Status: Completed

Best Thing In Town

One Day In Your Life

Billie Joe looked over at Mike who looked like he'd seen a ghost. While driving his Ford Fairlane at a relatively slow pace, he also kept an eye out for the little brunette girl. It was already dark so unless she stood out underneath a street lamp, it was gonna be a hard task. Mike covered a hand over his mouth and dragged it down over his chin then keeping it there as he began barking at Billie Joe to turn here, or stop there. The older man didn't argue because he knew he'd be acting the same way if Joey or Jakob were missing.

* * *

Tre came to a stop sign and Audrey sat back, furrowing her brow as if in thought.

"What are you thinking about?" Tre wondered, glancing briefly in his rearview mirror.

"I ran away three times when I was little," Audrey commented. "The first time didn't really count."

"Why's that?"

"I wrapped a book and my favorite stuffed animal in my blanket and carried that with a pillow to the corner of the kitchen because my mom wouldn't let me watch a movie on Disney."

"You ran away to your kitchen?"

"Yeah...but the other two times I ran away to neighbors' houses. One was my friend's house. We were hiding out together in her bedroom. The last time I was being baby-sat by my grandma's neighbor while my mom was at work. I really wanted to leave so I ran away next door to my grandma's but she wasn't home, so I sat in the hallway in the entrance of where she used to live. The outer door was unlocked and I sat on the stairs while I heard everyone calling for me."

Tre nodded. "So, have you seen Estelle? I haven't."

"No," Audrey shook her head. "But I think I may know where Estelle went."

* * *

Audrey peered through the darkness, moving around a bush and walking up to the backyard of her and Mike's home when she spotted the small figure hunched over on the back step, hugging its knees to its chest. She smiled sadly as she stepped closer.

"Estelle?"

Estelle lifted her head and gave Audrey a wide-eyed look, clearly surprised that anyone had found her. "Is my dad here?" she asked. Then, "Is he mad?"

Audrey shook her head and crouched down to sit beside the girl. She looked out at the backyard and the pool several feet away. "No, you're dad isn't here. But he is out looking for you with Billie Joe."

"Then how'd you find me?"

"I was driving around with Tre, looking for you. We were all worried, you know. You shouldn't have run off. The world is a scary place to be in when you're young and alone at night. Anyone could've snatched you up and we'd never have seen you again," Audrey said softly. "Your mom and dad would've been really sad. I would've been sad too."

Estelle turned her face up. "Really?"

"Mmm-hmm. You're a sweet girl, Estelle. No one wants to lose you."

The young girl looked down at her feet and pouted her bottom lip. "How'd you know I was here?"

"Well, when I was about five, my grandmother's neighbor was watching me while my mom was at work, and the neighbor's boys were teasing me and being kinda mean and I didn't want to be there anymore. I wanted to stay with my grandma. So I ran next door and walked into the side door, into the small hallway. Her apartment door was locked and she wasn't home but I still didn't want to leave. It was someplace I loved and wanted to be and I was too scared to go back to the neighbor's because I was scared of being yelled at. So I sat on the stairs in the hallway, kinda like you are now, and wished no one would find me."

"Did they find you?"

Audrey smirked. "Yeah. The boy who was my age -- Chris -- he ran by the side door and saw me and began to shout 'She's here! I found her!' And his mom brought me back to their house." She looked down at Mike's daughter and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder. "I know you're not that happy with me and Kat coming into your life. You think I'm gonna take your dad away, don't you?"

Estelle hesitated to answer, then nodded her head.

"I've been there, done that too. I was about your age when my mom married my stepdad. I hated him. I thought I was losing my mom and that she wouldn't pay attention to me anymore. But having such a fuller family made me realize how lucky I was because there are so many kids who don't have dads or they don't have moms. And even though you have both and even though they're not together anymore, just think of how many extra presents you'll get on your birthday and at Christmas."

Estelle's face brightened at that. "What do you mean?"

"When I was growing up, I got presents from my mom's family, my dad's family, my stepmom's and my stepdad's. That's four separate families. That's double the amount you'd normally get." She moved her hand from Estelle's shoulder to the girl's back and gave a loving pat. "I know it's gonna be hard to adjust to sharing your time with your dad with Kat and me, but you're gaining a family. Just because I'm gonna be marrying your dad doesn't mean you have to call me mom, either. You have a mom already and I wouldn't ask you to call me mom. I still call my stepdad by his first name to this day and he's been in my life for twenty-two years."

"What's his name?"

"Roger."

"If you don't call him dad, what does Kat call him?"

"Grandpa. You can never have too many grandpa's."

"What about your stepmom? Do you like her?"

Audrey nodded. "Yes I do. She's a wonderful woman. When I first met her I thought she was kinda mean, but that was because I thought she kept my dad from me when I was younger and without him. But over the years she became a part of my life I wouldn't give up."

Estelle didn't respond to that but looked up nervously at Audrey. "My dad's gonna be mad at me, isn't he?" She didn't wait for an answer. "I was just mad because I don't want to lose him to nobody. He's my dad and Kat gets to see him more and she's not even his real daughter."

"Uh...about that," she began carefully. "Your dad's going to adopt Kat. He's going to become her legal father. See, Kat never got to know her dad. She was just a baby when he died. She really looks up to Mike...your dad. She's never had a real father figure in her life yet. Grandpas aside. And she looks up to you, you know. You're gonna be her big sister. Haven't you ever wanted a sister?"

"Yeah," Estelle replied sheepishly.

"And just think...in a few months you'll have a baby brother, too."

Estelle smiled. "I'll be kinda like in charge of them when I get older, right? Like I can baby-sit and make sure they don't do anything wrong."

Audrey nodded with an impish grin. "Yeah. And you know what? You know how you're eight?"

"I'll be nine next month."

"Yes, but when I was your age, my mom had my brother...so we're kinda alike, you and I."

The young girl gave a small smile and then looked at Audrey hesitantly. "Will you make sure my dad doesn't yell too much at me?"

Audrey laughed. "I'll do my best."

"So is she back here?" came Tre's voice as he rounded the corner into the backyard.

"Yeah," Audrey called back. He took in the sight of the two females sitting side by side and gave a nod.

"Okay, good. I'll give Mike and Billie a call and let them know."

"Alright. Thanks, Tre." Audrey stood up carefully. "You comin'?"

Estelle nodded and stood up with more of a slump as she rose from the ground. She reached out her smaller hand and took Audrey's. The older woman looked down at the girl and smiled.

Well, that was a breakthrough.