem to be my letters. Numbers are always coming into play in my life in the wildest of ways. And lately #1 has been pretty damn cool (but more on that later). Craziness with that number and I've got photographic proof! For months now… Weirdville, I'm telling you! But more coming...soooo much more later. On so many subjects! Flatlining has not been my norm. I was born and taught by all the right folks in my life along the way, definitely including my parents and family, a very strong message of "Love is the most motivating factor, think for yourself, make things better for everyone, be authentic at all costs, keep God first and then, truly, in all manner of things, all shall be well😇. I am no angel but a very gratefully content 53-year-old mother of an awesome grown daughter (28) and two sons I adore as well - 18 and 15. I've been divorced a time or two, which yes deductibly means I've been married a time or two. More to come on that subject. Ive never been afraid to take chances and speak my mind when strong opinions and convicted convictions submerge. That may just set the stage for the up and coming Blogtone (shouldn't that be the name of a band?!) as its gonna pour outta me a couple nights a week. I'll try to choose a theme each time (So many to choose from, and yes, I'm sorry - and happy- to tell you, if you don't know this about me, that I have significant ADD! ).  You'll see… If you look for it. Its that freefalling thing I was talking about earlier :-& Anyway, this blog (I hate that word!? Come on… What else can we call it??) will always be supported with photographs, quotes, lyrics, songs, videos, and hopefully good writing along the way. Its part of a vision/dream in the making and something I feel led to get a move on with right now! January 18, 2017. Without long intro, the subject of the night is my oldest son turning 18 yesterday. It's a definite thing to take note of as a parent and as an 18-year-old. We did last night. I have two sons and a daughter I adore equally. Really, for all their different reasons and beings. But tonight I want to honor my son who's become man. Because he deserves it. Here's my letter to Brade: You've been through a lot son, and I only see that you come out stronger. Yes, I am a proud mom and a pleased one with who I can see you are today. God knows I've been learning as I go with boys, but you have paved the way, Brady, and while I couldn't adore or respect your sister any more than I do, you have paved your own way and I have done my part and been able to sit back and be mightily impressed with who this little boy has turned into and applaud the decisions YOU've  made to be your own person. You are kind, loving, empathetic, stubborn, demanding at times, messy as hell, but somehow stay on top of it all just enough to pull off a darn good balance in being a good well-rounded human being. Your 18th birthday was and felt significant. You're my son, a friend, one of the greatest companions ever, and still learning, until the day you leave for college! And this last semester of your senior year seems to have freed you from all the burdens and responsibilities that have  fallen on your shoulders. Yay!!🎉. As you know, I'm already crying....just with your 18th birthday, graduation tears on the way (it's OK, you know your mama ;)). Anyway, the birthday night looked like it might not go super smoothly, but God had his hand in it and all went just perfectly👍🏼. Brady got to eat his favorite cake and eat it too. And more cake coming his way. The beauty of a divided family… Many many celebrations for someone we/they all love.  What can be better than to be loved that much that there are too many celebrations to plan in a birthday week?!❤😘. Now he's looking for the perfect present to give his best friend Cameron, whose birthday is around the corner and who has life-threatening melanoma. Cameron is my early-on dubbed "third son". Brady and Cot (my youngest and a true soul) and all of Cameron's closest friends are keeping him strong along with his incredible fighting spirit. He's going to beat the odds💥🎯#cameronstrong! All this in the middle of my daughter's long life BFF almost dying through childbirth a week ago. Very scary situation, Campbell took off work and went to Birmingham for a week to help, as any bestie would do ;)  through a gazillion prayers and a lot of true faith, and miracles no doubt, she is not only surviving but thriving and more and has been able more every day. Her baby Max is too!  Looked mighty mighty dicey there for a while. We are all Thanking God, literally. I am a single mother, with a good supportive father, who has my kids half the time, who tries hard to make a difference when I do have them (and every day I don't) in the ways I feel matter as far as raising the best absolute human beings to go into the world and contribute in all the right ways and feel good about themselves in the meantime - that's my style of kid raising. And I hope that they will always know that they can ask God for the answers and he will provide. Because he does and as, hopefully, they will I've seen enough of that after a while to really know they can believe in him and his goodness and his ways. Anyway, to sum up Blog No. 1, from my Deck of Declarations, i'll say that my views good. Life is hard at times. My children inspire me to be a better person, so I can keep teaching them about all the things that matter the most and being a good human being on this planet... whether they become a sports star, a corporate magnate, a starving artist of some sort, a sitcom writer, a Brooklyn bridge salesman, a waiter, a rapper or a baker, or anything else (other than a drug doer/dealer or a criminal