Only a Paper Moon [ Band of Brothers ] 3

Chapter Eleven

"I like Miss Alice," Carol decided. "She likes my dogs."

"I do like your dogs," she agreed, chuckling.

Alice set to eating her small breakfast. Carol talked a mile a minute, eager to explain that each doggy had a name, and that she really wanted a green one. Never mind that green ones didn't exist. She learned quite a bit about Carol. Her favorite color was green. No surprise there. She liked going to the park. She really, really wanted a dog and really didn't like cats. Alice refrained from mentioning Spot.

"Do you have a dog?" Carol asked her.

Alice smiled. "Not yet. But we want to get one."

"Are you married?"

"Not yet." She glanced up at Spina who just shrugged, but couldn't fully hide his smirk. "Soon though."

"What kind of dog d'ya want?"

"We haven't talked about it."

"What's your boyfriend's name?"

"Lewis. But I call him Nix."

"That's a dumb name."

Alice burst out laughing. She didn't know if Carol meant Lewis or Nix, but Spina looked aghast either way. She assured him it was fine. "I think it's a nice name."

"Why?"

"Because I love him."

"Why?"

Alice looked over at Spina again. "Because... he's my boyfriend."

Saved by the bell. The doorbell rang, jolting Carol from her interrogation of Alice. "Be right back!" She leapt from the table, her feet slamming against the wood and then the rug. 

"Carol! Don't open the door! Shit." Spina threw his newspaper down and hurried off after his daughter. "Carol!"

"Why!"

"Because you're a kid."

"I'm three, daddy."

"Yeah, you're a kid. Get back!"

Alice couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculousness. But she supposed such was the way with kids. Carol in some ways reminded her of Percy Bratt. Personalities too big for their tiny bodies. When the door opened and Carol shrieked, Alice had to cover her ears. 

"Jesus Christ, kid. The pair of lungs on you!" 

Alice froze. Bill and Babe were back. She forced her rapid heartbeat to calm and got up from the table. The previous night, Bill had complained about still using the prosthetic leg, eager to get onto crutches and just get over the whole damn thing. When she came around the corner, she could see why. Carol bounded into him, and he stumbled a bit. Nothing Bill couldn't handle, but she imagined it got annoying.

"There they are. Late as ever," Alice heckled. "Carol, did your daddy tell you that all three of them were very very annoying when we worked together?"

"No!" Her smile lit up the room as they moved into the living room from the previous night. "Why?"

Alice grinned. "They never do what they're told."

"Neither do I!"

"Then you're just like your daddy."

All three of the men huffed various protests. But as Babe went with Spina into the kitchen to grab coffees, Carol continued crawling all over Bill in his chair. He was really good with kids, something Alice wouldn't have really seen coming. But now that she saw him with Carol, she knew he was a great father.