I stood at the corner of the square in downtown Franklin, TN waiting for my brother Jackson to come out of an ice cream parlor. Geez, how long did it take to get an ice cream cone? Knowing him he was probably getting double or even triple scoop. I pushed a strand of my blonde hair back behind my ear and straightened up my sunglasses. It was 1:45 pm on a lazy Tuesday in the middle of July. Jackson had wanted ice cream, and since I was the one practicing to get my license, of course I had to drive. I was fifteen, about to be sixteen in a few months and my brother was fourteen. I also had a little sister named Aisy who was ten.
"Finally!" I said, my arms flapping to my sides as Jackson walked out holding two ice cream cones. "I thought maybe you had gotten lost or something."
"Well, ya know they have so many different flavors now." He tried to explain. He handed me the a cone. "Here, I got your favorite cookies n cream."
I smiled, taking the ice cream from him. I loved cookies n cream ice cream;it was the best.
"Thanks little bro." I said, nudging him in the arm as we continued to walk back towards the range rover. Daddy was sitting in the driver's seat when we got back. Yes, I call him Daddy please do not judge me.
"I thought I was supposed to drive back home?" I asked as I climbed into the backseat with Aisy. Jackson had called dibs on shotgun as soon as he saw Daddy in the driver's seat.
"You wouldn't be able to eat your ice cream if you were driving." Daddy pointed out. "Now give me some of that before we hit the road."
Of course he would ask for a bite. I watched as his tounge hit the cold ice cream and then he handed it back to me.
"Ewwwww." I said staring at the ice cream. "It has Daddy germs all over it."
Aisy started to giggle.
"Hey, you better eat that before it melts." Daddy said as we pulled onto the main road to head towards home. "Either that or give it to Aisy. I know she will eat it, won't ya pumpkin?"
Aisy nodded in response and then held out her hands, trying to yank the ice cream away. Geez, ten year-olds need to cool their shorts.
"Give me, give me, give me!" Aisy demanded.
"I did not say I didn't want it did I?" I asked her, then out of spite I took a huge lick off of it. Well, there went the Daddy germs.
Aisy's bottom lip started to quiver, and then she let out a wail. She was ten and yet she was acting like a five year-old. Great, just great. In three...two...one "Daddy!" Aisy wailed. I watched as Jackson laughed from the front seat. Poor little baby was about to tattle tale on me to Daddy. Aisy's wails made Daddy pull over on the side of the road. He pulled off his sunglasses and threw them onto the dashboard. Oh sugar-honey-ice-tea I was in big trouble. He turned around in the seat to face us.
"What in the heck is going on?" He asked, looking at a crying Aisy and then glaring at me. "What did you do to her Annabelle?"
"What do you mean 'What did I do to her?' " I asked. "I just told her that I still wanted my ice cream, then i took a bite out of it and she went ballistic."
Daddy sighed and shook his head. Once again, disappointment filled his eyes. That's all that seemed to come from him was disappointment towards me.
"Did she ask you for some?" He asked softly this time.
I shook my head and replied, "No. Daddy, she just tried to yank it out of my hands. If I would have known she wanted some, I would have went back to get her her own cone."
Disappointment left his face, and then understanding appeared.
"Ok, just try to get along and share until we get home." Daddy said. "Then tonight after dinner, maybe your mother will agree to going out for another round of ice cream where we will all get our own."
My mind wrapped around the word own, the way he said it so sternly. I shrugged my shoulders, then handed Aisy my ice cream cone. I watched her devour it quickly, getting it all over her face. If she was happy and not screaming for Daddy, I was happy.
