“Shh, or you’re gonna wake them up!” Catalina hissed.

“Well don’t we want to wake them up?” Hailie asked as the door creaked open and both girls hesitated. They waited till their nervous breathing calmed and stepped into the room.

“Yeah, but not yet. Surprising them is the whole point,” Catalina whispered. Hailie nodded in understanding and looked over to the bed where her father and Regina were fast asleep.

“Come on,” Catalina whispered, beckoning Hailie towards the bed. Catalina climbed up on the edge, Hailie following.

“On the count of three,” Catalina said. She held up her fingers, putting each one down and yelled, ”Wake up!” they both started jumping up and down on the bed. Marshall groaned and buried his head in Regina’s neck.

“Hello girls,” Regina said with a smile.

“Morning Regina!” they chimed in unison.

“Daddy, come on!” Hailie whined.

“All right, I’m up, I’m up,” he groaned pulling his arms from around Regina and pulling himself sleepily up against the headboard. Regina turned over and Catalina plopped down beside her.

“When can we go to the museum?” she asked with her bright blue eyes.

“Soon Mari, soon, why don’t you go call Ricky and see if he wants to come?” Regina asked smoothing down Catalina’s hair.

“Okay!” Catalina bounced, she loved getting to use the phone. She was extremely proud to be able to carry her own cell phone around.

“How is my baby girl?” Marshall asked as Hailie planted herself in his lap.

“I’m good daddy, I like being able to see you in the morning, and at night,” Hailie said as Marshall snuggled her in his arms.

“Me too baby. Why don’t you go get dressed, and Regina and I order up some breakfast?” Marshall asked as he hugged his daughter tight and kissed her on the top of the head.

“Can I wear my sparkly shirt with the flowers?” Hailie asked.

“You can wear anything you want sweetie,” Marshall said with a smile, giving his daughter one more smile before she hopped off the bed and went to get changed.

“She’s cute,” Regina said as she pulled herself out of the bed.

“Yeah, it’s nice being able to see her for more than just a couple hours a day,” Marshall replied.

“I’m sure it is. What time are we supposed go?” Regina asked stretching her arms above her head, “She has to stop doing that,” Marshall thought to himself.

“Marshall?” she asked again.

“Huh? Oh, uh, ten, we’re meeting the guards in the hall at ten, we’ve got the whole day,” Marshall replied shaking his head. He had to start being a little more careful.

“Okay, I’m gonna make sure the girls are all right, you order up some room service?” she asked.

“No problem, anything specific for Catalina?” Marshall asked.

“No, she’s not too particular when it comes to food, be back in a second baby boy,” Regina said leaning over and placing a small kiss on his lips, she gave him a smile, and then one more kiss.

“I’ll be waiting Lyric,” he said softly.

They had a wonderful time at the museum. Marshall didn’t waste any time with his daughter and shifted into daddy mode. He was acting silly all the time, playing games, laughing, carrying on. It was a nice side to see. Though he and Regina usually got along, the one thing she noticed was that he was always very tense and serious. It took a lot to get him to kid around and let his guard down. He was extremely insecure and compliments usually were regarded with suspicion.

Regina often wondered if the reason he was so possessive over her was because of his insecurities. Not that she minded him being possessive, it was an endearing quality, but he just made him so damn nervous, and quick to spring. He didn’t think that anyone wanted to be with him just for him. He didn’t think he was good enough for anyone at all. He didn’t even think he had been worthy of Kim. She wondered how hard it must have been thinking constantly that everything you did wasn’t worth while and that no one wanted you.

She had of course gone through some bad times herself, but she always held a high opinion of herself. She was modest, and humble, but not destructively so. A bad review on one of her articles did not faze her in the least, especially when she knew it had been a good article in the first place. She was stubborn, but Marshall was verging on self-abuse with his denial sometimes.

The length of the kids’ visit was indeterminate, the final limit being the end of the summer when they all had to go back to school. Neither Marshall nor Regina had any problem with keeping the kids and taking care of them as long as they, the kids that was, were enjoying themselves and were not feeling neglected, they wanted them to stay.

Regina had unofficially been elected as the story reader. Both girls snuggled under her arms while she would act out the characters with her voice. She did this every night, no begging off was allowed, though Regina probably would have been more upset if the girls didn’t want her to read to them.

Though Ricky gave the impression that he would have rather been out checking out the under eighteen clubs, he often stayed in with Marshall, Regina and the girls watching some Disney movie or playing cards, most of the time go fish. Regina knew that he missed her, and she missed him too. Marshall had even been nice enough to watch Catalina for a few hours while she took Ricky out for lunch and a good long talk.

The implications that they, Marshall and Regina, would be playing house never acquired any evidence. Marshall and Hailie did their thing even though Regina and Catalina were always close by. Both made sure their family had plenty of alone time with them and did not push their significant other into the children’s faces.

Regina loved Hailie, she was a sweet girl, but she was not her aunt or her step-mom. She watched Hailie when Marshall asked her to, when he had to do something on his own and could not take Hailie with him. Hailie loved Regina too, and had even asked if she could have a nickname like Catalina did.

“Could you be, I don’t know, like my adopted big sister or something?” Hailie had asked one day over lunch with Marshall, Regina and Catalina.

“I suppose I could, that is, if it’s okay with your father, I think you should ask him first,” Regina had replied, touched that Hailie liked her that much.

“Dad, is it okay?” Marshall hadn’t reacted quickly, and after a minute, looking at his daughters pleading face he nodded. He didn’t know if it was such a good idea for Hailie to get attached to Regina, considering the fact that they had been dating such a short time, though what they had couldn’t really be considered dating. They were just, “together”, no other word for it. They never had gone out on a date. Now there was a thought.

“So what does Mariposa mean anyway?” Hailie asked.

“It means butterfly, I started calling her that because when she was born, her eyelashes were so long and pretty, they looked like butterfly wings,” Regina said smiling at her little sister.

“And what is it that you call Regina?” Hailie asked looking over at Catalina.

“Brisa, it means breeze, because she always held me up, like the breeze helps a butterfly up,” Catalina replied.

“Could you give me a nickname, in Spanish?” Hailie asked. This caught Regina off guard a little, but she nodded and replied,

“Well, let me think about it, these things take a little time.” She sat back and looked at Hailie, her blue eyes automatically suggesting Marshall’s.

“You are just a little mirror Hailie, of your father, that is for sure. I got it, espejo, mirror, because you mirror your father, you’re bright, shiny, brilliant, yes Espejo, I think that’s exactly what I’ll go with. Does that sound okay to you?”

“It’s pretty! I love it! What can I call you though?” Hailie asked, confused for a second.

“Reflejo! Reflection! Mirror and reflection! That’s perfect!” Catalina exclaimed. Hailie beamed and nodded.

“Yeah I like that, Reflejo,” Hailie said with a wide smile.

That night, while Regina was reading to the girls, Marshall stepped out to Ricky’s room and knocked on the door. He answered right away, expecting that someone had come to check on him and make sure he was there. He was surprised that Marshall was there, but he let him in all the same.

“What up man?” Ricky asked as he entered.

“You got a second?” Marshall asked as he plopped himself on the couch.

“Actually I got a really important appointment with a couch cushion and a remote, but I’m sure I could fit you in,” Ricky replied, noting Marshall’s laugh as he shook his head.

“I want to do something special for your sister, and I need a little help,” Marshall said as Ricky flopped down on the other end of the couch.

“Fire away,” Ricky replied.

“Well, we never really went on an actual date, and well, I thought I’d do something special for her, and I can’t think of a thing that she would really like, I’m drawing a blank.” Marshall suddenly realized the awkwardness of the situation, asking his girlfriend’s little brother for info on how to seduce his sister.

“Something really corny. I mean it, the sappier the better. She acts all tough, but if she sees you do something sickeningly sweet, she’ll love it,” Ricky replied.

“I was thinking then, if we’re going along those lines, renting out one of those really old fashioned movie theaters, the whole thing for the entire night. But what movie though?” Marshall asked. He and Regina had watched movies, nothing romantic in the least. She didn’t like them and he was secretly happy that she didn’t.

“Jane Eyre! I remember, when she saw that movie, she was balling! That’s it, it would be perfect!” “Jane Eyre, never heard of it, what’s it about?” Marshall asked.

“It’s a book by Charlotte Bronte, they made a movie of. Actually there’s a few different versions but the one she likes is the AE version. That would do it,” Ricky replied confidently.

“You sure?” Marshall asked.

“Yeah I’m sure, she can’t stand romantic movies, all but that one.”

“If it’s a romance and she likes it, it must be good,” Marshall replied with a laugh.

“Yeah, she’d rather watch Jackie Chan or the God Father,” Ricky laughed heartily.

“This getting weird yet?” Marshall asked.

“What? Telling you what my sister likes?” Ricky asked.

“Yeah, that,” Marshall grunted.

“Please, like any of her other guys ever took the time out to find out what she liked. But this is as good a time as any to let you know that you should be good to her.” Ricky’s voice turned serious.

“I know, I know, or you’ll kick my ass, even though you’re only sixteen,” Marshall added with a laugh.

“Not even that Marshall. Don’t make the same mistakes everyone else in her life has. My grandparents stood by and never did anything about my father because they didn’t want to believe me. I don’t know if Regina has told you or not, but she never said anything to anyone about him hitting her. Never. She’s always protected me, but it’s my turn to take care of her. And I promise, that if you do hurt her, it’s going to be a lot worse than an ass kicking. She’s taken more fists and kicks and punishment than anyone else in the world, literally beaten the shit out of everyday of her life, she deserves better than that.” The seriousness of the sixteen-year-old’s words hit him in a place that he didn’t think would have cared. He knew that the family would care but it didn’t seem like they were worried because of who he was.

“You seem like a nice enough guy and you do treat her well. I just want to make it clear that my worries don’t stem from your image. I could give a crap less about that and besides you have proved yourself a good person. My worries lye with Regina and how she is treated. You take care of her, and we’ll be good. You hurt her, just know that my family and I will make sure you’re taken care of and no in a good way either.” Marshall nodded slowly and knew where it was coming from. For years he’d been helpless to do anything to defend Regina, and now that he was older, he could do something.

“You’re a good kid man,” Marshall said putting out his hand to shake Ricky’s.

“Thanks, but you remember what I said, I’ll kill ya,” Ricky said with a laugh as he shook Marshall’s hand.

“Wouldn’t have it any other way man, thanks,” Marshall said with a grin as he stood up.

“You really staying here tonight?” Marshall asked as he got to the door.

“Actually I’m meeting a girl at the under-eighteen club a few blocks down. Don’t worry, I’ll be back by curfew,” Ricky replied.

“Reggie will call you anyway. If you plan on bringing her back here, just call Regina before you turn in, that way, nothing will be interrupted,” Marshall and Ricky both laughed before he made his way out.