We got to Stephine's house way, way early in the morning. She lives in South Gate, California, it's really pretty there. They have a really big house, it's almost like a mansion, and a garden with a huge patio. I think that's what you call it...maybe I should say backyard area. Either way it's always sunny there, and warm. Perfect to use their really, really, big pool in. Hopping out of the car, I stretched my legs for a minute. I had been asleep for the whole ride, because it makes it go faster. Daddy used to tell me that when I asked if we were there yet a lot. He'd always tell me to take a nap, it made it go by faster and you have a chance of going on an extra adventure in your dreams. I liked my dreams, they were always fun. One time I had a dream that I had this partner, he was a tiger, and we went all over the world together. It was really fun, because I could understand him, and he was really good at telling jokes. Sorta like Daddy was.
Skipping towards the door, Auntie V already opened it for me, and I ran in, wrapping my arms around her leg as she patted my head. "Hello Jaycee. How are you?" She asked sweetly, and I smiled up at her. "Good, Do you know where Cousin Stephine is?" I asked, and she nodded. "She's in her room, getting everything ready for today."
"Thank you!" I grinned, heading up the half-spiral staircase, and ran into her room. "Stephine!" I squealed, as she looked up from her organizing. "Jay!" Her voice mimicked, and ran towards me wrapping her arms around me, before pulling away and looking down. Stephine was 7, so she was two years older then me, but we still got along really good. "Mother says that after breakfast, we can go swimming. But we have to wait an hour." She began, and I nodded excitedly. Auntie Veronica always cooked really good food. "What was she making?" I asked, sitting down on Stephine's bed.
"Mother was cooking her famous bacon and eggs, with homemade waffles." She listed, and I clapped my hands. "That's sounds yummy!" I jumped, and began to follow her downstairs. Only to find Mommy and Auntie V were outside talking to each other. "Mother says Uncle Will's base was destroyed." She began, sitting at the table, and I nodded. "Yeah it did, but Daddy wasn't in it." I reassure her.
"How do you know?"
"Because he went on a mission. He wasn't on that base."
"That's lucky. My friend at school lost her Mommy there. Father was speaking to her Dad this morning." Nodding slowly, I looked down at the table cloth. It was a pretty one with roses and flowers, that sorta swirled around in different patterns. Like rose, daisy, flower, daisy, flower, rose. It was memorizing. "Jaycee." A voice called, making my head shoot up, it was Mommy. "I'm going to be leaving now, okay? Be good for your Aunt and Uncle." She said, waving as she peaked in from the door. Nodding, I waved back smiling, "I will mommy. Tell the soldiers at the base I said HI!" I giggled, seeing mommy's face looked surprised, before she nodded. "I will, Sweet heart." She promised, as she closed the door and left me. Forgetting to say the one word that Daddy always said when he left me. That's another thing that made Mommy and Daddy different..Daddy ALWAYS said the same sentence to me, before he left. Mommy always seemed to forget too.
Shaking it off, I look towards Auntie V who was going back to cooking breakfast. "Stephine dear, why don't you and Jaycee go in the living room and watch some t.v." She suggested, and my cousin nodded. "Come on, we can watch Littlest Pet Shop." She offered, standing up and making her way towards the living room. I nodded quickly, and smiled. Pretending to be excited, since I didn't really like Littlest Pet Shop..it was an okay show..but i'd rather be watching something a little more boyish with adventure and fighting. Though Cousin Stephine wouldn't wanna watch that stuff, cause she's a girly girl. She liked having tea parties and dress up, Auntie V made sure of that. Mommy tried to get me to be girly alot too though, but I was more liked Daddy. She sometimes got mad when I said that though, yelling at me that I was a little lady and should act like one and not a tomboy. Daddy would always tell her that I take after him, and not being afraid to get dirty wasn't a bad thing..Mommy never seemed to listen to that. She would storm off, saying how Anna was going to be different, a real lady that Mommy could take out in public without being ashamed of. That's why Mommy named her Annabelle...it was a lady name...for her favorite little lady.
Going into the living room, Stephine brought out two beanbags and put them in front of the tv, grabbing the remote control while I sat down. Stephine's remote was a lot more confusing them mine was at home. There were alot more buttons of different colors. It looked a lot harder to use, but it must be easier for her though, because she's 7. Which means she had went to more school then I have. I bet only a 7 year old can learn to use that remote, because they are two years smarter then 5 year olds. Not that I wasn't already smart, I just wasn't 7 year old smart.
After breakfast, Stephine and Me unpacked all my stuff into her room. I was going to use my sleeping-bag while I stayed here, so I set it up right next to her bed. My bag used to be my daddy's military bag before he got a new one. It was olive green, and made you look like a mummy if you closed it up all the way. It even had this cool mask thing where your head was so the bugs stayed out. Daddy said I could have it since I liked camping like him and it was a special outdoor bag that's a lot of money.
Setting the bag out, I arranged all my toys so that they would surrounded my head while I slept. I had to make sure all my toys were in the right place. They only liked sleeping in certain places. Like Sasha had to stay next to me when I slept so I could hug her, but my puppy and kitty had to sleep above my head, but not next to each other. That's why I always put Ming-ling my Panda and my Lion between them so they wouldn't fight. Also Kitty liked sleeping next to Socks and Mittens, Uncle Epps and Daddy sent them to my from there home, they said it looked just like the cats at base, so Kitty was their baby. There were a lot of other animals I had brought that were like that, like my Seal had to be by my ears so he could wake me up, and my dolphin liked to play with my hair, so it was really hard to get them into the right places so they wouldn't fight, be sad or not do their job.
Uncle Epps likes to call it complicatided, like debriefing and missions I knew those were important military things, so obviously it means that the sorting of my stuffed animals is very dangerous and important. It only makes sense right?
About an hour later, Auntie V said we could go swimming if we wanted. I asked why we couldn't go swimming before and she said it was because you could get cramps and drowned or something like that. Which didn't make sense because I had to wear floaties when I swam, so I can't drown. They keep me floating above the water. I think it was more for Stephine though, she can swim without floaties now, because she learned how to swim. I don't know how to swim yet, but I would when I turned 7, since Stephine was a 7 year old and she could swim all by herself.
When we got to the pool, I jumped off the diving board as soon as I climbed on. Only going under the water for a minute before I had to pop back up. Sometimes I wish I could swim right now. I loved going under water, it was really fun. Daddy took me snorkeling once and underwater their are a lot of cool things down there, it's like a whole different world down there. Daddy also went scuba-diving when he was in training for the Army, he showed me the pictures. They are so pretty! He said the dolphins are really nice and got some really cool pictures with them. One even squirted water at Uncle Epps face. Daddy got that picture too, and I hung it in my bedroom wall. Uncle Epps tried to make me take it down, but I wouldn't. He looked like a fish, with his face and eyes squinted all up. I have to hide it every time he comes over though.
Uncle Epps has a memory like a elephant, and according to Mommy they have really, really, good memories, so he remembers that I have that picture.
Anyway we went swimming for a long time, before Auntie V came out with peanut butter sandwiches, and lemonade. We didn't have to wait to go back swimming after we ate though, just had to stay in the shallow end for a little while. That's when we played a racing game, where we swam back and forth from the shallow end, and tried to have an underwater contest. It was hard for me, because I had to float on my belly so that my mouth was under water, and I couldn't breath. It was a contest to see how long you could hold your breath, but I always lost. Not because I couldn't hold my breath for long, I could. Really. Stephine just kept saying my head wasn't under water enough, so I lost every time. It wasn't my fault though, it was hard to stick your head underwater when you had floaties on. I don't think it was fair, but Daddy says you should never upset your host...and well I would be upset if I didn't win a game, so I let Stephine win. A lot.
It didn't last long though, Auntie V told us to get out soon after that, so we did. I got dressed in a dark blue t-shirt and some jean shorts, while my Aunt pulled my wet hair into a pony tail. Stephine wore a really frilly dress with lace and sparkles. She put her hair into a ponytail too, but she got a pretty flower clip in hers. Mommy was right..Stephine was a girl, and I wasn't at all. I don't like dresses, they're frilly, and I don't like having my underwear show. Plus then you have to sit down and walk around a certain way. What was the point having that many rules for clothes. You couldn't even do anything in them anyhow. No running, no jumping, no playing outside, no rolling, it was like they were made to stop any fun in life. At least in shorts, I could roll around in the grass and get dirty, without my underwear showing.
Auntie V told us dinner would be ready soon, so Stephine told us we needed to wash our hands. Stepping up the stairs to the bathroom, Stephine grabbed a stool for me to use so I could reach the sink. I still couldn't reach it though, not like Stephine could, I was still really short. Standing on my toes, I just barely got my hands under the water to wash them. Sometimes I didn't like being short, I always needed help to get things up high. It made me feel small and worthless. I like doing everything by myself, with no help at all, but I wouldn't tell Stephine that. She helped me get a stool, even though I could get that myself. Daddy would do the same thing, he didn't like getting help from anyone either, but he'd always tell me that I needed to suck it up when we were at someones else's house. He always did. Daddy explained that a host tries to be really nice and polite to their guests, and that we had to let them in order to be polite back. Mommy always said how important it was to be polite, so I always tried to be, or she'd get mad at me.
Mommy was really scary when she was mad.
For dinner we had this fancy chicken, I think is was called bresetta chicken, or maybe it's spelled bruschetta. Either way it was really good, it had cheese, tomatoes and this really yummy sauce. Mommy never made really fancy dinners, she was sorta quick easy and done. I wish she would though, because Auntie V's dinner was really, super good. Even better then mac-and-cheese, and I thought that would be impossible. Crazy right?
Though that wasn't the best part about the night, the super best thing that happened at the table was that Stephine lost her tooth! It got really bloody and gross, but that wasn't really important. Auntie V thought it was, but I didn't. Blood didn't scare me at all, Daddy said everyone has to bleed. It makes the blood cleaner and your skin stronger so you didn't get hurt as much, and it makes the grass grow. What was important about the whole thing though was that Stephine lost her tooth! Which means that the Tooth Fairy was coming that night, and Stephine and me could stay up all night to try to actually see her!
Dinner went by really quickly after that, Uncle Derek couldn't eat after seeing the blood, and Auntie V was too busy helping Stephine get the blood out of her dress and face. That basically ended dinner, so I went upstairs and got ready for bed. Stephine was up there soon, already dressed in green blue night gown with flowers all over, a tiny brown pouch crumpled in her hands. "Are we gonna stay up all night?"
"Yeah! We just have to be quiet, or Mother will get mad."
"Sweet!"
"Shh." She whistled, and I clapped my hands over my mouth, nodding furiously. "Come on, we have to pretend like we're asleep, Mother always checks on me before she goes to bed." Cousin Stephine said, placing her "My tooth" bag under her pillow. Slipping into my sleeping bag, I made sure none of my toys were out of place, before I covered my head up. I could only sleep if my head was covered up by something, it made me feel warm and safe. Like I was in my own little world, surrounded by a bubble that locked the real world from mine.
After a few moments we heard the squeak of Stephine's door as her Mother checked in. I held my breath, scared she'd noticed I wasn't breathing slow if I didn't. Daddy always had a way of doing that, he knew I was asleep or awake by just watching me breath. He taught me that when your asleep your breathing was really slow and even, so if Auntie V knew that trick, she'd know I wasn't asleep. Hearing the door close after a few moments of her heels clicking on the ground all around the room, I slowly let my breath out. Sitting up instantly, and looking around the dark room. "Psst. Stephine." I whispered, looking towards the mound of blankets on the bed. Not seeing any reaction or movement, I poked her side. "Stephine." I whispered, peaking my head over the bedside to see her eyes closed. Looking at her chest, I watched at her stomach rose and feel slowly, the sound of her breath was calm.
It was official. She'd fallen asleep on me. Poking her again, Cousin Stepine's eyes scrunched up a bit, before relaxing again. Whoa, she falls asleep really fast, like Anna fast. Anna could be crying really loudly, then next thing you know she was asleep again. Almost nothing could wake her up when she was like that. One time Anna wouldn't stop crying for anything, Mommy gave her food, toys, and even put her in her booster chair, but she wouldn't stop. It was so noisy I had to cover my ears, but next thing I knew the noise stopped and I walk in to see that Anna passed out on the couch. That's what Stephine did, we were both so excited to meet the Tooth Fairy that Stephine passed out just like Anna does.
Guess I'll just have to stay up and meet her by myself.
Sitting on my sleeping bag, I wrap my arms around Sasha, squeezing her tightly as I faced the window. Trying to stop my mind from wandering like a loose cannon. That's an expression Uncle Figs uses when he tried to stop something that would end up causing something really bad to happen. Right now, I had to focus, or I'd miss my chance to meet the Tooth Fairy, and that would be really bad. Do what Daddy does, act like it's a mission, you have to stay awake in order to meet the fairy. To many things were swimming through my mind though, I couldn't do it. How was mommy? I mean she left rather quickly, and hasn't called. I know I shouldn't have worried, but it was getting to me. Was any of Daddy's friends hurt in the base attack?
Was Daddy okay?
I paused for a minute on that one. The first thing that popped into my head were the words 'was he?' I mean I honestly believed that he was, but Mom was so quick on leaving after she said he went on a mission. She was lying about something too , and she wouldn't give in to what. I couldn't help to have a small voice in the back of my head wonder if the mission he went on was survival this time. He needed to survive from the base attack and find a way home, but what if he didn't? What if he didn't make it? Was I one of the many kids with no Dad anymore? Did this mission end in a failure?
Feeling my eyes begin to heat up, I knew I was starting to cry, but I took a deep breath through my nose to keep them in. It made my eyes sting more, but it sometimes stopped them, not always just sometimes. Daddy said to never cry, it showed your weakness.Even though he did sometimes cry, especially when he first saw Ana. He wasn't here and was in Afghanistan, but that's the only time I've seen him cry. Mommy said those were tears of happiness, Daddy was happy that Anna was healthy and pretty. That why he was crying, so I would only cry when I was happy too. I wasn't going to cry because I was scared for him, or sad. He was fine. Daddy, Uncle Epps, and Uncle Figs were all fine.
Wiping my eyes, I tried to pretend I was never crying in the first place. Daddy was okay, and he was coming home. Mommy was just paranoid, like always. Daddy was leading his team on a mission. A top secret, important mission. It had to be, I mean it was right after he got back from a mission. Maybe he went to find a crashed airplane, and went to save the soldiers who lived, and were hiding behind enemy lines. Or he went behind enemy lines to rescue some captured soldiers.
Maybe those soldiers were being tortured into giving the bad guys information, and they aren't giving in. Even though the bad people have broken theirs bones and whipped them, sometimes even starving them. What if some of them have died, because they wouldn't give in, and that's why Dad has to save them, because they got captured during an intel mission and have some critical top secret information! Stuff that our government needed as much as the other side, so Daddy had to get those men back before they all died or said something.
What if when he comes home....The president will give him a special medal for saving the prisoner's lives, and maybe Santa and the Tooth Fairy will give him special treats, because of how good he was! That would be really cool, if that happened.
Looking at the clock on Stephine's night stand, I picked it up in my hands, and began to count the lines. It was 10;30, the Tooth Fairy was usually here by now when I lost a tooth. Looking towards Stephine's pillow, I gently reached my hand under and felt for the bag. Touching the bag, I moved my fingers around trying to feel the lump that was the tooth. Hitting my hand on something hard and rock like, I instantly drew my hand back. She ws defiantly late.
Wonder why? She wasn't like Santa or the Easter Bunny I don't think. I don't remember any stories about her that said she needed us to be asleep before she would come.
Suddenly seeing lights flash quickly outside, I jump. "Lightening!" I yelp, waking Stephine up, as her eyes drifted towards the flashing lights. "Do you think...." I trail off my eyes not leaving where the lights were flashing. They looked blue and white, flashing really fast as you heard a weird whirling noise and loud booms.
Watching her grab her tooth, wrap her arm around her giant pink unicorn, and slide off of her bed, I get out of mine and stand up, making sure Shasa was wrapped tightly around my chest. Following behind her, we ran out of the room, only freezing when we passed her parents room, and tip-toed by it super quietly. We could get in big trouble if Uncle Derek saw us running around. He was mean like that. Once we were a safe distance away, we began running again. Opening the back door, we slowly walk the length of the pool from Auntie V's patio. It looked shallower now, with steam rising out of it, and the bottom was now a squiggly grey color instead of blue. I don't think that's suppose to happen.
"Wonder why we haven't heard the Tooth Fairy before." I muttered, and Stephine nods in agreement, as we walk towards the pool. Cousin Stephine took the lead, not stopping even when a giant hand-like thingy reached out of the pool and squished the ladder to the deep end. I wasn't that brave, when I saw the hand come out, I took a step backwards.
Shaking as a head came up after it, I locked onto his blue eyes, seeing that it looking at the both of us before it continued to pull itself up out of the pool. Looking up, my eyes widened. He was huge! Like really, really huge, bigger then Stepine's house even, and she had a big house. Staring up at it, I had to bend my neck back, because he started to walk. Stepping over me and Stephine easily, as he looked around. Turning back to Stephine, I point towards her tooth bag, and she nods quickly after awhile. "Excuse me, are you the Tooth Fairy?" Her voice comes out small, as she clutches onto her pink unicorn, and tooth bag.
Looking at the metal mans back, I couldn't see any wings. I don't think he was a fairy at all. Watching him turn looking around, I frowned. He looked like he was trying to play Hide-and-Seek. Daddy always looked around like that when he played that game with me, he said he was scoping for a good place hide. Maybe the metal man was trying to hide too. I'm gonna help him! I'm super good at hiding, Daddy never finds me ever. Searching for a place near the house, I freeze when I see Uncle Derek's room light turn on. "Hurry! My Aunt and Uncle." I say towards him, looking towards Stephine for help, but she was frozen. Shaking like a leaf. Turning away from the house, I spot the really big trees at the side. "Over here!" I order, and run towards the trees, just when I hear Uncle Derek open the sliding glass door.
Stopping when I was behind them, I giggle listening to Uncle Derek. "Hey Sweetheart! What are you doing out here by yourself? OH MY GOD! what happened to the pool!" My Uncle screams really fast, his voice changing with every sentence almost. First he sounded concerned, then angry, then he was surprised. It was funny hearing his voice change tones so many time.
Jumping into the air, I look up to see the robot man was standing over me. Peaking from behind the trees as he bent down. His eyes shifting from me to my Uncle. "We have to hurry, come on." I say, leading him towards the front of the house. This was a fun game! It was just like Uncle Epps spy game, where you had to get as far away from the enemy as possible. Going from hiding place to hiding place like a ninja. Running behind my Uncle's truck, I peak over to see the robot was looking at it. "Is it too small?" I ask, forgetting how big he was. He wouldn't be able to hide behind this truck. Looking around again, I see that I had run us straight out in the open. I wasn't being very helpful anymore was I? Looking back at the giant, he was still staring at the truck. "Are you okay?" I asked nervously, as his body started to splinter apart, and shrink, until he was the exact same truck as my Aunts. "Whoa, your the best hider ever." I breath, staring at how good he looked. He could hide anywhere if he wanted, and no one would know he was a robot. "Can you teach me how to do that?" I whispered. If I could hide like that no one would ever find me! I'd be the queen of Hide-and-Seek!
Walking around him, I notice that one thing was different. He had a silver face on the side of him. It kinda looked like a military team badge! My Daddy had one of those since he was in the Army, he said every different military team had a special name and a certain symbol that liked to use. It was like a mascot for them.
Maybe if this guy had one, he could be apart of the military, and he'd know where Daddy was! He could look for him, because he was in the military too!
Quickly walking up to his hood, I tapped it a little. "Mister robot man.. Can your pretty, pretty please look for a man named Will Lennox. He's in the military too, but he went on a secret mission, I know he's okay, but could you please tell him that Jaycee wants him home." I quickly whispered towards the car. "He'll be home soon, but when your find him tell him that Mommy is really worried and that she went to base looking for him, even though I told her Daddy was okay." I finished, stepping away from him, as he began to drive away. "Thank you!" I yelled towards him, even though I hadn't got an answer. At least he listened to me and didn't just drive away. He seemed like a nice robot. Which is why I kept waving as he went down the street, only stopping when he pulled out.