Best Thing In Town

Being the newly engaged couple they were, and being that they brought out the sexual beast in one another, it only made sense that when Mike pulled the car into the garage, he happily pulled Audrey onto his lap while still seated at the wheel. The engine was off, but his was on. He claimed her mouth with his, snaking his arms around her waist as he smile against her lips.

In a fracture of a second, they were making love, in a setting that one would think of as awkward or annoying, but it was just the opposite. It was exciting. Thrilling.

When they hit their respective peaks, they came down from their sexual high and Mike gathered Audrey into a warm embrace as she collapsed against him. Kissing her lips so tenderly, they eventually parted and gathered themselves; zipping up and putting back on their clothes. They entered the house through the garage door, holding hands and smiling goofily at one another, coming to a halt when they saw Mike's mom asleep on the couch. Tiptoeing up the stairs like teenagers sneaking home, they poked their head into Katarina's room to make sure she was alright and then scampered off into their bedroom where Mike picked Audrey up in his arms and laid her in bed.

* * *

Three days later, Billie Joe turned thirty-four. They had a large party for him and as soon as the majority of the guests had left all that remained were the guys, Adrienne, Audrey, Claudia and the kids. Mike and Audrey took that opportunity to announce they were engaged, to which they received congratulations and Billie Joe joked about them stealing his thunder, then proceeded to give them both a big hug each.

The only one out of the bunch to not find this to be good news was Estelle. She had stormed off in the midst of the announcement and no one had noticed because the other kids had also scampered off to the playroom.

"So have you started planning for the wedding?" Adrienne wondered, crossing her legs and swirling around the whiskey in her glass.

"What about a date? You gonna wait until after the baby's born?" Billie Joe inquired, wrapping an arm around his wife's waist.

Audrey looked at Mike and shook her head. "We talked about it a little. But we decided to not wait until after the baby's born because we'd never find time for a honeymoon with a baby hanging off my boob," she joked.

"So, instead you're gonna have Mike hanging off your boob," Tre amended.

Everyone laughed as Mike nearly spit out his drink. "Hey, I resent that."

"So, you won't be hanging off her boobs? Well, if the baby won't be born then to do it and *you're* not gonna do it..." Tre trailed off, wiggling his eyebrows. "Can I?"

Mike reached over and shoved Tre to the ground and everyone broke out into another fit of laughter. Trying to catch her breath, Audrey shook her head again.

"No, Tre you can't hang off my boob. And we're not just having the wedding before the birth because of a honeymoon inconveniance. But also because we don't want him to be born out of wedlock."

Mike nodded. "And...I'm going to adopt Katarina." Adrienne and Claudia both gave that 'aww how sweet' look and he smirked. "So, on the day that Audrey becomes a Pritchard, so will Katarina. She'll be my legal daughter."

Billie Joe smiled for his best friend and leaned forward to pat the thinner man on the knee, just as Ramona came walking into the room, tapping Mike on the shoulder. He turned around and smiled.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Do you know where Estelle went?"

Mike furrowed his brow, a little dumbfounded. "Um...isn't she with you kids?"

Ramona shook her head. "No. I haven't seen her since you said you were getting married."

"Well, honey, did you check the bathrooms or bedrooms? Maybe she's in there," Tre suggested.

"I did check. Me and Joey checked all the rooms upstairs and she's not in the playroom."

A ball of panic began to form in the pit of Mike's stomach as he stood up and he walked to the stairwell. "Estelle?" he called. No answer. "Estelle!" Still no answer. Shooting Audrey a worried glance, he walked around the downstairs, poking his head into all the rooms and stopped dead in his tracks when he reach the kitchen. Everyone seemed to file in behind him.

"Mike?" Audrey began.

He was staring at the door that lead to the backyard. The door was left wide open and he began to fear the worst. He stepped away from the group and walked outside, looking around and calling his daughter's name.

"Estelle! Estelle!"

Everyone else joined in, calling her name, but to no avail.

"Oh God," Mike let out, starting to seriously panic. "Oh God..."

In a matter of minutes, everyone began searching the house up and down, searching the garage, front and back yards, but all coming up short. No Estelle in sight. Billie Joe and Tre each got in their separate cars, taking Mike and Audrey with them. Mike went with Billie Joe, Audrey with Tre. They left the others back in the house in case Estelle showed up or appeared. They took to going in opposite directions, seeing if they could spot Estelle, if she'd gotten away.

Mike was hunched forward in Billie Joe's Ford Fairlane, rocking slightly as he stared out the window, peering into the darkly lit yards of the neighboring yards. His worst fear was happening.

His little hero was missing.