DuckTales: As We Grow Older...

12

Donald went through his contacts and stared at the phone number he had called last week. The name read 'Ducky's Babe.' An embarrassing name for a contact, and he had no idea who the person was. All the numbers on this phone were transferred from the phone he kept in high school, and most of the people he didn't even remember anymore.

He bet the woman he called was dreadfully confused about the call. She might even actually come over, but only to give Donald a piece of her mind. He shuddered at the thought; a woman his age who might have had self-defense lessons putting him in a headlock, or worse. He didn't know anything about her, and he didn't care; he just hoped this probably-scary woman stayed far away from him.

The boys were happy, though, that was the important thing. They sat by the window, hoping to find someone who looked like the woman in the photo that was given to Dewey. When it was bedtime, Dewey would always say "There's always tomorrow."

The display made Donald feel guilty. Maybe he should tell the truth...

No, this is better than telling them she's dead. They're happy right now, no need to kill them with what really happened...

The boys sat at an otherwise-empty table, where 3 sad little cupcakes were placed by a note that said Sorry, had to go to Cape Suzette, think I may have found the Windhams. Happy 8th birthday, boys!

The boys weren't happy, though; Donald had simply left them alone to find the Windhams on his own. It was their birthday, it's not like they would ever turn 8 again. He was missing an important time in their lives.

"Maybe he'll bring the Windhams over?" Louie said, with false hope ringing throughout his sentence.

"Maybe he'll bring Mom over," Dewey said. "What if she's in Cape Suzette?"

"It is pretty far away," Huey said, thinking. "Maybe you're right, but we won't know until he comes back."

In reality, Donald was in Cape Suzette to shop for presents for the boys. He figured he could pretend they were from Della, so they could stay happy, for just a little while longer.

In a little shop called Taylor's Toy Shop, he saw little wooden ducks, one of which looked very much like Dewey.

"Are you interested in one, or the whole collection?" a sweet little woman asked.

"I'll just buy them all," he said, putting them into a basket.

He also bought gift wrap, some children's books, a yo-yo, and a ball-in-a-cup toy. He paid for everything and rushed off to get on the next boat back to Duckburg.