After the awkward but informative meeting in daddy's office I was free to go tear through wrapping paper with Joey under the tree. This was the best Christmas ever! Between the two of us we got about 7 gifts a piece. As Joey's last present I surprised him with the remote controlled dinosaur I bought him from the toy store at the mall. Joey got me a new hot pink scarf and with matching hat and gloves. It looked really warm and it's a good thing. Chanhassen gets really cold this time of year. My dad as his dream girl sat and watched us open our gifts when Regan jumped up excited remembering that she got us gifts.

  "Hey guys come to the courts I got you guys something!" She said as she ran out of the main living space.

Me and Joey looked at each other with big smiles and followed behind her. My dad ran after us complaining that we shouldn't be out in the snow without coats but he pretended that we didn't hear him and kept running. Once we got outside and to the gate Regan stopped us at the opening.

  "Close your eyes!" She said excited and slipped though then entranced.

We closed our eyes and waited as we shivered in the cold.

  "Ok! Open your eyes and come inside!"

We ran through the entrance and to our surprise we saw two huge sleds with our names on them sticking out from the snow along with safety gear and new coats.

  "This is the coolest thing ever! Thank you miss Regan!" Joey screamed as he bolted for his royal blue sled

  "This is so amazing! This is what you had to ask our dad about?" I asked as I ran my hand down my name.

  "It took a lot of convincing but.....I got him to cave." She said with a wink.

She looked over at my dad and smiled as he watched us marvel at our new gifts. After seeing Joey's rosy cheeks and light blue lips he cleared his throat and pulled our attention to our coats that he had raised in the air. It didn't take much for us to remember that we were standing in 15 degree weather. We walked over to him and put our coats on. He looked at us and then at Regan as he helped Joey zip his coat up and put up his hood.

  "Alright guys what do you say?" He said to know reminding us to be on our P's and Q's.

  "Thank you!" We both said.

  "You're very welcome! Anything for you guys." Regan smiled.

  "Alright now lets get inside we don't want anyone getting sick before school starts back up." My dad said being the parental unit that he is.

We all went back inside and daddy had requested the kitchen aid to make some hot chocolate and some of my dad's favorite batches of cookies. As we waited for the cookies and hot chocolate we sat in the living room by the huge fire place and talked about a bunch of nothing. My dad and Regan told us stories of their summers spent away at camp in Minnetonka. We laughed so hard when Regan told us about the time when Morris dared her to break into the old cabin and get a box of candy. When the shelves collapsed she fell to the ground and was buried in rubble and my dad and his friends thought she was dead but they felt better when she came out in once piece. Then they told us about the time when he played a gig in downtown Minneapolis and they made $500 in a single weekend. That explains the performance in the leopard underwear. When the cookies and hot chocolate arrived we continued to share stories and snack on sweets until dinner time. This truly was the best Christmas ever. Around the next childhood story Regan was about to tell her cell phone rang. She pulled it from her pocket and looked at the screen when her face lost its smile and she seemed concerned about something.

"Sorry to stop but I gotta take this." She said as she jumped up from her spot on the couch.

"Is everything alright Mouse?" My dad asked her concerned.

"Yeah.....it's just an important call t won't take long." She said.

"On Christmas?" Joey asked as he chewed on his cookie.

"I promise when I'm done I'll come right back buddy." She said with a smile.

Joey took a bite out of his cookie and gave her a thumbs up as she left out of the room answering the call.

"I like her! She's nice!" Joey said with a mouth full of cookie.

"Do you now?" Daddy asked raising an eyebrow.

"I like her too daddy. You should have married her. What happened? Cold feet?" I joked.

"You heard what she said she didn't because she wanted me to be happy. Regan looks out for the people she loves that's all." He said.

"Well I think you still should have stopped her from leaving."

"I didn't know she left until after she was already gone Carlyn. Speaking of phones......"

My dad stood up and went over to the book shelf ad pulled a long black box down with a big purple bow on top.

"I'm not one for giving gifts this time of year because.....well....you know.....but I want you to have this."

He came back over and sat down on the couch handing me the box.

"What is it?" I asked excited shaking the box.

"Open it!" He grinned.

I tore the bow from the top and opened the box and right in front of my eyes was a custom purple Motorola razor phone.

"DADDY! YOU DIDN'T!" I shouted almost making Joey spill his hot chocolate on himself.

"Carly! Watch out!"

"I'm sorry buddy! Look what I got!"

Showing him my new phone he looked over and began to pout.

"How come I didn't get a phone dad?" Joey whined.

"Because your only 6 little guy. When you get a little older I'll get you one." Daddy said to him.

"I have to be OLD?" He squeaked.

"HEY! I am not old! I still remember my childhood." I giggled as I swung my ponytail in my dad's direction.

My dad's eyes went wide as he sat up from his relaxed position.

"So what happened to me being cool?" He asked taking a cookie from the plate.

I was trying to come up with a way to retract me old comment.

"Well I mean.....when I meant old.....see what had happened was......"

"Mmhmmm save it for another time. I'm just glad you're home. I would have missed our banter anyway." He said with a smile.

"Me too. I'm gonna go and show Regan my new phone and ask her for her number."

I got up from the floor and rushed out of the living room to find Regan. Excited to show her my phone I listened for her so I could find her faster. Once I heard her talking I followed her voice down the steps and to the lobby where she was standing over by the reception desk. I didn't want to interrupt her phone call so I slowly walked across the floor not to draw any attention to myself. She said something that sparked my attention. Dwayne. Knowing that I should stay in my place and mind my business I couldn't fight the urge to listen to what she was saying.

"I can't do that to him now that he has his daughter back. I left my home to keep him safe and if I have to leave Minnesota again to keep his family out of harms way then that's what I will do. I'm honoring Maya's legacy and protecting her child and her home. Now that she's safe and sound I will continue to protect her. I don't give a damn if Dwayne and Marcus were cousins! Marcus was the devil and Dwayne is his friend. Well then you know what if that's what it comes down to I will do that. No. No I'll tell Prince myself. I have to tell him this time because now he needs to know. Just give me time and I'll fly back to Indian at the end of the week. Alright. Bye."

She hung up her phone and let out a deep sigh as she stuffed it back in her pocket.

  "God Prince I'm so sorry." She whispered.

I couldn't help but ask her and make myself known.

  "Sorry for what?"

She turned sharply in shock to find me standing behind her.

  "Carly! Hey! What's up?"

  "You said something about flying back to Indiana at the end of the week but you told daddy you were staying. Why?"

She looked like she was trying to give me an answer that would satisfy me but judging by the look on my face she knew I wasn't gonna buy it.

  "Don't lie to me Regan. I really like you and my brother likes you too. What's really going on and how much more do you know about me that you're not telling me?"

Regan ran her hands through her curls and closed her eyes.

  "Carly its complicated to explain but I will do my best to tell you everything."

Regan sat down on the small couch and waves me over to sit with her. She looked worried. As if whatever it is that she doesn't do would put us in danger. Something was wrong. There was another reason why she left her hometown and now she has to come clean to my dad about it. Hopefully she knows she's not alone.