Watermelon

Delicious

Maggie stood in the garage while Shawn hooked up her carseat in the back of his car again. He had taken it out before his date with Camila. He had learned the hard way that leaving the carseat in the back on first dates was a surefire way to scare girls off.

The two year old was dancing and singing a song to herself while she waited. Shawn couldn't help but smile at how cute it was. He couldn't really make out any of the words she was singing but he recognized the melody as one he had heard often during one of her favorite TV shows.

"That's a pretty song you're singing, Mags." The little girl stopped singing and smiled bashfully with a giggle. "You ready to go cheer on big brother Jace?"

"Yeah!" she squealed with a clap of her hands. Shawn picked her up into his arms and set her down in the carseat, making sure she was securely buckled up before shutting the back door of his car and getting in the driver's seat, clicking the button on his garage door opener and turning on his car.

Jace was an athlete. It was one of the first things Shawn learned about him and one of the first things they were able to bond over. Jace had spent a large majority of his life putting up a wall around him and not letting anybody else in. He was the first one that Shawn took under his wing and for a brief moment, Shawn worried he wouldn't be able to do it; he wouldn't be able to get through to him. That is, until he made a comment about being on his high school's hockey team back in the day. Then suddenly all Jace wanted to do was talk to him. And so they talked and talked and talked and Shawn started to finally feel like they were having a breakthrough. When Jace himself started high school, Shawn was confident that he was going to end up playing in any sport they would let him.

Tonight, it was hockey.

Shawn drove himself and Maggie to the local high school for Jace's game. He internally patted himself on the back as he was able to find a parking spot towards the school's entrance. Shawn got out of his car and immediately went to the back to get Maggie, unbuckling her from her carseat and making sure her jacket was secure before carrying her inside.

Shawn's eyes scanned the high school ice rink for only a moment before finding his parents in the stands. He walked in their direction with Maggie excitedly saying 'hi' to every person they walked past on the way.

"You guys made it!" Shawn said with a smile as he and Maggie sat down next to him. Maggie wasted no time in climbing over onto Karen's lap.

"I told you we'd try," Manny reminded him with a smile.

"Well, thank you for coming. Really. I know it means a lot to Jace to have people here cheering him on, even if he doesn't want to admit it."

"Don't worry about it," Karen shrugged. "It's been a while since I've been to a high school hockey game. I kind of missed it. Besides, I'll take any excuse I can get for some Maggie cuddles."

Shawn had initially been nervous to tell his parents that he was fostering Jace. They commended him, though, and agreed that it was a good idea for them to be paired together. With Shawn being more of a big brother figure in his life it gave him a higher chance of breaking through to him.

Maggie, on the other hand, concerned them. It's not that they didn't think their son was fit to take care of a toddler — they just worried that he didn't actually realize how much of a responsibility it would truly be. Fostering a sixteen year old boy was much different than fostering a two year old girl.

He was a natural, though. His ability to not only make sure they were taken care of but also love them as if they were his own family impressed them greatly. Both Karen and Manny felt a sense of pride knowing they had raised such a kind-hearted young man.