Chapter Three

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2 Months Ago

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A month and a half ago

After the fire burned down half of the kitchen, Emma immediately began writing two books and each one ended up being published by the same publisher. Each of the books were also of a different genre, one was a Drama novel titled, Kiwis of Peace, and the Humor novel is titled, It's Called a Sense of Humor. The Humor novel earned Emma much more money than the Drama novel did, but they both helped out in getting the financial crisis under control. With these two extra royalty checks coming in for six weeks, Emma has made over one thousand dollars a week, which put her nerves at ease. They had been just lucky enough to have the necessary amount of money to replace the stove and the two counters that were burned up in the fire. And now Emma could now afford to pay the initial joining fee for Zoey to be in the Music Club (just as Emma had promised her the year before), as well as treat her daughter to some much needed time out and about. One place that they went to was Mick's Master Karaoke, sure they weren't the best singers in the world, but this mother/daughter duo didn't care, they were just happy to be spending quality time together and doing something fun at the same time. 

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Even after the tragedy of the fire, and having to replace half of the kitchen furniture, things had finally started looking up for Emma and her daughter. The checks from Emma's writing had started to add up and gave them enough money to begin to live comfortably. Emma even became a little more sociable, and went out to the park to meet some new people, and that's when she met Chance Newman. He had just moved into Starlight Shores with his twin brother, Chase. Emma and Chance hit it off wonderfully, and after a few weeks of phone calls and a few friendly hang out sessions, Chance became a frequent visitor at the Radcliffe house.

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Now

The day starts out like any other morning in the Radcliffe house. Emma and Zoey sit down to eat breakfast together, except today they decided to have leftovers from the dinner that Emma made the night before. After a few moments of silence after the initial good morning greetings, a smile flashed across Zoey's face, as she looked at her mom, excitement growing in her eyes. 

"So, mom... When are you and Chance going out on a date?" Zoey asked as she waited patiently for a reply. 

"Um.. Uh.. I --" Emma choked out the words as she tried to swallow a mouthful of macaroni and cheese, while trying to get over the shock of the question that just came out of her daughters' mouth. "I don't.. know, sweetie.. Wh-what makes you think that I even like Chance like that?" Emma questioned. 

"He's just here a lot and I figured things must be getting serious if he is coming over at least four nights a week." Zoey said, confident that she is correct about her suspicions regarding her mother's relationship status with Chance.

"We're just friends, Zoey." 

"Mhm, sure mom.. Keep telling yourself that and maybe pigs will fly.. You're into him and he's into you too! I have a sixth sense for these things.. There's no denying it really, and besides he's totally your type mom.. So when are you guys going on a date?" 

Silence was all that followed Zoey's last statement, as Emma sat there still in shock from her daughter's questioning. How does this child always know more than she should? Emma thought as she spooned another mouthful of food into her mouth. Slowly she chewed it and then swallowed it, before returning her gaze to her daughter. 

"I guess you'll just have to wait to find that out Zo." Emma replied slyly as she stood up to begin clearing the dishes from the table since both of them finished eating at the same time. 

"It should be very soon, mom. You work so hard, you deserve to have a great man and be happy." Zoey teased as she started heading for the bathroom to go take a shower and get ready for the day. 

"We'll see Zoey, we'll see.." Emma smiled as she put the dishes into the sink as her daughter went to go take a shower. Even as a young child Zoey had always been such a caring individual, and now as a teenager she was still showing that trait of her personality off and a lone tear couldn't help but push it's way out of the corner of Emma's right eye. Quickly she finished washing, drying, and putting the dishes away. It was now time to go work on a new book, but Emma just couldn't get the motivation to actually go over to the computer to sit down. Zoey is right, Chance and I need to go on a date Emma thought as she went inside her bedroom and sat down on the edge of her bed to make a phone call to set up some date arrangements. 

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After making the arrangements for a date with Chance, Emma decided that she should get some painting in to calm her nerves since she had planned the date for later in the evening that day. Ever since that morning when Zoey had asked her when Chance and her were going to go on a date, Emma couldn't get the thought of Chance out of her head and especially now that they were about to go on a real date. The past few weeks that Emma had been hanging out with Chance at her house and had him over for dinner she did start to feel a connection with him, but the fear of falling into another bad relationship had held her back from expressing her fondness for him. 

With each stroke of the paint brush against the canvas, Emma seemed to calm down a little. But the time seemed to fly by as Emma was lost in her world of painting and before long there was less than an hour left before Chance would arrive at her house. 

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Zoey invited her best friend, Alora Platt, over to keep her company while her mom went on a date with Chance. The two friends ended up playing an intense game of hopscotch shortly after Alora came over. 

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But just before the sun went down for the night, Chance arrived at the house. Zoey immediately put the hopscotch game on hold so that she could go greet Chance, and tell her mother that he was here. Zoey loved Chance, they got along perfectly which made it even easier for Emma to build up a small crush on the guy which she refused to really acknowledge until now. Quickly Zoey shook Chance's hand and then invited him inside, as she opened the front door and poked her head inside. Emma was still working on her painting, focusing solely on each gentle stroke of the brush, and the different colors coming together to form a pretty work of art. 

"MOM!!!! CHANCE IS HERE!!!" Zoey yelled into the house, before turning and smiling at Chance. In the background of the house a loud, slightly annoyed sigh could be heard. Emma had just accidentally gotten a large glob of purple paint all over part of the picture she had been working on. She was shaken from her completely focused state when her daughter's yelling broke the silence that filled the house. "Hope you guys have fun on your date tonight." Zoey said as she then walked down the steps of the porch to return to her hopscotch game with Alora. 

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Emma quickly calmed herself down and looked at her painting, it would be fixable, but now the picture would take even longer to complete. However, she couldn't be upset with Zoey for just letting her know that Chance had shown up. Slowly she placed the palette and the paint brush down and cleaned them off before putting them away for the night. 

Then there were footsteps, and Emma paused momentarily, and took in a deep breath and let it out quietly. Never in her life had she been so nervous to go on a date with a guy, this was proving to be a little more serious than she thought it would be. In moments she had regained her normal confidence and went to go greet her friend. 

"Hey you!" She said sweetly as she smiled, giving him a big hug. 

"Hey Em! It's nice to see you again." He replied, embracing her for a few moments before they both broke away. 

"You too. So.. Are you ready to go on our date?" Emma asked. 

"Yep. I sure am. Where are we going?" 

"Dinner and then karaoke at Mick's Master Karaoke." Emma replied. 

"Karaoke? I'm a terrible singer Emma...." Chance said as his eyes grew in size almost instantly as soon as the words had left Emma's mouth. 

"It's okay, I am too. We'll give everyone a show they'll never forget!" Emma laughed as she grabbed his arm and started walking towards the front door. "It'll be so much fun, and it's not like you'll be on stage by yourself. Tonight is just about letting go and having a good time." Emma's voice was gentle, yet confident enough to have a chance at getting him to agree to go with her to karaoke. 

"Okay, Em, you win! I'll go. But this is the first and last time, okay?" Chance replied as he followed Emma toward the door. Emma just smiled happily at him as they exited the house and waved bye to Zoey and Alora who had started a new game of hopscotch. 

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Emma and Chance got into the "new" used car that Emma had just purchased only a week ago, and within moments the pair were on their way to dinner. 

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After dinner was over, it was time to head out to karaoke and Chance was less than thrilled to be going. But he had agreed to go with Emma after dinner, so there was no backing out of it now. 

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Once they arrived at Mick's Master Karaoke, Emma led Chance on stage and pressed a button on the karaoke machine to access the section that held all the duet songs, and then pressed another button selected a random duet for them to perform. The music had a countdown until it began, and they quickly grabbed microphones and took their positions on the stage in front of the karaoke machine. The music began within a few seconds and shortly the words appeared.

Chance: "Do you hear me,

I'm talking to you. 

Across the water, across the deep blue ocean, 

Under the open sky, oh my, baby I'm trying.."

Emma: "Boy, I hear you in my dreams, 

I feel your whisper across the sea. 

I keep you with me in my heart, 

You make it easier when life gets hard.."

Both: "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, 

Lucky to have been where I have been. 

Lucky to be coming home again.

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh." 

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As they continued to sing their duet, a small crowd, well only two people actually paid attention to their song. Even though the two people listening really hated their performance, they still kept on singing. 

Chance: "And so I'm sailing through the sea, 

To an island where we'll meet. 

You'll hear the music fill the air, 

I'll put a flower in your hair."

Emma: "Though the breezes through the trees, 

move so pretty, you're all I see. 

As the world keeps spinning 'round, 

you hold me right here right now."

Both: "I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend, 

Lucky to have been where I have been. 

Lucky to be coming home again, 

I'm lucky we're in love in every way. 

Lucky to have stayed where we have stayed, 

Lucky to be coming home someday.

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh

Ooohh ooooh oooh oooh ooh ooh ooh ooh.." 

The music began to fade and once it did, Emma and Chance let out a laugh at their performance and quickly exited the stage since the people were still booing at them. The pair ran upstairs to get away from all the noise downstairs. They joked and laughed about how funny the other people were and of course made fun of their own performance since they both sang horribly out of tune and each made a couple mistakes. However they had fun doing singing together, even if the song was a bit on the romantic side for this fun date.

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"Oh, Chance! Let's get our picture taken! It'll be a great way to remember this night!" Emma exclaimed as she stood up and quickly walked toward the picture booth. 

"That's a great idea, Em!" Chance replied, as he followed close behind her, and entered into the booth. Within a few seconds they had put in enough money to get four different poses, and the camera began taking shots at five second intervals.

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"Oh my gosh! These are great, Chance!" Emma's voice was filled with excitement, and happiness as she looked over the four poses they had selected to print off together. As Emma was looking over the pictures, Chance came up behind her and whispered into her ear. A smile was stretching across his face, and when he had finished whispering into her ear, a smile came across Emma's face as well.

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"Look at that one way up there, Em." 

"Oh, it's beautiful, and bright." 

"Yes, just like you.." 

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After four hours of sitting on the sidewalk outside of the karaoke bar, stargazing with each other. It was getting close to time for them to go home. As they both stood up slowly, Emma couldn't help but pull Chance into a tight embrace, to which Chance didn't reject. They spent a moment in each others arms before pulling away gently. 

"It's getting late now.. It's almost 3 am." Emma said softly, not wanting the night to end. 

"I know.. Guess we better get you home. I think I accidentally left my phone at your house, so would it be alright if I rode with you and went in to see if it's there?" Chance asked. 

"Of course it's okay. Let's get going." Emma replied. With that they walked to where Emma had parked her car earlier, and got inside. Soon they were on their way to Emma's house in search of Chance's cell phone.

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"Here's your phone. I really, really need to clean out all the clutter in my car... It's a bit of a mess." Emma laughed as she walked back over to where Chance was standing, handing him his cell phone. 

"Great. Thank you for finding it. I was certain I had left it in the house though.. Oh well. Maybe next time we hang out, we can clean out your car and get it organized?" Chance replied. 

"You're too sweet. But I think I'll clean it out later today after I get some rest." 

"Aw, well, have fun with that later then. I guess I'm going to be heading out now since it's three-thirty." Chance said quickly, he didn't want to go as much as Emma didn't want him to go. 

"Chance...." Emma said quietly, her eyes now staring down at the ground waiting for him to reply. 

"Yes...?"

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Emma wasted no time in making her move on Chance. She quickly leaned in and planted a small, yet amazing kiss right on his soft, perfect lips. It was a complete shock to Chance, but to Emma's surprise he didn't pull away.

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"I-I-I'm sorry.. I shouldn't have done that..." Emma said frantically as her eyes widened once she pulled away from the kiss and looked into Chance's face. The look of shock on his face made her immediately look away from him, and caused her to blush a little.

"No, no.. It's okay Em.. It's okay.. You didn't do anything wrong." Chance paused as the shocked expression on his face disappeared, and was replaced with a concerned one. "I liked it." He stated. 

"Y-you liked it?" Emma asked as she turned back to look him in the face once more. 

"Yes, of course.. You're wonderful Emma. You are beautiful in every way imaginable, and you're so intelligent. You're the first woman that I actually feel a strong connection with. So there's no need to feel embarrassed or bad that you kissed me. I like you, a lot." Chance said softly as a smile formed on his lips, making it easier for Emma to see that he was telling the truth, and helping to make her feel a little less awkward. 

"Oh Chance! I-I don't know what to say... I thought that I only liked you as a friend, but all the previous times we've hung out and the date we just had... This whole night, and the way you and Zoey get along all contribute to my feelings for you.. There's no more fighting it.. I like you so much more than words can even begin to describe... I would just be honored to keep seeing you, but on a much more serious level, and see where it all goes." The speech that Emma gave to Chance did nothing but make him beam with happiness in the moonlight, as he took her hands in his and continued to listen as she began speaking again. "And just so you know, I've been hurt in the past... So relationships are a bit hard for me... I mean, I have a teenage daughter and so if you are willing to be a part of my life, you will have to be a part of hers." 

"Of course Em. Zoey is a wonderful kid, you have done an amazing job raising her.. And I promise right now and as long as we are seeing each other that I will be a positive influence on Zoey, and I will be involved in her life as much as you will let me be. You are a great person, a wonderful friend, an amazing mother, and I'm sure you're a very loving girlfriend. How did that one song lyric from karaoke go earlier? I think it was... 'I'm lucky I'm in love with my best friend'. I can tell you now, that lyric is so true. That whole duet we did earlier was true. I just haven't had the courage to tell you how I feel about you... I feared that you would reject me.." Chance replied. 

"I would never reject you Chance.. You're a great man, and I'm very lucky to have met you and that I'm able to call you my best friend.. And now, my boyfriend." 

At the end of the last statement made by Emma, Chance pulled her into a hug, and planted a light kiss on top of her forehead. For several minutes they just held each other close and took in the warmth of the others body.

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"I really hate to do this, Em, but it's 4 am. I'm exhausted, but I had so much fun with you tonight. I'll call you later okay?" Chance asked as he broke the embrace after about ten minutes of hugging.

"Okay, sounds good. I had a blast with you too! We'll have to do it again sometime soon. Anyway, have a goodnight, er, morning!" 

"Yes we will! Night Em, sleep tight!" Chance said as he turned to walk down the street to the stop sign, where he pulled out his phone and called a cab to take him home. The night was finally over, and Emma finally realized just how exhausted she was from the whole day and nights activities.

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Quietly Emma walked up the steps, and across the front porch. Once she reached the door she inserted her house key and gently unlocked the door, trying not to make too much noise so that Zoey wouldn't wake up and get freaked out. After she successfully unlocked the door, she opened it and entered inside the house, and then very quietly shut the front door and locked it again. In only fifteen minutes, Emma had taken a shower and changed into her pajamas, then headed for her bedroom.

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Even though Emma had gotten ready for bed and laid down well before sunrise, it wasn't until about five o'clock in the morning when she finally fell asleep. The excitement from the night had keep her laying in bed awake just thinking about her new relationship status with Chance, and how wonderful he was. Finally things had started to look up for her financial status, and now things were starting to look up for her love life. Another thing was certain as well, Emma couldn't wait to tell Zoey all about her date with Chance and give her the big news. But for now, all that was really important was getting some sleep.

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Author Note: The song that Emma and Chance were singing at the karaoke bar, is called Lucky by Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat. I thought it would be the perfect song for them to "randomly" sing at the karaoke bar and I think that it also sums up a lot of Emma's life and how lucky they are to of found each other so effortlessly. Anyway, here's the link to the music video for the song if you'd like to go watch it or listen to it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acvIVA9-FMQ

I hope that you all enjoyed this chapter of Dream Big and I hope that you all like the song as well!

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Chapter Two

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"Mom....?" Zoey's voice was quiet, almost a whisper as she came to a stop a foot or so away from the chair where her mothers was sitting and reading at. 

"Yes, Zo... What is it?" Emma asked as she looked up from her book, and in the direction of her daughter. 

"Nothing really... I just wanted to tell you that it's okay if I don't get to participate in Ballet this year.. I know you don't have the money momma... I just wanted to tell you it's okay. I'm really not that great at dancing anyway." Zoey said, her bright green eyes glimmered as the light from the kitchen hit them. The innocent, yet knowing look on her face was almost too much for Emma to handle at this moment in time. 

"Oh, Sweetheart... I-I'm so sorry... I'll have the money for you to join next year, I promise.." Emma replied to her daughter as she closed the book and gently placed it on the table. Her full attention was now turned on Zoey, the concerned and apologetic look displaying on her face showed just how truly heartbroken she was that they didn't have much money at all. 

"Ballet is only for Elementary and Middle School students.. High School students have a lot more clubs, and Ballet isn't one of them." Zoey said quickly, looking away from her mom, hoping that this news didn't crush her as much as she thought it would. 

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Before Emma could get any type of apology or any comforting words out, she quickly got up from the chair she had been sitting in and pulled her daughter into a big hug. A lone tear trickled down her face as she hugged Zoey tight, wanting to desperately make enough money on her next novel to put them in a position where Zoey could join whatever club her heart desired. The feeling that Emma felt inside was nearly enough to send her into a bout of depression.. But she fought it, there had to be a way that she could improve her writing style to catch the attention of a publisher who could pay her well enough to get some income rolling in each week. 

"Zoey, honey, I promise you that by next year when you start the ninth grade in high school that you will be able to choose whatever club you want to join. Now.. How did you find out about our money situation?" 

"It was about a week ago when I brought home the brochure about the Ballet club for you to look over. I overheard you on the phone with the instructor trying to make a payment arrangement on the fee to join. You tried so hard, momma.. I know it hurts you that we have no money.. That's why when I'm sixteen I'm going to get a job to help you out." Zoey replied, as the embrace was broken. Her line of vision was directed to look downward at the floor. 

"No! Absolutely not, Zoey, you will not get a job to help me out.. By this time next year, I guarantee that we will have the money for you to join a club. So you can forget about getting a job when you're sixteen, you should only be focusing on school.. Besides you're only thirteen, you still have three more years until you're sixteen so by then we should be doing so much better than we are now." Emma said quickly, a smile spreading across her face as she realized just how sweet her daughter is. "Zoey... Please promise me that you will not eavesdrop on anymore of my phone conversations... Especially the ones that are concerning our financial status.. You're my daughter, you shouldn't have to worry about money.. I'm the only one that needs to worry about it.. You just need to focus on being a kid, and school.. After all, you'll be grown before you know it." Emma said gently, as she rested her hands on the tops of Zoey's shoulders, looking down at her daughter with a warm smile on her face. "I love you Zoey, and we will be just fine. I promise." 

"I love you too mom... And I promise never to eavesdrop on your phone conversations again." Zoey replied, looking up at her mother, as a smile crept onto her face. "You're the best mom in the world. I'm glad I'm your daughter." With that last statement, Zoey hugged her mom once more and headed off to bed. "Goodnight momma." 

"Goodnight Zoey." Emma replied as she watched Zoey close her bedroom door behind her. This was going to be a rough long year for Emma, but she is determined to create a significant amount of income for Zoey and herself.

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An hour passed since Zoey had gone to bed, and it was then that Emma quietly entered into her daughters' bedroom to tuck her in. Once she made sure that her little girl was tucked in, she placed a small kiss on Zoeys' forehead before turning to exit her room. As she headed for the door, a light sigh escaped her lips, and a worried look crept across her face. "How am I suppose to keep my promise of having enough money by next year to live comfortably when none of the publishers will even look at my work? And how can a thirteen year old be so mature and understanding of the reasons why she can't join a club, and not be angry about it? I guess it's time for me to try out some new genres of writing. Something has to work for me... We can't live on less than $200 anymore.." 

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The next morning started off like any other morning for Emma and Zoey. They both woke up early and had breakfast, Zoey got ready for school and Emma began clearing the dishes from breakfast. Before long the school bus pulled up outside and honked it's loud horn, and Zoey gave her mother a hug before running out to board the bus to go to school. Once Emma was alone for the day, she finished cleaning the kitchen up and then went to take a shower and get ready for the day. 

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"Ah, I wonder what kind of acts will be held at the Festival in Verde Park today.. Maybe I could a great idea for a book will hit me if I go..." Emma said softly to herself as she read over the Events page in the daily newspaper. Ever since Zoey had made it known that she knew the financial situation Emma has felt terrible and has been desperate to find a way to catch the attention of well-known publishers who could pay her a bit more than she was used to. A smile spread across her face as she thought of the many different acts and people that she could see when at the festival. Quickly Emma glanced at her watch and noticed that it was almost 12 pm, which is what time the festival was suppose to start. "Oh, wow, I'll be late if I don't hurry!" 

Within a few moments she was on her way to Verde Park to see what type of material she could gather up for a possible new book. 

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When Emma arrived at the park, the Festival had already begun. As she came closer to the stage, she stood in with the rather large gathering of people who were being amazed by the Acrobat that was performing. Emma's blue eyes locked onto the performer as she watched him strike beautiful poses, and performing flips and handstands. He was doing wonderfully, and was even pretty good looking. 

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The Acrobat's performance lasted about an hour, and Emma couldn't help but glance at her watch to see what time it was. When she saw that it was almost time for Zoey to get home from school she knew that she had to get home soon. For a moment Emma stood there watching the finale of the performance, and once the crowd erupted into cheers and applause, that was Emma's cue to leave. She gave a small sigh and wished she could stay for the whole thing, but really she needed to get home and begin work on a new novel, as well as spend time with her daughter. So with failing to get a good idea for a novel, Emma turned and began walking back up the hill, toward the street to go home. Perhaps the time just wasn't right yet to get an idea that would be a best-seller. 

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Later that Day 

"AHAHAHA, MOM! I'M GOING TO WHACK YOU WITH THIS PILLOW!!" Zoey's excited shrieks and giggles filled the house as she whipped the pillow around and smacked her mom in the leg with it. Emma's fits of laughter quickly followed the excited shrieks and giggles that her daughter were making, and especially after every time Zoey would hit her with the pillow. The pair always had at least one pillow fight a week, whether Zoey started it or Emma did. One of them are always sneaking up on the other with a pillow in hand and smacking the victim at a random time. Emma couldn't count the number of times when Zoey would sneak up on her when she'd be in the middle of writing a novel or revising her work when all of a sudden *SMACK* and a cloud of feathers would fall all around her. But instead of getting angry, she would just burst into laughter, she couldn't help it. Time with her daughter is always more important than work. 

"OOOH, ZOEY YOU BETTER RUN BEFORE I GET YOU BACK!" Emma squealed as she raised her pillow up and chased Zoey around the living area. 

"OH YEAH, YOU'LL GET ME ONLY IF YOU CAN CATCH ME! HEHEHEHEHE!!" Zoey giggled as she darted around the living area, with Emma hot on her trail. Both of them were hot, and out of breath now but they kept on giggling and eventually the chase came to and end as they both whacked each other in a last effort to come out as the victor for this particular pillow fight. Finally Emma held up her hands and dropped her pillow in defeat. 

"Okay, Zo, you win!" Emma said quickly, still laughing. 

"YAY! I WIN!" Zoey then did her victory dance, and finally the pillow fight was over.

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It was around six o'clock in the evening, dinner had already been cooked, and eaten. The dishes were already washed and put away, Zoey finally sat down at the kitchen table to do her homework. Which left Emma with nothing to do this evening. She had cleaned the whole house earlier in the day so everything is still spotless, and they have no television set to watch, the only thing that Emma had to do was to sit down at the computer and try to come up with an intriguing story to write. Just as Emma sat down and opened a blank document to begin writing on, a gentle rain began to pour and the light taps of the raindrops hitting the window and the bushes outside sort of set a relaxing mood. That was when a thought crossed her mind, a thought for a great story. Her fingers began to gently strike each key quickly, creating several words within a minutes time. Soon she had a whole page written, and a smile was spreading across her face as she typed, yes, hopefully this would be a great hit with the publishers, the genre that she has chosen for this novel is one that no one would have expected her to write in. 

The rest of the evening flies by, as Emma is focused only on writing her new novel. But suddenly her focus is broken when the soft, sweet voice of Zoey is heard. Emma's line of sight is then redirected to look at her daughter. 

"Mom, it's late, I'm done with my homework now and I just wanted to tell you goodnight before I head to bed." Before Zoey could move in closer to give her mom a hug and kiss goodnight, Emma saves her current progress on the novel and exits the document, then slowly stands and pulls Zoey into a hug. 

"Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you." Emma replies, as she gives Zoey a light squeeze before they break the embrace, and just before Zoey pulls away, Emma plants a light kiss on top of her head. 

"I love you too mom." Zoey smiles brightly before turning and going into her bedroom to prepare for bed. Soon after Zoey had closed the door to her bedroom, Emma went back to her computer and decided that she would pick up on her novel tomorrow once Zoey left for school. A smile creeps across her face, and she hopes that this novel will be a game-changer for them, and that it will be one of the many steps toward a better income and a better future for Zoey. Quickly she turns the computer off for the night, and then gets up, turning off all the lights in the house and making sure the front door is locked. Before long Emma goes into her own bedroom and changes into her pajamas for the night, and turns the light out, then climbs into bed and drifts off to a nice, relaxing sleep.

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Chapter One

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Author Note: Here it is, the very first chapter in my new story/legacy, Dream Big. I have big plans for this story and I can't wait to share it with you all! This chapter is really all about introducing the two main characters and getting to know them a little. Chapter two and three will be where all the fun really begins. Also, chapter one will just be Emma speaking, telling her history, and giving us details about life in her new town. The rest of the chapters will be written from the third-person POV. Hope everyone enjoys this new story and stick around to see how all ten generations turn out! Now on to the story! :)

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"Hello, my name is Emma Radcliffe and this is my small, yet beautiful home located in the one and only Starlight Shores, where normal people can become superstars. Well if you want to become a superstar that is.. I don't see why someone would purposely become famous just to have their privacy invaded by the paparazzi all the time. But I do want people to know who I am, and to recognize my name when they hear it. Which is why I have always wanted to become an Illustrious Author. I've always had a passion for creative writing, and planned on writing a great novel when I met a man and fell in love.. Well, thought I had fallen in love at least. You see, the man I thought I knew and loved turned out to be nothing but a liar and a coward. We dated for two years and I put my dream of becoming a professional writer on hold so that I could stay home and just be a typical housewife without the being married part. He had a great job in the military and worked hard everyday, so when we found out that we were going to be parents, it wasn't a scary shock, in fact it was a welcomed surprise. However, like I mentioned before, he didn't turn out to be type of man that I thought he was. Several months into the pregnancy, we found out we were going to be having a little girl, which made me happy, although I would have been just as thrilled to have a son. But it seemed like finding out we were having a girl and not a boy made my relationship with my ex difficult. He had talked about wanting a son pretty much non-stop from the moment we found out we were having a baby, but I really didn't think that it would be any different if we had a girl, apparently it was. A couple more months after finding out the sex of our baby, my ex started staying out later and later with his friends every night after work. Then those late week nights turned into late weekends and finally he began to take weekend trips to Bridgeport with his friends. Now he has always had a bit of an addiction to gambling, but he could always control it, however once the weekend trips started happening every single weekend his gambling spiraled out of control. When he would get back late Sunday night, I would be awake and of course I had a thousand questions about what all he had been doing and when he told me how much he spent gambling of course I flipped my lid. Then after the late week nights, the weekend trips, and the out of control gambling, came the drinking and I'm not talking one or two drinks a month or whatever... I'm talking about going through a six pack right after work, and then heading out with his friends to a bar or club and getting so wasted that he couldn't even walk and had to have one of his friends or a cab bring him home. And let me tell you, a woman who is seven months pregnant DOES NOT need to be caring for a significant other who is constantly getting wasted to the point of not being able to walk on his own and almost having alcohol poisoning."

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"This is my daughter Zoey, she looks so much like her father sperm donor. She has his red hair, and green eyes, sometimes I can barely see myself in her at all.. But I know that she is mine and that's all that matters. My ex didn't even get a say in her name at all, since he had acted as foolishly as he did when we were together, and not to mention about a month before Zoey was born he walked out of our lives forever. He said he was tired of not being respected and tired of being constantly nagged to stay home instead of go out and party with his friends. Well, I'm sorry but I deserve some respect and attention too when I'm the one who is carrying a child that we BOTH helped to create, as well as being the one who is constantly at home, putting her dreams on hold and making sure dinner is cooked every night, and the house is spotless when he gets home from work. I have given up everything for him, and when the time came for him to man up, he didn't and now I'm the one who is an adult and forced to do things the hard way. But there is no way that I will change having my daughter in my life at this time. She is the best thing in this world that has ever happened to me, and I hope that I can provide her the life that she deserves. She didn't ask to be born, and so therefore I will do whatever I have to, to make sure that she is happy and loved. And just because I'm a single mother, doesn't mean I can't have a happy life, and it doesn't mean I will never find love or even achieve my dreams and goals in life. In fact, I'm going to achieve my dream of becoming an Illustrious Author, it will just take longer and be much more difficult than it would have been before I was ever with my ex. One thing is certain, I will never let another man treat me the way that my ex treated me, and especially now that Zoey is actually here.. If a man can't love my me and my daughter, then I have to keep looking, my little girl deserves a great father figure, and I deserve a great significant other." 

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"That's enough about my past, let's get on with what has happened since moving here to Starlight Shores. Since I am what others would call a 'bookworm', I had to find the public library, if there was one.. Much to my pleasure I was able to find it with ease. So what did we do on our first day in town? That's right, we took a special trip to the library so that I could use the public computer to get started on my writing. It would have been easier to write if I had a computer of my own at home, but I spent pretty much every penny on buying the house, and making sure that Zoey had all the things she needed for her room as well as for potty training, and of course I needed a high chair for her. It left us with only a hundred and something dollars to spend, well in our case, to save." 

"Anyway, we took a trip to the local library and here's an interesting fact, this library had a special place for the little ones to go so that the parents could go and read, do research, or use the computers without having to tote their younger kids around. So before I took off to go write, I sat down with Zoey and read a book with her. She loves me reading to her, and looking at all of the pictures, I hope that she enjoys reading as much as I do when she's older but who knows.. Kids can be completely different than their parents are, so I'm just going to assume that she won't love it as much as she seems to right now." 

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"Aside from going to the library, Zoey and I spend much of our time at home. I don't really like getting out and meeting a ton of new people... I suppose that just comes from me not wanting to attach myself to anyone, especially a man. I'm just afraid of the end result, though not all of the guys out there are bad.. However, I'm content staying inside or going to the library with Zoey, one of her favorite things is when I get her with 'The Claw'. It's so cute how she acts afraid, but then bursts into huge fits of giggles when I tickle her. She is such a wonderful little girl, I don't know what I would do without this little one in my life. Things would certainly be boring if she had never been born." 

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"Every morning we get up at 7 am and eat breakfast (and surprisingly Zoey is not a picky eater), then bathe, and get ready for the day ahead of us. Oh and I ended up selling the couch, an end table, our small television set, and a chair to make enough money to buy a used computer, it's nothing fancy but it'll get the job done. So now I can stay home and spend much more time with Zoey than I could if we were going to the library every day. And this way, I know when her naps are, when she eats, when she needs to be changed, etc. Sometimes those 'daycare' workers at the library don't care enough to make sure that each child sticks to the schedule that the parents outline for them. Oh and trust me, I complained when I found out about how the workers were slacking." 

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"In between working on writing a best-selling novel, I try to spend as much quality time with Zoey as possible. She's only two-years-old so this stage is a very important one, and refuse to pawn her off on a babysitter just so I can get some work done. Though a babysitter would be nice since writing is my only form of money making so far. Regardless of how stressful single parenting is, I feel like I'm doing much better than most are, except for the money issue. Zoey is so smart, she recognizes all the different shapes to her peg box, and can fit them all through the appropriate holes. She is a budding musician, as well. Her little xylophone gets played quite often, and I'm pretty sure she has figured out how to play Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star, but I could be wrong.. It's just how the melody sounds to me. She seems to be such a quick learner, I think she was potty trained in about a week give or take a day or two. Talking and walking shouldn't be too hard for her to grasp if all of these things are coming so easily and naturally for her."

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"A couple weeks after she learned to say a few basic words, she started to talk even more, and she even began to walk on her own and not with my holding onto her hands and helping her along. I mean, really and truly walking by herself. Sure she was a bit wobbly at first, and she is a bit older than some kids who can walk, but she got it down in two days time. So it wasn't that she couldn't do it, she just wanted to walk when she was ready and not when everyone else wanted her to. I can already see that this little girl may have a stubborn streak, but only time will tell that." 

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"Bed time routines are even easy with this kid. I swear she has to be the sweetest, smartest, and most well-mannered toddler I've ever seen in my life... I'm not one to judge but come on, you can't help but notice another parent or a couple with a toddler that is screaming their head off in the middle of a grocery store while yours is sitting there all innocent and happy. It makes you wonder about the different parenting styles.. But trust me she does have a tantrum every now and then, it's just not as often or as intense as some of the other kids her age that I've seen." 

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"Within five, sometimes ten minutes of being put to bed for the night, Zoey is out like a light. She has been sleeping through the night since she was probably about six or seven months old. So I've had much more sleep than some parents get to have. Zoey is the light of my life, and I'm just so proud to be her mom." 

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"But soon, it was time for Zoey's birthday. In the fall she would be going to school for the first time, and trust me my stomach was in knots at the thought of my little girl growing up and heading to school now. But I have managed to survive this much of parenting Zoey on my own with zero help from anyone. I think that I can get through raising her to adulthood, and I believe that she will be an even more extraordinary person than she already is to me." 

"Now, that Zoey is old enough to go to elementary school, I will be able to do so much more writing.. Which means I will finally be able to start providing for her the way that I want to." 

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Introducing -- Dream Big

Dream Big is a new story that will touch everyone's heart in more ways than one. It's a twist between a legacy and a story, it will follow The Radcliffe Family through 10 generations, with each generation bringing it's own flair to the entire story. 

Our story begins with an aspiring writer named Emma Radcliffe, who is also a single mother to a 2-year-old daughter, named Zoey. The man that Emma was with when she became pregnant with Zoey wasn't the man she thought he was. He had promised her that he would always be there to take care of her and their daughter, but instead he got caught up in the wrong crowd and began to gamble, drink, and be away from home more than he already was for his job in the military. So when Emma confronted her now ex-lover, he told her that he wasn't interested in settling down and being a father, so he packed his things and left. Emma was crushed, but promised herself and her unborn child that she would do everything in her power to achieve her goals and to provide Zoey the life she deserves with or without a father figure. Now the question is can Emma achieve everything she has been dreaming of since she was a young girl, while balancing raising a child on her own? If she succeeds, how will her daughter's generation unfold? How will the future generations unfold? Only time will tell, so be sure to come back as Emma Radcliffe's story unfolds.