"So, like, how was it?" His voice was smooth, warm and comforting to her ears. Jessica sighed as Timmy's fingers played across the soft skin of her stomach, little satin ribbons to her sensitive flesh.
"It was okay. I feel really bad for saying this, but I almost wish she had died, so we would get Taylor to ourselves."
His fingers stilled for a second before continuing their stroking motion. "Well, I think that's natural. I mean, you haven't seen him in two years, right?"
"Yeah. So did you miss me?" She grinned devilishly at him.
"That depends. I mean, stuff was sort of unresolved between us when you left."
Jess's heart paused. That couldn't lead to something good, could it? She frowned. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know I like you. And I think you like me."
She nodded. "I do."
"Well, then why aren't we going out?"
She smiled. "Is that a roundabout way of asking me out, Tim?"
"Yeah, I guess it is."
"Well, yes then."
"Really? I mean, uh, cool." The kiss was soft, his lips hesitant. Her kiss back was more firm, more sure. "I did miss you, Jessie."

"Mackenzie. Leave your sister alone." Isaac was not even paying attention as he juggled the baby on his hip and walked into the kitchen. Consequently, he smacked into a warm body.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Isaac. I wasn't paying attention."
Ike brushed himself and Christian off, giving Orianna a small smile. "That's okay. I wasn't either." They stood there and stared awkwardly at one another for another moment before Isaac walked over to the stove to start dinner.
"Can I help you?"
He looked at Taylor's wife in surprise. "Sure. Actually it would be a lot of help if you could just hold him while I cook." The house was packed. Taylor and Orianna were staying with them until the sale of the manor went through and they had enough money to get their own place. Jessica was also staying. When Zac had asked her to stay with them so he could have some private time with Stacy, she had jumped at the chance. Most of the family felt that way actually. It was like giving a puppy to a small child, they just can't let it out of their sight for a while. They wanted to see Taylor, to get used to him being back. Isaac took some hamburger out of the freezer to thaw it out. "So," He said conversationally, "How're you feeling?"
"I'm great. I haven't felt this good in a long time." She answered him but she looked at the baby.
He smiled and nodded. "Well, I'm glad."
There was another long silence as they both continued to stare at one another.
"Hey, Isaac? I just wanted to say… I'm sorry about-"
"Don't apologize."
She stared at him.
He gave her a reassuring smile. "Look, Orianna. You and Taylor are here. That's all that matters now. I don't blame you for the past. It's all done with now. Okay?"
She nodded and looked away. "Okay."
Suddenly, he clapped his hands together. "You know what? I just had a great idea. Let's go out to dinner tomorrow night. All of us. Well, we'll get a sitter for the little guy here. It'll be a celebration for you and Taylor coming home."
Orianna smiled at him somewhat gratefully. "That sounds great."

"So, what do you think about going out to dinner?"
Stacy laughed. "Again, Zac? That's the fourth time this week."
He blushed a little and slid an arm around her shoulders. "I know. I just can't stop being with you long enough to cook."
She gave him a strange look. "Umm, okay."
"You know what I mean. Anyway, Isaac just called. The whole lot of them are going out tomorrow night. Do you want to go?"
She shrugged. "I guess. If you really want to."

Isaac and Abigail were trying to have a quiet moment alone. Unfortunately they kept getting interrupted. This time, it happened to be Jessica. "Ike?" She poked her head in the door. "Oops, sorry. I didn't know you guys were trying to get it on." Both adults looked at her, horrified.
"Was there something you wanted?" He fairly groaned.
"Oh. Yeah. What's this I hear about us going out to dinner?"
"Umm. We're going out to dinner. It's a pretty nice restaurant, try to look respectable, okay?"
"I always look respectable." She scoffed. "Anyway, can I bring a date?"
Isaac raised an eyebrow. "Who?"
"Timmy."
Ike looked at Abigail who shrugged, she had learned the hard way about mothering Jessica. So he sighed. "I guess. He better not look like a hoodlum, Jessie."
She made a face of mock shock. "Hoodlum? Why Ike, you know I don't date hoodlums."
He made a face. "Only on days that end in 'Y' right?"
"Haha. Oh, Ike, you're a barrel of laughs. Getting corny in your old age, I think." And with that she shut the door.
"So, where were we?" Isaac gave his wife a sexy smile and got back to his former activity of sucking Abby's neck.
"Hey, Abby, I-" Avie stopped short and shielded her eyes. "Ew!"
Isaac sighed and extracted himself from Abby. "What is it, Ave?"
"Jess says she's bringing Tim to dinner tomorrow. Can I bring Lyssa?"
Isaac shook his head.
"Why not?" She demanded.
"Jessica is bringing a date. If you bring a friend then Mack will want to. Zoë will want to. I can't bring all of Tulsa, you know."
Avery's eyes flared up and Abigail cut in quickly. "Alyssa can come."
Avie smiled a 'nyah nyah nyah nyah' smile at her brother and quickly left before Abigail could change her mind.
"Abby?" Said Ike, frowning. "I told her no."
"Just let her bring Alyssa, it will save us some time. And we can get back to more interesting activities…"
She let it trail off and Isaac smiled before immersing himself back in her neck.

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