"Happy birthday to you!" Carmen and Bridget sang to an antsy Jared. He already had his fingers probing the vanilla icing, innocently smiling at how foolish his mother and sister were acting. The day was absolutely quaint and perfect for the thankful family.

"Gosh," Bridget sighed, hugging Jared's tiny torso as she helped the bewildered Jared blow out his lone candel, "He must have a bottomless pit for a stomach."

"Takes after you, I guess," Carmen laughed as she proceeded to cut the vanilla-frosted mound of cake with a sharp knife.

"Hey!" Bridget defended herself, walking to the fridge to get out the milk, "Food rocks my world." Carmen chuckled at her response as she placed the diced pieces of cake on 3 paper plates.

"Is Frankie coming?" Carmen asked, holding Frankie's large piece over the plate in hesitation.

"He'll be here but I dunno when," Bridget informed her mom, giving Jared a blue sippy-cup's worth of cold milk, "Leave his piece on the plate anyhow." Carmen obeyed, dropping Frankie's piece on the plate.

"What did Mommy get you, Shnookie?!" Carmen gurbled to Jared as he watch the wrapped box helf in his mom's hand carefully.

"Mom, the baby talk isn't cool," Bridget informed her, taking a scrumptious bite of the vanilla cake. "MMmmm...Mom, when did you get talented?"

"Please," Carmen smiled, tossing back her long brown hair as she motioned to the box laying atop of the garbage. "Got it this morning."

Jared lunged for his present so Carmen gave it to him smiling. Wiggiling in Bridget's lap, he took tiny tares off of the balloon wrapping paper, his senses enjoying every second of it. He finally tore enough off to reveal a small plastic book of 'Winnie the Pooh' (you guys know what I'm talking about, right? lol.) He looked at it curiously, opening it up upside-down and then his smile went from ear to ear. "So much entertainment in a such a little book," Bridget joked, finishing her cake.

"And there's more," Carmen smiled, opening the white bag to reveal a few more presents covered in balloon wrapping paper. Jared joyously recieved a new overall outfit, 2 new shirts from Old Navy, a red bouncing ball, a new 'Eeyore' Binkie (or nook), a striped rattle and new black and white sneakers from Payless.

"Of course, we save the best for last," Bridget joked, passing Jared to her mother amd taking a green bag fom under her stool. Jared took the bag excitedly and fished through the white tissue paper. He fumbly pulled out a dark blue baseball cap. On the front, in red stitching, it enscribed 'Jared'. On the back, in that same red scribble, it said '#1 Brother'.

"Bridget," Carmen remarked in a touched tone, taking the cap into her hands as Jared started to devour his cake without utensils, "That is so nice."

"Yeah, I know," Bridge responded smart-alleckedly. Carmen threw the hat at a giggling Bridget when there was a hard knock on the door. "I'll get it," Bridget informed her family, Carmen realizing the mess Jared was making.

At the doorstep was Frankie. His tired face tried to bean some life, but his eyes were puffy and his body fatigued. "Must have gotten a work-out today, huh?" Bridget asked, opening the door wider as Frankie sugglishly strolled in.

"That's a nice way to put it," Frankie joked, plopping down on the lonley couch as Carmen and Jared looked to his direction.

"Excuse me, Frankie," Carmen apologiesed as she cleaned up Jared's mess; a satisfied smile on his sweet face. "Jared wants his mommy to work."

"No problem," Frankie chuckled, taking Bridget's arm and carefully tugging her next to him on the couch.

Bridget wrapped her arms around his neck and gave him a smooch. "I've missed that," Frankie told her with an eskimo kiss.

"Yeah," Bridget agreed, "So I guess today went well?"

"It went unbelieveably well!" Frankie told her, squeezing her tiny waist affectionatley. "It was our biggest showing yet. L.I. fans are the best. There were 3,000 people on the autograph line. It was incredable."

"I'm sorry I missed it," Bridget admitted, laying her heavy head on his shoulder. He nodded sadly, brushing his soft hand over Bridget's emotionless cheek.

"That brings me to my next item of buisness," he smiled, lifting Bridget to an upright position. "Our management finally realize we need and deserve a break. We're going to spend the weekend at my aunt's beach house and I want you to come for a day or two...how ever long you can."

"Really," Bridget asked, bewildered ay Frankie's request. Her eyes widened with anticipation and her smile brightened the room like a thousand starlettes twinkling in the velvet sky. Bridget would very much enjoy the time with Frankie and the rest of the guys. The sheer thought of it made her think of one thing...shopping. She took his hand in hers as Carmen walked in with Jared at hand.

"How are you, Frankie?" Carmen asked with that million-dollar smile. She left a friendly kiss on his cheek.

"I'm pretty good," Frankie informed her as Carmen placed Jared in his playpen. "I was...we were actually wondering if we could talk to you about something..."

"Shoot," Carmen told them, sitting side-saddle on a metal folding chair ajacent to the playpen. She leaned over the playpen's sturdy walls rubbing Jared to slumber.

"Frankie wants me to come with him to his aunt's beach house," Bridget gushed in one breath. Frankie was a little surprised at Bridget's bluntness. "Well...we won't be there ALONE...the rest of the guys will be there, too! And Frankie's mom and aunt..."

"For how long?" Carmen asked, pausing in her task.

"A night...or two, whatever you feel more comfortable with," Frankie informed her.

"What about work?" Carmen asked, turning to them.

"Well Saturday's my last day," Bridget told her mother, squirming nervously in her seat, "I get a week off before starting after school...if you let me work after school. We'd be going up to the house that night."

Carmen took the thinker's position as her brain computed her decision. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as she peered at the blank wall. "Well..." she started leaning back a little, "I would feel more comfortable if Sasha or Tiyanna went with you. And I would have to talk to Mrs. Galasse to finalize things..."

"MOM!" Bridget squealed out of pure happiness. She leaped in her mother and she gave a hurtful gasp out. "I love you." Carmen wasn't going to be the only person to hear those words...