Stephanie's Choice

Gibbler Half Full

A couple of weeks had passed by since Stephanie and Jimmy's first date and since then, they remained in constant communication. They regularly sent each other nonsensical text messages throughout the day and occasionally, Jimmy kept Stephanie company during the day via Skype as Beth and Tommy were napping, the older kids were off to school and she was folding laundry or loading the dishes. Never in her life had Stephanie been with someone where it didn't last more than a couple weeks. But seeing as they were nearly going on a month long run, she had a good feeling about it.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon following Stephanie's date with Jimmy, Gibbler Style was charged with organizing a Little Mermaid themed 3rd birthday; requested by a two fathers named Scott and David Wolfe for their daughter, Lilia Marceline; whose name was thought of because both fathers were major Disney fans- Lilia was a more modern take on the name Lilian (Walt Disney's wife) and Marceline was simply after Marceline, Missouri where Walt grew up.

While Stephanie and Kimmy hung the green, purple and red streamers all throughout the Wolfe family household, Kimmy resisted the urge to give Stephanie a piece of her mind and confront the former disc jockey about her new found love life. But, as she liked to keep things professional while working the party planning business, Kimmy decided to wait until they got home.

An hour later as the party continued, Stephanie found herself striking up a conversation with David, the father known as Papa in this little family. He was 6'4 in height with tanned skin and olive green eyes. He and Stephanie spent approximately 15 minutes talking about their journeys to parenthood. She found it fascinating to know that Lilia was actually the result of surrogacy; wherein the surrogate was Scott's best friend, Vanessa from college- who was in attendance at the party because both fathers strongly felt as if their daughter should maintain a relationship with her mother.

While David went on to explain how he and Scott agreed on what Lilia would call them, Stephanie began to consider what Beth would grow up to call Jimmy; assuming he would be around for her first words. Just as Stephanie began to worry about not finding an appropriate title for Jimmy, David was quick to assure her that it was totally up to her and Jimmy. But whatever Beth would end up calling him, it would be a title Jimmy was honored to bear.
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Upon arriving home from the party, Stephanie ran straight to her bedroom to check on Beth; who, according to DJ, had been asleep for an hour and a half at this point in the day.

As Stephanie entered her spacious basement bedroom, she slowly approached the crib and found he my heart had been stolen by the sight of her still slumbering daughter. Since becoming a mom, Stephanie realized that there was not a sight more beautiful than that of a sleeping baby. She knew moments like these wouldn't last forever, so she quickly took a photo and posted it to Instagram with a caption that read: Dream big, little one.

While continuing to admire her daughter, Stephanie phone lit up due to a Skype call from Jimmy.

"Hey, you" Stephanie chuckled as she answered the video call with an eager but flirtatious smile.

"Hey yourself. How was your day?" Jimmy asked with an equally flirtatious and mesmerizing grin; which Stephanie could not resist.

Just as Stephanie prepared to tell Jimmy all about the day that she had, Kimmy came barging through Stephanie's bedroom door needing to discuss something important. But as Kimmy discovered when she walked through the door, it was almost too easy of a discussion to have.

"Well, well, well. I thought I smelled a dog but it turned out to be a rat. Hello, James" Kimmy said less than sternly as she angled Stephanie's phone to face her.