Pass It On
Chapter 6

Noticing the door to Paris’s room was ajar he walked the few steps to her doorway and pushed it open. Seeing her empty bed he turned back to Momma.
“So what’s the story with It?”

“Well ...” Momma drawled as she squeezed past Dad and into her oldest daughter’s room also known as the Twilight Room with its black and purple colours and posters of Taylor Laughtner ... super hot werewolf from the Twilight series. Compact discs and clothes were strewn about and the television had been left on. Disney Channel’s Wizards of Waverly was currently playing. Momma found the remote next to an empty bottle of Doctor Pepper and clicked the power button. The image disappeared as the screen turned black.

“The little witch wasn’t in a good mood this morning. She woke up cranky and then got worse when I only gave her one cigarette. She flew out of here like she was riding a broom, but when she came back it was like magic. She was all smiles and even apologized for being so bitchy. After that ... she was up in her room most of the time ... either singing or ... listening to her music.”

Momma spied the open case to Paris’ favourite song, “She’s in Love with the Boy” which EVERYONE in the house now knew by heart, sitting next to her player.”

“Of course, then the phone calls started and I guess the last one was Larry, because about thirty minutes later she came down the stairs in full make up and black dress jeans.”

Momma hesitated for a moment as a memory floated back. “Come to think of it ... she was all in black ... black jeans ... black spaghetti strapped top ... and black boots ... yeah MY black boots ... the little witch.” Momma added with a scowl.

“And I noticed when Larry walked in, he was all in black too ... hmmm ... maybe it’s a Twilight thing.”

Dad was listening but still looking at the clock and his daughter’s empty bed. “So ... it’s after eleven. Where is It?”

Before Momma could answer, the television set came on without any remote control assistance. Suddenly the screen was filled with the old black and white television show, Bewitched. Mom and Dad watched the lovely Samantha wiggle her nose and make magic for a moment before Dad grabbed the remote and shut it off.

He turned it over in his hand and looked at it. “Must be a short in the wiring. I’ll take a look at it tomorrow.”

His eyes then turned their attention toward his beloved and the question that had been left floating in air. “So why isn’t Paris home yet?”

This time the compact disc player tried to answer him as it kicked on and suddenly “She’s in Love with the Boy” came out of the speakers and filled the upstairs. Momma scrambled across the bed and pushed the power button before the music woke Michael and the girls.
Momma still stretched out on the bed, stared up at Dad and shrugged her shoulders. “Maybe we have a ghost in here?”

Dad folded his arms across his chest and nodded. “Maybe ... but what we don’t have for sure is a Paris.”

Momma wiggled off the bed, finding her feet and Dad’s answer. “She called right before you came home. She said if she wasn’t back by ten, she’d be spending the night at Larry’s house.”

Fire lit in Dad’s eyes. “I think I might need my shotgun after all, because when he brings her home tomorrow, me and junior are going to have a talk.”

Momma reached her hand out to her love. “Now wait a minute ... don’t lose your temper. If you think about it ... it wasn’t really so ... long ago that you yourself was just a good looking boy hanging down on the corner with no particular place to go. My Daddy said you weren’t worth a lick. He said when it came to brains you had the short end of the stick, but he was wrong honey and so ... are ... you, because Paris looks at Larry like the way I still look at you. She’s in love with the boy.”

Dad sighed and softened. “You really think so?”

Momma nodded and repeated. “Yep she’s in love with the boy and I’m pretty sure she’s gonna marry him someday, because you know what they say.”

Dad nodded and lovingly squeezed the hand Momma had offered. “Whatever is meant to be will always find a way.”

Dad then pulled Momma in for a hug but the empty bed behind them reminded him of the one that must be in Larry’s room and his worries about Paris being in it.

“Whether they’re going to eventually get married or not ... for now ... Paris is still fifteen and I don’t like the idea of her spending the night at Larry’s. Like you said ... I was once a teenage boy. I know what’s on his mind.”

Momma giggled. “You’re thirty two and the same thing is still on your mind.”

Dad frowned. “If that’s supposed to make me feel better, it’s not working.”

“No ... what will make you feel better is that Larry’s mom doesn’t want any grand babies this soon either and she’ll make sure that they sleep in separate rooms and that he keeps his ‘magic wand’ in his pocket.”

Dad rolled his eyes and used his arm to gently move Momma toward Paris’ door. When his hand drifted to her back pocket, his fingers felt paper and he patted her lightly. “Hey ... what do you got back there?”

Momma sighed. “Junk in my trunk, but Paris has stole most of it.”

Dad laughed and pulled the paper from her back pocket. “No ... I’m talking about this.”

When he pulled his hand around in front, it held a white stamped envelope addressed to Paris. Momma immediately took it from him. “Oh yeah ... I almost forgot about that. It came in the mail for Paris today. I was going to give it to her, but she never came back.”

“Who’s it from?” Dad squinted to read the return address.

“Some record company in Nashville Tennessee ... Underwood Records it’s says. I wonder why they’d be sending Paris a letter.”

Dad shook his head and frowned. “I’ll tell you why. It probably joined one of those record clubs where they give you a half dozen cd’s for a penny but then you have to buy a dozen more at twice the price of what they cost in the store. I bet this is the bill and now she’s going to expect us to pay for it.”

Momma was tempted to open it to see just how bad the financial damage was, but deciding to give her daughter a little privacy and Dad a chance to cool down, she tossed the letter on the bed. Bad news could wait for tomorrow.

She put her hand back in Dad’s “Come on babe ... let’s go check on Michael.”

The pair stepped out of the room, closing the door behind them. They never looked back, but had they ... they would have seen the television come on once again ...this time sound muted but clearly displaying the images of the Hallowell sisters, better known to the viewing world as the lovely witches from the hit series Charmed.

Mom and Dad walked the few feet to Michael’s door and started to gently push it open, when a sleep walking red headed monkey caught their attention.

“Mommy” came a soft sleepy voice that caused them both to turn toward the girls’ room. When they did ... they saw bare feet and wobbly legs, a Little Mermaid nightgown and a pair of closed eyes that would have been blue had they been open.

Momma knelt down and opened arms. “Kay Kay ... what’s wrong baby. Are you having a bad dream?”

Katie shuffled over and then shook her head which gave both parents a sigh of relief.
Momma pulled her in for a hug. “Well then why are you up?”

Katie’s lip pushed out in a pout and she whined. “I can’t sleep. Destiny’s talking in her sleep again.”

Destiny was famous for the conversations she had while sleeping, just as Katie was known for sleepwalking and normally ending up in everyone else’s bed but her own.

Momma tried to offer her frustrated daughter a little sympathy. “I’m sorry honey.” And then curiosity got the better of her. “So what’s she saying tonight?”

Katie stood quietly for a moment, more asleep than she was awake. “She’s talking to Justin Beiber and Tommy again.” She said with a disgusted sigh.

“Are they answering her?”

“No ... I don’t think so.”

Momma giggled. “Then that’s okay. She can talk to them all she wants, but if you ever hear them answer, then you come get Mommy okay?”

Katie wobbled a bit and nodded, while Dad shook his head and smiled approvingly. He loved the fact that Momma loved messing with the kids minds every bit as much as he did.
Momma kissed her little one on the forehead and then shooed her back toward the room. Katie, however, wobbly legs and all held her ground. Her eyes never opened and Dad had never spoken a word to alert her to his presence, but somehow her parental radar knew he was there.

She turned toward him, raised arms and open hands. It was the universal sign that all children used when they wanted a hug or a ride. It was obvious Katie was fishing for both.
“I’m too tired to walk back.” She whined and wobbled.

Dad laughed and looked toward his love. “You see this Momma? One of my little red headed monkeys is trying to put one over on their old Dad. It thinks It can get me to give it a ride to Its room ... but I’m not falling for it. It walked itself out here and It can turn itself around and walk back.”

Katie was unmoved however and continued to stand there arms raised and hands open.
Dad playfully put his finger in Katie’s face. “Look you. I’m wise to the game. You’re just playing opossum. There’s no way you’re going to sucker me into carrying you to bed this time.”

Again Katie battled back with persistence and silence, and as always it paid off as Dad knelt down and swept the little on into his arms. Holding her close he made the usual idle threat. “And this is the LAST time I’m doing this too.”

Momma watched Dad carry Katie into her bedroom. He never saw the triumphant smile on his little girl’s face or the pinkie Momma raised in the air that signified where Katie and the rest of the kids had Dad wrapped.

When Dad returned from putting Katie back to bed, Momma resisted the urge to tease him, deciding to let him off the hook for once. Instead she went up on tippy toe and lightly kissed his cheek.

When he asked her what that was for she simply smiled and said, “Just because I can. Now come on ... let’s go check on Michael. I really ... want to get to bed.”

To be continued …