Rule 86

Birthday disaster

Later that night, Rafe dragged C.J. along to a dinner with his sister, mom, and Bear for Jules' birthday. 

"You're in trouble," Jules said quietly. 

"Give me your hand real quick cause there's something going on here. What is this? Oh," Bear replied. "Oh!" he chuckled. 

The kids gagged. 

Bear fake bit her hand before kissing her hand and up her arm. 

"Bear is mauling our mother," Georgia said, disgusted. "We have to do something. Hey, Mom. Open my present!" 

"Oh, I gotta go," Jules said, pulling her arm away. "Let me see that. Okay." 

Bear glared at the young girl. 

"Ooh, presents. Let's see." She pulled out an apron. "Oh, it's an apron." She held it up. "What's this? 'Hello, is it me you're cooking for?'" Georgia and Jules chuckled. 

"Isn't that funny?" Georgia asked with a smile. 

"This is so funny. Where'd you find that?" Jules asked, still laughing. 

"Well, I had someone make it for you." 

"You did?" 

She nodded happily. "Yeah." 

"You understand that?" asked Rafe. 

"Of course, that's why I got it!" 

"Get it?" Jules asked Bear. 

"Yeah!" 

"Honey, that's so cute. I love it!" 

"Took me a bit, but I got it, I think!" Bear said. 

"So 'looking for' is cooking for'." 

An older guy walked up to the table. "Hello. I'm James, the manager." 

"Hi," Jules said. 

"Can we just keep it down? A lot?" 

"Oh." 

"This is not Chuck-E-Cheese." 

Bear pointed at the kids. 

C.J. rolled her eyes since she hadn't even said anything. 

"Shh. Big guy, shh!" 

"Can I have another root beer?" Georgia asked. 

"You've had enough sugar," the manager said before walking away. 

"Here, Georgia, I haven't touched mine," C.J. said, sliding hers across the table. 

"Thanks, C.J." 

C.J. smiled. 

"Jeez," Bear muttered before Jules did the same. 

"He was scary." 

"Do me a favor though, guys, seriously," Bear said pointing at the kids. "Don't embarrass me again." 

C.J. rolled her eyes. 

"We just have to talk like this for the rest of the night, okay? No problem. Okay?" Jules whispered. 

"You know, honey, I love my present. You always know how to make me laugh." 

"Thank you," Georgia replied with a smile. 

"This one's from me, Mrs. Khatchadorian," C.J. said, handing her an envelope that had Jules written on the front in calligraphy. 

"Wow, cool letters!" Jules said with a smile. 

C.J. smiled softly. 

She opened the envelope to a beautiful drawing of a flower with the message 'Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature -Gerard De Nerval' written in calligraphy. "Aw, C.J., that's so sweet! Thank you, honey!" Jules beamed. 

C.J. grinned. "You're welcome, Mrs. Khatchadorian," C.J. replied happily. 

Rafe looked at her and smiled. 

"You know you can call me Jules," Jules smiled. 

"Ok...Jules," C.J. grinned cheekily. 

"This one's my present," Rafe said, handing Jules an envelope. 

"Oh, homemade," Bear commented. "Classy." 

Rafe raised his eyebrows in response. 

She opened it and saw a drawing. It was a picture of Rafe, Georgia, Jules, Calvin Giggles, and to C.J.'s surprise, C.J. 

"Rafe, I just..." she sighed. 

Rafe laughed. 

"It's beautiful," she said, showing the two girls. "Honey, I love it. You're so talented." 

"Thank you," the teen replied with a grin. 

"You guys, you're too much," Jules said, getting up. She pecked Rafe on the head, and then Georgia. "Love you so much." Finally, she hugged C.J., who smiled. 

"Wait, where am I?" Bear asked, looking at Rafe's drawing. "Well hold on a second now, wait till you see what I got for ya," Bear said. 

"Oh, yeah?" 

"Yeah." He paused for a moment. "Jules, when I think of us. I think of one word. Cramazing." Rafe and the girls looked at each other, like 'what?'. "Crazy amazing." 

"Right," Jules said. 

"More like crawful," Rafe muttered. 

"Yeah," the girls agreed. 

Bear glared at them. He opened a ring box to show a beautiful diamond ring. 

C.J.'s eyes nearly popped out of her head. 

"Oh," Jules gasped, putting her hands over her chest. "Carl," she stammered. "That must've been expensive." 

"It was!" Bear laughed. "But guess what? You're worth it, baby," Bear said. 

The kids sat there with shocked expressions on their faces; their mouths hanging open. 

"Wow," Jules whispered. 

"So, what do you say, my lady?" Bear scooted closer. "Will you marry me?" Bear looked at the kids and smiled like it was some kind of competition. 

"Yes. Yes," Jules said quietly with a smile. 

"Hmm?" 

"Yes." 

"Yes," Bear repeated. "You said yes." 

"I did." 

"Yes! Come here. Yes! Yes!" Bear said, sliding the ring on her finger. 

Jules looked at the kids like she didn't know what was happening. 

"You know, I was thinking, since I'm over at the house so much, and I'm always helping out with the kids, and everything," he gestured at them, kind of like they were pointless, which in his mind would be accurate. "I ought to just move in, ya know? I mean, I'd save a ton on mileage, and tax-wise, it's a no-brainer." 

"Well, I mean, if we're gonna get married, it seems like...yes," Jules said. 

"Right then it's settled! Yes! Come here, you!" he exclaimed, standing up to hug her and purposefully knocking water on Rafe's drawing. 

"Oh, sorry," he chuckled. "Sorry about that, sporto. Oh, hey, your card got ruined. Bummer." 

C.J. could see the wheels turning in Rafe's head thinking about all the horrible possibilities that would come with Jules marrying Carl.