Chapter 3: Epiphany

I awoke to my cell vibrating in my pocket.

“Damn, why does everyone me when I want to be left alone?”

I grabbed the phone and checked the ID. It was Stephen.

"Hello?"

"Hello Josh...?"

"No Santa Clause, sorry you have the wrong number.” I replied in a deep voice.

"Ok smartass you’re awake, now listen up. What are you doing in about a month?"

"I don’t know getting a job?” I chuckled.

"Idiot. Look, would you like to go to Disney World with me, Mikia, and the twins?"

Silence came upon the phone. Talk about random.

“Whats the occasion?”
“ It’s the twin’s third birthday. Apparently this is ‘monumental in history’ according to Mikia.”

“So let me get this straight, you want me, to walk around a park all day long, with a pair of three year old twins and your wife? With singing chipmunks and talking mice?”

“Well when you put it that way…”

“You must be out of your mind.”

"Dude come on for me and the twins please?"

“Yeah right, the twins. You just don’t want to spend a week alone with Mikia.”

“Details, details. Come on J, back me up on this one. I spent all night listening to her go on and on about the ‘stench’ because of you.”

Damn he had me there.

"Only if I get my own room."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Sure, whatever. So you gunna come?"

"...You owe me big-time."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Steven said with the enthusiasm of a three year old who was just handed an ice-cream cone. Thinking of ice cream I suddenly had the idea hit me like lightning. I wanted to spend time with my baby girl, just the two of us. What better place than where dreams came true?

"Wait just one last thing, can Sarah come?"

The request caught Steven off guard but he stuttered back a reply nonetheless.

“Uh, yeah sure. The more the merrier right?”

“Right. I’ve just got to somehow…somehow get Ashley to let me take her.”

“Yeah, good luck with that.”

The laughter in his voice made me want to whack him upside the head. Steven knew even more than I did that Ashley was a force to be reckoned with. Heh, she was like a firecracker. Pretty to look at, but they burned you at the touch.

“I’ll need it. I’ll call you later with the results.”

I said hanging up on him with out hearing him say good bye. After about an hour, I got into the S-10 and drove over to Ashley’s mom's house. As I pulled up I caught sight of Ashley and Sarah on the Tire swing in the front. Ashley came to an abrupt stop as she saw my truck pull into the driveway and Sarah ran out to the truck to greet me.

"DADDY!"

"SWEET HEART!”

I bellowed getting out of the car picking her up in my arms and spinning her around. The petite giggles fluttered out again and I smiled now determined to make this trip with her. I placed Sarah on my shoulders and walked to the front porch where Ashley had relocated to.

“Ashley.” I said greeting her with a nod.

“Josh.” She nodded back to me.

I went and sat next to her placing Sarah in my lap.

“So I was thinking…how would you like to go to, I don’t know....Disney world?!"

"YEA!"

She bounced up and down in my lap like it was a trampoline.

"Well we have to ask your mother first." I said looking at Ashley.

“Well mom can we?"

Ashley stared at the both of us long and hard. She looked from my face that was begging and Sarah that was beaming.

“You‘re serious?”

“As a heart attack.”

Sarah climbed off my lap and into her mothers grabbing at the hem of her dress.

“Oh please mommy, pleaseeee?”

That was it, the pout was all it took to pull at her heartstrings.

“I guess so, I have pla-" She was cut off by Sarah’s squel of joy.

"YEAH DISNEY WORLD!!!"