A few hours later, everyone was up. Ginny made all of them a huge breakfast. Mike was the last to get up.
"Man, how late is it?" Mike asked as he rubbed his eyes.
"Nine o'clock. I'm amazed I beat you up this morning," Micky commented.
"Maybe he got woken up earlier or something," Davy said.
Mike's eyes went wide as soon as Davy had said that. He looked over at Ginny, who had the same look on her face, and just shrugged his shoulders.
"There's no way he could know, unless he got up to go to the bathroom or something," Mike thought to himself.
"Come on everyone. I don't want this breakfast to get cold," Ginny said, hoping that bringing up the topic of food would change the subject.
As they all sat down to breakfast, Davy sat directly across from Mike. Ginny sat down between Peter and Mike. Suddenly, she could feel Davy's stare boring right through her. So she got up and sat between Peter and Chris, telling Micky that he could have the other seat since Ann was following him like a puppy.
Mike ate his food slowly, and every once in awhile would look up to see if Davy was looking at him. Of course, Davy was looking at him, puzzled by why someone as sensible as Mike would be so foolish as to take an interest in the mother of one of his closest friends. Even though he didn't look back, Mike knew Davy was staring at him just from the sheer tension he felt. It was making him nervous to say the least. If something was eating Davy, Mike wished that Davy would just tell him.
"Wow, you sure are a great cook Mrs. Tork!" Micky exclaimed as he shoveled in bite after bite of his breakfast.
"Yeah, Peter didn't get his cooking ability from you did he," Mike commented. Everyone laughed, including Peter.
"No," Ginny laughed as she got up and placed a hand on Peter's shoulder. "Peter unfortunately inherited his cooking abilities from his father." She then playfully tousled his hair.
"I got her musical ability though. Didn't I mom?" Peter said.
"You sing?" Mike asked.
"I use to, but that was long ago when I was in school," Ginny said as she remembered her teen years.
"Will you sing for us? Please?" Micky begged.
"Thanks for asking Micky, but I don't think…" Ginny started until she was interrupted.
"Come on mom. I love your voice," Peter said.
"Now Peter it's been a long time," Ginny started again.
"Please!" Chris and Ann pleaded.
"Go on, do it," Nick dared her.
"Ok, but just one song," Ginny said. Everyone began to cheer.
"Ok, this song is from my favorite movie. It's called 'Over the Rainbow.'" Ginny said and then started to sing. As she sang soft and sweet she made the entire room forget all about Judy Garland's beautiful rendition of the song. As the song came to a close, everyone applauded.
"Mom that was beautiful. I didn't know that 'The Wizard of Oz' was your favorite movie," Peter said.
"It was Annie's first movie. It was the first movie we all saw together as a family. Do you remember Peter?" Ginny asked.
"Of course, it was the Sunset Drive-In. I'll never forget that place," Peter said.
"Hey Pete, I was going to the bowling alley to meet my sister Coco. Do you think you and your siblings would want to come?" Micky asked.
"You have a sister?" Chris asked.
"I have three sisters. I'm drowning in them," Micky replied.
"How old is Coco?" Nick inquired.
"She's seventeen," Micky replied.
"Wow, I'm seventeen. Count me in," Nick said.
"I'd go anywhere with you," Ann gushed.
"I was afraid you'd say that," Micky said.
"Can we get nachos?" Chris asked.
"Christopher, you just ate," Ginny said amazed at Chris' appetite.
"Why don't you come with us Mrs. T? You can meet my mother," Micky told her.
"Oh why not, it sounds like fun. Are you going too, Mike and Davy?" Ginny asked.
"No, I've got some things to do," Davy said. Of course, Davy used this as an excuse so he could talk to Mike alone. This was the day Mike worked on the weekly budget. There was no way he’d go anywhere.
"I'd like to, but this is the day I work on the weekly budget. When you work from gig to gig a budget becomes a dire necessity," Mike told them.
"Well ok then. Come on everybody, let's go before all the lanes get taken," Micky said. They all got up to leave, but the Ginny remembered something.
"What about the breakfast dishes?" Ginny asked.
"I'll do them. You're our guests so you all go on," Mike told them.
As soon as everyone was out the door, Mike turned to Davy to bring on the conversation he'd been dreading.
"I know you've got something to say to me, so you might as well spill it," Mike said.
"Ok, I want to know what's going on with you and Peter's mom," Davy interrogated.
"What do you mean? There's nothing going on. We're just friends," Mike said.
"Oh please," Davy said as he rolled his eyes, "Like you always walk down the beach holding hands with a friend."
"No really, we established today that we are only friends," Mike said.
"So there is more going on here. I don't understand Mike. There's like a fifteen year age difference between you," Davy said.
"So what, I don't even notice it. Besides, we get along great," Mike commented.
"Don't you think it's weird that you have a thing for your best friend's mom?" Davy asked.
"Of course, but what do you want me to do? I can't help how I feel. I didn't ask for this to happen," Mike protested.
"Drop it, man, you've got to let it go now," Davy urged.
"That's easier said than done. I finally meet a girl I like and you want me to shut it off like a water faucet. Well I can't do it," Mike said as he turned to clear the dishes off of the table.
"Mike, you've known Ginny for one day, but Peter's been your friend for years. Think about what's more important. If he finds out what's going on he's going to be very upset," Davy said.
"I know what you're saying! Man, this is the worst mess I've ever gotten myself into. I don't know how to deal with it. All I know is that walk on the beach with Ginny is one of the best times I've ever had. I crave her company. It's like we have a connection," Mike explained.
"You're not falling in love with her I hope," Davy said.
"Love is a strong word man. I don't think I'm that far gone," Mike told him.
"I hope not," Davy said.
"Nobody has ever gotten me. It's like she gets me though. All the other girls out there think I'm too mature or act too much like their fathers. They don't want to date me. You have no idea what that feels like to be turned down all the time," Mike said, obviously hurting inside.
Davy noticed this and felt bad for his friend. He never considered that Mike could get lonely and crave affection just like everyone else.
"I'm sorry man. I won't say anything to Peter. Just make sure things don't get out of hand," Davy warned.
"It won't. The last thing I want to do is hurt Peter," Mike said.