The Fighter

Chapter 8

We sat down for dinner and I was so tired. I didn't want to eat, or interact with my family. I just wanted to sleep. My great grandfather was there and so were my uncles and their families. Avery was happy to play with our cousins. Gavin is the oldest at 20, then there's me at 18, Savannah at 7, Avery at 5, Raelyn at 5, Sophia at 4, Natalie at 4, and Lyle at 1. Savannah, Raelyn, and Sophia are my Uncle Paul's. Natalie and Lyle are my Uncle James'.

Papa was saying Grace and we all had our eyes closed and our heads down silently saying it with him. Kyle was on my right, Gavin was on his right, and Avery was on my left. She's good at Grace for a 5 year old. She says prayers every night, like me. "Amen." We finished and started eating. Papa was talking about our back to back calls last night. Kyle and just listened. "Mickie went in with Kyle, Jet, and John." I heard him say that and Gavin just looked at me. He looked a little scared and shocked. "It wasn't for very long. I was showing Greg something's." I chimed in. I know that Gavin is okay with me being Avvy's guardian for now, but I also know that he doesn't like that I'm in the fire department. He hates it and I don't know why. "Ask her!" Natalie whispered or attempted to whisper to Avvy. "Ask who what?" I looked at her. "Nattie wants to know if I can stay over at house tonight." She smiled to me. "Natalie already asked me, and I said it was fine with me if it was with you." My Aunt Cassy smiled. "Yeah, it's fine with me. I'll pack you a bag after dinner." I smiled. "Thank you!" Avvy hugged me. "You're welcome." She deserves to have a little girl's night with her cousin.

After dinner, Kyle offered to help clean up so Avvy and I could pack her bag. Gavin came in while we were discussing outfits. "Do you want this long sleeve shirt with your jeans or do you want this T-shirt and a sweatshirt? Either way you have to wear your coat outside!" I had the long sleeve in my left hand the T-shirt in my right. "What? She doesn't like to wear coats? I wonder who on earth she gets that from!" Gavin sat on her bed and laughed. "I know, I know!" I laughed too. "I still don't wear coats. That's why she thinks that she can get away with that, but she never does." "I think that I will wear the long sleeve." Avery finally made her decision. I put a clean pair of socks and underwear with them. "Okay, what do you want to wear to bed? You have your zebra PJ shorts, with the pink and zebra long sleeve shirt, or do you want your princess PJ's with the shirt sleeve shirt and the pants?" I moved on to the next outfit. "I'll take the princess PJ's. Can you pack my "Tangled" sweatshirt?" she asked. "Yeah, the zip up?" "Yeah that one!" "Yes, I can." I put her PJ's and her zip up in her bag. "Anything else?" "Nope!" "Are you sure that you're not forgetting anything?" "Nope?" "Nothing? You're not forgetting anything at all?" I knew what she was forgetting. "Siren! I need Siren!" she realized I was talking about her stuffed dog. "Where is he?" I asked. "Your room. I'll be right back, don't move!" she ran to my room. "Wow, you're really good at this." Gavin spoke up after he watched all of that. "Yeah, what can I say? I know her better than I know myself." I shrugged. "Who's siren?" "He's here stuffed Dalmatian she can't sleep without. She has that stuffed animal dog like we used to have." "Used to? I still have mine. He's a beagle and his name is Hank. He's on my bed." Gavin laughed. "I still have mine too. My Chihuahua Maxx. He's on my bed too. And knowing Avery she put Siren next to him so they weren't alone." I laughed.

Avery came running back in with Siren. "Okay! I'm good now!" she gave him a kiss and put him in her bag. "Good." I laughed and zipped it up. I put it next to her shoes by the door. "Mickie! I cut my finger!" Kyle came over and showed me a cut on his thumb. "That's like the tiniest cut I have ever seen and I have a 5 year old. How did you cut yourself?" I asked, "Your grandma threw a knife at me." "Aww, poor Ky!" I pouted making fun of him. "You're mean to me!" "You can't handle a little cut, but you can handle when I wacked you with my air pack?" "You didn't even know you did that until I told you!" "So! You just got pissy and pouted all night that night!" "I did not pout! I just didn't talk to you!" "Yeah, and made Jet help me!" "Well, I didn't want to! You hit me!" "It was a long time ago! Get over it!" I laughed. "I don't wanna!" "Okay, then don't! I'm not stopping you from anything!" "Fine!" "Fine!" we ended our bickering like we usually do.

James, Cassy, Natalie, Lyle, and Avery were leaving at like 5:30. Kyle had left five minutes before them. I got Avery's coat from the closet and put it on her. "Have fun tonight. I have a few things to go over. One, don't forget to brush your teeth. You don't have to do the fluoride tonight. Two, wear your coat if you go outside or anywhere. I mean it! And, last but not least call me before you go to sleep so I can say goodnight. I don't know yet what time I'm picking you up, so call me in the morning too." I went over everything I had to. "Okay. I love you!" she hugged me. "I love you too." I smiled and gave her, her bag.