A Day Out With the Kids and Some Strange....Strangers...

Bright and early this morning, we surprised the kids with a day out. 
The second we mentioned 'horses', the screaming commenced...on all counts.  Audrey started squealing and running about excitedly, then Casey followed suit; this scared Zachary, so he started screeching, and then Jordan started up just to make noise.  Yikes. 
Well, we finally got the crew rounded up and headed out for the day.  I had Pascal on my shoulder, Zach in one arm, and Casey in the other; Eugene had Audrey and Jordan.  Rather, we had them until they wanted down so they could run and play.  We let them get that all out of their system before allowing them to take turns riding the Appaloosa pony.  Eugene and I took turns leading them around and holding the two babies. 

Let me tell you, that was a really patient pony.  It let them ride...and ride...and ride...and ride.  We even held Jordan up in the saddle for a few minutes, and she of course loved it as well.  After they finished up riding, we let them run, play, and explore for the majority of the day.  They skipped their afternoon nap, which was not necessarily the best thing, buuut they enjoyed themselves anyway, and they were very, very tuckered out by the time we took them back to the table (:

On our walk, we came across someone....or TWO someones...that were, ah, interesting. 
A Barbie and her Prince Charming Barbie crossed paths with us.  Only...they acted all excited to see Jordan and Audrey, claiming that they used to be adoptive parents of them.  Audrey was simply ECSTATIC to see them, which confused me even more so.  Afterwards, she talked quite a bit about them, once they had left.  I'm personally a little - okay, a lot - apprehensive, but if she was happy to see them, I'm happy for her.  I just can't shake feeling that something's going to happen, though.  I'm not including any pictures of them because they don't know A) who I am; a blogger, and B) I don't want to post their picture everywhere because I don't know THEM!  And that's just a little creepy. 

But with that aside, I'm so happy we got to get the kids out and about today.  They really needed a day to play and tucker themselves out.  It's the best feeling in the world, watching them run and play and enjoy themselves!  I don't know what I'd do without any of them! 

A Day Out With My Hubby (:

Today, Eugene and I went for a walk.  (I have pictures, but Blogger's being stupid and not letting me upload!  Rrgh...But regardless.)  
With Zelia, Ray, and even Fitz planning to watch the kids, we knew they'd be okay while we were gone -- hopefully!! 
Around ten, we left the table.  That's approximately when I realized that I was rusty on my table-climbing skills.  Eugene jumped down and I started to try and scurry quickly down the leg of the table, but then my hand slipped, and I ended up on the floor...tangled up in my own hair and limbs. 
Chuckling, my hubby quickly helped me to my feet.  "You okay?"
"Yeah," I blushed, bending to untangle my legs from my hair before I tried to walk.  "Thanks!" 
"You haven't done that in awhile," he added. 
"Just when I think I'm starting to be graceful and my clumsiness was just a phase..." I groaned, straightening and looking at him with an over-exaggerated facial expression. 
He laughed, nudging me gently with his shoulder.  "Oh, c'mon.  You know that your clumsiness is cute." 
"Says you!"  I shoved him back with my shoulder.  He retaliated by grabbing my arm and reaching to try to tickle my side, and I squealed, yanking away and running a few steps away before I turned around.  "What's gotten INTO you?!" 
He gave me that classic grin that made my heart skip a beat.  "What?  Can't I be excited for a day out with my best gal?" 
"No.  No, you can't," I deadpanned, and he played along, giving me a puppy-dog pout.  I tried to hold my serious face, but ended up giggling, as usual. 
He grinned and slung his arm around my shoulders, pulling me to his side.  "Hmm..you have yet to learn the art of keeping a straight face, m'lady." 
"Well, if you'd stop being so funny..!" I threw back. 
"Pardon me for making you laugh," he tried to act offended, but it fell flat. 
"Oh, who's failing at acting now?"  I asked, and he chuckled. 
"Fine, you got me.  Now, what do you want to do today?  Dance?"  he stopped in his tracks and tried to twirl me, but I failed - big surprise :P. 
I thumped awkwardly into his chest instead of twirling gracefully in a circle.  "Ooh!  Sorry.  Um...anything you want to do.  I'm up for anything," I smiled, and he chuckled, bending to kiss the tip of my nose while I was close to him.  

We eventually decided to dance for awhile, and I had to re-teach Eugene a couple of things.  It's been that long!  I can't remember the last time we danced, actually.  (We went to get Tangled Fan's tablet, which has a few songs on it, by the way.)  But it was okay, and he only stepped on my toes once (or twice).  In the middle of a song ("A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri), Eugene spoke up. 
"Can you believe that in just a couple of months, we'll have been married for a year?" 
"Seems like a lot less, but...I'm not the best to judge that.  Plus, time flies when you're having fun," I smiled.  Quite frankly, it surprised me.  Yes, I knew we have been married for nearly a year, but it just didn't really register, I suppose.  Not like I'm complaining or anything - far from it! I'm married to a great guy and have four perfect little kiddos, what more could I ask for?  Not to mention a chameleon, a few close friends, and a sister.  
"Mmhmm.  Speaking of last year, kind of, has Flynn emailed you anymore?" 
"Huh-uh.  Maybe I set him in his place," I gasped sarcastically, and he chuckled. 
"Alright, Miss Snarky-Pants." 
I laughed, and then he reached for my hand and, all joking aside, we resumed our walk. 

We just spent the day enjoying one another and talking about anything and everything.  It was really nice, and just like old times (:  And even better, when we came home in the evening, Zelia said that Zachary hadn't been too bad about being away from momma, so hopefully we'll be able to start taking him places, getting the girls off the table a bit more. 
Life is good... [=

A Day Out [:

Last night, it stormed....a LOT.  I'm not sure how everyone else slept through it, but I sure did not.  Sooo at around two-thirty in the morning, I sat on the wicker chair, curled up in a ball and trying to keep from getting too scared of the loud, booming thunder and crazy lightning.  Terror hasn't necessarily been a foreign emotion this week -- I've been stressed and scared and worrying all week, ever since I found out that I'm expectant.  I just can't help it -- I'm so scared that something will go wrong, and something will happen to the baby.
About twenty minutes into the storm, it had finally quieted down to just the patter of rain on the roof far above my head.  At about the same time, Eugene came stumbling quickly from behind the cutout. 
"Why're you up,  hon?"  he asked, rubbing his eyes and clearing his throat.  "Are you feeling okay?" 
"Yeah," I stood up from the chair, smoothing my dress out.  "I-I...the storm woke me up.  Stupid, right?" 
His face just dropped.  "I'm sorry...I didn't even notice it.  You could've gotten me up-"
I laughed quietly.  "Seriously, Eugene - I didn't want to wake you up over a silly storm." 
Sighing, he came to stand in front of me, trying to swallow a yawn.  "I'm sorry-"
"It's not your fault," I said, a tiny bit irritated.  That's just mood swings, though, I suppose -- fun, fun.  He reached to give me a quick hug, but then he actually scooped me up into his arms.  "What are you doing?!" 
"Carrying you," was Captain Obvious' response, to which I rolled my eyes playfully.  My hubby took me behind the cutout, plopping me down into bed before collapsing on the bed himself, trying to get me to laugh. 
It worked, and I giggled.  "Tired, huh?" 
"I'm not used to two-fifty-o'clock frantic wake-ups because I rolled over and reached for you, and you weren't there.  I bet you're tired, too, though," he teased. 
"Hmm...and yeah, I'm tired, too.  I'm not used to carrying a child twenty-four-seven, even though said child is still pretty teensy."  I threw back, and he chuckled. 
"I'm sure you are.  I'm glad I don't have that job-"
"Oh, yeah...thanks so much.  Just for saying that, you'll be the one to get up with the kids in the middle of the night when-" I started to half-tease, and he broke me off by reaching to tickle my side.  "Hey!  Stop it!"  I hissed, giggling. 
"Hey...I got what I wanted.  You've been too serious this week, you needed to laugh," he winked, and I rolled my eyes. 
"Next time, don't tickle me to make me laugh.  You can get me to laugh in ways other than tickling.  And how can you even be so...I don't know, impish...this early in the morning?!  It's three AM..." I reminded him, and he sighed in an over-dramatic manner. 
"The things we do for loved ones...and I know I can make you laugh, but tickling-"
"Is annoying," I finished for him, giggling, and he chuckled. 
"Fine...I don't agree, though." 
"Really?"  I asked.  I snaked my arm out, reaching for the spot on his side that I knew was VERY ticklish.  He almost fell out of bed in his hasty attempt to escape.
 He grabbed my arm, threatening to take me down with him if need be, and I hadn't planned on letting just that stop me, but then I felt the baby kick, and it surprised me just enough to pause my attempt to tickle him.
Giving me a triumphant expression, Eugene let go of my arm, scooting away from the edge of the bed.  I ignored his expression, which was obviously put on simply in an attempt to annoy me, and instead focused on my stomach, putting a hand over it as I felt another quick tap. 
"Is the baby moving?"  he asked quietly, and I glanced over to see his face had quickly changed to an expression of curiosity. 
"Yeah...I can't feel anything right now, though," I told him.  I couldn't help but smile, and for a second, I was super excited.  I wanted to meet our newest addition...right now!  But thinking about welcoming him or her into the world promptly made me think about all the risks, and I bit my lip, diving back into concern. 
"Hey.  Enough of that," he told me. 
"What?" 
"You're worrying - it's obvious.  Everything will be okay," he told me, tugging on my arm to hint at me to lie down.  I did so, and he promptly wrapped me up in his arms. 
"You can't be sure, though.  Something could very easily go wrong," I reminded him. 
"But nothing will!"  he reassured me. 

So this morning, I woke up very, very late...at least I didn't feel horribly sick, though.  As soon as I had myself dressed and my hair brushed, I wandered out from behind the cutout.  And almost as soon as I stepped foot out from behind the cutout, Eugene met me with a smile, grabbing me in a hug. 
"Hey...uh, good morning," I grinned at his enthusiasm. 
"Morning, gorgeous.  Want to go for a day out?  Zelia's here already, and the girls were very excited to learn that they might get to spend the day with their favorite aunt." 
"Eugene, I can't...what if I get sick?"  I asked. 
"You'll be fine," he told me. 
"But what if I'm not?  And plus, the girls just spent the day with Zelia earlier this week-"
"She offered to let them ride the pony," he said.
"Well...we can do that sometime, too!  I don't-"
"Then you can be the one to tell Audrey and Casey that they won't be riding today, or spending the day with their aunt," Eugene said. 
Oh, yeah, sure.  He  knew I wouldn't be able to tell the girls and face their disappointment. 
I sighed.  "Fine.  If you're sure that they're okay-"
"Momma!  Momma!  We get to go ride today!"  Audrey yelled, finally noticing I was up.  She came barreling over, and I managed to catch her in a hug, laughing at her excited antics. 
"I heard!  That's great, sweetie -- you and Casey will have to tell me all about it when you get back," I told her, and she nodded, grinning excitedly before squirming to get out of my arms.  I knelt to give Casey a hug, waved to Jordan - who was in Zelia's arms - and thanked Zelia before we headed out. 

"Where are we going?"  I asked when he didn't move after we landed on the floor. 
"Right up here on the bin," he said, reaching to pull me over.  "C'mere, I'll help you up." 
"Why on the bin?"  I asked.  Had he gone nuts? 
"Well, I figured we'd read.  To Kill a Mockingbird is already up there.  I thought that at least here, we could go back quickly if you started getting tired or sick.  I just wanted to get you doing something, so you weren't worrying so much." he told me, helping boost me up onto the bin before leaping up there himself. 
As soon as he had sat down beside me on the bin, I reached over to give him a quick kiss.  A day of reading sounded amazing.  "Thank you so much.  I'm sorry I was a little bull-headed up there,"
"That's fine - and understandable.  Now....let's start this book, shall we?"  he offered, and I promptly cuddled up against him, holding my edge of the book; he held his edge, and we read the day away.  Just like we always used to.  (:

Eugene--father's day

--Eugene
Today is apparently Father's Day, which you humans celebrate.  When I woke up this morning, Rapunzel was already up with the kids.  As soon as I came out from behind the cutout, Audrey and Casey came racing over, yelling "Happy father's day, happy father's day, daddy!!" and they both shoved to get closest to me.  I scooped one in each arm, confused, and kissed them each on their foreheads before looking up to see my girl watching me with a kind smile on her face.  She quickly averted her attention down to Jordan until I went over to her, both girls still in my arms.
"I told them it was father's day," she grinned.
"At the cost of sounding stupid, what is that?" I asked.
"The humans celebrate their daddies today!" Audrey explained, and Rapunzel laughed at her enthusiasm, nodding.
"Hmm...well, thank you, you cuties," I winked at them, and Casey giggled before Audrey asked to be left down.
Never stationary for long, the two oldest girls went tearing off, likely to reek havoc with Pascal.
I turned to Rapunzel and watched her put Jordan down to watch the other girls play, and when she straightened, I promptly pulled her into a hug.
"So...father's day, huh?" I asked, grinning as her eyes met mine.
"Yup! Thought we should celebrate it, since you're such a great daddy to the kiddos," she nodded a couple of times before glancing over her shoulder.  Noticing the girls were preoccupied, she slipped her thin arms around me and gave me that smile I loved so much.  "Soo...happy father's day."
I couldn't keep from kissing her, and when I did, red crept up along her neck to her cheeks.  Oh, was I glad to have her back...
"So, what do you want to do today, miss red-cheeks?" I chuckled quietly, and she rolled her eyes.
"Hmmh...you're terrible.  And what do you want to do?"
I had actually been thinking about taking the girls to finally let them ride a horse, which is what I had planned to do with them on Easter, and  when I suggested the idea to Rapunzel, she was quick to agree.

So, we gathered the girls up, made sure Pascal was with us, and headed to the floor.
The horses were still where I had found them, so Audrey and Casey were riding the small bay Appaloosa pony together within minutes.  I led the mare around, of course, but Rapunzel hopped aboard the gray mare, Missy, and rode around with Jordan alone.  Soon after she started riding, I found out that the Appy, Daisy, would follow the taller gray, so I left the girls go on their own and just watched the four of them.
The look on Casey and Audrey's faces was priceless...and they're giggling like crazy and having a good time--even Jordan seems to be enjoying it!  I'm also glad to see my wife focusing on something other than the Frozen bunch, and actually enjoying herself!

That, readers, is what I call a perfect day.  It's also a perfect distraction to Rapunzel.  She's been so upset over Anna, Hans, Kristoff, and Elsa being boxed up that she has been having a hard time sleeping, especially haunted by their faces.  It kills me that I can't help her.
Yesterday, Audrey asked if she and Anna were going to be friends again--since she had seen them talking at the  party after we had renewed our vows.  I was surprised that Rapunzel didn't cry, but she once again proved that she's stronger than us all by saying she hoped so and leaving it at that.  Of course, neither of the girls know what happened, and we plan to keep it that way as long as we can.

But for now, I guess I will just have to watch these girls have a fun day, hope Rapunzel tires herself out enough that she can sleep tonight, and think about how blessed we are--three kids and each other, despite our various accidents, and our friends.

Stupid joints...and Rapunzel's being..weird...?

I haven't been able to see the girls much this week, which really bothers me.  Tangled Fan has been busy with class assignments and stuff outside, so I haven't been able to see them.  Ugh.  I haven't been sleeping because of that, of course.  I'm just worried about them, and Rapunzel, and..yeah.  You get the point.  But regardless...this happened. 
This afternoon, I went out on the windowsill.  To my surprise, Rapunzel was already there, staring out the window.  I had to smile when I saw her, because she just looked so beautiful.  Silly, I know.  But regardless, she soon noticed me. 
"Oh!  Um, hey.  I didn't see you there, sorry!"
"It's fine.  Mind if I stay here?" 
"No, not at all," she gave me a small smile.  "I was just thinking." 
We sat quietly for awhile, but then I asked if she had seen any movies before.  She, of course, answered with no, and I asked if she wanted to see Tangled. 
"When?" 
"Hmm...are you free this afternoon?"  I asked.  I knew it was a bit of a bad idea, because my joints have been acting up.  I'm sure Rapunzel told you about how, back in January-ish, my hip joints got messed up.  Well, the problem only resurfaces if I walk way too much.  Turns out, since Rapunzel's accident, I've been up through the night a lot more, and because of that, I pace.  When I pace,....you get the gist.  My joints have been pretty sore, but I haven't let on to it yet.  I don't want to worry her, and I was kind of hoping that I wouldn't have any more issues with my joints!  Oh, yeah right.  Well, today, my joints were especially bad.  The idea of walking the whole way across the room, down the hallway, and into the kitchen or living room....it was purely a bad idea.  I should've known better, but at the same time, I just wanted to be with my girl.  But anyway.
She smiled and nodded.  "Yeah!  That sounds like fun."
Soo, we headed down to the floor to start our journey.
 Unfortunately for me, I landed the wrong way when I jumped down, and I was surprised I was still able to keep my balance. 

Riiight.  Well, we hardly made it halfway across the room before I lost my balance.  When I lost it, I...lost it.  I stumbled, and would have fallen if it wouldn't have been for a box.  I grabbed onto it with one arm, and Rapunzel gasped.
"A-are you okay?  Oh my goodness, what happened?!  Are you okay?"  she helped me back upright, and gave me a concerned gaze.  When I didn't say anything--I was trying to catch my breath, but the pain was just intense enough that I couldn't.  "Do you need me to get Tangled Fan?" 
I held up a hand, waving off her concern.  "N-no...I'm fine." I panted.  "I-I should've told you before, but I didn't...want you to worry...I'm sorry.  At the beginning of the year, I had an accident and ended up really messing up my hip joints.  I usually am fine, but lately, I've been having a hard time sleeping, and when I can't sleep, I usually pace.  Walking too much gets this problem fired up, and...."
She gasped again, giving me a look of sheer horror.  "Sit down, right now."  I started to shake my head, but she gave me that classic and incredibly sour, "do it or I'll MAKE you" look  before repeating her request. I sat down, and she sat as well, biting her lip. 
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault.  You're so pale....what do you want me to do?"
"Nothing...and it's not your fault.  Just...gimme a few minutes.  If you want to go get Tangled Fan to set up the movie, you can-"
"Excuse me, but I am not leaving you here alone!" 
Alrighty then...
"Well, all I'll be doing is sitting here until I feel up to moving,"
"And I'll stay with you as long as it takes.  You've been here for me, so now I'm here for you!" 
Ah.  That was her logic. Okay. 
"Well...thank you." 
She scooted a bit closer.  "How long have your joints been hurting?  I know it's because of us going for day-long walks, so don't skirt around it."
"It's not...it's not because of that.  And, oh I don't know.  A few days...maybe a week?" 
She pressed her hand over her mouth.  "Ohh..." 
"Like I said, don't get upset.  I'm sorry, I was really looking forward to watching the movie with you,"
She slid right over beside me, and shook her head.  "That's fine!  We'll...shoot for tomorrow, maybe?  Or the day after.  Sometime, I promise!  And stop apologizing.  That's at least the second time."
I chuckled. "I could say the same to you, you know."
Rolling her eyes, she didn't hide her smile.  "At least you must be feeling a tad better, your face isn't as pale...?" 
"Yeah....like I said, you could go...I'll be fine." 
Instead of saying anything, she silently gave me a smile and left.

Thinking I was alone for the rest of the day after she had left, I eased myself down onto my back.  It took some of my weight off my joints, at least, and that helped some.  I was kind of melancholy that she had left, but it was far better than her sitting here, watching me be a big baby.
But wait....she wasn't gone! 
After awhile, I heard a couple of grumbles, a grunt, and a yelp...so I propped myself up to see...

None other than Rapunzel, trotting back with Tangled Fan's headphones and MP3 player.  The cord, which was way too long, trailed behind her and tangled up around her ankles.  She tripped, almost fell down...and noticed I was struggling to sit up.  I was planning to help her, even if I had to crawl! 
"Noo, no-no-no!  Stay right there!"  she exclaimed...before she dropped the headphones and kicked them my way.  They stopped right by my head -- I was getting ready for them to crash into me, but they didn't--and she gave an adorable, triumphant giggle. 

I watched quietly as she set the MP3 up, cranked it up to nearly full-blast, and then set it to play.
"There!"  she turned to me, her smile waning slightly.  "How are you?" 
"I'm fine...thanks,"
"I thought we could listen to music.   I remember you said you liked to listen to music, soo..."she shrugged and looked over at me before she flopped down onto her back, putting her hands behind her head. 
"Thank you...really.  It means a lot," I told her. 
"So...what songs do you recommend?"  she asked, after a few minutes of awkward silence.

As a good song would come on, I would tell her.  Most of the songs I pointed out were ones I liked because they reminded me of her, but I didn't point that out. 

However....once or twice, I caught her watching me, so I think maybe she was catching on.  Oops....

We stayed like that for hours.  I was pretty stiff, unfortunately, by the time I decided that she wasn't going to leave until I was back on the table.  As soon as I stood up, I realized just how stiff I was.  I stumbled a step and hoped she hadn't seen...but of course, she had. 
"Wait a sec, bud," she told me as she shoved the MP3 and headphones out from the middle of the floor. 
"I'm fine," I told her repeatedly - and every time, she would say huh-uh or just shake her head, and then that stubborn girl tucked herself under my arm and slid her arms around me. 
"You might say you're fine, but you obviously are not.  C'mon-"
"I'm fine by myself," I reassured her.  "I don't want to stumble and hurt you, or something." 
"You won't,"  she tightened her grip around me, so I put an arm around her and squeezed her shoulders.  I figured that she would think that I was just holding onto her for balance, when I was really giving her a one-armed hug...and keeping my balance. 

When we got up to the table, she asked where I wanted to go.  I told her I'd be fine on the wicker chair, and so she led me over there.  I eased myself down onto the chair, and she bit her lip, giving me a concerned look.
"I'm fine, don't worr-"
"I'm not worrying," said the obviously non-worried girl...as she toyed with her hair.  Trademark worried Rapunzel move.
"The way you're biting your lip, playing with your hair, and the way your brows are furrowed all tell me you're worried," I pointed out.
She allowed her hands to pounce up on her hips, as she gave me a mock-insulted expression.  "Fine, Sherlock.  I'm worried." 
"C'mere," I patted the box beside me, and she quickly obliged.  When she sat down, I risked putting my hands on her shoulders.  Oh, wow...I twisted the wrong way to do that, and pain zinged across my hips and up my back.  I tried not to grimace, though.  "I've done this more than once, I'll be okay.  It's really no big problem.  If I need Tangled Fan, I'll get her.  I don't want you worried, okay?" 
"It's....it's not that, entirely.  Well, it is, but..oh, never mind!"  she muttered, refusing to look me in the eye. 
"Then what?  Tell--"
"I need to let you get some rest.  You will rest up, right?  I'll be back later to help you get to your bed,"
"I won't need help--"
"Well, you'll get some, anyway, then.  I'll see you later." 

Just like that, her mood changed.  Her face became unreadable, and I could tell she was guarding something.  She quickly fled my side of the table, and I couldn't help but wonder what I'd done.
I'd probably messed up somehow...maybe putting my hands on her shoulders had upset her?  Was it when I had put an arm around her when she was helping me back to the table?  Did she think I was faking this, just to get her sympathy or something?  What had I done?  I wanted to just ask her when she came over later --if she did-- but I didn't want to pry. 

By eleven PM, I was feeling just a tiny bit better, but my concerns about Rapunzel hadn't ceased.  But regardless, I stumbled back to bed and started to smooth the blanket out, leaning up against the bed to do so. That's when I heard Rapunzel calling quietly. 
"I'm over here...getting my bed ready," I called, and she rushed to join me behind the cutout.
"How'd you get back here?" 
"I walked, silly," I teased her in an attempt to get her to lighten up, since her eyes were filled with concern.  When her expression turned darker and her eyes actually filled with tears, I softened.  "Hey...I'm sorry.  I was just trying to get you to laugh-" I fell short of saying 'hon'.  Woops.
She shook her head. "I'm just...I have a lot on my mind and I'm touchy right now.  It's fine.  Anyway, ah...since you're okay back here, d'ya want me to leave?  Sorry, I came a bit too late.  I should've--"
"You're just fine.  And actually, I'd like it if you stuck around and told me what's wrong," I gingerly sat down on the bed and patted the spot near me. 
She started to refuse, but then I gave her an overly-dramatic puppy-dog pout.  "Oh, geez, Eugene.  If you really...fine.  I suppose it'll help to talk,"
"Mmhm!"  I gave her an encouraging grin - at least, I hoped so - and she sighed and sat beside me. 
"This is so stupid, and I feel bad to keep you up talking, but...I just feel really terrible.  If you've been having problems with your joints for 'a few days or a week', it's my fault, because we've been going for such long walks.  And I feel horrible because I've been complaining so much to you about Flynn and just everything, and you...you have actual problems, and you never even t-told me!" 
Oh, geez.  She always had blamed herself...Shoulda known.
"Rapunzel, it is not your fault.  It's not the long walks that get to me, it's that combined with, mostly, lack of sleep and pacing when I can't sleep.  I'm pretty sure that your problems are actual, legit problems, too, by the way. I didn't tell you, because I don't like to tell anyone about my joint issue.  Silly, I know,"  we both sighed at the same time, and she ducked her head. 
"I just...I'm sorry.  I should have noticed something was off--"
"Nothing was off for you to notice," I told her, and her eyebrows furrowed. 
"You're sure?"  she asked. 
"I am positive, dear girl--er, um...rather--sorry." I let that one slip out without even thinking.  Way to blow it...I was about to just head-slap myself when she giggled, her face burning red. 
"It's fine," she blushed an intriguing color of crimson  Her neck was red!  "Um...so...I-I should let you get some rest.  I'll be over in the morning...?"
"Yep...if I'm still asleep, just come and yell in my face, wake me up," I joked, and I finally got that laugh out of her.  Thank goodness! 
"Okay.  Movie tomorrow, maybe?  If you're feeling up to it," she got shy at the end of the sentence, ducking her head so her hair covered most of her face like a thick, yellow curtain.
"Sounds great," I told her, resisting the urge to brush the hair out of her face.
Then, she randomly grabbed me into a tight hug.  I choked in surprise, but I hugged her back, of course.  When she finally pulled away, she didn't look happier -- in fact, she looked even more troubled.  That was really concerning...
We exchanged 'good night's, and then she left.  And as for me?  Well...I gingerly let myself down onto my back, and hoped I would go to sleep before I started worrying. 

Today's events....

Today, we went for a walk, as previously stated in the post from yesterday.  
Promptly at 10AM this morning, Rapunzel nervously peeked around the divider.  I was headed in the same direction, and we almost collided.  She jumped away, but a second later, she came over to my side of the table, giggling. 
"That was close...sorry!"  she laughed, putting a hand over her mouth.
I grinned and allowed my eyes to flick over her.  "That's fine," I stopped short of telling her that she looked beautiful today.  When I looked her directly in the eyes, though, I realized she looked extremely tired.  "What's wrong?  You look like you didn't get much sleep." 
She sighed.  "Nothing.   Just...thinking about unimportant things that I really shouldn't lose sleep over." 
AKA:  Flynn.
"If you're not feeling up to--"  I started, but she broke me off. 
"No, I'm up to it!  I'm actually kind of excited," she said, blushing. 
"Well, you don't have to get all red-faced about being excited...I am, too."  I chuckled, and she gave me a wide smile before we left the table.


We walked in silence for awhile, but then I spoke up.  "So..ah...how've you been settling in?" 
"I guess I've been settling in okay.  Sometimes, I really don't fit in over there, but oh well.  I'm sure that will come in time...Punzie's just such a jerk!  Anna's kind of...I dunno.  I don't know why, but she avoids me like nobody's business.  But then again, she has Hans, so maybe that's all the friendship or socialization she needs.  Elsa's pretty nice, though.  And of course, there's always Zelia, but she avoids me when I need someone to talk to the most.  Emma and Piper just kind of stay away from me, too...they're kind of buddies with Punzie, so I could see why.  And Kristoff seems really, really shy, so he just keeps to himself or talks to Elsa.  Um...well..I guess I kinda started a rant there..sorry!" 
"No, that's fine!  Sorry you've been kinda a fish out of water.  I should've come over more,"  I basically felt terrible.  I should've just gone over and sat with her, if all else failed. 
"I'm gonna be a copycat.  No, that's fine.  You didn't know,"  she gave me a small smile, "and thanks for listening.  It actually felt pretty good to tell someone."
I nodded.  "I'm happy to listen.  So....I was wondering what some of   your dreams are?  If you're not comfortable talking about that, that's fine." 
"I'd...prefer not to...for now."  she shrugged her shoulders up to her ears. 
"Okay, that's fine.  I understand--I suppose I shouldn't have asked you, this is just the fourth or fifth time you've  talked with me, really.  Sorry, that was kinda...off the wall of me."  I felt pretty stupid for asking that...sure, we'd talked about that same thing just a coupla weeks after we had first met, and yes, I had told her I loved her as well...but it was different this time, on so many different levels.  Gosh, I'm such an idiot.
She gave me a thankful smile, and we walked in silence for a little bit.  She looked like she was thinking about something, and I wanted to ask what, but I was half afraid of screwing up again.  Good grief, I had dated her once and had done okay enough, why was I some odd, creeper-like, weirdo this time??
But then she stopped, right in the middle of the walk.  She turned, looked me right in the eye, and said: "You know what?  No.  I'm fine with telling you.  You're not like Flynn, you won't laugh, will you?  And you seem honest in your intentions...I'm just scared of letting people in...after Flynn.  You know what I mean?" 
I nodded.  "I promise I won't laugh, I'd never laugh.  And it's totally understandable, I mean...really, it is." 
She nodded and sucked in a deep breath, holding it until she let it all out in a laugh.  "You know, they're just so silly that I don't even know why I call them dreams...hopes...goals...whatever."
"I'm sure they're not,"  I already know what they are...they weren't stupid and we had such a great time together, crossing off your dreams/goals...gosh, why can't things be back the way they were before?  "Well...I want to go stargazing...get married...start a family...you know--the usual.  And it's kind of a goal of mine not to be kissed until someone asks for my hand in marriage.  It's stupid,  I know, but I want to be sure that my first kiss is with the guy I'm spending the rest of my plastic life with.  So...that's basically it.  Weird, right?" 
I gave her a smile.  "No...not at all!  And the kiss makes sense, actually."
She sucked in another deep breath, giving me a curious look.  "What about you?" 
"Hm?"
"Your dreams?  Plans?  I-if you don't mind me asking." 
I panicked.
She'd never asked me this before.  I was the most dull being on the planet, all I wanted was to have her back and to have the girls back. 
How do I say this, how do I say this...don't freak out--oh well, too late for that...should I tell her?  No.  Not yet.  She's still not over Flynn, and this isn't the best time to tell her.  What do I do.....!!!  "You think YOUR dreams are boring?  Mine are literally just to marry and have a family."
She laughed shyly.  "I think that's everyone's default, soo...that's cool.  You're more likely to achieve your dreams, anyway!"
"Oh, really?"  I asked.
"Yeah!  There are four -- well...I don't suppose you'd marry Punzie, seeing as she kind of banned you from staying in the same display area as they are....so three, I suppose-- eligible girls.  I'm sure any of them would be just beyond lucky to have you!" 
"Three?  It seems to me that there are five, if you count Punzie," I watched her face.  This conversation was teetering dangerously close to becoming a disaster. 
"Huh?"  she gave me an absent stare, and I could tell she was trying to think of who she was missing.  When she realized it was herself, she just whispered, "Ohh." Her gaze dropped to her bare feet.
Great.  She's going to freak out, because now she knows where my affections are...just great.  I just blew it--
"I'm sorry," I blurted in a desperate attempt to keep her from leaving.  I didn't even know if she would run off and leave, but I didn't want her to.  "I'm sorry!  I--"
"No, it's fine.  That just never occurred to me before," she laughed, but I could see the panic in her eyes. 
Say something...say something funny...get her mind off of it....don't blow it...DON'T BLOW IT!!"So, ah...maybe we should change the subject?" 
She gave a genuine giggle.  "Yeeahh...let's!"
So we talked about music.  Talked about books.  Talked about anything...talked about Flynn once or twice.  We were on the floor for hours, until it started to fall dark, and then we went back up on the table. 

She started to go back to her side of the table wordlessly, but then she poked her head around the divider.  "Eugene?  Thanks.  I really needed this today, and I had fun, despite the awkward start." 
YES!
"No, thank YOU for today.  It was so fun!  And yeahh...sorry about that." 
My girl --well...you know..--gave me a cute grin.  "It's all good.  I'll see you sometime!" 
"Yup.  Good night -- and get some sleep.  Knock on the divider if you can't...If I hear you, I'll sit up with you."
"Okay.  Night," she ducked back over to her side of the shelf.
When she was gone, I sighed.  I was tired, but I knew I wouldn't be able to go to sleep, and it was only around eight.  Ugh.

He's Found Me - Part 2 (4/4/14)

If you haven't read part 1, make sure you do -- you'll be really, really, super confused if you don't -- read it HERE.

This morning, I woke up shortly before Eugene was up.  My fears were still there, lingering in the back of my mind, not allowing me to enjoy the few minutes of peace to myself.  When my husband woke up, he gave me a look of absolute adoration, as if he was still just beyond pleased with himself that he was married to me.  I didn't understand it.  I was a mess, why would anyone love me? 
"Good morning, gorgeous.  What a nice sight to wake up to," he gave me a wink and that special grin.  For the first time ever, that grin didn't make me smile, and it didn't make me get the butterflies in my stomach.  What it DID do, however, was make me even more scared.  I was letting him--Flynn--get to me.  I couldn't do that.  I couldn't-- "Hey...what's wrong?" 
"Just...I don't see how my ratty hair and crusty eyes pass off as gorgeous," I forced a joke, hoping he wouldn't question me. 
He chuckled quietly a moment before he asked how I was feeling this morning. 
I feel like I'm being enveloped in fear.  Like my mind is being consumed by his message...just like he said it would. 
"I'm fine," I lied, adding a smile for authenticity. 
He gave me a doubtful look, but he let it slide.  Thankfully, Jordan woke up, alerting us by a few pleasant babbles, so I immediately sat up. 
"I-I guess I need to get dressed and everything.  You okay with Jordan?" 
"Yup," he said, kissing my cheek before leaving to get Jordan. 
I took a deep, shuddering breath. 
"Pull yourself together, Rapunzel.  You're being ridiculous!  Pull it together..." I muttered to myself as I dressed - not in my normal purple one, but in another Rapunzel dress that was more magenta, and glittery; the dress I wore the day Eugene and I got back together - and brushed my hair, trying to make myself presentable. 
When I came out, I took Jordan from Eugene.  She quickly picked up on my tension, though, and started crying almost as soon as I cradled her in my arms.  Let me tell you, the feeling that went through me right then...I was such a mess that I couldn't even hold my baby girl!  As chills raced up and down my arms, I fought back tears when I told Eugene to take her back. 
"Hey.  It's alright," he said...I'm not sure if he was directing it at me or the baby. 

After the girls and Zelia were up, Eugene gave Jordan to Zelia and spoke to her for a few minutes before coming over to me and gently putting his hand on my elbow.
"We'll see you guys in a bit, okay?" 
"Take as long as you need," Zelia said, giving me a concerned look.  "I may take the girls for a walk." 
As Casey and Audrey excitedly started chattering at the prospect of a walk, we both left. 
"Eugene..where are we going?"  I asked. 
"For a walk -- unless you don't want to?" 
"No, I think a walk's a great idea," I gave him a small smile, and we continued to the floor. 
As soon as we got to the floor, he did a double take before asking me to stop.  I asked why, and he came over and picked something off of the tip of my nose. 
"You had glitter on your nose," he chuckled, giving the tip of my nose a kiss before we continued walking. 
"Well, um...thanks," I said. 

I was horribly absentminded, and we walked in dead, uncomfortable silence for awhile; at least, until he stopped me. 
He put a hand on my shoulder, his eyebrows furrowed.  For the first time in a long time, he seemed almost bashful.  "What can I do?" 
"Huh?  I'm fine.  I promise," I said, flashing another faux-smile.
"You don't...miss him?  I mean, I personally can't see how you could miss him, since he seems like a jerk, but I do know that feelings are hard to bury, even if someone does something rather nasty to you." 
"What?!  No!  I don't miss him, he was such a jerk.  I should've seen it, but I didn't.  No, I don't miss him one bit!"
"Okay.  I thought maybe you were wishing that things had turned out differently, and...yeah...because you seem kinda distracted, is all.  I'm sorry--that was incredibly dumb of me to think that," he ducked his head, which was turning tomato red. 

"No...it's fine.  I'm sorry, too - sorry I'm acting so weird that I made you think that.  But no -- you're...he doesn't hold a candle to you.  You're sweet, caring, loving, adorable, funny, and honest.  He's coarse, selfish, manipulative, and a liar.  And this is like, really personal and awkward, but the only reason I was able to fall asleep last night was because you held me.  I don't know...just you having your arms around my shoulders made me feel safe.  Silly, I know.  But anyway, ah...don't worry about me missing him." 

He looked at me, trying to suppress a smile, before he slipped an arm around me and pulled me snug to his side.  "Well, if it makes you feel better...what a shame, I have to have my arm around my sweet wife." 
And he did manage to get a giggle out of me with that one. "Hmm.  Horrible, I know."  I slipped an arm around his waist, too, and stood on tiptoe so I could give him a quick kiss.  Grinning, he gave my shoulders a squeeze. 
"You know...don't be afraid to talk to me, okay?  You were threatened in a way that most dolls never are.  You can't just keep it to yourself, or it'll devour you.  I'm not about to let my wife get devoured by threats made by such a childish individual."  I met his eyes, and he kissed my forehead.  "I mean that, now.."
"Okay," I nodded, and he cleared his throat. 
"So...do you want to go listen to some songs for awhile, or read?" 
I knew he was trying to do something to get my mind off of Flynn's threats, so I played along. "Sure -- it'd be fun to listen to some songs," 
He gave my shoulders another squeeze, and then we went to get Tangled Fan's MP3 player, which we had never checked out. 

Hey, Your Wedding Was Great--Wait, What?

So, today was the day!
I finally saw Elsa and Anna again. 

After the big fiasco over Pascal, Eugene and I finally took a day for ourselves, while Zelia gladly watched the girls for us.  Actually, the whole thing was her idea in the first place...but I felt bad having her babysit the girls.  When I protested, that's when she basically shooed us off of our own table and forced us to go have a day to ourselves.  Sooo we had the whole day to ourselves, and we weren't really sure what to do with it!

We were meandering around, chatting about everything and everything, when I thought I heard Elsa and Anna talking. 
"...and I'm so glad Casey's--"  Eugene was in midsentence when I heard them. 
"Shh," I put a finger to my lips, and he gave me a queer look before he tried to continue.  "No, seriously, shush...please." 
He did, giving me a look as if he was wondering if I'd finally lost my cookies. 
I saw Elsa and Anna walking towards us, but they didn't even seem to know we were there. 
At first, I was going to drag Eugene off so we wouldn't be seen, but then I remembered.  I had a little bit of ammo that I'd been waiting to use for almost one month.
I gestured towards them, and a mischievous smile lit my husband's face as he realized what I was up to. 

So we just continued walking.  As soon as Anna saw us, I saw -- and heard -- her try to persuade Elsa to go the other way, but Elsa gave us both a broad smile and dragged her sister along as she came over. 
"Hey, Rapunzel!  How're you guys?  Eugene," Elsa acknowledged him as well, and he nodded shyly.
"Hi, girls!  We're doing well.  How's married life for you two -- and where are the guys?" 
"It's been great -- Kristoff's such a gentleman," Elsa's sweet smile told me that she was still on cloud 9.  I guess I shouldn't chuckle at that, since it's been almost four months since Eugene and I got married, and we still haven't fallen from cloud 9!
"Anna?  What about you and Hans?"  Eugene asked hesitantly, since she refused to look at me.  That in itself quite frankly hurt a lot, but that's how she was anymore. 
"It's been great," she slipped a glance right beside me at my husband, and then went right back to looking at her boots. 
"That's good.  So was your wedding all you'd hoped for? I thought it was wonderful."

They both stared at me for a moment, but then Elsa's eyes lit up and she started to giggle.  She knew.  Wait.  How did she know?!
"I thought I saw you, but I wasn't sure!"  Elsa flat-out started laughing when she saw her sister's horribly confused face.  Confused and enraged. 
"Is your husband behind this?!  How did you see the wedding?  You weren't in attendance, were you?"  She continued to ramble, making idle threats.  The way she said 'your husband' made me bristle, but I tried to answer sweetly. 
"Some things are better left unknown, but no, Eugene was not entirely behind anything," I said.
"Do YOU have something to do with it?"  Anna whirled towards her sister, and she held her hands up. 
"Noo, no I don't.  Rapunzel was smart enough on her own, I'm sure." 
Wellll...Eugene had told me when and where, but I didn't want to get him into this. 
"Hey, at least I didn't think or say your wedding was stupid or horrible or something..."  I interjected.  "I don't see why it's such a big deal that I saw it.  I'm happy for all of you."
"Hmm."  Anna looked like she didn't believe me.  I wanted to ask her why she still had such a strong aversion to me, but I didn't say anything.  "You'll regret doing that.  I promise you will." 
Like I could be scared by that.  I'd gotten far worse threats from Punzie -- and my own SISTER!  When she wasn't...you know..when I didn't know she was my sister. 

We stood in awkward silence for a few minutes, but then Elsa spoke up.  "Well.  I guess I'll have to come visit you guys, and meet your kids.  I heard you're on the table?" 
"Yup!  Come anytime, we'd love to have you.  All of you!"  I added, and Anna rolled her eyes around. 
"Well, we'll see you later then.  Nice seeing you!"  Elsa called over her shoulder as Anna hauled her off. 
"Same!"  I called, and when they were out of sight, I turned to my husband.  "Well, then." 
"Did that...go well, or did it go poorly?"  Eugene asked, scratching his forehead. 
"I'm not really sure," I laughed.  "Nobody got punched, so I guess it went well!" 
He chuckled, giving me a mischievous grin.  "She really didn't know what to think, did she..."
"Nope," I said.  "I just really wish she'd stop being so...I don't know.  Defensive?  Disgusted with my presence?  But regardless.  At least Elsa's still friendly!  She still seems quite smitten with her husband." 
"Well..I'm still quite smitten with you," Eugene gave me that silly grin of his, and I couldn't help but laugh as my heart squeezed.  I told him to quit, and he chuckled, but obeyed, instead going back to talking about the Frozen bunch. 
Hmm. 
Well...I'll be excited to see if Elsa actually does come to visit, but at the same time, I'd just really like to befriend Anna all over again.  Or maybe not -- I wouldn't want to go through all this again!  Bleagh.  At least it's a good thing that nobody got injured when I told her I'd seen her entire wedding...right?  xD 

Frozen Engagements and Other...Interesting...News...

So....today was interesting. 
Deciding that I hadn't seen Anna or Elsa in awhile, this afternoon I decided to see if anyone was interested in going for a walk.
Eugene had already told me to take a day to have some fun, so after I gave him and the girls hugs and 'see-you-later's, I popped up onto the shelf above us.
"Hey, guys!"  I called to anyone who'd listen.  Punzie immediately gave me a look, but I overlooked that.
What I wasn't expecting was to see both Elsa and Anna with ribbons in their hair. 
"Hey, sis!"  Zelia said,  but I was too busy staring at the Frozen sisters, eyes wide. 
She came over to me, and so I grabbed her wrist and dragged her to a corner of the shelf.
"When'd THAT happen?!"  I whispered, jerking my head in their general direction. 
"Two..days ago, I think?"  She said, squinting as she thought. 
"Why didn't you tell me - wait.  Why didn't THEY tell me?!  Did they get engaged at the same time?" 
"Yeah.  Uh...I'm sorry, I just...Anna...UGH."  Zelia broke off, shaking her head. "Anna immediately pulled me aside and told me to not tell you.  Their big double wedding is going to be the 28th...she invited me, but then added not to tell you THAT, either.  When I asked why, she said it was because you were so - and I quote - 'clumsy, and she didn't want you to do something to distract from their big day'.  Elsa wasn't happy, and Hans and Kristoff weren't pleased, either, but Anna's making sure you don't get invited.  I told her that I wasn't attending the wedding unless you were allowed to come, too." 
I felt my neck get hot with pain and anger.  "Why...Ugh, I don't even want to know why I get treated like this anymore...Zelia, you go to the wedding.  You shouldn't-"
"NO!  I refuse to go if she's gonna act like that!" 
I took a deep breath, an idea forming in my mind.  "Why don't we go for a walk?" 
"Sure...?"  Zelia gave me a confused look. 
"But first.."  I walked right over to where Anna and Elsa were sitting with their fiances, planning their double wedding and giggling like crazy.  "Hey, girls...congratulations, by the way!"
Anna gasped, whirling to look at me.  "Oh!  Um, uh...thanks."
"When's the wedding?"  I asked, trying to appear innocent. 
"Umm...we haven't decided yet, but we're-"
"February 28th," Elsa broke her off. 
"But we didn't plan to invite you, cause you know...with you having the kids and everything now, we figured you'd be too busy." 
Elsa gave her a disgusted look before standing up.  "She's lying.  I'm sorry."  Was all she whispered in my ear before she moved away from her sister.
I gave her a quick nod before saying, "Well...you're right.  I am busy, but we still would have come.  Congratulations, though, to all four of you." 
Hans mouthed a 'sorry' right before I left the shelf quickly, Zelia hastily following suit. 

We were silent until we got to the floor. 
"Thanks for telling me the truth, Zelia."  I mumbled.  "I can't believe this." 
She shook her head.  "I don't, either.  Of all the people...you know what?!  Anna doesn't deserve your attendance at that wedding, anyway!  Elsa might, but not Anna!" 
I shrugged my shoulders up to my ears, willing my churning emotions to quiet.  "I'm trying to not get mad, but it's really hard.  I should be used to this anyway." 
"No, you should never get used to-"
"Weeeelll, I did.  I shouldn't be surprised, anyway.  But regardless.  I'm over it.  I'm done.  Why don't you go to the wedding so you can give me a good insider report on it?" 
"I'm sure it will stink and be boring, plus I don't want  to go if you're not allowed to go."  Zelia said adamantly, and then we basically just walked in silence for awhile.  My mind was too muddled to say anything, and I was afraid I was going to cry if I said anything.  "Well, I'm going back.  You coming?"
"Nahh...you go on ahead.  Thanks again, for being honest.  And for coming for a walk," I gave her a convincing grin, and she gave me a look that told me she read right through my brave face, but she nodded and left. 

I walked for awhile after Zelia left.  I needed to have some time alone to think and I wanted to make sure I wasn't going to cry -- I didn't want to cry in front of the girls, nor did I want to in front of Eugene...especially over something so silly and idiotic! 

Hm, right. 
I'd made it about halfway across the room when I heard footsteps rapidly approaching me from behind.  Then, I felt a hand on my shoulder. 
I turned quickly to see none other than my husband. 
"Eugene!"  I gasped, hoping he hadn't noticed I'd been crying.  "Wh...what are you doing here?  Where are the girls?  How'd you find me?"
He left his hand on my shoulder.  "Zelia came back, immediately telling me that I should hunt you down and talk to you.  And she offered to watch the girls for us for as long as we wanted, so there is absolutely NO hurry.  What's wrong?"
"Nothing."  I said, a little too fast. 
"Well, there's obviously something.  Let's see.  You never go for unexplained walks, your sister was worried about you, you look distressed, and your eyes are rimmed with red.  I'd say there's something wrong."  I sighed, and turned me so he could look me in the eye, setting his other hand on my shoulder, too.  "Tell me.  Please?" 
"It's stupid.  You'll laugh at me for this..." I trailed off, but then I dove into the whole spiel.  About how Anna hadn't told me, but she'd instead told my sister.  How she'd lied to my face, basically.  That she didn't want me at the wedding because she knew I'd become the center of attention...because of my awkwardness.  "And do you finally see why I can't stand myself?  I bet you always thought that I was overreacting when I said that sooner or later, everyone ditches me because of my awkwardness.  Well, I wasn't!  I wish I wasn't this way.  If I weren't so awkward, maybe I could actually have a friend or two.  And you...you are the one doll who's stuck with me the longest, and quite frankly, I'm sorry you have to have a wife like me.  You could've done so much better  - with some pretty doll who's smart and pretty, elegant, graceful...and you end up with frumpy, awkward old me for the rest of your plastic life.  You deserve more.  You're so perfect, and...then there's me." I finished my rant, which had lasted a surprising amount of time.

He swallowed...took a deep breath...and thought for a minute.  "You know, Rapunzel...while I'm a bit mad at Anna for being like this...and I can completely understand your angst....I don't really know how to word this, so bear with me, and I'm sorry if I offend you, but this has been a long time coming, and I feel that this is the appropriate time to tell you this.  You're blind, my dear girl.  You are blind as a bat.  All you see is...is minor imperfections and dolls who don't like you.  But at the same time, you can see the best in other dolls.  You need to start seeing the best in yourself-"
"Don't you see?  I can't - I can't because there's not much good IN me!"  I broke him off, to which he gave my shoulders a gentle shake, telling me to listen. 
"NO.  There you go again!  Let me tell you this, Rapunzel.  You need to pay more attention to the fact that your sister loves you, your daughters both love you, and I love you!  Do you really need to focus on the past; on dolls that were only temporary, untrue friends?  No.  You don't.  And you'll only bring yourself down more by doing so.  And..and you say I'M perfect?!  To most, I'm about as imperfect as it gets!  I'm shy, I'm awkward at times, I'm not the 'bad boy' type, and oh, let's not forget about how bad I am with words!  And yet you think I'm perfect.  And YOU - most dolls see you and see your awkwardness, your shyness, and your quietness...and they don't like what they see.  But when I look at you...I see perfection.  Your daughters see perfection - in different ways, of course.  Your sister sees perfection.  Well..maybe not perfection, but she still loves you, and you can't deny any of this.  You don't see the beauty in yourself.  You might not be all made up and bold like the others, but it's what's on the INSIDE that counts.  And you're pretty on the outside to boot - which is a rare combination.  When I-I...when I see you...what you don't see is your sweet smile.  Your big green eyes, full of curiosity and kindness.  How you stood up for Elsa when Anna was being nasty to her.  The love pouring from your eyes when you hold our little girls.  The adorable way you laugh and cover your eyes after you've done something silly or awkward.  And you have to be a pretty special person to love me, and to love and accept your sister, especially after what she did.  Let alone not totally wig out on Anna earlier...  I could go on, but I won't.  And don't you ever - I repeat, EVER - apologize for marrying me, based off of your 'imperfections' or 'appearance'.  Rapunzel, you're the b-best thing that's ever happened to me -- you and the girls -- and I don't know w-what I'd do without you...any of you...and it drives me purely MAD that you think so low of yourself, and I wish I could show you how much we all love you, and that you don't need to, nor should you, focus on the negatives in life!" 

After his incredibly lengthy speech, he took a deep breath, huffing.  I wasn't sure what to make of what he'd just said.  When his brown eyes held mine in an intense, compassionate gaze, the wheels turned in my head.  I'd spent all my life trying to please everyone; trying to hide who I was.  Trying to be elegant and graceful, un-awkward, just so I could be accepted.  And after Eugene came around, I stopped hiding myself from everyone.  Sure, this caused so much grief in my life that it wasn't even funny, but geesh.  Recently, I've been so focused on those who didn't like me...when I hadn't even stopped to think about Zelia, Jordan, Audrey, and Eugene loving me for who I was and accepting me.  Why had  I been focusing on everyone else for so long, when I could've been happy and oblivious all this time?  I knew it was a habit from previous homes, but I really needed to drop that habit. 
My eyes filled with tears as this sunk in, and I grabbed my husband into a tight hug, burying my face into his shoulder.  He hesitated, but then held me close, placing a few kisses in my hair.  We just stood in one another's embrace for a little bit, until I pulled away.  
"Thank you for...um...that speech.  You've hit the nail on the head, and yeah, I'm blind.  I'm sor-"
He pulled  me close again, giving me an impulsive, gentle kiss.  "Don't apologize, okay?" 
I nodded.  "I ever tell you how much I love you?  I probably haven't told you enough." 
"Hmm..." he gave me that adorable grin of his.  "I could stand to hear it again, though.  But, as far as the wedding...want to crash it in our own, shy way?  We'll find out when and where, and watch from afar.  And then you can freak Anna or Elsa out if you talk to them again, and be like 'oh yeah, your wedding was cool'."  He attempted to ease up the mood.
I giggled, giving him a shove.  "Absolutely not.  You're such a goofball." 
"You wouldn't love me any other way - admit it," he winked as we started to head for our shelf. 
I wrapped an arm around his waist, feeling relieved after our talk.  "No...I wouldn't.  Thanks for the talk."
"It make you feel better?  I was a bit worried to tell you, because I figured there was a fifty-fifty chance - either you'd have THIS reaction, or you'd blow up in my face."  He put an arm around my shoulders and squeezed, and we stayed quiet for the rest of the walk back to the shelf. 
As soon as we came back to our shelf, Zelia gave me a knowing look, likely meaning that (since it was around eight), the girls were asleep. 
I nodded, and she quietly came over. 
"He talk to you?"  She asked in a whisper. 
"Yeah," I said quietly. "Quite the speech, but one I really needed." 
She surprised me by giving me a tight hug.  "I love you, sis.  I should've told you about them before-"
"It's fine.  Love you, too," I told her, returning her sisterly embrace. 
"See you tomorrow."  She said, and then she left. 

Whew..Okay.  Soo...What do I do now?  Do I try to figure out what's bugged Anna, or do I take Eugene's advice, let it go, and just focus on those who care about me?  Hmmmph....

Our Day Out [=

This morning,  Eugene woke me up early.  Zelia was coming at 7, so we needed to get up and around earlier than usual. 
Of course, 6:30 AM is not my normal wake-up time, unless one of the girls gets up...so I could hardly get myself to stay awake. 
"Hey, sleepyhead...wake up..." I could hear Eugene quietly saying this repeatedly, but I couldn't even lift my head!  I finally managed to, though, mumbling. 
"I'm up, I'm up..." I yawned, working to peel my eyes open.  When I did get them open, I caught Eugene giving me an amused expression.  "What?" 
"Nothing.  Sorry to wake you up, but Zelia's coming in about half an hour," he whispered, brushing the huge amount of hair out of my eyes. 
Half...half an hour? 
I stretched, reluctant to get moving.  "Ughhh.  Okay.  I need to get ready, but I don't want to move...and I don't want to wake the girls, either." 
"Understandable.  Stay here for a bit, then," he told me, wrapping me up in his arms. 
I grinned, allowing my eyes to shut again, but I'd no more than gotten comfortable again, and then Jordan started whimpering. 
I shot upright, twisting to see her.  Eugene quirked a brow as he sat up too.  We both watched her, waiting to see if she was going to wake up or not.
After I was sure that miss Jordan wasn't going to wake up and I'd decided to stop watching the girls sleeping (cause they're so sweet and adorable...), I turned back to Eugene as a thought crossed my mind.  I hadn't even realized how different I felt now that I wasn't completely and utterly alone in the doll world. 
I turned sideways, twisting my torso so I could look him in the eye.  "Eugene?  Um, thanks." 
"What?" Eugene gave me a puzzled expression. 
I sucked in a deep breath, but held it, trying to decide how to explain.  Instead, I just let it out in a huge exhale, starting to turn away.  "Never mind - just me being weird."  I gave a self-depricating, quiet laugh. 
"Hey, you've peaked my curiosity now, hon.  What's up?"
"Thanks, cause I just realized that...I ah, I haven't had that lonely, hopeless feeling in a long time.  So th..thanks for sticking with me."  I buried my face in my hands, feeling my face heat up terribly.  "I'm sorry.  That sounded so stupid." 
He chuckled.  "No, it didn't.  And..I'm actually really glad ya feel that way."  He winked, and I reached to give him a quick hug before slipping away to get ready for the day. 

I wore my normal dress, but I braided my hair, scattering a few flower-ribbon things Tangled Fan had made throughout the braid. 
I'd just finished up when Zelia dropped down to our shelf - a bit more gracefully than when she had come down a few days ago. 
"Hey, sis - wow, you look great!"  Zelia said, giving me smile.
I almost choked.  Sure, Zelia's changed, but I still wasn't used to getting compliments from her.  "Oh, um, thanks..."
"Great?  JUST great?"  Eugene came up behind me, carrying Jordan.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I saw the love pouring from his eyes.  "You look beautiful." 
I laughed, rolling my eyes as I went to go see what Audrey was up to. 
Playing with Pascal, as was her norm. 
"Hey, sweetie, Aunt Zelia's going to watch you guys today.  Be good, sweetie, okay?  Love you," I told her, reaching to hug her. 
"Okay.  I like Aunt Zelia, she's fun.  Love you, Momma!"  She hugged me back, and my heart squeezed.  I gave her an extra little hug and then left her to resume playing with Pascal.  I held Jordan while Eugene said bye to Audrey, and then Zelia took the baby from my arms.
"You guys stay out as long as you like - I think I can handle them.  And I'm glad to be on a shelf other than the one I'm always on," she coughed and rolled her eyes upward. 
"Say no more," I giggled. "Well, thank you.  I'll see you all later!" 
"Have a good - romantic - day, guys!"  Zelia teased as soon as Eugene came back and we'd turned to leave the shelf. 
I thought for sure my husband was going to fall off the edge of the shelf at that one.
His face grew red.  "Uh..yeah...Um...we will."  

As soon as we got to the floor, I giggled.  "I'm sorry, bud, but you're never living that one down.  Your face is so red..."
"You haven't seen your face, have you...." he told me, and I felt it get hotter. 
"Hmmm."  I shook my head, grinning. 
We walked in silence for a bit, but then Eugene slung an arm around my shoulders comfortably.  "You really look nice today, hon."  He gave me that classic grin of his. 
"Oh, well...I don't really think so, I mean, I just put those flower things in my braid, but...thanks," I blundered on, and he chuckled.
After that, we just talked for a good, long time.  Reminiscing, discussing an assortment of things, and discussing the future. 
We also watched Tangled on Tangled Fan's laptop.  I cried like a baby at the end...and when I glanced over at Eugene, he was staring at me.  Not sure whether he was thinking about the movie, or wondering if I'd lost my mind.  But regardless :D  And we both sang "I See the Light" at the top of our lungs.  Yeah, you read that sentence correctly - I sang too.  Eugene knew better than to say anything about it, knowing he'd embarrass me, but he gave me a  surprised smile, which quickly turned into an adoring gaze as he started singing, too.  :]

By the time we were done watching Tangled, it was dark on the floor. 
"We'd better get back to the shelf," I told him, but he shook his head. 
"Let's go check and see if the sky's clear...if you want to stargaze for awhile?" 
I gave him a broad smile, my heart quickening with excitement.  "Is that even a QUESTION, Eugene?!  Of course!"  I thought for a minute, though, considering the fact that he hadn't been on such a long trek since his accident.  "But..your legs-"
"-Are fine.  I promise," he winked, giving me a quick, one-armed hug before leading me up to the windowsill.

When I glanced up at the sky above, the sight nearly took my breath away. And then Eugene, who was behind me, put his hands on my shoulders, resting his chin on top of my head. "I had hoped that we could do this tonight. Go back to where our life together started to begin."
My heart fluttered as I thought back to the evening we'd gotten back together, gotten engaged, and, I think, fallen in love with each other even more than we'd been before.
"Hmm," I sighed, grinning up at him. I allowed myself to be led over to the corner of the windowsill, where Eugene settled in the corner, pulling me into his lap.
We sat in silence for awhile, just looking up into the sky and enjoying one another's company. I was also reminiscing on the night we'd gotten engaged. I know it was just about over two months ago, but still. That night would always hold an extra-special place in my heart. I finally gave a content sigh, snuggling up a bit closer to Eugene and wondering if he was thinking back to that night, too. When he put his arms snugly around me, tracing my hairline with little kisses, I figured I had my answer. When he spoke up, I was positive. "We should do this more often. This makes me think about when we got engaged. I'll never forget the feeling that came over me when I saw you on the chair, waiting for me that night. Gosh, I'll never even forget what I felt when I saw you for the first time."
I laughed. "When you saw me on the chair, you probably thought, 'Oh, great. The crazy chick's back.'"
He burst out laughing, but when he was done, he shook his head, his eyes glimmering in the darkness. "More like 'Oh my gosh, here's the girl I adore, who I thought I'd never get to see again.' And when I met you for the first time...I dunno, you just seemed like everything I ever wanted was...hanging off of an alarm clock cord. And at the same time, my world as I knew it was crumbling down, because I wasn't usually brave enough to go help some strange doll, let alone talk to her."
I gave him a shy smile as he studied my face with a gentle expression. I knew I could never top THAT little speech, which had just made me melt. Except for the part reminding me about my near-accident with the alarm clock.
"Well...I'll never forget the feeling that washed over me when you took me in my arms for the first time in about two weeks. Hmm...I'll never forget how you made -and make - me feel - every moment between meeting you and the day my plastic life is up." I laughed, totally botching what I'd hoped would turn out to be a sweet, heartfelt, perfect monologue. Hah, me? Perfect? Funny.
But he didn't seem to be affected negatively. He gave me that special grin of his again, looking like he wouldn't trade me for the world. (But seriously, what's a doll gonna do with the world?...)
I pulled away from his arms, resituating myself to face him so I could lean over and kiss him. Our lips met in a slow, gentle kiss, and when it ended, I gave him another shy grin, settling back down on his lap and leaning my head up against his chest, gazing out the window once more. He draped his arms around me, giving my shoulders a quick squeeze, and then proceeded to stroke my hair.

We sat there, whispering to each other for awhile and watching the sky above us...until clouds came in and the snow started.  By then, we were tired anyway. 
Getting back to our shelf was tough, since it was really, really dark in the room by then.  Butttt we made it back around 9:30PM. 
Both the girls were asleep, and Zelia was dozing on the chair when we got back. 
I was just about to get Zelia a blanket to let her sleep down here, when she jerked awake. 
"Oh, gosh!  You guys are back.  Hey.  Uh..the girls just went to bed about an hour ago, they tuckered themselves out.  They were really good, both of them!  How was your day?" 
"It was wonderful," I told her, and she smiled. 
"Romantic?" 
Casting a sideways glance towards Eugene, I grinned, seizing the opportunity to tease.  "Very." 
His face grew horribly red - so red that I could tell it was, even though it was dark-, and Zelia laughed quietly. 
"Okay, well...can I see you guys tomorrow sometime?" 
"Sure," Eugene said, and I gave her a quick hug before she left. 
I don't know about my husband, but after that, I fell asleep as soon as I curled up on my side under the blankets, tired from the day.  Tired, but content. (:

An, Ah...Interesting Revelation...Part 2.

Read part 1 HERE...otherwise, you'll be confused.  Trust me. 
Today, I woke up late with my face buried in Eugene's shoulder.  He was slowly stroking my hair, so I sighed and lifted my head to look at him.  We were both sitting up, and I was on his lap, so we must've fallen asleep sitting up last night. 
"Hey, beautiful girl," he told me quietly, and I gave him a small smile.  "Feeling better this morning?" 
"Hmmh..." I sighed.  "I guess.  I'm not bawling, am I?"
"That's good," he chuckled.  "I'm sorry, sweetheart." 
"Like I'm pretty sure I said before..it's fine," I told him.
"What's on the  agenda for today?"  He asked, stretching his arms out.
I watched him and couldn't help the small grin that lifted the corners of my mouth.  "I dunno.  I think it's one of those 'sit-and-chill' days." 
He caught me grinning and winked in return.  "Sounds like an excellent plan, m'lady," 
I giggled, and he kissed my forehead before wrapping me up loosely in his arms.
He proceeded to hold me a tender gaze, and I promptly felt stupid for ever doubting him. 
"I'm sorry for-"
"It's fine," he told me, "and don't be sorry.  You  were right to be worried." 
He pulled me close to him, so I buried my face into his shoulder and breathed in his familiar scent for  a few moments; until he heaved a huge sigh. 
"What?"  I asked, pulling away enough to look up at him. 
"I still can't believe I was dumb enough to keep it from you," he admitted.
"Don't be.  What's done is done, now I know, and I also know now that you wouldn't keep secrets from me.  Or at least, I really hope so." 
He gave me a pleased look, so I snuggled closer to him and he held me tight. 
Until he cleared his throat a few minutes later.  "I have been hiding something from you, though." 
Alarmed, I jerked away from him and gave him a horrified stare.  My heart thundered in fear.  "What?!" 
My heart sped up, but then I caught his gaze.  A warmth spread over me as I caught that adorable grin of his.
He put his forehead up against mine and whispered how much he loved me.  I gave him a shy smile.
"Hmm...well...I don't mind that.  And...it wasn't much of a secret, you know." 
"Oh, really?"  His grin turned impish and he reached to tickle me. 
"Hey! Knock it off!!"  I squealed, squirming to get away from his tickling hand.  I gave him a shove, and then he wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in as close as I could get to him.  I laughed, exasperated, and he gave me a quick peck on the nose.  I put an arm around his neck, and buried my face in his shoulder for a couple of seconds. 
Until I thought I heard someone calling my name. 
I pulled away, but Eugene tried to bring me back into him. 
"Wait."  I whispered, staring blankly at him as I waited to hear it again. 
There it was!
"Zelia?"  Eugene whispered, and I gave him a horrified look, jerking away and half tumbling, half sliding off his lap. 
"What?"  I called.  "You can come up here if you want." 
She did, looking quite awkward.  I pulled my legs up to my chest and gave her a small smile. 
"I wasn't interrupting anything, was I?"  She asked.
I shook my head.  "What's up?" 
"I-I was just wondering if you wanted to go for a...walk today?" 
My eyes widened in surprise.  And dread.  "Um...I don't think we were planning anything, so I suppose we could."  I turned to Eugene and put a hand on his shoulder.  "Is that fine?" 
"Yeah," he told me.
"If you don't want to.." she trailed off, giving me an out, but then I saw the disappointed expression on her face. 
"We'll go - no problem!" I reassured her.  "What time?" 
"Ten?" 
"What time's it now?"  I asked. 
"Nine-thirty," she told me, glancing at the alarm clock over on the deck.
"Okay.  I'll meet you on the deck at ten!" I told her. 
She gave me  a cautious smile and then left. 
I flopped backwards with a dramatic air...and suceeded in not only slamming myself up against my poor hubby's shoulder, but I also cracked my head off of his. 
"Oh my gosh!"  I gasped, jerking away and turning towards him.  "I am sooo sorry!  Are you okay?  Oh my gosh.."
He was rubbing at his head, so I took his hand away from the spot he was rubbing, so I could see it. 
"I'm fine," he told me, but he winced when I touched the spot on his head. 
"Um, I don't think you are.  I'm going to get Tangled Fa-"
"No, no, no.  I'm fine, hon.  On another note, you cracked your head on mine - are YOU alright?" 
I hadn't even thought about my own head.  It was throbbing a bit.  "I'm okay.  Now..."
"I'm fine, honey."  He told me again, but I gave him a doubtful look.  A teasing glimmer appeared in his eye. "But if you gave me a kiss, it might feel better..."
I giggled. "You're terrible...taking advantage of the situation...for shame."  I told him.  He gave me a mock-devastated expression, and I gave him a playful shove before I leaned over and gave him a kiss...on the cheek, to tease him.  "Better?" 
"Mmmaybe," he attempted another soulful expression. 
"Tough love."  I laughed, rolling my eyes jokingly at him.
He laughed and pulled me close to his side, adding a kiss in my hair. 
I sighed.  "I'm reeeally not looking forward to this.  Am I a bad person because of that?" 
He stayed silent for a few minutes.  "Well..I suppose not.  I don't think so, anyway.  You're just wary because she was always so   mean to you; added onto the three years where nobody bothered with you." 
"Hm," I said. "I guess I'd better get up and around..."  I stood up.  He reached a hand out, so I grinned and hauled him up to his feet as well, before I went to brush my hair.

After I'd brushed my hair out, it was almost time to go. 
And then I started pacing. I bit my lip, looked down, and took a deep, nervous breath, watching my feet.  I was extremely nervous.  I don't think I'd been this nervous since I'd started seeing Eugene back in September! 
 As I walked past my hubby, he put a hand on my shoulder to stop and turn me towards him, peering into my face.  "Hey...You'll be fine.  If not, yell.  I'll come be your bodyguard."
 I giggled and nodded.  "Okay." 
He gave me that adorable grin of his and tipped my chin up so I would meet his eyes. "You look exceptionally gorgeous today, sweet girl of mine." 
I blushed.  "Not really, but...thanks."  I added, reaching up to kiss his jaw before I hugged him.  He pulled me close for a few moments before he bent to brush his lips with mine.  Just as he did so, Zelia spoke up. 
"Whenever you're--oh." 
I gasped in surprise and then whirled away from Eugene to look at my...sister.  I think I almost smacked my head off of my husband's chin, I'd turned so quickly, but he must've had quick reflexes. 
"Sorry!"  I exclaimed.  "I'm..ah...ready.  Oh!  Pascal.  Almost forgot-"  I flashed Eugene a sheepish glance, silently apologizing for breaking off the kiss.
When I looked back at Zelia, she was giving me a look of horror.  "Do you have to take that-"
I huffed, but then I looked back at Eugene, who was standing behind me.  "You won't mind if I leave Pascal here, I take it?" 
"Not at all."
"Okay....but Zelia, I WILL get you to like Pascal.  I will!"  I told her, laughing, and my hubby dove down to give me a peck on the cheek from behind, before I hurried off with Zelia. 
We were both silent until we got to the floor, but Zelia was the first to speak up. 
"You two make an adorable couple, by the way." 
I gave her a careful smile, even though I was inwardly gasping with surprise.  "Thanks!" 
"And...I'm sorry for being the way I was." 
I nodded, and we were surrounded by awkward silence. 
Finally, I spoke up.  "So, ah...what kind of stuff do you like to..do?" 
She gave me a surprised look - probably amazed that I'd actually spoken up.  I felt my shyness come over me in a wave, and I wanted to disappear. 
"Well...Aside from acting like a different doll, I guess I like to go for walks and stuff.  I don't really know, Rapunzel.  I've never done anything like you have - never read books, never listened to music or blogged or anything.  I was just too absorbed in being...not me." 
I knew it was hard for her to admit it.  ''Hm.  Well, why don't we make it a point to do those things sometimes?  Only if Eugene can come along, too - because he likes doing basically the same things that I do." 
"That sounds good.  But-"
"Zelia.  He's my hubby.  He's not as bad as what you obviously think he is.  You only saw his bad side because you forced him to show it.  Trust me - the only time he even has raised his voice at me was when I broke up with him that time." 
She grimaced.  "Speaking of which, I'm sorry I wasn't there to comfort you.  Actually...that was basically what made me decide that I didn't want to play my part anymore.  That was the first time in two years that I'd wanted to hug someone and tell them it would be okay...but I couldn't.  Not after all I'd done to you.  But that was why I told Eugene about this the day after your wedding.  I was hoping he'd do the talking for me, because I figured you wouldn't believe me.  I didn't cause any grief, did I?"
Um...Kind of.  "Nah, it's all good.  But you never answered me fully." 
"Oh.  Yeah, he may as well come along, I suppose." 
"You suppose," I giggled.  "C'mon.  You'll like him...maybe.  I know I do!" 
She laughed.  She honest-to-goodness laughed. Who knew the girl could laugh in a nice, un-menacing way?!   "Obviously, since you married him!  But anyway, sis.  What do you like to do?" 
I gulped, hoping she didn't think anything was stupid.  "I like to go for walks, and sit up on the windowsill...and read, listen to music...and blog...I guess." 
She grinned.  "That's cool." 
We walked in silence for a few more minutes, before I gathered the courage to ask a question I'd been wondering.  "Why's Punzie...the way she is?" 
"I have no idea.  She was here before me, and she was this way to begin with!" 
"Okay.  So I still have to steer clear of Punzie, then." 
"Mmhmm." 
We spent the entire day walking and chatting.  I was amazed at how quickly she was shaking off her faux personality.  I mean, it was still there, but it was fading.  It felt good to help her back into her normal personality. 
Around eight, we parted ways in the dark.  I was absolutely exhausted.
She walked back to the chair with me, and gave me a quick, awkward hug.  "See you some other time, sis." 
"See ya," I said, amazed.  I almost choked in surprise, but I answered her anyway.
When she left for the dresser, I turned to climb up onto the chair.
Eugene was sitting with Pascal, but as soon as he saw me, he stood up and gave me that grin of his. 
"Hey,"
"Hey, yourself," I told him, smiling.  I walked over and picked up Pascal, giving him a cuddle up against my cheek.  He --Eugene, not Pascal.. =P -- snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me close, giving me a quick hug.  "Miss me much?"  I winked when he loosened his embrace. 
"Mmhmm."  He told me, nuzzling my hair with his nose for a second.  "How did today go?" 
"It went well, actually."  He stepped away from me to give me a surprised look, and I laughed. "I know.  She was pretty nice.  A few times, she slipped up, but she was pretty good.  Next time, you're coming with, my dear." 
He gave me a horrified look.  "What?" 
"You're coming with us the next time we go for a walk.  Trust me, it'll be fine."  I giggled.  "I'd give you an out, but she needs to see who you really are.  And I guess you need to see who she really is!" 
He thought for a moment.  "I guess I can't get out of this one, huh?  Well, that's fine.  I guess." 

Concerns and a day out for the first time in a lonnng time!! =D

Happy New Year (Rather, New Year's Eve.. :P), everyone! (=
Ever since Christmas, I've been a bit worried about Anna and Elsa.  I know I shouldn't worry about their own business, but I can't help myself -- they're my friends, and I don't want them to be upset!

So this morning, I was talking it over with Eugene.  Being the doting person he is, he sat and listened to every worry I had. 
"Well....I think it's kind of you to be concerned for them, of course, but just don't poke your nose into anything you can't get back out of, okay?  Those two are volatile, and I wouldn't want to make either of them mad.  Especially Anna."  He half-joked, giving me a grin. 
I laughed.  "I know.  I just...I suppose I shouldn't worry about them, but I just can't help it!" 
He nodded, getting an unreadable expression on his face. 
When I asked him what the matter was, he simply stood up, reaching his hand out to me. "C'mon." 
"Where are we going?"  I asked, quirking a brow as I took his hand and stood.
"For a walk.  You seem like you need to go for a walk," he told me, giving me a smile.
I gave him a broad grin, immediately excited at his idea.  "Have I ever told you how much I love you?" 
He chuckled as we headed off of the dresser.  "Only about fifty times." As he said this, he snagged the iPod from the drawer.
Giggling and giddy to get going - we hadn't gone on a walk in I don't know how long! - I tugged on his hand and led him quickly to the floor. 
On our way down, we came across the tiny Loki doll.  I gave him a quick grin and a hello, to which he just sneered.  I'll win him over someday!

When we got to the floor, Eugene set the iPod down, and we just wandered for awhile.  We chatted about anything and everything, between the first time we met and our future.  If I as much as spoke up about Anna or Elsa, my hubby quickly redirected my thoughts towards something else. 
In the afternoon, we swung back to where the iPod was. He stopped walking and snagged my hand, turning me around to look at him.

"What?"  I asked, smiling shyly as soon as I saw that award-winning grin spread across his features.
Suddenly, he seemed to remember what he was going to do, and his face went red.  He ducked his head towards his feet for a moment, before peeking back up at me in a hilariously cute manner.
"I-I was wondering if you wanted to...uh...dance."  He paused, and then he acted as if he had to explain himself.  "I...just thought it might be something different, and...but..if you don't want to, I can understand why, and-"

I laughed, putting my arms around his neck. "I'd love to."
With another killer grin, he pulled away long enough to turn the iPod onto some music, and then we danced through several songs.
To my surprise, he was a LOT better at dancing....tons better than the last time we'd danced, on our wedding day. We even attempted to recreate the "Kingdom Dance" from our movie...which didn't turn out too well... =P

Like when we tried to catch each other like at the end of the song in the movie...

And when I tried to hook Eugene by the arm..and missed...

...And when we bumped into each other for the 7908th time. :P

By the time we were done dancing, it was dark on the floor.  We headed up to sit on the window for awhile, but since the sky was heavily laden with clouds, we didn't stay there for long. 
When we got back to the shelf, I was flat-out exhausted. 
As soon as we stepped back onto the shelf, Pascal hopped off of my shoulder (he'd barely survived our Kingdom Dance attempts :P ), launched himself at the wicker chair...plopped down, tucked his tail over his nose...and went to sleep. 
I giggled quietly, gesturing towards him, and Eugene chuckled. 
"Tuckered out from all the walking he didn't do," he said quietly, and I flat-out laughed. 
"Mmhm.  Well, it's tiring, almost getting launched off of someone's shoulder...repeatedly." 
He grinned, and I smothered a yawn.  Noticing my yawn, he suggested we head to bed....and I didn't complain. 
As I spread out the blankets, a fleeting thought crossed my mind. 
What would life be like once we adopted and started a family?  Would we ever go on our walks again after that?  I thought up other things and gnawed on them for awhile. 
After I'd unbraided my hair, brushed it out, and changed into my nightie, I admitted my thoughts to Eugene. 
He gave me a patient smile the second I said 'adopt', as if he knew what I was going to say.  Was I that predictable?!
When I finished my quick speech, he touched my side, but he didn't answer me at first.  Then, he just bent to give me a quick little kiss. 
"C'mere." 
I followed him to sit down in bed, and then he answered me. 
"I was just thinking about the same thing.  Don't worry...we won't grow apart after we start a family - I won't let us.  And we'll keep our walks.  After all, us going for walks together was what brought us together!  When we go for walks, I always remember our walks when we were just-"
"Starting to fall head over heels?"  I broke him off, grinning. 
He gave me a smitten sort of smile before he nodded.  "Mhm. And I'm sure we'll think of something.  We have plennnnty of time before we talk to Tangled Fan about adoption, right?  Unless you were planning on it already - I mean, we haven't even been married for quite a month." 
Wow.  Noo, I wasn't planning on adopting yet!!  "Oh, goodness - no, I don't want to adopt quite yet.  But..you know, for when we do in the future.  I was just being weird and overly-worrisome," I said. 
He winked.  "You're not being weird..I was just half-worrying about the same thing."
I realized he was trying to be all tough and not admit he had been worrying about anything.  Giggling, I gave him a playful shove.  "Yeah, yeah...half-worrying...sure." 
He chuckled.  "I know.  You got me." 
Flopping over backwards, he half sighed, half yawned, and then I tossed the blankets over both of us before I curled up.  He was quiet for a couple of minutes, and I thought he'd gone to sleep already, but then he started stroking my hair.  I grinned to myself, and then he told me to c'mere again....so I didn't hesitate when he stretched an arm out so I could tuck myself a bit closer to him, sprawling an arm across his chest and resting my head on his shoulder.  He put his arm around me and pulled me as close to him as he could. 
"Did you enjoy your walk  today?"  He asked quietly. 
Grinning into his shoulder, I nodded.  "Thank you.  I loved it..."
"Me too," he told me...and I was content for a couple of seconds, until another question popped into my mind. 
"How did you learn how to dance so well?  Last month...." I broke off short of telling him he had been horrible at dancing.
He laughed.  "This might sound silly, but I searched on the iPod and tried to teach myself, as a surprise to you.  Anytime we weren't together, I'd be practicing." 
I flopped onto my belly so I could look at his face.  "Seriously?!" 
Chuckling, he nodded.  "Silly, I know." 
"No, no, no..that's not what I meant.  I'm just surprised you did that.  I mean, I could've taught you if you had asked, instead of going through all that, and I'm sure it wasn't easy-"
He laughed through his nose. "Then it wouldn't have been a surprise.  And, well, it was well worth it...at least, I thought so.  I saw your face light up more and more when I didn't stomp all over your feet through the first song."
I gave him a sheepish grin.  "I was surprised.  It was a good surprised, though!  Thank you." 
I reached to kiss the tip of his nose, and he gave me that special grin before telling me good night and that he loved me...as was custom every night.  I returned it, and then curled up under the blankets, feeling my various, and probably unnecessary, worries slip away when he tightened his arm around me.