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"Really, Maggie. You don't have to pay for all our dinners tonight."
"No, no, it's really all right. Tonight is our treat."
"Dinner perhaps, but we're paying for dessert."
"Dessert?" Caleb grinned.
"Of course. Why don't we go for some ice-cream after your mother pays? Wasn't there an ice-cream store just a few doors down?"
"Yes!" Caleb replied before turning to his mother. "Please, please, please can we get some ice-cream?" Ros chimed in as well and Maggie had no heart to say no.
As Maggie paid for their dinners, the kids made their ways outside, and before she could remind them to not run right after they'd had dinner, Caleb immediately bounded ahead and screamed back to everyone to hurry up, impatient for his ice-cream. Ros was as eager as he had been and did her best to keep up with her brother. A shoe caught in a crack in a pavement though, and she tripped, bursting out with tears and crying.
Damon was just exiting the restaurant with Sharon when he saw his little sister seemingly fall in slow motion. Sharon, however, was at Ros's side in a couple of seconds, hugging the girl tight and looking in her purse while the child wailed and hugged a skinned knee to her chest. "Shh, shh. It's okay, Ros. No biggie. See? I've got a band-aid for you right here." She spotted Damon coming at them out of the corner of her eyes and grabbed the stuffed animal from his hand before he could even kneel down to see what was wrong. "And see? Doggie kisses your knee so you can feel better."
Ros's cries quickly downgraded to a whimper as she clutched her dog and peeked at the fresh band-aid on her knee. "Hey! It's Ariel! How'd you know she was my favorite?"
Sharon smiled. "Lucky guess," she winked. "Come on now. Up you go. We need to get you washed up a little before you can have some ice-cream." With that said, she easily picked up the girl in her arms and went straight to the ice-cream parlor, where Caleb had just noticed that something was going on.
"What happened Ros?"
The girl shrugged. "I tripped and fell but I got a new band aid. See?" She twisted in Sharon's arms a little to show her brother.
Caleb looked and rolled his eyes. "Ros, you watch that movie everyday! Aren't you sick of it yet?"
She answered by sticking out her tongue at him.
"Okay, Ros. Let's get your hands and knee cleaned up a bit before Mom gets here," Damon finally said, reaching for his little sister once they were inside the parlor.
"No! I want to go to the girl's room to wash my hands. Sharon can take me."
"I'm sure Sharon doesn't want-"
"It's fine, Damon," Sharon interrupted him. "I can take her. Just watch over Caleb and see that nothing else happens in the minute I'm gone and our parents aren't here," she winked, smiling as she carried the girl to the back.
When the door closed behind the two girls, a chuckle came from behind the counter. "Always taking orders, aren't you boy?"
Damon grinned to the older man. "I'm not even going to respond to that, Marty. I was just letting the girls bond."
"Seems to me more like she gave you orders to make sure the young'un behaves. Where are your mom and dad, anyway, Damon?"
"Dad's staying overtime at work but Mom should be here in a little bit. She was just paying for our dinner."
As if on cue, Damon's mom and Sharon's parents walked into the parlor just then. "Damon, where are the girls?"
"In the bathroom. Ros tripped and skinned a knee and Sharon's helping her wash up."
"Okay. Do you want to wait on ordering until they get out?"
"No, it's all right. Just go ahead," Donna insisted.
"Okay. Caleb, what do you want?"
"A hot fudge sundae, of course."
"Marty?"
"A hot fudge sundae for Caleb, it is," the old man said with a wink and began his work. "What about you, Maggie dear?" he asked after handing the boy his treat.
"Just a scoop of rocky road, thank you."
"And you, ma'am?" he asked after giving Mrs. Cardinet her ice-cream.
"My husband and I will just share a scoop of strawberry in a cup, if that's all right."
"Perfectly fine," he replied as he turned towards their orders.
"Mommy, mommy! Look at my new band-aid!" a little girl's voice broke in second later.
Maggie laughed. "The Little Mermaid. How fitting. Thank you, Sharon."
"No problem at all, Mrs. Cardinet," she smiled.
"So what does the little princess want today?"
"Hi, Marty! Can I have rocky road with gummi bears on top?"
"Of course."
"And you?" Marty glanced up at Sharon as he prepared Ros's order.
"What about you, Damon? Have you had any yet?"
"Ladies first," Damon and Marty replied together, making Sharon blink a second there.
"All right. Just a scoop of chocolate in a cup then, please."
"That's all? After saving the poor princess? I saw you right outside the window. Surely you'd want something more of a reward," he teased.
She shrugged. "I'm just a simple girl, I guess."
"All right, all right. Here, have a cherry on top then. My treat," he said, giving Sharon her cup after handing Ros hers.
Sharon grinned. "Thank you."
"Now Damon, my boy. The usual?"
"Of course," he grinned.
A second later, Marty handed him a cone with a scoop of mint chocolate ice-cream. "Thanks."
After a quick debate over who'd pay the bill (Maggie finally gave up trying to convince Sharon's parents that the entire night should have been her treat), they all settled down to enjoy their ice-cream. Ros insisted that she sit in Sharon's lap and the older female was happy to comply. "Are you sure, Sharon? I can take her if you want," Damon said.
"No, it's all right," she replied. "Besides, how can you say no to a little girl's wishes?"
"Easily when the girl is my sister," he grinned.
Sharon rolled her eyes and turned to Ros. "He's such a typical boy, huh Ros? I think he needs to be taught some manners. It's impolite to ignore the wishes of a princess."
"Uh huh," the girl giggled.
"Hey! I resent that! And don't be giving her these ideas, Sharon. She's spoiled enough as it is!"
"I highly doubt that. A girl can never be pampered enough. Haven't you learned that by now?"
"I've heard something along those lines once or twice before, but I didn't think there was any basis for it. It just leads to trouble."
"Trouble? Are you always this pessimistic?" she teased.
"This coming from someone who just magically has a Little Mermaid bandage in her purse?"
Sharon shrugged. "I baby-sat a lot where I used to live. Strange things always happens when kids are involved and it's better to be safe than sorry," she quipped.
"Now who's being the pessimistic one?"
"Being prepared is different from looking at the downside to everything that comes your way, Damon."
"Do you always have to have a comeback?" he grinned.
Sharon grinned. "It makes conversations interesting," she said as she had another spoonful of her ice-cream. "I'll tell you something though. You're a strange one, Damon. I'll give you that."
"I'm flattered," he winked.
"Smiling in the face of mockery… I like that."
"Oh yeah? What else do you like?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"That's why I'm asking."
"Then sorry, my friend, but that topic will just have to wait until next time."
"Aww, why's that?"
"Because I said so."
"No way!"
"Yes way. Didn't I just say you had to be nice to princesses and listen to them?"
"What makes you a princess?"
"I'm female, aren't I?"
"She's got you there, boy." Marty chose this moment to step in. "Best let the lady enjoy herself and don't be pestering her or shooing her out of town just yet."
"Whose side are you on, Marty? I've lived here longer than she has!"
"And I've been here even longer, Damon. As for who's side I'm on, I'm on the lady's. If there's one thing I've learned over the years, it's to never question a woman's word. You'll live longer for it."
"I'll try to keep that in mind," Damon grinned.
"So, you must be the new folks," Marty said as he stepped out from behind the counter.
"Oh, Marty, yes, of course," Mrs. Cardinet exclaimed. "I'm so sorry I didn't introduce you earlier. It must have slipped my mind somehow. Anyway, this is Mr. And Mrs. Werner and their daughter Sharon."
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you folks," he said with a smile.
"Marty here has served the best ice-cream here in town since before I can remember. It certainly beats all those big chain ice-cream brands, and not to mention Marty's one of the nicest people in town."
"Good to know," Sharon's step-father replied as he and his family said their hello's and settled in for dessert.