chapter 47

 

 

Colleen was dressed in a Polly Prep shirt and ripped jeans, she could pass for a senior instead of a teacher. Jon came down in jeans and a Notre Dame sweatshirt.

 

The kids starting arriving, the music was low, so not to annoy the neighbors.  Jon was thinking that this would be another plus being in the Jersey house no neighbors to complain about the music being too loud.

 

 

By around nine the party had already split into two different parties with the older couples paired up, and the single friends had already gone home.  Romeo and his friends were in the theater room playing video games. Jake and his girlfriend were slow dancing in the living room, Jon went into the kitchen and smiled at Colleen as he refills the chip bowls and Stephanie followed behind them with a trash bag full of trash and cans.

 

“Jakey and that little cheerleader are cute out there dancing. It might be wise if you two chaperon the dancing part.” Stephanie told them.

 

“Want to show these young people how to dance?” Colleen asked Jon.

 

“I don’t dance,” Jon held up his hands.

 

“Neither do these kids, they just stand there and sway.  Even you can do that Dad,” Stephanie rolled her eyes at him. She remembers so many conversations or arguments between her parents about how mom would complain never being able to dance with her husband, she even recalled one time her mom told her that the only way she could dance at dinner was with other men, not her husband.


Jon gave up and took Colleen’s hand and they headed to the living room.  Colleen wrapped her arms around Jon’s neck, while Jon held her hips as they swayed to Home Sweet Home by the Crue.  Stephanie snuck into the living room and shot a video of her dad and Colleen dancing to send to Jesse.  It was the first time she had ever seen her dad dance.  Daddy had told her there wasn’t enough booze in the world to get him to dance where there were photographers around. Mom had pulled up pictures of him dancing with fans, his response had always been that was work.

 

Jesse’s response had been ‘Did hell freeze over?’

 

Stephanie texted back ‘It’s a Christmas miracle.’

At the end of the party Jake and Romeo along with Jon escorted the kids down.  Stephanie and Colleen were in the kitchen washing dishes.

 

“Can I ask you something, Colleen?  Sort of woman to woman.” Stephanie asked when they were done and headed into the living room to bag up trash.

 

“Sure Steph, what can I do for you,” Colleen said as she picked up cups and plates.

 

“Well, dad and I have been cleaning out the Jersey house.  He is using a contractor named Greg Davidson, well we’ve sort of hit it off,” Stephanie said sounding shy to be asking her questions.

 

“So tell me about this Greg?” Colleen asked.

 

“Well he has a sexy smile and he has dreamy eyes.”  Stephanie blushed.

 

“He a good kisser or is it like kissing a friend?” Colleen tried not to giggle.  This was the sort of talk a mother and daughter would have, she knew she had one like it when she told her Mom about dating Jon.

 

“Well, yes he’s a very good kisser,” Stephanie told her just as her dad and the boys came in. 

 

“Here you three, finish up while I get Stephanie set up for the night.” Colleen said as she handed her bag to Jon and Stephanie handed hers to her brothers.  “You three can also separate the cans for recycle, come on Steph grab your go-bag and let’s let these three finish the clean-up.” They headed up to her and Jon’s room and sat on the foot of the bed.  “Now back to Greg.”

 

“Well the other night, I met His kids.” Stephanie looked up from the thread she had been playing with.

 

“So, Greg is a dad?” Colleen was getting an idea of where this was going. 

 

 “They’ve been divorced for three years, she’s remarried and they have shared custody of the kids.” Stephanie told her.

 

“Well that’s good, but what can I do to help you Steph?” Colleen asked.

 

“I’ve never dated a guy with kids before.  Ashley is the oldest she’s ten, and Shelby is six.” Stephanie told her.

 

“Ten and six and girls, you know what girls like Steph.” Colleen reached out and took her hand. “What do you have questions about?”

 

“What was it like for you, you know dating dad and him having four kids?” Stephanie finally got to the reason for the talk.

 

“Well at first, I was a little scared to be honest Steph,” Colleen told her.

 

“So you were scared?” Stephanie asked her.

 

“At first, I really didn’t know if you were ready for your dad to date again, it hadn’t been long since your mom had passed. Would you hate me?” Colleen told her.

 

Stephanie thought about what she said, did Ashley and Shelby hate her for dating their dad?

 

“We were glad that dad had found someone he liked, and he’s changed so much since you two started dating. He’s happier and he’s coming back alive, so much of the last four years were kept out of the press. It was hell for all of us, Romeo the worst.  The Nutt Crew are smiling now and well your family now to all of us.” Stephanie told her and giving her hand a squeeze.

 

“Stephanie, I dated a guy that had kids once before, I made a huge mistake thinking I was to step in the mom shoes. Boy, I was wrong, they didn’t want a mom and he didn’t like me telling his kids what to do.  I learned from that experience, a better way of approaching dating a guy with kids.”  Then an idea came to her.  “Stephanie, was there something you did as a kid that Ashley might like? Maybe a tea party or going to the movies.” Colleen asked. “Get to know what the girls like maybe have a sort of a girl’s day, I’ll help if you want me too,” Colleen suggested.  “Talk to Greg and see if he agrees, always go to him first.”

 

“I have a date with him tomorrow night, mom has the girls this weekend and I can ask him about it.” Stephanie pulled Colleen in for a hug.  “Thanks Colleen, I don’t know what I would do without this talk.

 

“I’m always here for you and your brothers, Stephanie. All you have to do is call,” Colleen told her brushing a tear that was rolling down her cheeks.  “Now it’s gonna be an early morning let’s get some rest.”

 

Jon had been standing, leaning on the wall by the open door listening to their girl talk, fell a little further in love with her at this moment, his girls. He too had tears in his eyes.