Into Your Arms

7. where I can't follow

"You're so pretty Tenley," Raine brushed the older brunette's hair back looking at her. "I wish I was pretty like you..."

"What?" she squeezed her tight and rested her chin on her shoulder. "You are gorgeous Raine," she told her, Raine growing up to a very beautiful young girl. Her hair was still that gorgeous strawberry blonde that hit her shoulders and Tenley swore felt like silk. She was little for her age, but that isn't a shock being her mom was little and just like her older brother, she had the most gorgeous pale blue eyes that Tenley told Colton constantly was going to drive the boys crazy.

"The kids at school make fun of me," she told her in a low whisper. "They make fun of my hair..."

"That's because they're jealous," she told her, not understanding how kids so young could be so cruel to each other. Carrie had mentioned a few things the kids had said to Raine and it baffled her. How could you be so young and so mean? They were kids, they were seven! "People can be mean sometimes Ray," she twisted her in her lap to look at her. "There really isn't a reason why, but that doesn't mean anything. You're beautiful and I would do anything for your hair..." she ran her hand through it and gave her a smile. "And you tell them to be nice or they will have to deal with your Tenny," she teased leaning her head against hers and the young girl giggled.

"They wouldn't like that," she giggled, giving her a big hug. "I love you Tenny."

"I love you too, Cupcake," she glanced up at the boy across the room talking to his father. Before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "So much..." she squeezed her tight and she giggled.

"Want to know a secret?" she pushed up in her lap to whisper a secret. "There is ice cream sandwiches in the fridge," she lit up and Tenley laughed.

"There are, huh?" she questioned and Raine quickly nodded. "Want to go get one and sneak it up in your room?"

"Yes!" she squealed and Tenley laughed as she whispered quiet. The room looking over at them before going back to their conversations. "Let's go," she jumped up and grabbed her hand and started to pull her toward the kitchen. "Hey momma!" she called as she passed the older woman.

"Hi," Tenley flashed a smile before being tugged into the kitchen.

"So it's holding up alright?" Stephen asked as he glanced down at his son's knee. "Not acting up much?"

"If I'm on it too long it gets sore," he shrugged it off as no big deal. "And it constantly pops when I walk, but I mean it's whatever."

"It's not whatever, son," his brows pulled together concerned. "You maybe should get it checked out again."

"I did get it checked out. They think I should have surgery on it again," he told him glancing down before looking back up at him. "But if I have surgery I can't play again. I have one season left after this one. I want to enjoy it...and I kinda like to enjoy it without everyone on my case about it," he glanced over at the brunette girl laughing with his sister.

"She giving you a tough time?" Stephen glanced up at the young girl.

"She just doesn't want me to mess it up too bad. I made the careless error of letting her sit in on one of my doctor's appointments."

"Oh...not a good idea..."

"No, not when the doctor talked about how damaged my knee was. Said one more hard hit, or I dislocated it one more time and walking on it will bring up some issues," he told him and his dad's eyes widened. "Not like that could happen..."

"Colton..."

"Dad, I seriously messed it up twice while in college. The odds of it happening again are so slim," he tried to reason. "Don't tell mom," he groaned when he realized he didn't make a good case in that.