"So. Are you going to tell me why you were speeding?" Dena asks as they begin to eat their breakfast.

"I actually didn't have any idea what the speed limit was. I definitely thought it was faster than fifty-five." Tim says as he shoved some bacon into his mouth. He was starved and exhausted and really didn't want to answer a million questions from his over-protective mother. "We was sort of arguing and I just wasn't looking for a speed limit sign."

"Wait. What? First, you let my son drink and drive and then you were distracting him from driving by fighting with him?" Dena asks.

Tim glances up from his plate to see the angry glare that his mom was giving his wife.

"Well, I .. I." Jenika stutters nervously.

"Uh, should we weave da table?" Adam asks.

"No, Pumpkin, you're fine." Tim answers, laying down his fork and patting Adam's hand. He then turns his attention back to his mom. "First of all, Mom, I was not drunk. I was fully aware of my driving except for the speed. Jenika and I will have disagreements at times. We don't have many but we do have them. Our disagreement had absolutely nothing to do with how fast I was going. That was all my fault, not hers."

"What were you arguing about?" Dena asks with raised brows.

"With all due respect, Mom, that's between Jenika and I. But it's fine now." Tim answers, sharply.

"Aw .. Aw we till going to da twuck pull?" Adam asks, innocently. (are we still going to the truck pull)

"No, Honey, Tim is too tired." Dena answers quickly.

Kirstie's jaw drops as she looks around to see tears fill Patches and Adam's eyes.

"Yes, we are still going." Tim answers with a smile. "Just let me get a nap and then we'll go watch the big trucks."

"YAY!!" Both boys cheer as they wipe their eyes.

After breakfast, Kirstie and Jenika take Patches, Adam and Emily outside to play. They figured Tim and his mom might want to talk.

Tim walks up behind his mother at the sink. She was quietly doing the dishes. He slides his arms around her waist and lays his chin on her shoulder.

"Mom, when are you going to realize that I'm not a little boy any more?" Tim says with a smirk.

"You'll always be my little boy, Timothy, and don't you forget it." Dena says as she continues the dishes.

"Yes, Mam." Tim chuckles. "But I'm old enough to take care of myself."

"So, you don't need me anymore?" Dena asks, turning around to face her son.

"I'll always need my momma." Tim smiles. "But I also need my wife. I love her very much."

"I know you do, Sweetheart." Dena sighs. "I guess, sometimes, I feel like Jenika took my little boy from me."

"Like I said, I'll always be your little boy but I'm also her husband." Tim replies with a raised brow.

"I guess I was a little hard on her." Dena shrugs.

"You guess?" Tim asks with a smirk.

"I'll apologize. Now. You need to go get some rest if you guys are going to take those kids to the truck pull." Dena smiles and kisses her son's cheek.

"Love you, Mom." Tim says as he kisses her cheek.

"I love you too, Sweetie." Dena smiles. "Now, go."

~~

"I .. I wanna thee Big Put." Adam says as they play on the large swing set that Dena had in the backyard. (see Big Foot)

"Mmm put." Patches giggles as he points to his foot.

"No." Adam laughs. "You have a wittle put. Big Put ith a weally big twuck."

"Mmm bee fuk?" Patches asks with eyes full of excitement.

"OHHHHH!!" Adam laugh, covering his mouth.

"Patches? What did you just say?" Kirstie asks as she and Jenika listened in on their conversation.

"Bee fuk." Patches answers, holding his hand high above his head.

"I think he's trying to say 'big truck'." Jenika giggles as she whispers to Kirstie.

"That's a bad word, Bubba." Emily says. "You not pose to say that." (suppose)

"Mmm bee fuk?" Patches asks, not understanding why he wasn't suppose to say 'big truck'.

"What?" Dena asks as she walks out just in time to hear Patches's mispronunciation.

"He's trying to say, big truck." Jenika explains through her laughter.

"Oh, my Lord." Dena laughs.

Dena sits down quietly in a chair beside her daughter-in-law. Jenika shifts nervously in her chair. She was expecting Dena to start in on her again about the occurrences from the night before.

"Jenika?" Dena says softly as she lays her hand gently on Jenika's arm. "Honey, I want to apologize for the way I've acted."

"That's okay, Dena." Jenika says with a nervous smile.

"No, it's not okay. I was terribly wrong lashing out at you like that." Dena says. "After Regan left, Tim and Emily was all I had. I was afraid of losing them too. So I tightened my grip on them. Then you came along and stole Tim's heart. You might say that I was jealous because another woman had entered his life. Then Tim's accident happened and I thought I was going to lose him. So, I tightened my grip a little more. I didn't want him growing up. I didn't want him leaving. But he did. He moved clean across the country. I've missed him so much. So when you guys came back, I guess I thought I had my little boy back. But my little boy has grown up to be a man with a beautiful wife that he loves with all his heart. I realize that I've been smothering him. And I do realize that you make him very happy. You and Adam are his life. I just wanted to say that I'm so sorry."

"Apology accepted." Jenika smiles as she and Dena hugs. Jenika hangs her head as she confesses. "We were arguing about Chance. He was there with Austin last night."

"Chance? Oh, Honey, You don't need to worry about Chance." Dena smiles, shaking her head. "I see Chance quite often. And yes, he usually asks about Tim. But let me tell you, that husband of his has got him wrapped around his little finger. Tim and Chance has found their true loves."

"You don't know how bad I needed to hear that from you." Jenika says with a sigh of relief.

"Ith it time to go yet?" Adam asks with a pout.

"Mmmm go." Patches nods.

"Oh, my." Kirstie says as she checks the time on her phone. "I guess we do need to start getting ready."

"Why don't you go try to get Tim awake and Kirstie and I will get the kids ready." Dena says, gently squeezing Jenika's hand.

Jenika had a harder time getting Tim out of bed than she thought she would. He was more interested in removing her shirt than he was getting up.

"Timmmm." She whined as she tried to get his hands from underneath her shirt.

"What?" Tim says softly as he left tender kisses on her neck.

"We have to get ready for the truck pull." She argues but yet closes her eyes enjoying the feeling that her husband was giving her.

"But I want some lovin." Tim whispers as he nibbles on her ear.

"We don't have time, Sweetheart." Jenika giggles as she finds the strength to push him away. "We gotta get ready. Now come on, let's go."

~~

As they enter the arena, they stop at a vendor and Tim purchases earmuffs for everyone. The noises from the large trucks are deafening. The muffs would help protect their hearing.

"I THO EKTHITED!!" Adam yells as he watches the arena below them. (so excited)

"HUH!!???" Patches yells.

Tim sits with the boys with Emily sitting on his lap as the girls go to get them all something to drink. The earmuffs were made for adults so Tim was having a hard time getting the muffs adjusted for Emily's head.

"DAY BIGGA DAN HER HEAD!" Adam shouts and he and Patches start laughing.

"WHAT???!!!" Emily yells. She could see Adam's mouth moving but couldn't hear him.

Tim chuckles as he turns his 'adopted' niece around to look at him.

"CAN YOU HEAR ME??" Tim shouts to test her hearing.

Emily stares at him for a few seconds.

"WHAT??? I CAN'T HEAR YOU, UNCLE TIM!!" She yells, shaking her head.

Tim laughs as he pushes one of the ear pieces back from her ear.

"I asked if you could hear me." Tim smiles.

"I can now." She giggles.

*********

** The next chapter will be a continuation of this chapter. **

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