Morgan
My daughter Luna came into the kitchen.
"Hey are the brownies done?" she asked.
"Idinno honey but you can check. Where's Jennifer?" I returned, referring to my other daughter.
"Upstairs, as usual. I don't know if she'll come down."
Luna went over to the stove, put oven mitts on and opened the door.
"No they need a few more minutes," she said.
"Ok."
She closed the door, took the oven mitts off and went into the white living room, where her dad Leo was.
"Jennifer," I called up the stairs.
There wasn't an answer.
"Jennifer, I wont make you talk to everyone but I would like you to make an appearance," I told her.
Outside it was snowing. The heat was on inside. I hoped everyone would mke it ok.
Today was the day of the reunion. Leo and I had invited my siblings, their friends from college and their children to our place for a get together. When I told Jennifer about it she didnt seem too pleased with the idea, since Shawn, my brother Cory's long time best friend, was her dad. She and Luna were half sisters.
Jennifer was at that age where she hted everything and everyone, though I think part of this had to do with the fact that Shawn had never stuck around.
Back in college Shawn and I had had sex one night, and I wasn't sure if Cory knew this or not. Shawn and Cory had been friends since elementary school.
Abruptly in college Shawn was drafted to fight in the Iraq war. He wrote me letters, which I thought was terribly romantic. I have them in a box up in our attic.
In the living room the doorbell rang.
"Jennifer!" I called shortly up the stairs at the same time that Luna called "I'll get it!".
I walked into the living room where Luna was opening the tall white front door.
"Luna," I reminded her.
"Yes Mom I looked through the window before I opened the door," she said.
Leo walked over to me, putting his arm around my waist.
"Hi hun," he said.
"Hi."
Into the living room stepped Cory, his wife Topanga and their daughter Alexa.
"Hi. There are brownies in the kitchen," Luna told Alexa, taking her by the hand and leading her into the kitchen.
"Hi can I take your coats?" Leo asked.
He left me and went to help Topanga off with her coat.
"Well aren't you polite," she said.
"He's always been," I returned, walking over to them.
We hugged, Cory closing the door behind them.
"Hi what do you have to drink?" he asked.
"Well....."
Cory followed Leo into the kitchen while Topanga and I made our way over to the couch.
"Hi," she said, sitting.
"Hi how are the roads?" I retuend.
"Not great. Angela and Jasmine should be here in a few, I don't know when Shawn, Lily and Ariel are coming. Linda and Eric should be here shortly."
"Ok. So what are you doing these days?"
"Still a lawyer, Alexa's still a cheerleader, gymnast so she's fairly busy."
"Sounds it."
"And what about you?" She asked.
"Still a psychologist, which keeps me busy."
Topanga looked around.
"Does Cory know?" she asked in a low voice.
"Oh, about........Jennifer?"
She nodded; "mmhmm."
"Idinno."
Lily had been Shawn's girlfriend in high school; they were still together. Ariel was their daughter.
Angela had been his girlfriend in college, but had gone to Europe with her father. Jasmine was their daughter.
Eric and Linda had met in high school and were still together. June was their daughter.
"Speaking of........Jennifer around?" Topanga asked.
"Yeah, upstairs in her room."
"Ok, I think I'll go talk to her."
"Ok."
Topanga left.
From the kitchen I heard Leo say, "Luna honey why don't you go show Alexa your room?".
I knew that meant he wanted time to talk to Cory.
