"Mommy, I wanna see 'Bolt!'" A little girl tugged on her mom's skirt, excitement coloring her young face.

"We will sweetie," she patiently said, smoothing the girl's hair back. She smiled down at her. "Calm down okay?"

She nodded and began to worry her lip to keep from talking.

"Ma'am?"

She walked up to the window and spoke the request. At being told the price, her face blanched slightly. She looked in her purse and, as she suspected, was five dollars short.

"I'm sorry Katie, I don't have enough money."

"Oh." Her face crumpled but unlike other kids, she didn't make a show. "That's okay. I had to study anyways."

Sighing, they moved out of the way. A hand caught her arm, stopping her in her path. "I'm sure you can take a break from studying," a deep voice said.

She looked up and was met with startling blue eyes on a suntanned face. "Yes, but I-"

"Three tickets for 'Bolt' please." They both stood shocked as the teenage worker cautiously gave three tickets over to the towering man.

He held his hand out with two tickets, an unsure smile on his face. "Well?"

"I-I appreciate it but-"

"Please Mommy?" She looked down, a reprimand fast on her lips. "I mean, he already bought them," Katie added shyly.

She turned to the kind stranger and saw the smirk that threatened to overtake his lips. "Fine," she huffed.

With a squeal of joy, they three made their way into the cinema. Mother and daughter made their way to the snack line for popcorn and she was surprised when he followed closely behind.

As they waited in line, she was even more surprised as he started to strike up a conversation with Katie, patiently listening as the second-grader spoke about the recent Science Olympics.

After getting their snacks, he smiled engagingly at them and spoke to her. "Do me the honor of sitting with me?"

She saw Katie's curious gaze on them and shook her head in awe. "Sure." She smiled and slipped her left arm through his right, a laugh bubbling out at the way Katie's eyes light up.

In the middle of the previews, when Katie was happily conversing with a fellow classmate, he leaned over and whispered in her ear. "I'm Joshua. A.S.L?"

She choked on her Sprite and looked at him with shining brown eyes. "You're such an id- joker."

He smiled, his white teeth brilliant in his tan face. "You can say it."

She smirked. Leaning over, she whispered hotly in his ear. "Regina. Twenty-five. Florida." She resisted the urge to rake her hands through his black hair at hearing his shuddering intake of breath.

"I see your left hand is bare," he murmured, shifting closer, yet not indecently so.

She relaxed back in her seat. It was going to be an interesting night.

*****

Throughout the movie, they whispered to each other in the dark and she had to cough over her laughter more than once at what he said. At the end, they shook hands and said goodbyes. When their hands separated, she found a slip of paper on her hand and a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

They started texting and calling often. He began coming over to her small apartment, started to help Katie with homework, gave a hand whenever her old clunker broke down.

She told him how Katie was the result of a drunken night at college with a friend and although they had never married, the father had been part of Katie's life until he passed away a year ago. He told her how he was divorced with no kids, his marriage having been more of a defiance to his parents than out of love.

They stayed that way for almost two years, not friends but not a couple. Regina was attracted to him physically, to his dominating presence, to his everlasting patience with Katie.

She loved Joshua.

The truth hit her during one of their "hanging out"'s when he took her hand and started to show her a booth of necklaces at the harbor.

It wasn't until a month after her personal epiphany and promise to not reveal her feelings that Joshua made the first move.

Driving back to her home after going out to a comedy show, he had parked his car and grabbed a hold of her nape. Looking into her wide doe eyes, he whispered, "I can't help it."

Then they were kissing. It started sweet, turning more passionate as they got bolder with their desires. She finally raked her fingers through his tawny head and he finally tangled his fingers in her brown locks. Panting, they broke the kiss, staring at each other.

He smiled. "I'll drive to you work tomorrow sweetie." He pecked her lips and next thing she knew, Katie was hugging her hello.

*****

A year later found them sitting in his house, eating Chinese takeout. They were holding hands underneath the table, the picture of a perfect couple. Katie sat across of them, talking about the upcoming Great American Teach-In.

"I told Mrs. Scotta you could come since you're a dentist an' some kids wanna be that."

"Sure thing Kat. Although, I have to ask your mom something first." He turned to Regina and grabbed her hands in his larger ones.

"Joshua?" Her heart rate sped up and her voice was faint.

He got out his seat and bent on one knee. Katie gasped and Regina's hand flew up to her mouth.

"I love you Regina. I love Katie too, and I would love to be able to spend the rest of my life with you two. Maybe even have a some more kids so the scamp can stop looking so bored sometimes." He gave her a shy smile, just like when they met. "Will you marry me?" He fished a small JCPenny ring box out of his jacket and opened it to reveal a glittering engagement ring.

"Oh Joshua," she breathed. She grabbed his face and kissed him excitedly. "Yes, yes!" She laughed with joy as he slipped the ring on her finger and kissed him again. "I love you so much!"

"This. Is. So. Cool!" They looked at Katie's excited face and laughed.

The family spent the rest of the night talking about wedding plans, teasing Joshua with tedious details. Yet whenever their eyes met, the same message passed through.

"I love you."

Author's Note:

So, it seems there is a little bit of clarification due. Since I'm a teenager, I tend to not notice these things, but luckily there are great people on BookRix that helped point these out.

When Joshua asks Regina for "A.S.L", it stands for "age, sex, location," an acronym used on chat sites like Omegle or Chatrouette, for you to get the gist.

Shortly afterwards, she's about to call him an idiot, something I've been taught is rude to say unless you're good friends with someone, and stops midway to replace it with "joker". It might have given off the impression of another acronym, but it's not and I apologize for any confusion.

With that, I hope you enjoyed this lil' drabble. c:

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 30.06.2011

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