Janie Tanner ~A Watty's 2019 Submission

Chapter 4

Danny, Jesse, Janie, and Joey ran into the garage, where DJ was on the telephone. She was sitting in a lawn chair with a blanket and a few pillows.
"DJ, can I talk to you?" Danny asked. DJ groaned.

"Kimmy, hang on." She said into the phone. Then she turned to Danny. "I'm talking to Kimmy Gibbler. She called me on her own phone from her own room. She has three sisters." Danny crouched down to her level.

"DJ, you don't want to live in the garage. It's filthy... it's stuffy..."

"You want some fresh air?" She took a remote and opened the garage. Danny stood and pointed his finger at her.

"Donna Jo, I want you back inside right now this instant." He said firmly. Then he went all soft again. "Is that okay?" Janie smacked her forehead. DJ gave him a look.

"No thank you, dad." Then she went back to the phone. "So Kimmy, where were we?" Danny turned to the other three.

"Nice job, dad." Jesse said sarcastically. "You've been reading Cosby's book?" Joey's eyes brightened.

"Cosby? I'll handle this." Then he went over to DJ and began to impersonate Bill Cosby. "Hello there, small child- like person. Mmha... ha... ha... If you move back into the house, you can have a big, juicy bowl of jello. Mmha... ha... ha... ha... ha... ha."

"No, Kimmy, that's not really him. I'll call you later." DJ said, then hung up the phone. Then Stephanie came running into the garage.

"Daddy, the baby's crying. She's got that thirsty look in her eyes." She said, then ran back upstairs.

"Okay, honey. I'll be right up." He called, then turned to Joey. "Joey, would you mind warming up the baby's bottle?" Joey shrugged.

"Well, not at all. Although with this particular baby, it might be simpler just to pour the formula directly into the diaper." Danny gave him a look. "Well, think about it." Then he left to warm up a bottle. Jesse clapped his hands together.

"All right, DJ's all set and I got Vanessa upstairs waiting, so best of luck to the three of you." Danny stopped him.

"No, look, Jesse, look; I got to go check on the baby; won't you just stay here with DJ?" Jesse's eyes widened.

"What do you want me to do?"

"Talk to her; I'll be right back." Danny turned to leave again, but Jesse stopped him.

"Can't Jane do it? She's the big sister here!" Janie shook her head.

"Remember what happened with the diapers earlier? I have to make sure Stephy isn't getting into any trouble." Then she ran upstairs to Stephanie and DJ's room where Stephanie was putting all of DJ's things into a box. Janie laughed.

"Stephy, what're you doing?" Stephanie looked up at her.

"If DJ's moving into the garage, I get my own room. So I'm going to take her all of her stuff." As Stephanie tried to pick up the box, Janie picked her up and swooshed her over to her bed and plunked her down, then sat next to her.

"Stephy, DJ isn't moving to the garage. She's just going through a tough time. We all are." Stephanie slumped. "I just don't think she understands that she can't just do things like that."