"When I grow up I wanna be famous I wanna be a star," Alana belts out in the living room while dancing around.
"What's she singing?" I ask, I had never heard those lyrics before.
"I bought Tracey that damn girl bands CD and now all she does is sing it and then Alana takes after Tracey..." Michael says and we both look back at Alana who is still coloring.
"Careful what ya wish for cause you just might get it." Her young voice continues mindlessly.
"Dad it's the Pussycat Dolls!" Tracey exclaims and crosses her arms with a frown on her face.
"I don't wanna hear that word come your your mouth." Michael cringed and sipped from his glass. Tracey scoffed and stood, leaving the room. "Fuckin tween-agers."
I ignore them and look back at Alana, still content in her own world. "She's young but she's gotta nice voice Mikey."
"For a four year old, I guess."
Tracey grabs Alana's hand. "Come on, let's play with makeup." Alana hurries after her quickly on her feet.
"I need to talk to you about something. We gotta plan more scores. I need the money."
"For what? Drugs? Whores?" Michael asked borderline angrily. "Listen T, I'm done. That's not me anymore. I have a family. We take this last score and we're done Trevor."
"I have a family." I mimicked him. "You'll never be done, Townley. This isn't a game. You can't just quit. I-"
I was cut off by crying and yelling for Michael as Alana ran through the house. "Alana stop!" Jimmy's voice was after hers. What did these fuckin kids do now? They both ran into the living room and Alana jumped into Michael's lap and she sobbed into his neck. Jimmy looked terrified as he stood by the doorway and gulped. Michael wrapped his arms around her and frowned at Jimmy. "What did you do to her?"
"Nothing!" Jimmy exclaimed.
"Jimmy said I was adopted!"
"Are you fucking serious?" Michael asked angrily.
"It was a joke!" Jimmy defended himself.
"Nobody is fucking laughing James. Go to your room. It's ten o'clock and you're gonna wake Amanda up if you don't stop the bullshit." Jimmy buffs and turns on his heel and goes toward his bedroom.
Michael tries his best to calm Alana down, but how can he? She is technically adopted, adopted by Amanda. Who He begins to rock the recliner gently back and forth.
She stops crying and sniffles, wiping her nose. "You're my daddy?" she looks at Michael with big eyes rimmed with tears.
"Yes honey, I'm your daddy."
"Amanda's not my mommy?"
I sigh and shake my head. "No, she's not. But she does love you like a mommy would." The tears spill over but she stays silent. "I'm sorry baby." Michael says quietly and holds her close to him. He strokes her long hair and her eyes begin to grow heavy quickly.
We carry on with the conversation after she settles down and Michael switches the TV to a cartoon. "Hey man, I keep falling asleep over here, would you mind holding her?" Michael says and I nod.
"Uh yeah sure," I say and try not to sound to weird. He stands and places her into my lap and lays back on the couch, outstretched.
I looked down at Alana and pulled the blanket over her. She softly snored and her head rolled onto my shoulder. I looked down at her and smiled to myself.
I couldn't move to change the channel in fear of waking her up, so I was stuck watching some show about a sponge who lives underwater. She loves this show so I watch it way more than I need to.
At 3 am, she stirred next to me and yawned, stretching out. Her half lidded eyes looked up at me. "Uncle T?"
"Yeah?"
"Hi," she says and I huff a laugh out through my nose. This kid is so adorable.
"Do you wanna build a snowman?" She asked.
This kid surprised me everyday. "A snowman? Now?"
She nodded with a warm smile, warm enough to melt my ice cold heart. Warm enough to melt all the snow outside.
"Alright, I guess?" I agreed hesitantly. Michael was passed out snoring with his face half buried in a pillow as I zipped up her too big heavy winter jacket that came to her knees. I pulled a scarf around her neck and a hat over her blonde hair.
"Cmon, let's go." She grabbed my hand. She pulled me to the back door and quickly opened it and pushed the glass door open, it smacking shut once we were outside. Probably woke someone up. I could see her breaths in the air as she tugged on my arm.
Of course, I had to do most of the heaving lifting while the Princess made snow angels and tossed small snowballs into my hood. She was really excited to watch me put the head on the snowman.
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We both heard the camera click and looked over to see Amanda squatted down in the snow with a heavy jacket on. She smiled as she spun the gray knob on the disposable camera. "An actual happy moment there, Philips." She commented.
"Yeah, get me a copy of that." I said monotone to her.
"Cmon, lets get inside, way past bedtime." Amanda says in a child friendly voice and holds her hand to walk her inside.
I stay back for a minute, and the snow was sprinkling heavier down. Looking down at the snowman, I smile again, and think of how many times I'll have to remind Amanda for a copy of it.
