“Anyway, I want some ice cream. Do you think Mickey would mind if I had some ice cream?” she asked.

“No, kiddo. Just ask to see if the boys want some too.”

“Okay, Mom,” she replied, got up and bumped into me playfully as she passed me.

I watched her disappear in the hall and heard her talking to the boys about ice cream and even heard her opening the sliding glass door to make her request for ice cream officially of Mickey. When it was granted, I also heard her asking him if he wanted some too.

When I heard the door close again, I wandered into the hall but stopped at the baby picture of my guy.

I stared at it wondering if his parents knew what a remarkable man he would become.

I moved away from it knowing from experience with Auden and Pippa that they absolutely did.

Five minutes later, the sliding glass door opened and I looked from helping Pip scoop ice cream to the door.

Mickey was about to step in when, eyes never leaving the TV, Cill called, “Get this, Dad! If Ash marries Kellan we’ll have a Kellan and Cillian in the family. Isn’t that hilarious?”

Mickey didn’t answer. He swung right back out the door and slid it shut.

I would have made it if I hadn’t heard Pippa snort.

Since she snorted, I didn’t make it.

So I had to dash to the dining room so Mickey wouldn’t hear me burst out laughing.

* * * * *

“Hey, Amy?”

I was wandering down the hall to Mickey’s room where he had moved his brooding after the aftermath girlie discussion took epic proportions and lasted hours (and may have diverted onto other paths, like online shopping on Ash’s tablet).

Auden and Cillian were still attempting to kill people in the family room.

Rhiannon was gone.

As far as I knew, Pippa was still ensconced in Ash’s bedroom, carrying on the aftermath girlie discussion the two moms couldn’t hear.

Now, just Aisling’s head was out her door and she was looking at me.

“Yeah, blossom?”

“Dogfight,” she whispered then grinned a small, sweet grin. “I win.”

After delivering that, she closed the door.

Needless to say, the date went great.

Mickey was in his bedroom brooding.

I was headed that way smiling.

* * * * *

I winced even as Auden flipped his opponent to his back.

“Good, bud! Stay at him!” Mickey, sitting beside me, shouted.

“Don’t let up!” Cillian, sitting beside Mickey, yelled.

“Ash and me are gonna go get some sodas,” Pippa, sitting next to me, announced.

She and Ash got up from the bleachers as I looked to them then, with a mother’s sense, turned my head the other way and looked across to the end of the bleachers in the gymnasium.

Kellan was loitering there, eyes to Aisling.

Pippa was Ash’s cover.