­Much like earlier that afternoon Tanner found himself seated on the patio table in the backyard. The moon along with the outdoor lights illuminated the backyard that his sister and friend were competing on. He stared on aimlessly still befuddled that Ingrid accepted that challenge if for nothing else then to satiate her ego. Under less high stake circumstances he wouldn't have minded watching with more enjoyment however the bet attached to the game had him anxiously pacing back and forth.

Ingrid and Blake stood near the center of the yard with an equal amount of paces between themselves and soccer ball that they would look to drive into the others goal behind them. At the moment they were just feeling each other out a bit, waiting for Tanner to blow into the whistle given to him prior. It was a nuisance of a job for him given how hard he had to blow to make the whistle sound loud enough for them to register it. With a large inhale Tanner gave the whistle the hardest blow until he nearly went blue in the face, thankfully both girls heard him meaning the game was underway and he didn't have to do retake.

Blake's long legs became an immediate factor, as she made a long stride covering the distance in quicker fashion than Ingrid which enabled her to reach the ball first. Looking to make fast work, she followed up by shifting to the left with the ball and then seek to drive forward into the goal.

Ingrid knew she couldn't afford to give too much ground to her taller opponent, like glue she stuck right on Blake refusing to let her get too far and looked for an opening to steal the ball from her legs.

From the sidelines Tanner believed he felt more tense than the actual participants of the competition. He watched the contrast of expressions between Blake who was taking this as the casual game it was and Ingrid whose intense stare would make someone mistake this as a game of life or death.

“ Think fast!” Blake declared, swiftly propping the ball onto the top of her foot and launching it straight into the air above there heads. Already knowing her next move, Blake waited for the ball to descend a few inches to launch herself up and drive her cranium right into the ball sending it past Ingrid. Her maneuver landed her in prime position to go for the win, the ball was past her opponent, only a couple of yards away from the goal, and she was more than confident in her leg power to clear the rest of the distance. Unfortunately Ingrid needed to waste valuable time in turning herself around to the ball behind her, whereas Blake who was already facing it was simply able to get going from where she stood.

“ Too slow!” Blake victoriously shouted as she kicked the ball. Tanner hung his head believing the match to be a done deal. As did Blake who almost started gloating until she realized how premature her celebration was when the ball hit right at the rim of the goal and rolled backwards.

Her cockiness betraying her, the time Blake wasted to boast was taken full advantage of by Ingrid still in full gear going after the ball the whole time. Now it was Ingrid who was a leg up in the game and Blake needing to make up ground.

Tanner watched near the edge of the table in awe beginning to notice the differences between the there styles starting to manifest, whereas Blake relied on sheer physicality and sought to overwhelm her opponent, Ingrid seamlessly shifted the ball from one foot to another like a true technician keeping her larger adversary off balance and unable to find a moment to get the ball back.

Her impatience getting the best of her Blake took the chance and committed her attack on Ingrid's left side where the ball currently lied. Much like a matador Ingrid shifted the ball back to her right and the bull Blake nearly fell flat on her face as Ingrid made her way to the goal unopposed.

Despite his reservations of Ingrid hastily accepting Blake's challenge Tanner felt relieved that it appeared she may pull out the win, he was glued to the action until the sound of a door slam snapped him right out of it.

“ Oh crap, she's back.” He realized. “ Guys! She's bac- . .Fuck, what am I thinking.” He said out loud. There's not a chance in hell they'd hear him back from the patio. Grabbing the whistle he again exhaled into it, unlike before this time he had to do this a couple of times to get there attention.

Ingrid and Blake temporarily halted there game to look over to him.

“ What's the problem?” An irritated Ingrid asked, none to happy that what she thought was her sure fire victory was being interrupted . She didn't need a reply when her question practically answered itself in the sound of a car door slam.

“ Dammit Ivory's back, quick we got to get inside!” Ingrid exclaimed.

“ She's going to know I'm here anyway, we may as well bite the bullet.” Blake said.

“ True, but if she knew I brought Tanner outside at night she'll want my head on a stick!” Ingrid explained. She promptly hustled over to scoop Tanner into her hands and scurried through the back door with Blake following suit. They coordinated themselves as they were prior to there impromptu soccer match with the two girls on the couch and Tanner on the table.

The trio counted there lucky stars that they managed that with hardly any time to spare; at the exact moment they sat down the front door opened and Ivory walked in.

“ Hey kids, I'm home.” She greeted joining the three in the living room.

“ Oh hey Ms. Vause. I didn't expect you to be home so early.” Blake waved.

“ And hello to you too.” Ivory added in a lower pitch, expecting only to be greeted by two people.

“ You look well today, have an exciting night?” Blake prodded to Ingrid's chagrin.

Ivory wasn't going to entertain it. “ Don't you have school tomorrow?”

Blake huffed and got up. “ Fine, I'll take the hint and be on my way. See you tomorrow Ingrid.”

After Blake left, Ivory took her time in sitting down next to her daughter

“ Well don't keep us in suspense how did the date go?” Ingrid asked.

“ It went well. . .” Ivory responded, still sounding reserved.

“ That doesn't sound like the tone of someone who just had a good date.” Ingrid noticed. “ Did something happen?”

. .Ivory paused momentarily, swaying her head back and forth. “ Nothing bad. The thing is he wants to have another date tomorrow. This time at our home to meet you guys.”

“ I take it . . . you haven't told him about me right?” Tanner reluctantly asked, connecting the dots.

“ I haven't.” She admitted. She cupped Tanner into her hands gently supporting him. “ I hope you know why I didn't, it's just . .”

“ You don't have to say why I get it.” Tanner admitted, the lunacy of Ivory saying she had a 3 ½ inch stepson sounded every bit as ridiculous in his mind let alone out loud.

“ It's something that needs to be seen to be believed that's for sure, are you sure you're up for that Tanner?” Ingrid asked looking down towards her brother.

“ I didn't answer him at the time, I told him I wanted to check things over with them first. If you don't want to do it I completely understand.” Ivory explained, gently stroking his back with her thumb.

“ Way to put me on the spot . .”

Tanner's Reminiscence II :Meeting People

I really hate meeting people. If you recall the bit where I mentioned Ingrid assuming I was her much younger brother well that's the jist of how a majority of my first time interactions with people went when I was a relatively more capable height. Typically people around my age were shocked to discover I was the same age as them commenting or even boasting of there own height.

Nowhere was that on more display than when I met Blake. She was still participating in soccer and came home with Ingrid one day after practice. All of us were still 10 at the time.

“ Why did one of your teachers come home?” I dumbly asked. Look in fairness yeah most people were taller than me, but she looked tall enough to be a grown adult from my perspective. At that time Blake had already broke the 5 foot mark and I stood measly 3'5 at the time.

Ingrid and Blake both looked at each other before breaking out into laughter. “ This is your little brother Tanner you told me about?”

Ingrid nodded.

“ You really weren't kidding, I didn't think they meant the phrase little brother so seriously.” Blake stated taking immediate notice of my diminutive stature. Off the bat it was her aggressiveness that took the longest to get used to as she wasted no time disregarding all personal boundaries to get right into my personal space. I was already a shy child but being around her made me feel meeker than usual.

“ Well he's only a few months younger than me.” She added.

“ For real!?” Blake exclaimed, hardly able to believe her friends words. Looking me all around from close proximity.

“ Um. .nice to meet you.”

“ Yeah, sure sure! I'm Blake!” She answered, still measuring me up. Shocking as it sounds this was a time where she was even more belligerent than present day. “ You know I think I can lift you up pretty easily mind if I try?”

Being a young athlete and tallest person in her class I get why she wanted to try to test her own strength, but I was still apprehensive at the request. “ Uh. .okay, just let m-”

Naturally the hyperactive girl heard nothing beyond 'okay' and in an instant had her arms around my waist, then hoisted me into the air with ease.

“ Whoa, you're waaay lighter than I thought!” Blake exclaimed, spinning around with me in her arms. It really hit me then how weak I was. I flailed my limbs trying to break free of her grasp but she didn't notice my effort in the slightest. I wondered if that was a problem for me at 3'5 what did that leave in store for me when I inevitably got smaller? I struggled to finally find my voice to cry out for her to let me down.

“ Oops, sorry about that. I got a little carried away. . .” Blake said, setting my dizzy frame back on the ground.

Blake for the most part was harmless though and I could tell she didn't mean to make me feel uncomfortable. Plus that wasn't even the worst of it. At least there was honesty to how kids treated me back then. Sure they can be ruthless, but you grow to appreciate that level of authenticity when compared to adults, they were worse by a long shot.

“ Hello, what's your name.” I recall a young lady in her early 30's asking who was visiting to the group home.

“ Tanner.”

The lady smiled and crouched down to my level. “ How old are you?”

“ Seven.”

Wham. Right there I felt it, that awkwardly long second the recipient of my answer takes to process what I said to be sure they heard me correctly.

“ Wow . .” She said, looking me over hardly able to vocalize any other reasonable follow up. In a world where politeness and political correctness didn't matter her response would have been. “ Holy shit, you're so small for your age. Are you really seven?” Since we don't live in that world, the conversation just abruptly ended with her saying. “ I see . .”, before walking away shortly after.

Adults were just so. .fake and patronizing to me. I've heard remarks like, “ Make sure you eat your vegetables.” Far more than I care to recall when all the broccoli in the world wouldn't be of any help to me. The smaller I became the looks I received from people went from that of mild bewilderment to that of pure shock until it became too dangerous for me to be out in public.

Now Ivory wants me to meet her boyfriend when I haven't interacted with any outsiders in . .who knows how long? It's not something I'm looking forward to at all. But come on, that'd be nothing compared to how I'd feel if I told her no and possibly strain the first relationship she's been in since her husbands accident. It's a small price to pay, when there's opportunity for me to be more than an inconvenience I have to take them. . . . .

----

“ No worries, I think it'll be fine.” Tanner said with a forced smile. Despite being conflicted, the bright smile on his mom's face gave him some relief and confidence that he made the choice.

“ Thank you Tanner, I know this won't be the easiest thing for you.”

Ingrid appeared a bit more aloof at the moment, not one for all the sentimentality. “ Oh come on, Ivory. He maybe a shrimp, but he's at least a little tougher than he looks. He can handle it.”

“ Alright. It's been a long day, I think it's best for us all to head in. Make sure you come home straight from school tomorrow Ingrid, I'll tell him to be over by 6:00 p.m. ” Ivory stated.

“ Yeah, yeah, I'll be here. Goodnight guys.” Ingrid replied, heading upstairs to her room.

Ivory followed her lead with Ingrid in hand to her own room where Tanner's house lied. Once he fell below a 12 inches in height the team of doctors in charge of looking out for him reached out to vendors for the development of products that could make his life more convenient. One of the core items was his own 'house' which was a one room living quarter that had a closet for his clothes, a bed, and a few window. They also thought it would do him well to have an area where he could at least have a semblance of being normal sized.

Ivory gently placed Tanner down at the door of his house, she found it best for it to be in her room seated right on the table opposite of her bed in case something were to happen she'd be right there.

“ Again Tanner I really want to be sure you're okay with this.”

Tanner sighed internally, there's no way he'd go back on it now after already agreeing, he'd look like a plain wuss to change his mind. “ I really am. Trust me.” He said giving a thumbs up. Though he saw her trying to hide it he saw that Ivory was elated based on her trying to repress the muscles in her cheek from forming into a smile. If that didn't give it away her leaning down to give him a quick kiss on the top of his head that made him stumble back.

“ Thank goodness she didn't do that in front of Ingrid. .” Tanner thought, imagining the ways she'd tease him.

This time Ivory lightened up and giggled at the effect of her little show of affection “ Okay, I'll stop being a worry-wart. Thank you again Tanner, goodnight.