He'd gone and done it. Throwing caution to the wind for the first time in years, Isaac had asked Lilah out. And, checking his watch, he had ten minutes left before she met him here at the house.
   "Daddy?" Angel called from outside his bedroom door.
   Laughing and fixing his tie, he walked to the door and opened it to her. "Yes, baby?" He asked, swooping down to pick her up and toss her a little bit in the air.
   She squealed, "You almost ready?"
   He nodded, straightening his tie once more, and heading out. "Yes, I am, baby. Why?"
   Angel laughed, "Cause Uncle Tay bet Uncle Mackenzie that you'd be too nervous to be on time."
   Isaac grinned, "Oh, really?" He asked curiously. "How much was the bet?"
   She grinned back, "Twenty bucks, man!"
   He laughed at how she perfectly mimed Taylor's words. She had a good ear, and a great knack for copying. "Where's Charm?" He asked before setting her down on the carpet and taking her hand so that they could walk down together.
   Angel shrugged her small face screwing up into a worried frown. "I dunno, Daddy. I haven't seen her nearl all day."
   Isaac frowned at that, and was about to go looking for her when the doorbell rang. Grinning again at his daughter, he picked her up and raced down the stairs. Beating Taylor and Mackenzie to the door.
   Sticking his tongue out at them, he opened the heavy door and smiled at Lilah dressed in a pastel pink sundress.
   Setting Angel down, he extended his hand to her and stared transfixed on her eyes. "Hey." He murmured softly, his heart skipping a beat at the feel of her small soft hand in his.
   She gave him that warm smile of hers. The one that crinkled the sides of her mouth and eyes at the same time, softening her face even more than what the gentle planes did. "You ready to go?' She asked softly.
   Nodding, he bent to give Angel a quick kiss goodbye and waved to his brothers as he stepped outside. The door was shut swiftly behind him.
   He smiled sheepishly at Lilah's amused look. "You're stuck with me now. They won't let me back in until our date's over."
   Laughing lightly, she took his arm and gave a small squeeze. "That's basically what my cousin did to me."
   "Haven't been on a date on a long time either, huh?" He asked holding his breath.
   Lilah shook her head. "I uh… was quite the anti-socialite for a time a while." Giving a weak smile, refusing to explain more.
   Isaac wondered on it, but decided not to press as he helped her into Taylor's car, since he only had a minivan now and was adamant to take a woman out on a date in one.
   "Where's Charm?" Taylor asked, as he stepped back from his spot at the window and swooped Angel up into his arms. "And I haven't seen Zoë around either."
   Playing with her uncle's soft and shiny hair, Angel shrugged her small shoulders dramatically and sighed. "All I know is that Charm gotted upset and Zoë chased after her and I haven't seen neither of them since.
   Trying hard not to correct that tangled sentence, Taylor laughed and kissed her forehead. "Okay, sweetie. Then I'll just have to talk with your uncle's and Randy about where they might be."
   "Uncle Tay?" Angel asked softly, as she was placed back down on the ground, grabbing his hand with her small one.
   He led them from the hallway. "Yes, Angel?"
   "I think Charm gotted upset over daddy dating Lilah." She watched her feet as they walked, afraid to look up at her uncle right then.
   Stopping, Taylor looked down at his niece and squeezed her little hand gently. "What do you mean? She got mad about it?"
   Still refusing to look up at him, Angel shrugged one shoulder. "She wouldn't say nothin' really, but she started crying and she yelled-ed at me. Then said that daddy was gonna get us a new mommy and we wouldn't have D no more. That we couldn't even remember her or talk about her no more neither if Lilah was gonna be around."
   Crouching down so he could be closer to her height, but still managing to tower over her some, Taylor pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly. "Ike, your daddy, would never allow you or anyone to stop him from thinking, remembering, or loving D, Angel. Okay?" He pulled back slightly to gauge her reaction.
   When she finally nodded, blinking through her silent tears, Taylor hugged her again and rubbed her back gently. Cradling her head in his palm, he murmured, "And your daddy, and Uncle Zac, Uncle Mackenzie, Aunt Randy, Aunt Jessie, Aunt Avie, and grandma and grandpa, and me would definitely not allow you to forget or stop you from talking about your mother. No matter if your daddy married again or not."
   He pulled away again, and smiled softly when Angel rubbed her nose and sniffled loudly. "That's a lot of people." She replied, the back of her hand rubbing her wet cheeks.
   Taylor laughed lightly. "It sure is."
   She looked up at him with her wide grey eyes. "Promise?" She questioned through the now slowly receding tears.
   He nodded gravely, "I promise." Then held up two fingers solemnly. "Cross my heart, and hope to die."
   Angel grinned and giggled. "Stick a thousand needles in your eye if you lie?!" She squealed loudly.
   He laughed and winced; "You know it!"
   She launched herself at him and nearly sent them falling onto the hard marble flooring.
   Laughing louder, Taylor stood and swooped her into his arms again. "Now, lets go find everybody."
   "Charm and Zoë too?"
   Rubbing the ear she just shouted in, against his shoulder, Taylor nodded. "Especially Charm and Zoë!"