how it is

Gordy felt as if he'd walked in on something with Emily and Bella when he went to pick up Jane. He'd never seen them this close, nor this giggly. Emily was stirring bubbling Jello chocolate pudding on the stove.

"I forgot to make it earlier, I promised Jane. She found a box left over from Christmas. Someone never made it for her." Emily looked at Bella.

"Its just Jello."

"And we don't have the marshmallows to go in it, anymore." Emily reminded her, but didn't dwell on it. As it was Jane was too fond of Archie in a clapping game to even notice Gordy was there.

"So whats the occasion?" Gordy looked at Emily then Bella.

"Mom's got a guy," Emily barely said above a whisper.

"Its not like he lives here," Bella said as if she didn't approve, but then she giggled.

"He's sleeping here," Emily smirked pouring the bubbly pudding in cups then.

"See, that's all she needs him for." Bella looked blankly at Emily then.

"Who is it?" Gordy was curious.

"This guy from the library," Emily couldn't stop giggling then.

Gordy just nodded wishing he really hadn't asked.

"Charlotte seems to think something is wrong with him," Archie confided.

"Wrong with him?" Bella scowled a bit then. "Well, she's just sleeping with him."

"Remember, when I used to bug you if Mom was coming on to you, Gordy?" Emily sat down some pudding at the kitchen table for him.

"No." That was news to him. Well, he didn't want to think about it. He didn't think so. "She likes me, that's all there is to it." Plain and simple. "Maybe because I'm Jane's dad, she felt she had to be nice to me." He then said. She had always been nice to him. She did care. "Maybe she really sees something in this guy, you know."

"Oh, we know what she sees in him." Emily smiled. "Its just she doesn't want us know, but we know." She nodded.

"I kind of bumped into him this morning," Archie nodded.

Gordy just nodded. He didn't want to say anything more. Hopefully, Jane wasn't going to expose anyone with this information, but then again, she was right in the thick of it.

"Perhaps, Jane and I should be going." Really the pudding looked to warm for her to eat. He stood up.

"You can't take Janey, yet." Bella told him. "I'm trying to finish this hat, I promised." She was crocheting on a brim of something, he supposed.

"How much longer?"

"Just have to weave in the end. Not long at all." She promised to finish the pink hat for her.

"I wonder what time he'll come around tonight," Emily was still thinking about somebody that Gordy wished she'd shut up about.

"I don't know if its a good idea," Gordy pushed his hands in the back pockets of his jeans. "Talking about this with Jane around."

"What?" Emily laughed.

"You know how she gets, she might say anything." Gordy looked at Emily.

"Oh." Emily went to scrub the pudding out of the pan in the sink think. "Sorry, I forgot." She bit her bottom lip.

Just then, Kat came in through the back door near the garage.

"Well, hi, Gordy." She was all smiles. And she went over and touched Jane's head and told her how happy she had a chance to see her.

"Meme," Jane gave her kisses on the cheek. "Where's your dirty boy? I want to see your dirty boy."

Gordy watched Kat straighten herself up. She gave Emily a squint.

"Finished." Bella held up the hat then. "Come here and get your hat."

"Strawberry shortcake hat." Jane informed her. "Right."

Jane put it on her head.

"Woo, it does look like a strawberry shortcake hat," Emily smiled. "I think you could sell those, Bella."

"I like it. But where's Lucy's." Jane stomped a little dance.

"Jane, stop being so bossy, what do you say?" Gordy jumped in with his fatherly advice.

"My sister needs one too." Jane handed it back to her. She wouldn't take it until Lucy had one too.