I shall call it Bob!

"How was your weekend?" Ali asks as she lets us into her apartment Sunday night.
"It was awesome!" Reese exclaims happily.
"Hi," I say meekly.
"Oh hey Tre, she wasn't too much trouble was she?"
"Not at all." I say laughing, "Oh and this is my son Franky."
"Nice to meet you," Ali says smiling.
"So umm Reese, you said something about guitar," Franky says looking around.
"Yup, it's in my room, follow me." Reese says leading her younger brother down the hall.

"Umm Ali," I say nervously, "I was wondering if I could take you out to dinner so we can talk about Reese and well what's going to happen now that well I'm in the picture."

"Uh, uh okay," She says nervously. "When did you want to have dinner?"
"I was thinking sometime this week."
"I'm busy all week because Fashion Week is coming up." She says rubbing her forehead with her thumb and index finger, "Wait, I'm not busy Tuesday evening."
"Alright, so I'll pick you up Tuesday around seven?"
"Seven-thirty."
"Alright well I'll see you then," I say as I head to Reese's room. "Come on Frankito, we're going."
"Bye Reese," Franky says handing her back her guitar.
"Bye," She says to both of us.
"Bye kid."

I drop Franky off at Claudia's then head home. I can't really sleep, so many questions were running through my mind on what was going to happen with Reese. I get out of bed and head to one of the guest rooms where the furniture is covered in plastic and the walls are half painted. I open a can of paint and start finishing what I started a couple of months ago. I realized I was being a typical man, like on those shitty sitcoms, starting projects and not finishing them. But I planned to at least finish this room so Reese would have a room to call her own at my house, if everything worked out that is. The paint is green, I hope she doesn't have any issues with green, I realized most of her clothes were either black or red except for band tees of course, those were the colours of the band.

Tuesday evening I head into San Francisco for my dinner with Ali. I knock on the apartment door and Reese answers.

"Tre, what are you doing here?"
"Uh, well I sort of had dinner plans with your mom to discuss-"
"Hey Tre." Ali says coming down the hallway while putting on a jean jacket.
"You didn't tell me you were going out with TRE." Reese says to her mother.
"Yeah we need to discuss visitation and all that mumbo jumbo."
"And I don't get a say in this?" Reese says crossing her arms. We don't answer. "Well don't make any major decisions about my life without running them by me first, kay?"
"Of course," I say as Ali and I leave the apartment. She rolls her eyes as she shuts the door.

"I think she's gaining an attitude problem," Ali says laughing.
"You think?" I laugh, "I mean you had an attitude as a teen."
"And I'm sure your teen years were just peachy for your parents."
"Yes, they were." I say smugly as we get into my car. "My father loved me."
"More like tolerated."
"I'm insulted, I'm a very loveable person," I say proudly.
"Okay, if you say so," She laughs, dear god it's been forever since I heard her laugh.

We get to the restaurant and sit down calmly.
"So, how's this going to work with me seeing Reese?" I ask as I look over my menu, "Is it every second weekend or what?"
"How about this, Reese can jump between both houses as she pleases?" Ali says looking at me, "That way you're none of us are restricted to a stupid schedule and shit like that."
"I like that idea," I say nodding. "What about child support, will we have to see a lawyer?"
"No lawyers and complex shit like that, and no child support."
"But-"
"But I've been able to support Reese and I till now perfectly fine, we don't need petty cash," Ali states clearly.
"Alright then."

We order our meals and then go back to talking.
"Well I was wondering, next month I'm touring for the new album and usually bring Franky and Ramona along with me. Would you be willing to let Reese come along?"
"I'll leave that up to her," I nod.

"So how'd you go from sales clerk to fashion floor manager?" I ask as our food is placed in front of us.

"Well after Reese was born I realized I'd need more than minimum wage to support us so I got a secretary's job for one of the editors of a fashion magazine."
"Why a fashion magazine?"

"I just looked in the classifieds and that job was available, I went for an interview and well I got the job." She says shrugging, "Then I got a couple of promotions and with my references I was able to apply for floor manager and that's what I've been doing for the past five years."

"So umm, do you like your job or is it just something to pay the bills?"
"It's a great job, it's not a cubicle job and I get to travel. I bring Reese along with me. Last year we got to go to France, she loved it."
"That's cool, what about when she's in school?"
"Well usually it's only a week so I take her with me and if it's more then she stays with my sister."

"What about the infamous Tre Cool, what have you been up to for the past fifteen and a half years?"
"Lots of drugs, sex and booze." I say nodding, "Well I got married, got a son, got divorced, went through dating hell and well me and the guys released albums along the way."
"That all then?" she laughs. "No addictions, rehab, relapses and all the rest of that rock star junk."
"Oh yeah, but no one know about it. Shh." I laugh, "I swear the syringe was there when I woke up this morning."
"So are you clean, or do you still smoke pot?"
"I'm clean, don't worry." I say honestly.
"So tell me what's been going on with Billie and Mike, damn only now I realize how much I've missed you guys."
"Well, Billie is still with Adrienne, they're friggin invincible." She laughs, "They have another son, his name is Jakob."
"Yeah, Reese told me about him." Ali says nodding, "Their older son is Joey, right?"

"Yeah," I nod, "Mike got remarried to a chick named Sarah, but they divorced like a year later and then he met Brittney, he got her name tattooed to his arm in a drunken state, luckily for him, they're still together."
"I thought Mike followed the rule of only tattoo the name of your kids."
"He did, but as I mentioned he was drunk." I laugh, "But they've been together for like ten years."

"Oh okay, wow, time flies huh?"
"You're telling me."
"So Mike still only has Stella?"
"Yeah, she's driving him insane." I laugh, "Ramona's influence."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah Ramona spent the past three years going through a teenage rebellion and it rubbed off on Stella."
"So what did she do? Smoke a few doobies?"
"Yeah, that and got a tattoo, new peircings, I found out she's bi and crap load of stuff that scared the shit out of me."
"Well you're not exactly one to preach."
"I know, that's why it drove me so crazy." I laugh.
"Yeah, Reese wants to get her nose pierced and a tattoo on her hip."
"She told me about the nose piercing. Only when she turns sixteen?"
"Yeah, for the piercing, but not for the tattoo."
"What's your age for tattoo?" I ask curiously.
"Never." She laughs, "I told her when she turns twenty-one she can make her own mistakes."

"I remember you got a tattoo on your ass when we were going out," I laugh.
"Well you're one of the few that knows about it."
"And another on your lower back and ankle," I say trying to recall from the time we dated.
"Yeah, and Reese never let's me forget it."
"That kid's a trip," I say laughing.
"Is she ever."

I drive Ali home and walk her to the door. I can't help myself , I cup her cheeks and give her a firm kiss on the lips.

"Well, we'll have to have dinner sometime again," she stutters as she fumbles with her keys. She was blushing like crazy.
"Alright, well I'll see you around," I say as I head back to my car feeling smug.