The world was at a stand-still.
"Why?" Jamie cried that night. "How could they think he didn't do it!?"
Mina held the girl in her arms. "Shhh . . . it was because it was your word against his, honey. Since they didn't find any evidence that he had, it was a lost case."
Jamie began to hiccup. "Why didn't somebody tell me that before we went through the trouble of court?"
"We didn't want you to know," Mina said soothingly.
Jamie was crying uncontrollably by then.
He wanted to reach out. He wanted to hold and comort her. But Lance looked away. It was all he could do to keep his heart from breaking.
***
"Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you. Happy Birthday dear Chris, happy birthday to you!" sang the crowd.
Jamie set the cake on the table. "Blow out the candles!"
He looked skeptically at the 41 lit candles piled on top of the small cake. "Oh boy," he muttered. He took a deep breath.
Mina snorted with laughter, as he let loose a 'Chris-made' gust of wind. Several flames went out.
"What the hell?" Chris asked. The flames had come back. He turned to Justin, and Joey. "Who picked out the trick candles? 41-year-olds don't need that."
Justin, Joey, Mina and Jamie burst into hysterical laughter.
"It was one of you, huh?" he asked them.
They shook their heads no, as they were unable to speak.
"Then it was one of you two," he concluded, looking at Lance and JC. They both answered no. "Okay, so who was it?"
The cake was beginning to collect red, blue, and white wax on it, as Josh, Justin's 7 year-old son, raised his hand.
Chris looked at him, then grabbed him. He layed Josh on his back, and tickled his stomach, as the little boy's face turned red.
When Chris let him go, Josh sat up, and his brown, curly hair went everywhere.
Chris turned back to his cake. "Ok," he spoke, his voice full of amusement. "Who wants cake?"
*** "I'm never eating cake again," moaned Jamie. "I'm gaining too much weight as it is."
"As an expert," Mina started, "I'd have to say, that you're still too skinny for your 8th month. You need to put on more weight!"
Jamie rolled her eyes. "Spare me."
"Whatever," Mina paused. "What are you doing next Wednesday?"
"Uh . . . I'd have to check my schedule. I think I'm out having lunch with Jake Lloyd for dinner and a movie," Jamie replied, looking at her nails. She laughed. "I wish. He's so hot. No, I'm not doing anything. Why do you ask?"
"It's my day off. I figuer that me and you should do something together." Mina sighed. "God knows I don't get too many days off. Sucks for me."
"Yeah, sure, let's do something. It'll be fun. What'll we do?"
"Go to the mall. Hmmm . . . I don't exactly wanna try on clothes right now," she said, patting her stomach. Mina was six months pregnant. "Too much of a downer."
"Oh, yeah. I know how it feels," Jamie related. "Is it gonna be just you and me?"
"Nah. It'll be us four girls. Me, you, Candy, and Katina," Mina answered. She paused. "Damn."
"What?"
"I just thought of something." Mina laughed. "Knowing them, they'll go straight for the clothes section."
"Ahh. Figures." An evil glint came into Jamie's eyes. "I have an idea."
"What is it?"
"Well, you, me, and Katina love 'em . . . but do you remember how much Candy hates rollercoasters?"
"Yeah," Mina said, slowly.
"Well . . . "