"Yes Hope?"
"Why won't you marry Dad?" Hope paused. "It's not because of me is it?"
Kelsey turned to face her.
"Oh, Hope, no. No, it's not you. Like, why would you think that?"
Hope shrugged. Kelsey smiled and sighed.
"Hope, I, I love your dad very much... I just don't like, know if I'm ready to get married yet, y'know?"
Hope shook her head.
"When you get married, you like, have to take on a lot of new responsibilities and like, stuff. I... I don't know if I'm like, capable of, of handling those responsibilities yet."
"Oh. Why not?"
Kelsey paused.
"Uhh, well, umm... well, there's like, so many more things I'll have to do and some things I'll like, won't be able to do. And well, like, I'll have to make some like, huge changes in my lifestyle."
Hope frowned, thinking about this.
"And well, like, a decision like this, well, it requires a lot of thought. Because like, it means my whole life is going to change."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing?"
"Excuse me?"
"Well, you get to be with Dad and me more and not those stinky snot ball brains that got you in jail."
"I don't like, hang out with ahh, those particular... stinky snot ball brains any more."
"Oh, well that's good. 'Cause me don't want you to get into trouble."
Kelsey gave her a smile.
"Oh? And you think me marrying your dad will keep me out of trouble?"
Hope scrunched up her nose for a moment.
"Nope." She said finally. "But it'll be different trouble!"
Kelsey laughed.
**********
Later that day, Kelsey caught up with Zac who had just finished a meeting regarding post-production of his movie.
"Zac?"
"Huh? Oh hi Kel." He said, attempting to sound cheerful.
"I, umm, like, where's the ring?"
Zac looked a little embarrassed, but pulled it out of his pocket. There was a flash of hopefulness in his eyes.
"Why?" he dared to ask, as she took it from him.
"Oh, I have to like, make sure it fits." She grinned. "Otherwise we'll, like, have to go back and get a new one."