Ike walked in the kitchen, looking his normal morning self. He stretched and let out a groan that would wake the dead.
"Up late with the books again?" I couldn't laugh, 'cause I knew that my time was coming .
"Nah, Poly Sci is a breeze, it's just boring doing the reading" grabbing a frozen waffle and sticking half of it into his mouth, he chewed thoughtfully.
"Hey Zac, I'm gonna take Kate to Shadowbrook for her birthday next week, Lacey's comin', how 'bout you and Tay come too, and we'll make it a small party for her?" His smile was bright, I knew he really wanted to make this birthday special for her, especially after the Marie Calendar episode last year.
"I'm in", I said, trying to keep my glee under control. "But ask Tay, not that I would think Mr. Social would have any plans..." Then a sudden realization struck me "Ah, man, do we have to dress..you know, up?"
"Yeah Zac, you know that's a jacket and tie place, you'll survive" I thought back to maybe the three times I had to be seen in a tie and jacket. I just groaned again.

Tearing through the closet I now shared with Mac, Tay and Ike had moved into the garage that once served as the studio, once ours had been built in town, I quickly realized that a shopping trip was in order, if I was going to a five star restaurent with Lacey...Lacey.... I sure as heck wasn't going to be wearing a three year old sport jacket and one of my dads hand me down ties. That would be my project for this afternoon, I grabbed my keys and headed down the stairs. As I approached the kitchen I heard Ike on the phone with what I assumed to be Kate, as he was telling her that Tay and I would be going to dinner, too.
Mom was sitting there on a stool listening in, but not listening in , with a huge smile on her face. Shaking my head I walked out the door for an afternoon of having proper gentlemen pulling and prodding at me.

Driving home from the torture I had just been through, I smiled slightly to myself. I had been spared the humiliation of the first date issue. Having known Lacey for all these years, I wasn't sure why now I was finding her more interesting than just a friend. My smile grew bigger as I thought back to the memories of her at 10 with a crush the size of Texas on me. It finally had turned to a comfortable relationship, like Ike and Kate's, but without all the sexual tension.
"Hey, Ike" I threw my keys on the counter, and slouched into the chair next to his.
"This 'little' party for Kate isn't going to be so little, Jess is joining us too, now, she was really offended that we planned on going without her--where you been all afternoon?" it seemed like he just realized I had been gone.
"Getting a new suit"........I paused, knowing that there would be a following question.
"Wow, all that for Kate?, you surprise me more everyday little bro..." and with that he headed down the stairs.
I just sat back and reveled in the fact that in 1 week I had a date,well sort of, with her..the girl I had been torturing myself over for weeks......

Chapter 7

I learned long ago that the best way to get your children to open up to you is to pretend not to be listening. The last 7 years for the boys had been one giant rollercoaster and at times I worry that they will never settle down and have a semi-normal life, well as normal as someone in the music industry can have.
As I listen now to the conversation that my oldest, Issac, is having, I am beginning to wonder if my worries are about to be dashed. His voice with her is different than it is with everyone else- his care and feelings show in every word. Walker and I were just speaking of this the other nite....

******************

"Ike at Kate's again?" he questioned as we readied ourselves for bed that nite.
"He'll be home soon, Kate usually chases him out around midnite." It was just reaching midnite.
"When is he just going to give up and realize that Kate is the one for him?"
"I'm not rushing anything, but I don't doubt it'll be soon...." I smiled at the warm thought of my first
child having a relationship with another person, like I had with Walker...

*****************

"Mom.....?" it was my oldest daughter, coming to me with the will you....? voice, and Lacey in tow behind her.
"We're going to dinner with the others for Kate's birthday, and since it is a formal thing and all.......do you think....I could have a new dress?"
"I think......that would definitly be a possibility............." I smiled inwardly-This was a first, a dress for Jessie that she was not being forced to wear.

Having 3 older brothers had been all fun for Jess, but it took it's toll on her feminity. This would be the first chance to do a mother-daughter thing with her. Our journey to the dress shop was as surprising to me as the revelation that she was willing to wear a dress voluntarily. Both of the girls were making dress choices that showed their wanting to appear older than what they were. I cringed at several of the choices, but as with the boys , left their clothing choices to themselves. Laughing inwardly, I thought back to many of the times that I wanted to scream as the boys went onstage dressed like they had just crawled out of the suitcase. My parents had both been so controlling over the clothing issue though, I swore that when it came to my children, I would never intervene.
I was absolutly amazed and beamed proudly when both girls made their selections. Jess finally came down to a beautiful lavender slip style dress with beadwork and lace, and Lacey, well., she had such a figure for a girl of fifteen, she looked like a 20 year old woman in the navy velvet form fitting dress. I couldn't wait to see what everyone had to say when they saw the girls like this....

Chapter 8

Jessie and I had made a desicion about Kate's birthday. We were going to make the everyone look at us in a different light. Diana had agreed to take us shopping for dresses earlier in the week.
After much debate and trial and error in the dressing room, we came away with dresses we knew were going to make the older set look at us in a different light. I watched Diana out of the corner of my eye as we tried on the different dresses and I could tell just by the facial expressions as they changed which she liked and didn't. It was easy to tell that our final choices pleased her and that she was having a blast with all this girl stuff. After all, this was her first girl after dealing with 3 boys.

Dressing, up in Jessies room, the night of Kate's birthday was like getting ready for the Miss America pagent. Neither of us ever wore makeup, or stockings, or did our hair up. But tonight was a different story. I had showered and primped and lotion and perfumed before coming over to dress. Diana was the pro at this, she had us both both looking like we had never seen ourselves. She was like a kid in a candy store, her first chance to play dress up with her girl. Standing together in the mirror, we just looked in awe. Jessie in a lavender silk slip dress and mine, blue crushed velvet, sleeveless with a high neck.

Taylor was waiting impatiently at the bottom of the stairs for us, and the look on his face was priceless. He was stunned, literally, and could say nothing as we came into the hall. Giving me the once over, he looked and Jess..
"Mom gave the okay on that dress?" it was a little bare in the shoulders, but not as bad as some of the ones we had tried.
"She looks beautiful, Tay." Diana walked up behind him.
"Yeah, that's what I meanÖ...she looks really niceÖ." I guess he finally realized that Jess was a girl underneath the jeans and t shirts.
I knew the evening was going to be perfect, I could see the way Tay looked at us that he didn't see us as fifteen any longer.

Chapter 9

Standing in front of the mirror in my room with Mac looking on in the background, I swear I saw a different person emerge when I donned the black suit and tie. Funny how just a change of clothes can make you feel like a different person, well almost, the butterflies that had been there most of the week hadn't disappeared.
I could hear my mom and the girls giggling next door, and I was dying to find an excuse to pop my head in, but I had been warned to stay out.
I was leaving a little early for the restaurant, I had been elected to get flowers for Kate. Tay was driving the girls and Ike would get Kate and bring her to the restaurant.

After completing the flower task, via a few fans who just were near tears when they saw me- they said I was hot in my suit- hope Lacey thinks so too- I arrived at the restaurant a few minutes early and was shown to our table. Things couldn't have been better. Because of the size of our party they had given us a private room off the side of the dance floor, the rock room. The darkness and the candlelight formed a perfect mixture that took the edge off my nervousness, until Tay arrived with the girls.

I did a double take, I wasn't sure that it was really herÖ....and my sister....... When did Jess start looking like that? Nearly right behind them was Ike and Kate. Ike had a grin on his face the size of the chesire cat, but then again so would I, if I was with Kate looking like that.
"Did we all bring the baseball bats" Tay joked "We're going to be beating the guys away tonight."
I was having trouble taking my eyes off Lacey, she caught me and gave me a shy smile and looked away. The only empty chair that remained was beside Lacey, I guess that was good, I just hoped I'd be able to concentrate.
"You look very handsome" she leaned over and said quietly with a small smile.
"Well, this whole setup is pretty nice as well" I made a motion to the way she looked. Blushing, she looked down.

Dinner was ordered and as if on cue, the music started in the other room. That was one of the best things about this place is the music was three mixed types, there was a DJ, and a lounge pianist and a local singer each night of the weekend, So you had a full range of music on any nite. Ike and Kate took to the dance floor almost as soon as the music started, and I had to get Lacey out there quick, cause I could see Tay's wheels turning.
"You wanna?" I looked at her from the corner of my eye as my heart jumped into my throat and motioned towards the floor. Her smile went from bright to brilliant.
Pulling her chair out like the gentleman I was trained to be, I guided her to the floor.

Chapter 10

I sat back at the table with Jess, just watching the scene on the dance floor outside our room.
"What's with Ike and Kate?" Jessie's voice came from the chair beside me.
"You know as well as I ......They sure do put on a show for each other though don't they?"
"Come on, dance with your big brother..." I pulled her out onto the floor.

Dinner came and went, there was presents and some special cake concotion the chef had put together for her. Zac and I had switched off a few times, but Ike wouldn't let either one of us anywhere near Kate. I watched Zac and caught him looking at Lacey a few times in a way that I knew.
Suddenly out of nowhere, Kate was in my arms and Ike took Jess over to the table and left towards the restroom. Guess he had to go. I finished the song with Kate and danced another. She was glowing, I think Ike had made up for Marie Calenders last year.

Ike still not being back, I went to look for him leaving the ladies and Zac at the table. Coming around the corner, I found him sitting on a victorian sofa in the hall.
"What's up," I said sitting down beside him.
"Just needed a break..." there was more, I kept pressing.
"What did Kate do...." I looked at him now rubbing his eyes.
"Oh god, nothing, look at her, how could she do anything wrong." The lightbulb went on.
"Ahh..the love jones strikes again" I had to laugh a little.
"Just don't go home alone tonight" I thought of the pact he had tried to make with me last year on tour when they had slipped into one of their little frolics again.

**********
"Just don't leave us alone again" he told me that nite.
"We'll get over this time, we always do, but just make sure we are never alone....." his
voice had been almost desperate in a sense.

*********

"Tay, I'm gonna be a party pooper and have you take me home, they don't look like they have any intention of leaving soon and I am bushed......" Jess walked up to us in the hall on her way from the ladies room.
"Zac said he'd take Lacey home......Ike, you okay?"
"Yeah," he stood up and put his arm around her shoulder and headed back to table.