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Chapter 21 – Safety First

"It's hard to see those two girls ever being this little, Cassie!" Kevin marveled in awe as he poured through the old family albums Marie and Cassandra had collected over the years, taking a break from all the wedding plans. Each picture centered on Teagan and Oriana growing into beautiful women. He awed at how the two imps that Cassandra and Marie constantly teased about could turn into such perfect rosebuds that were on the verge of being beautiful roses. Kevin had taken a strong interest in getting to know his two new step-daughters, hoping that somewhere along the process Oriana would come to him.

Still, Kevin felt he had several puzzles to unravel when it came to the soon-to-be-youngest of the Riley-Richardson clan. She was highly forbidding in developing a personal relationship with him. Any step he took toward her, Oriana made sure to run backward at least a mile if not completely dive off the largest cliff. The fact tore the at the most inner lining of Kevin’s heart, because he had always wanted a daughter. When he first discovered that Cassandra had a daughter, he had been overjoyed at the prospect. Everything was different with little girls, but he feared that he wouldn’t have the chance to find out. Oriana loathed the very sight of him.

Trying to block the hurt, he glanced back to the photo album. He found himself deeply troubled when he stumbled upon the next picture. His stomach immediately clenched with worry, knowing something was horribly unsettling within the photograph that involved his soon-to-be stepdaughter. Oriana couldn't have been more thirteen as she flashed the most numbing smile Kevin had seen as Teagan affectionately kissed her cheek. They were pictured by the ocean behind a grand sand castle. One could have overlooked the numbed smile on Oriana’s face, mistaking it for happiness. Yet, what surprised him most was the cast wrapped around her right arm, encasing her arm nearly to her shoulder with peculiar dark bruises against her throat, almost looking like bite marks.

Cassandra immediately noted Kevin's worried expression and leaned over her fiancée. She quickly clicked her tongue in remembrance, rubbing his shoulders to reassure him. Everyone always questioned the various accidents that Oriana always seemed to tumble into, but it was just Oriana’s daring nature. "Oriana was always a trouble maker, hurting herself constantly. She was at the beach with Charles, a man I was seeing, and he said she fell off her surfboard. Bruises all over the place... My poor baby came close to having surgery that day..."

"That must have been one nasty fall..." Kevin mumbled in agreement, finding it too odd that she would get bruises around her neck from a surfing accident.

"Yeah, but Oriana bounced back. It’s just a part of her personality," Marie replied, turning the page for Kevin. She started to laugh at the picture of Oriana and Teagan once more.

"Why is it part of her personality though?" Kevin questioned softly, glancing down at the picture Marie quickly pointed out. It was a Halloween photograph and the girls had decided to go as dead zombie children. Of course, Oriana had completely drenched herself in blood with the most disgusting outfit she could possibly find. Teagan, on the other hand, placed used tiny droplets of blood and fixed herself in a beautiful prom dress costume.

"She's always playing rough with all the boys, and dance can be really hard on the body. Not only that, she's accident prone. So, it's part of her personality," Marie explained with a simple shrug, taking another photo album and flipping through until she landed on a particular photo. "Look, it's your fiancée in all her glory!" Of course, it was of Cassandra during labor, sweaty and haggard looking.

"Marie Gabrielle!" Cassandra groaned, immediately reaching to cover the photograph. She looked like a complete mess when Marie insisted on taking that photograph. It had been around the thirty-hour mark of her labor with Oriana and Oriana's heartbeat had started to decrease. They thought that she would loose Oriana, but somehow, she managed to pull through with the greatest triumph. Cassandra quickly eyed the rest of the photographs, motioning to a photograph on the other side. It was when Oriana was delivered. Cassandra was glowing with pride as the baby was placed upon her warm abdomen. The sweat and exhaustion didn't seem to matter in that picture, because it was Oriana's entrance into life. Cassandra smiled softly, noticing the familiar yawn fixed on her daughter's beautiful face. "That's a much better picture."

"She was a beautiful baby," Kevin whispered, smiling at the instant bond between mother and daughter.

"Most gorgeous baby on the unit," Cassandra agreed, remembering how all the nurses in the nursery had fawned over Oriana for hours. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect child. She hadn't been splotched, but a pure peaches-and-cream complexion with just a tuft of honey blonde curls matted against her perfectly round head. Her tiny hands pressed against her mother's chest as she slowly observed the world, drinking in the unfamiliar noises with a calm wonder. Not once had she bawled for attention, merely in hunger, and even then it would turn into just a small whimper.

"We almost didn't have that beautiful baby," Marie whispered with remembrance as Cassandra squeezed her hand.

"What do you mean?" Kevin asked, looking at the two women. He became even more concerned when he saw the tears in their eyes.

"I was in labor for over thirty hours. Oriana's heartbeat began to slow down and the doctors thought we were going to lose her. But she came out and greeted the world with a tiny little yawn. No shrieking or crying. She was so sweet and innocent, looking at all of us," Cassandra replied quietly.

"Thirty hours?" Kevin breathed in horror.

"She just didn't want to come out for some reason. And, no one understood why it was such a difficult labor. Oriana barely weighed five pounds upon delivery and was premature... Still... She was the only baby to yawn when she came into the world after such a struggle... No one could believe it," Marie explained softly, rubbing Cassandra's hand. It was still gave Cassandra nightmares, even after seventeen years, because Oriana had been through so much before she even had a chance to greet the world.

”My little miracle baby," Cassandra whispered, gently running her finger over the picture.

"I can't believe it..." Kevin paused, reflecting on the story.

"They still can't figure out why it was so complicated... but she's alive and with us. That's all that matters," Marie replied, squeezing her best friend's hand once more before turning the page.

"And then we're back to the beautiful girls that gave us such joy in our lives," Cassandra breathed as Marie traced the photograph with her index finger. It was a photograph of the girls lounging by the pool, clad in their skimpy bikinis. Their honey tanned bodies glistened beneath the warming rays of sunshine. They offered a Marilyn Monroe pouts as they let the glasses slip from the bridges of noses for a seductive quality. Yet, it seemed too goofy for the mothers.

"Wait, what's that?" Kevin pondered, pointing to Oriana's bare upper thigh. He noted the darkened handprint of a bruise that Oriana did her best to hide.

"What?" Marie blanked.

"That bruise."

"What bruise?"

"The bruise on her thigh. Can't you see it?"

Cassandra leaned in close, glancing at her daughter's creamy upper thigh. She suddenly frowned, noting the faint outlines of a handprint. Jake, a former boyfriend of Cassandra, had taken that picture, but she had never noticed the particular bruise. "She must have been fooling around playing football again."

"But it looks like a hand--"

"Why would a handprint be on Oriana's thigh?" Marie interrupted.

"I don't know, but that's what it looks like. Can't you see the outline of it?" Kevin defended himself, pointing to the spot on Oriana's thigh.

Marie was about to retort when Teagan came hurrying into the house. She seemed to be aglow with love as she hummed to herself. She gazed upon the parents and squealed at the albums, immediately hurrying over. She kissed Cassandra's cheek before throwing her arms around Marie's neck, leaning over to admire the photograph. She offered a small smile at the photograph, immediately tensing when she remembered Jake taking it. His eyes glaring at Oriana like a lustful puppy-dog offered Teagan a sour note. She struggled to push that aside as her mother pointed to the bruise. "What's that look like, Teagan?"

"It looks like..." Teagan turned her head to the side and looked at it closely. "Some sort of bruise."

"Look at the outline," Kevin stressed.

"Kind of looks like fingers or something. Must have gotten smacked in football or something," Teagan said with a shrug.

Kevin grunted softly, not understanding why all the women were choosing to ignore the obvious. He knew something was wrong with that picture and Oriana's skittish behavior around him seemed to relate. Yet, no one seemed to care. Kevin sighed and stood up from the table, shaking his head in disappointment. He offered a soft kiss to Cassandra's cheek. "I'm going to go work on some stuff in my studio, okay, Sweetheart? Get these wedding plans done."

"Alright, Kevy. I'll send you up some dinner, so you don't need to tear yourself away from your work," Cassandra replied with a smile.

"You're too good to me," he sighed with a flutter of his eyelashes, causing the women to giggle. He would just have to figure out what's going on himself, but at the moment he focused on other things.

"I know," Cassandra answered with a sweet smile, beckoning him down for one more kiss. "I love you."

"Love you more," Kevin replied as he walked to hug Marie and kiss the top of Teagan's head before heading towards his studio.

"He's so perfect, Ma!" Teagan sighed dreamily, propping her head up her hands, pressing her elbows amongst the bridal magazines, photographs, catering services, and other jumbled needs. She batted her dark eyelashes with another perfect sigh. "Just like Brian..."

"Oh, no, it's that look again," Cassandra teased, ruffling Teagan's short, dark locks. The bruise in the picture seemed to evaporate with Kevin's disappearance as they concentrated on the wedding and Teagan.

"You only see it when she comes over. I see it all the time at home," Marie groaned with a laugh. She was happy her daughter found someone like Brian to treat her right.

"Ma, Mom, he so absolutely perfect. He makes my entire body tingle!" Teagan burst with a rosy blush printed across her cheeks. It almost looked as if she had been sipping on a glass of champagne and the bubbles were attacking her system. She offered the funny little smile again, leaning back in her seat, yelping when it tipped.

"Uh-oh..." Cassandra chuckled.

"I'm okay!" Teagan called out, steadying the chair.

"Are you sure there's not blonde in that head of yours?" Marie asked, leaning over to examine Teagan's roots.

"I'm in love, Mom!" Teagan protested, batting her hands away.

"Love. The four letter word," Cassandra clicked her tongue and laughed. "Marie, it sounds like The Talk will have to happen soon."

"Oh, please, I've had that talk and can at least double the fun into it! And let me just tell you that it's mad-weak and LOTS need to be added!" Teagan breathed with a funny giggle.

"Do I have two free appointments next week?" Cassandra suddenly asked.

"Excuse me?" Teagan blanked, abruptly stopping her giggles.

"Mare-Bear, do I have two appointments free next week?" Cassandra repeated.

"Last time I checked, you do. On Wednesday afternoon," Marie agreed.

"Ma, what are you talking about? An appointment for who?" Teagan asked, thoroughly confused.

"Put Teagan and Oriana down for that one," Cassandra commanded, watching Marie withdraw their date book. She hurriedly scratched in the girls' names under the appointment slots.

"Ma! Will you please tell me why I'm going into the clinic next Wednesday?"

"We're getting you set up on Birth Control," Cassandra answered, starting to thumb through a bridal magazine. She acted completely nonchalant about the issue, knowing that times had shifted. She wanted both of her daughters to be safe if need be.

"Birth what?"

"Birth Control, Honey. You know, the Pill?" Marie replied with an amused chuckle as she grabbed another magazine.

"But---"

"We both want you to be safe, and you seem pretty serious with Brian. It's for your own good. Oriana, too."

"But---"

"Just come to the office right after school on Wednesday and bring Oriana with you. I'll tell her later about the birth control... If anything, it'll regulate your periods, too. So, we're just making sure you girls are safe and protected and regulated for college. Makes sense, right?" Cassandra laughed, loving the dumbfounded look on Teagan's face. "We're not at all agreeing that you should have sex. But, you can make your own decisions and we want you to have all the available necessities."

"But--"

"Teagan," Marie chided in a warning tone. "You know Ma and I are doing the right thing."

"But--"

"One more 'but' and you're grounded from Brian."

"B-B-B-Bridal Magazines?" Teagan fumbled.

"Nice save," Marie laughed, handing a magazine to her daughter.

"I thought so," Teagan replied with a devilish grin, immediately opening to the pages that Cassandra had marked. Truth be told, she was excited about getting placed on birth control that week. She admired that her mothers were so down to earth about the entire ordeal, of course, that had to do with their pasts. They didn't want their daughters' lives being cut short because of pregnancy. Another funny smile curved onto her lips; Brian would be quite the happy camper.

"Thinking about Brian again?" Cassandra asked, looking over at Teagan before going back to her magazine.

"Actually... Wondering about your wedding," Teagan covered. "Like what flowers, colors, bride's dress, maid of honor... What we're wearing... You know, all the good stuff!"

"The flowers are going to be red and white roses, baby's breath and yellow chrysanthemums. So, the colors would be among those lines. My dress looks like this," Cassandra handed Teagan a different magazine.

"Oh... Ma," Teagan breathed in awe, immediately focusing on the chosen dress. Her blue-gray eyes widened with appreciation as she cooed over the lovely picture. It was a creamy white color with a tight bodice with off the shoulder straps decorated in shimmering beads outlining the look of roses, Cassandra's favorite flower. The skirt flared into the shape of a bell with a beautiful train of accented beadwork.

"Do you like it?"

"Like it? Ma, this is the perfect dress for you! I love it," Teagan gushed happily.

"I'm glad. Because the maid of honor’s opinion always helps with weddings," Cassandra replied with a wink towards Marie.

"Wait... Maid of Honor? Me? Maid of Honor?!" Teagan shrieked in delight.

"I'm guessing you're saying yes?"

"Of course! Ma, this is brilliant!" Teagan squeaked, rushing over to hug Cassandra tightly.

"You want to see what you'll be wearing?" Cassandra laughed, almost tipping from Teagan's overpowering hug. She gently rubbed the girl's back, eagerly kissing her cheeks. She didn't know what she would do without Teagan as a constant presence in her life or Oriana's life.

"Yeah! I wanna see!" Teagan giggled with excitement as she pulled away and watched Cassandra grab another magazine and flipped to the right page. "Oh my goodness! Ma, it's a beautiful dress!"

"You and Oriana are going to be my Maid's of Honor and the dresses are going to be a deep, passionate pink to match the roses," Cassandra explained, motioning to the dresses. They indeed were quite gorgeous with tight bodices lacing with sheer ribbons threaded with dazzling beads. The skirts would settle along the girls' hips with a close fit before flaring out into a wild mermaid skirt.

"They're perfect. Absolutely perfect," Teagan paled for a moment, thinking. "Ma, how are you going to get Duckie in a dress? Let alone a PINK dress?"

"Well... I was thinking---"

Cassandra's words were interrupted as Oriana came rushing into the house. She seemed completely caught up in her own world as she tossed her duffle bags to the side with a thick clatter. She was covered in thick grass stains and dirt, showing that the scrimmage had been quite heated. Knowing her mother wouldn't be pleased, she kicked off her cleats before pulling off her filthy jersey and dance pants, revealing her light blue sport's bra and a pair of tight warm-up shorts. She hurriedly stuffed the soiled contents into the laundry shoot while singing to herself, "Why does the color of my coffee match your eyes / Why do I see you when a stranger passes by / I swear I hear you in the whisper of the wind / I feel you when the sun is dancing on my skin / And when it's raining / You won't find me complaining / Cause, when I think about rain / I think about singing / When I think about singing / It's a heavenly tune / When I think about Heaven / I think about angels / When I think about angels / I think about you."

"She's thinking about Howie," Teagan sang with a roll of her eyes.

"Who's Howie?" Marie questioned with wonder as Oriana danced to the fridge, pulling out a small carton of apple juice. Oriana still remained in her own world as she gulped down the juice before singing again. She had to smile as Oriana rotated her hips, her gorgeous voice almost vibrating the house with beauty.

"This guy at school. He's liked her since freshmen year and they both finally got together. It was about damn time," Teagan replied with a smile as she watched her best friend. "I thought I was going to have to do it all myself, but they managed to get out of their shells and tell each other they liked one another."

"I haven't heard anything about this so-called guy," Cassandra frowned.

Oriana didn't seem interested until she turned, finally catching a glimpse of the piles of pink magazines. The beautiful words stopped flowing from her mouth as she stood stiffly, looking like a doe caught in headlights. Her jaw slowly dropped as she gazed at all the plans. "Um... This isn't what I think it is... Is it? Because, if so... I must remind you of my severe allergic reaction to estrogen..."

"You're a woman and you have estrogen in your body. You can't get away from it," Teagan laughed.

"Very tiny amounts of estrogen fluttering about the system... I'm thinking about having testosterone injections..." Oriana trailed, trying to sneak away to the stairs for means of an escape.

"Oh no, you don't! You're going to tell me about this Howie. Why haven't you told me about him?" Cassandra scorned lightly, grabbing the hem of Oriana's shorts.

"Howie?" Oriana paused for a moment, glancing up to the clock. She groaned inwardly after glancing downward. She was covered head to toe with smudges of dirt and he was due to arrive at any moment. She blushed furiously, struggling to wiggle out of the shorts, finally just exposing her duck-printed bikini underwear. "Momma!"

"Oriana!" she mocked her daughter. "Who is Howie?"

"I'm half naked standing here and you're asking me about a guy?!"

"Yes!"

"Momma!" Oriana whimpered pathetically, trying to turn to run up the stairs. She yelped in surprise as Cassandra caught her ankle, causing her to fall against the stairs into a sitting position. "Momma! He's going to be here any minute and I have to look semi-decent because I'm going out on a date! I need to get a shower and get all this dirt off my body or he's never going to ask me to be his girlfriend!"

"A date? Ask you to be his girlfriend? When were you going to tell me this?!" Cassandra blurted as she let go of Oriana's ankle.

"Half past a monkey's ass and quarter to his balls!" Oriana blurted, causing Marie and Teagan to burst into giggles. Though, Oriana quickly realized she was free and dashed up the stairs in search of a warm shower.

"Oriana Ryan! You're going to have to tell me before you leave!" Cassandra called after her.

"Here, Ma," Teagan snickered, reaching into her purse to retrieve her wallet. She thumbed through several senior photographs before locating Howie's picture. She smiled softly as she handed over the picture of the handsome Hispanic boy that had captured Oriana's heart. He looked completely dreamy enveloped in a cream colored sweater with baggy jeans, standing barefoot on the beach. His smile was alluring as gentle dark curls fell against his forehead, telling everyone he had a special secret. "That's the infamous Howie."

"Oh my... he's quite handsome!" Cassandra approved, looking at the picture for a moment. Howie definitely looked like the kind of boy Oriana needed in her life, and she could tell just by the picture. She smiled, handing it to Marie, who whistled.

"Always knew our little fiery Ori would fall for a Latin Honey!" Marie laughed. "She needs that salsa!"

"Mom! That was... Mom!" Teagan groaned, covering her eyes.

"Isn't it the truth?" Marie countered innocently. "I mean, honestly, could you see Oriana settling down with some plain old Joe? She needs that fire and mystery... That... Mmm, if I was a few years younger!"

"MOM!"

"What?!"

"Go for guys your age... for my sake, please!"

"Why? I think I could give Oriana a run for her money," Marie laughed as there was a soft knock on the kitchen door.

"No, no, no! That would be so wrong!" Teagan objected as Cassandra got up to answer the door. "He'd be my dad AND brother, ew!"

"How could he be both?" Marie asked in confusion.

"Because... because I said so!"

"Teagan---"

"Howie?" Cassandra called loudly as she opened the door, immediately recognizing the boy standing in the doorway. She smiled with a genuine approval, admiring his sleek style and shy nature. He shifted uncomfortably under her gaze however, retrieving a single red rose from the bouquet he had bought for Oriana. He offered the rose toward Cassandra with a shy smile. "Well, thank you so much! Please, come in! We were just talking about you."

"You were?" Howie asked as he walked into the house. Teagan looked up and started to coo as she saw the bouquet of flowers.

"Aww, Howie! She's going to love those!"

"Thanks," he answered with a soft blush.

"Oriana's never gotten roses before," Marie commented with the click of her tongue, winking at Teagan. The daughter released a loud groan, immediately sinking into her seat. Marie smiled, offering her hand toward Howie. "And, yes, we were talking about you. My name's Marie, I'm Teagan's mother, but Oriana's my other daughter."
"It's nice to meet you. I'm Howie, but you already seem to know that," he replied with a handsome smile, shaking Marie's hand.

"And I'm Oriana's mother, Cassandra. But please, call me Cassie, alright?" Cassandra replied.

"I wouldn't feel right..."

"Howie, please, you've obviously stolen my daughter's heart. I find it quite appropriate for the only man who's gotten my daughter so smitten to call me Cassie," she chided, placing her rose in a small vase.

"So, where are you taking her tonight, Dorky Dwaine? Tell me, tell me, tell me!" Teagan spoke up with an impish smile.

"It's a private thing, Teagan!" Marie scorned.

"But I want to know!"

"Teagan---"

"Momma! This underwear completely kick ass! How cute are these fairies? I'm definitely hooking up with some more pairs of these! I mean, look!" Oriana's voice rang out as she hurried down the stairs, pulling up her jeans. She hurriedly jumped a little before showing Cassandra her underwear, completely oblivious to Howie's appearance. "Aren't they cute?!"

"Oriana," Cassandra laughed.

"What? I'm not allowed to get excited about underwear? I mean, hello, they're even that string bikini style that Gabby's dying to get me to wear..." Oriana turned to see Howie standing there. She blanked for a long moment, immediately swallowing hard as she hurriedly pulled up her jeans and yanked down her sweatshirt. "And you guys so didn't tell me he was standing right there!"

"Nope, it's more fun for us to wait and see the look on your face," Teagan snickered.

"Thanks, Gabby," Oriana reprimanded sarcastically, already feeling a sharp blush rise to her wan cheeks. She stuffed her hands into the kangaroo pocket of her cherry-printed sweatshirt, completely embarrassed. "Sorry for giving you that peep show, Howie... I was just trying to get ready..."

"No, no, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Howie replied, walking over to her with the flowers. "I thought you might like these."

"Oh... Howie..." she whispered in awe, noting that the roses were a creamy white color with splashes of red, just like in the poem.

"Is that a yes?"

"It's definitely a yes," she kissed his smooth cheek. "Thank you so much. They're beautiful."

"Never thought the Cherry-Bomb would be awed by roses," Teagan teased, loving to torture Oriana.

"I can be romantic when I want," Oriana scorned with a fiery blush, gently inhaling the soft scent of the roses. She smiled with approval before moving to obtain a vase for the gorgeous flowers. She immediately glanced back to Howie with a warming smile, unable to believe how gorgeously sweet he was.

Howie was about to speak when Teagan scolded her mother. "Mom! Stop drooling over Howie!"

"Moms?" Oriana countered.

"What? I wasn't doing anything!" Marie objected, blushing.

"Yeah, if you count staring at Howie's butt as he walked in nothing," Teagan replied.

"He's got a cute butt, what can I say?" Marie laughed with an amused smile, causing Howie to blush furiously. She sighed softly, standing up to gently hug the boy. "I'm just saying that you're quite handsome and if I were a few years younger, Oriana wouldn’t be the one stealing your heart."

"Oh, thanks, Moms," Oriana scoffed with a pout.

"But I still love you," Marie cooed, kissing Oriana's cheek before sitting back down at the table.

"Can we go now?" Oriana pouted again.

"I'd actually like to talk more with Howie," Cassandra voiced.

"Yeah, that'd be a big 'ol ready to go sign," Oriana breathed, walking back to Howie. Her blue-green eyes swirled with hope, praying he would agree.

"Um--"

"Howie, I do need to talk to you. Just the normal safety stuff. It won't take long," Cassandra replied.

"Normal safety stuff?" Howie drawled in confusion.

"Like where you're going, what time you'll be back. Things like that."

"Momma, it's a surprise..." Oriana groaned softly, noticing Howie struggle. He obviously didn't want to ruin what he had planned. She gently placed a hand on his arm, arching her eyebrows toward her mother. "Will it just suffice to say that we'll be extremely careful and I'll be home by midnight?"

"Well..." Cassandra sighed, looking at the couple. "Alright. But be careful, there are lots of weirdo's out there."

"But there's one less because Gabby's here!" Oriana quipped with a grin.

"I make one crack about you not being romantic and you pull out the weirdo card?" Teagan scoffed.

"You know I love you," Oriana breathed, pressing a kiss to Teagan's cheek. Her friend grumbled, just waving her away. Oriana laughed with amusement, moving back to thread her arm through Howie's.

"Ready for your interview?"

"Ready. Let's go!"

"Great," Oriana laughed, walking past her mother. She offered a quick kiss as Howie opened the kitchen door to let her out. She smiled softly as she concentrated on Howie's form, never prepared for her mother's sudden announcement.

"Oriana Ryan! Wait! You have to go to the clinic to get your birth control this Wednesday! Don't you dare forget! And don't dare do anything tonight without it!" Cassandra blurted without warning.

"What the Hell?" Oriana yelped in shock, completely side-tracked by her mother’s statement. Unable to process any information but her mother’s embarrassing nature, she banged her head against the door as she walked straight into it. She stumbled back several steps, immediately gripping her throbbing forehead. "What?!"

"You have to go to the clinic to get your birth control this Wednesday, don't you dare forget, and don't dare do anything tonight without it," Cassandra repeated.

"Momma, you had to tell me that now?!"

"I just remembered!"

"Yeah, well, I think I just forgot half my childhood from that head bang!" Oriana groaned in agony, bending forward in hopes to just knock herself out.

"You should pay more attention to where you're going!" Cassandra objected, walking to grab an ice pack out of the freezer. She handed it to Howie. "Make sure she puts this on her forehead until the throbbing fades."

"Um...okay..." Howie stumbled.

"Before or after my head falls off?" Oriana continued.

"Just get going before you run into another door."

"I didn't run into it, I bounced off it," Oriana sulked, struggling to maintain her balance as she reached for Howie. The stinging pain invading her eyes was almost blinding. "Can you just...direct me to the car?"

"Yeah," Howie replied, taking one hand and placing the ice pack in her other. "May as well put that on your forehead."

"Yeah..." she trailed, struggling to actually locate her forehead.

"Let me help you," Howie answered, leading her out of the house. He grasped the hand with the ice pack and placed it where she hit her forehead.

"Thank you so much," she breathed, leaning into his form.

"You're very welcome," he kissed her cheek as he led them to the car. "Are you ready for the surprise? Once you can see again, of course."

"Well, I'm thinking it's going to be a hell'uva a surprise and one memorable date!"

"Why's that?" he laughed softly, hoping she hadn't figured out the surprise.

"Because I can see three of you."