Jake stared at his mom as if she was insane. Mrs. Ely smiled, and happily repeated the statement,
"That's right, Jake, there's going to be another woman in the house, and you, Quinn and I will pick her up from the airport tomorrow at three o'clock."
Later, Jake talked to Sam on the phone,
"So you're really getting a sister?" Sam asked.
"Yep, her names Melanie and she's from New Mexico." Jake replied.
"I know, you already said that, but how old is she and what's she like?"
"I don't know what she's like; I haven't even MET her yet! All I know is she's fourteen, from New Mexico and her name is Melanie!"
"You are really upset about this, aren't you?"
"Well see could have told us about it sooner, I mean I know mom and dad talked it over, and mom said she didn't want an 'uproar' from us." Jake said. Sam laughed; she could picture Jake's brothers at the table discussing the unfairness of getting a sister.
"So when do you meet your mystery family member?" Sam said with a smile.
"I don't know how you can find this funny."
"I never said it was funny; now tell me when do you meet her?" Sam demanded.
"Tomorrow at three," Jake said.
"Wow, that is soon," Sam agreed. "But maybe your mom did it that soon so you guys wouldn't think you could change her mind."
"Oh, believe me they're trying to change her mind right now, I have to go Sam, to help with the-" Jake searched for the right word, but came up short.
"It's ok, goodbye, and good luck!" and with that, Sam hung up and turned around to fill Gram in on the details.
"Actually, Maxine did mention this to me awhile ago, but I thought it was just an idea!" Brynna said later that night at dinner.
"Where, exactly in New Mexico did Jake say?"
"He didn't, in fact, he seemed quite upset by this whole idea." Sam said, remembering Jake's uneasy tone.
"Well, I guess that's natural, and Maxine told me if they did adopt it would be from Santa Fe." Brynna remembered.
"I don't understand why she didn't tel the boys sooner though," Grace said.
"Jake said Maxine didn't want an 'uproar' from the boys" Sam said. "Wait- Brynna aren't the HARP girls coming Monday?"
"Yeah, that's two days away! Wow are we gonna be busy here!" Byrnna said, as she put her plate into the sink.
"What flight did you say it was again?" Jake asked. They were waiting at the Airport for Melanie's flight to come in.
"Jake, it's the only flight from New Mexico." Maxine said for maybe the fifth time. He turned to watch the plane from NM land. It wasn't one of those big, fancy planes, in fact, he wondered how it could even fly. Quinn walked towards them and said
"Those people on TV are right; airport bathrooms are disgusting! Hey, is that her flight?" He too watched as people exited the plane down the portable stairway.
"Yes," Maxine said in a forced, patient voice. It was clear she was getting annoyed her sons didn't remember what she told them. Jake stared at the cotton ropes that marked where the people that had been on the plane would soon exit from. Ajke counted the people walk through:
A bald man, maybe 45 give or take a few years, not Melanie
A seventy year old lady with a fifty year old man, neither Melanie
Lady with a stroller; not Melanie
Teenage boy; not Melanie- wait there was a girl next to him, was that Melanie? Wrong, his mom shook her head no at that girl.
A young man and woman with children, not Melanie either.
Suddenly Jake's eyes locked on the next passenger, who emerged carrying a blue duffle bag and an oversized backpack. She had brown hair, but it was kinda lighter, not too light though. It looked exactly like the icing on one of Grace's cakes. Her eyes were a darker brown, like..like one of Grace's cakes where the icing burned. Wait- you can't burn icing on a cake you burn a cake but- Stop Jake, this conversation in you head is pointless. He shook that ridiculous thought from his head and continued studying the girl who stood by herself. She had skin that was not dark, but not light, it looked- no, bad Jake! No more comparisons. The girl hesitantly glanced around, looking for someone. When Jake's mom waved at her, Jake groaned, she looked like trouble. But no, as Maxine and a possible Melanie hugged, he knew it, they had a match!