Kimberly Harte couldn't help but frown as her fiancé, Rocky DeSantos, cursed and went on and dn on and on about his terrible day while they drove to his mom's house for dinner. First he claimed, he woke up late after the batteries in his alarm clock went dead, and when he finally did wake up he found out he had no hot water, after jumping into the freezing shower water. Then he went to grab something to eat, and realized at his fruit was spoiled. Next, he sped to work, got caught by a cop, was given a ticket, and showed up half an hour late. Finally, since his mind was on previous troubles, their friend and his business partner, Jason Lee Scott, got the best out of him while sparring.
"Damnit Kim, sometimes I think I’m just not good enough," he said, laying his head on the steering wheel.
"Come on, Rocky, you know that is SO untrue," Kimberly said, placing her hand on his arm, "Remember the kick that ended your ranger career, TOO much power, remember your will to laugh at everything, and everyone, in life? That is TOO cute," she reached up and planted a kiss on his forehead, "You are TOO good, now come on, your families waiting,” She finished, unbuckling her seat belt and opening her door.
While she got out, Rocky struggled with his seat belt and when he finally got it off, he reached for the door handle, and it fell off.
He turned his head when he heard Kim giggle.
"You think this is SO funny, don't you?" He demanded, exiting the passenger door.
"Well, yes, actually I do," she replied cheerfully, bouncing up the walk way. As the walked up the narrow walkway, Kim could nearly see Rocky's anger radiating off him, but as they came close to the door, Rocky turned to a small tree and placed his hands on two branches. After a few moments he turned around, smiling as much as he normally did, and his eyes were a lot brighter.
"Hungry?" he asked.
The rest of the evening was great. He greeted eight year old Roy with a piggy back ride to the dinner table, told jokes to the ten year old twin terrors, Gregg and Gloria, had a long talk with the shy now thirteen year old Melissa, made fun of his oldest younger sister, Karrie, who had just turned sixteen, with valleygirl talk and then threatened to kill her boyfriend, who was having dinner with them too, if he ever touched her in anyway she didn't want to be; He also threaten to kill Karrie if she didn't "anything Kim wouldn't," and after it dawned on him that he and Kim could do anything they pleased, he added, "When she was eighteen." He even laughed when eighteen year old Danny hit on Kim, claiming that he could "give her the best two night stay at the Holiday Inn." Rocky only laughed and made some comment about his younger brother by two year still having a tendency to "soil the sheets at night."
When the fun was over, both Rocky and Kim were to tired to drive home, so they stayed the night in Rocky's old bed room. They left early in the morning, and on their way to the car, Rocky stopped by the tree and did the same exact thing. Kim had watched him do this a few times before, and she was aching to ask him, even though she knew it might be rude. But a few minutes later, when they were both in the car, curiosity won over.
"You see M'Dear," Rocky started, turning the key, "That's my Worry Tree. My family has been to good to me for the last twenty years of my life for me to inflict my hidden temper upon them, so every time before I go in, I hang my worries and angers up on the tree," he explained , pulling away from the curb.
"Funny thing to," he went on, "Every time I pick them up, it seems like there are less than I left there."
