Chapter 2
The three bedrooms in the guesthouse had changed; Jo had redecorated the nursery and it no longer held baby bassinets but small toddler beds lining three walls. Gratefully Lizzie drops the bags in the nursery and adjusts Lily on her hip causing Lily to readjust her head on Lizzie and switch thumbs in her mouth.
"Up too Mommy." Michael holds his hands out to Lizzie.
Lizzie lifts Michael up as well and asks, "ready to go see Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Lez go!" Hanna's independence shines through as she heads to the door?"
"Yeah!" Michael cheers.
"Are you ready?" Lizzie asks Lily whose fear of new people was generally a cause for concern, mostly because people took Lily's shyness for coldness or dislike. Lily doesn't responds to her mother's question, her face unchanging until she buries her face in Lizzie's neck.
Making her way out of the small house Lizzie can see her parents making breakfast in the kitchen and quietly she opens the door, "Lizzie!" Jo stares at her, "you aren't supposed to be here for another couple of hours."
"I know, we came in early." Lizzie responds.
Overcoming the shock of Lizzie's early arrival Jo and Sam hug her around the kids in her arms, Lizzie sets Michael on the ground as Hanna launches into her typical introduction. "I'm Hanna Grace Gordon." Hanna touches her chest and then points to at her brother, "thaz my bro-bro Mikey and my sissy Lily."
Jo and Sam hug Michael and Hanna while Lily remains nestled in her mother's arms watching her siblings silently, "and you must be Lily." Jo approaches Lily and Lizzie.
Lizzie stares at Jo as Lizzie faces her, "are you going to say hi?"
Lily takes her thumb out of her mouth and while it seems like she is going to say something she just rests her head on Lizzie's shoulder. "Lily's shy." Hanna declares, "Mikey and me not shy."
"I see that," Jo laughs.
"Mom what time is the graduation?" Lizzie asks, already growing nervous about agreeing to going to what would have been her graduation if she hadn't switched schools.
"At one, it gives us enough time to have some brunch and get ready to go."
"Are you sure Melina, Matt and Lanny will be all right watching the kids?" In almost three years Lizzie had never left the triplets with who hadn't lived in the Bright House.
"They'll be fine, three on three." Sam assures.
"Two on three, I'm taking Lily with me." Lizzie responds, "but Hanna and Michael will keep them on their toes as it is. Besides Lily will sit for the whole ceremony without a problem, won't you sweetie?"
Lily nods solemnly and her thumb goes back in her mouth, "she's still so shy." Jo comments.
Lizzie nods, "I talked to the councilor at school and she said that there isn't anything wrong with her shyness. She's just shy, Laurie, that's the councilor, thinks that she might be so shy because Michael and Hanna are so outspoken." Lizzie shrugs, "she's mommy's little girl, aren't you babe?"
Lily nods a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "can I help yo with breakfast?" Lizzie asks.
Jo nods and smiles, "that would be nice."
"Alright Lils, you have to get down now." Lizzie sets Lily on her feet and she joins Michael and Hanna.
"Do they want to watch cartoons or something?" Sam asks.
Lizzie glances at the three of them and taking in that they are in their own world she shakes her head, "they're fine, they don't need anything but each other to keep entertained *and* cause trouble. They team up and get into trouble with anyone they think they can get away with it with, you should see when we get new people in the nursery at school they usually got the entire group into some kind of trouble."
"I assume Hanna is the ringleader," Jo predicts.
Lizzie shakes her head "nope. For as quiet she is Lily seems to be in the most control over what Hanna and Michael do, I think she's the one that comes up with their plots but Hanna and Michael carry the mouth."
"Sounds like someone and her best friends when they were little." Sam laughs.
"How are they?" Lizzie asks softly, "I guess I'll see them today."
"Gordo is valedictorian and Miranda is singing the class song," Jo responds.
"Good," Lizzie murmurs, "good for them."
"Hey big sister." Matt appears in the kitchen and Lizzie is surprised by how tall he is gotten, standing a good foot over Lizzie now.
Lizzie hugs Matt warmly, "oh my God, you're a giant."
"Growth spirt," Matt shrugs. "Dad thinks I should play basketball next year."
"So you and Melina are still dating then?" Lizzie asks.
Sam groans, Jo laughs and Matt responds, "when she's not dumping me, yeah."
Lizzie grins, "she always was a piece of work. She's still keeping you on your toes, huh?"
"That would be an understatement," Sam snorts.
"You better watch Hanna and Melina then when you baby-sit because they might get you into some trouble."
"Lanny and I can handle them, I'm sure." Matt states.
"I trust you," Lizzie responds, "and Lily is coming with me, so you'll just have Michael and Hanna."
"All right, let's sit down to eat," Jo urges and walking to the table Lizzie notices they have three booster seats at on the chairs.
"Do you guys want pancakes?" Sam asks Hanna, Michael and Lily who are huddles chattering in their own little language not far away.
"Cake?" Michael asks hopefully.
"Pancakes." Sam repeats.
"Flippies." Lizzie states and the kids' eyes go wide.
"Flippies?" Jo asks.
Lizzie nods, as she helps the kids get seated around the table, "my friend Alyson's son Max always called them flippies for whatever reason and all the kids call them that now. But no matter what you call them these kids love pancakes."
"I want Max." Michael states staring at the blueberry pancake on his plate.
At the mention of Max, Lily's lip trembles and she whispers, "Ally." With her words Lily climbs out of booster seat and over her brother to get to Lizzie.
"Lily you have to sit in your own seat if you are going to eat," Lily quietly reminds. "The rules don't change here."
"No flippies." Lily shakes her head content to sit in Lizzie lap as everyone else talks and eats.
Lizzie stares in the full-length mirror of the bathroom in the guest house wearing the most formal thing she had worn in awhile. It was just a simple light blue summer dress but things were always so casual at school that no one ever felt the need to get dressed up. There had always been so much going on between meal duty, daycare duty, school studies and the magazine telemarketing job that all of the girls had from the school there wasn't any desire to dress up either. But it felt nice to put on a nice dress, make-up and to take time to do her hair, she had missed out on all of the typical teenage things. Sometimes Lizzie forgot, herself, that she was still only a teenager she just figured that being the mother of three she never considered herself anything but a mother anymore.
"Mommy pretty!" Hanna exclaims wandering into the bathroom.
Lizzie scoops Hanna up, "thank you! How'd you get in here, I thought you were in the other house playing with Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Uncle Matt." Hanna states as Matt appears in the doorway too.
"Mom and Dad wanted me to let you know that they are about ready to leave."
"Thanks." Lizzie responds, "I'll be right in, I just have to grab something to change Lily into."
"I help!" Hanna declares.
"You want to help me pick out something for your sister to wear?"
"Yeah!" Hanna nods.
"Okay, which one then?" Lizzie asks holding two dress options up for Hanna, who is sitting on the bed, to see.
"Tha' one." Hanna points at the white dress with embroider hula dancers, palm trees and grass huts along the bottom and ties holding the dress up at the top.
"All right then," Lizzie nods, grabbing the dress, the sandals with the pineapple on top and a white hat.
"This too!" Hanna holds out her favorite pair of sunglasses.
"Hanna you're sister hates sunglasses, you know she won't wear them. I'll be lucky if I can get her to keep the hat on." Lizzie responds.
"This too!" Hanna declares.
"We can try." Lizzie sighs, "now let's go I don't want to make Grandma and Grandpa late."
"Glasses for Lily!" Hanna holds out the sunglasses to Lily once she has been dressed.
Lily shakes her head, her light red hair flying back and forth, so Lizzie suggests, "Hanna why don't you show Grandma and Grandpa what you look like with your glasses on?"
"Okay!" Hanna grins and puts on the red heart shaped sunglasses that say Sweet Girl across the lenses.
"I have to get a picture." Jo announces and quickly, with the camera she is taking for the graduation, she snaps a picture of Hanna posing in her sunglasses.
"We really should get going." Sam urges.
"Matt you have everything under control?" Lizzie asks.
"Everything is fine Lizzie, I promise." Matt states firmly, "have fun.
"Right," Lizzie nods, she was nervous, both about leaving her children for the first time and about facing everyone from her past.
The three bedrooms in the guesthouse had changed; Jo had redecorated the nursery and it no longer held baby bassinets but small toddler beds lining three walls. Gratefully Lizzie drops the bags in the nursery and adjusts Lily on her hip causing Lily to readjust her head on Lizzie and switch thumbs in her mouth.
"Up too Mommy." Michael holds his hands out to Lizzie.
Lizzie lifts Michael up as well and asks, "ready to go see Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Lez go!" Hanna's independence shines through as she heads to the door?"
"Yeah!" Michael cheers.
"Are you ready?" Lizzie asks Lily whose fear of new people was generally a cause for concern, mostly because people took Lily's shyness for coldness or dislike. Lily doesn't responds to her mother's question, her face unchanging until she buries her face in Lizzie's neck.
Making her way out of the small house Lizzie can see her parents making breakfast in the kitchen and quietly she opens the door, "Lizzie!" Jo stares at her, "you aren't supposed to be here for another couple of hours."
"I know, we came in early." Lizzie responds.
Overcoming the shock of Lizzie's early arrival Jo and Sam hug her around the kids in her arms, Lizzie sets Michael on the ground as Hanna launches into her typical introduction. "I'm Hanna Grace Gordon." Hanna touches her chest and then points to at her brother, "thaz my bro-bro Mikey and my sissy Lily."
Jo and Sam hug Michael and Hanna while Lily remains nestled in her mother's arms watching her siblings silently, "and you must be Lily." Jo approaches Lily and Lizzie.
Lizzie stares at Jo as Lizzie faces her, "are you going to say hi?"
Lily takes her thumb out of her mouth and while it seems like she is going to say something she just rests her head on Lizzie's shoulder. "Lily's shy." Hanna declares, "Mikey and me not shy."
"I see that," Jo laughs.
"Mom what time is the graduation?" Lizzie asks, already growing nervous about agreeing to going to what would have been her graduation if she hadn't switched schools.
"At one, it gives us enough time to have some brunch and get ready to go."
"Are you sure Melina, Matt and Lanny will be all right watching the kids?" In almost three years Lizzie had never left the triplets with who hadn't lived in the Bright House.
"They'll be fine, three on three." Sam assures.
"Two on three, I'm taking Lily with me." Lizzie responds, "but Hanna and Michael will keep them on their toes as it is. Besides Lily will sit for the whole ceremony without a problem, won't you sweetie?"
Lily nods solemnly and her thumb goes back in her mouth, "she's still so shy." Jo comments.
Lizzie nods, "I talked to the councilor at school and she said that there isn't anything wrong with her shyness. She's just shy, Laurie, that's the councilor, thinks that she might be so shy because Michael and Hanna are so outspoken." Lizzie shrugs, "she's mommy's little girl, aren't you babe?"
Lily nods a small smile playing at the corners of her mouth, "can I help yo with breakfast?" Lizzie asks.
Jo nods and smiles, "that would be nice."
"Alright Lils, you have to get down now." Lizzie sets Lily on her feet and she joins Michael and Hanna.
"Do they want to watch cartoons or something?" Sam asks.
Lizzie glances at the three of them and taking in that they are in their own world she shakes her head, "they're fine, they don't need anything but each other to keep entertained *and* cause trouble. They team up and get into trouble with anyone they think they can get away with it with, you should see when we get new people in the nursery at school they usually got the entire group into some kind of trouble."
"I assume Hanna is the ringleader," Jo predicts.
Lizzie shakes her head "nope. For as quiet she is Lily seems to be in the most control over what Hanna and Michael do, I think she's the one that comes up with their plots but Hanna and Michael carry the mouth."
"Sounds like someone and her best friends when they were little." Sam laughs.
"How are they?" Lizzie asks softly, "I guess I'll see them today."
"Gordo is valedictorian and Miranda is singing the class song," Jo responds.
"Good," Lizzie murmurs, "good for them."
"Hey big sister." Matt appears in the kitchen and Lizzie is surprised by how tall he is gotten, standing a good foot over Lizzie now.
Lizzie hugs Matt warmly, "oh my God, you're a giant."
"Growth spirt," Matt shrugs. "Dad thinks I should play basketball next year."
"So you and Melina are still dating then?" Lizzie asks.
Sam groans, Jo laughs and Matt responds, "when she's not dumping me, yeah."
Lizzie grins, "she always was a piece of work. She's still keeping you on your toes, huh?"
"That would be an understatement," Sam snorts.
"You better watch Hanna and Melina then when you baby-sit because they might get you into some trouble."
"Lanny and I can handle them, I'm sure." Matt states.
"I trust you," Lizzie responds, "and Lily is coming with me, so you'll just have Michael and Hanna."
"All right, let's sit down to eat," Jo urges and walking to the table Lizzie notices they have three booster seats at on the chairs.
"Do you guys want pancakes?" Sam asks Hanna, Michael and Lily who are huddles chattering in their own little language not far away.
"Cake?" Michael asks hopefully.
"Pancakes." Sam repeats.
"Flippies." Lizzie states and the kids' eyes go wide.
"Flippies?" Jo asks.
Lizzie nods, as she helps the kids get seated around the table, "my friend Alyson's son Max always called them flippies for whatever reason and all the kids call them that now. But no matter what you call them these kids love pancakes."
"I want Max." Michael states staring at the blueberry pancake on his plate.
At the mention of Max, Lily's lip trembles and she whispers, "Ally." With her words Lily climbs out of booster seat and over her brother to get to Lizzie.
"Lily you have to sit in your own seat if you are going to eat," Lily quietly reminds. "The rules don't change here."
"No flippies." Lily shakes her head content to sit in Lizzie lap as everyone else talks and eats.
Lizzie stares in the full-length mirror of the bathroom in the guest house wearing the most formal thing she had worn in awhile. It was just a simple light blue summer dress but things were always so casual at school that no one ever felt the need to get dressed up. There had always been so much going on between meal duty, daycare duty, school studies and the magazine telemarketing job that all of the girls had from the school there wasn't any desire to dress up either. But it felt nice to put on a nice dress, make-up and to take time to do her hair, she had missed out on all of the typical teenage things. Sometimes Lizzie forgot, herself, that she was still only a teenager she just figured that being the mother of three she never considered herself anything but a mother anymore.
"Mommy pretty!" Hanna exclaims wandering into the bathroom.
Lizzie scoops Hanna up, "thank you! How'd you get in here, I thought you were in the other house playing with Grandma and Grandpa?"
"Uncle Matt." Hanna states as Matt appears in the doorway too.
"Mom and Dad wanted me to let you know that they are about ready to leave."
"Thanks." Lizzie responds, "I'll be right in, I just have to grab something to change Lily into."
"I help!" Hanna declares.
"You want to help me pick out something for your sister to wear?"
"Yeah!" Hanna nods.
"Okay, which one then?" Lizzie asks holding two dress options up for Hanna, who is sitting on the bed, to see.
"Tha' one." Hanna points at the white dress with embroider hula dancers, palm trees and grass huts along the bottom and ties holding the dress up at the top.
"All right then," Lizzie nods, grabbing the dress, the sandals with the pineapple on top and a white hat.
"This too!" Hanna holds out her favorite pair of sunglasses.
"Hanna you're sister hates sunglasses, you know she won't wear them. I'll be lucky if I can get her to keep the hat on." Lizzie responds.
"This too!" Hanna declares.
"We can try." Lizzie sighs, "now let's go I don't want to make Grandma and Grandpa late."
"Glasses for Lily!" Hanna holds out the sunglasses to Lily once she has been dressed.
Lily shakes her head, her light red hair flying back and forth, so Lizzie suggests, "Hanna why don't you show Grandma and Grandpa what you look like with your glasses on?"
"Okay!" Hanna grins and puts on the red heart shaped sunglasses that say Sweet Girl across the lenses.
"I have to get a picture." Jo announces and quickly, with the camera she is taking for the graduation, she snaps a picture of Hanna posing in her sunglasses.
"We really should get going." Sam urges.
"Matt you have everything under control?" Lizzie asks.
"Everything is fine Lizzie, I promise." Matt states firmly, "have fun.
"Right," Lizzie nods, she was nervous, both about leaving her children for the first time and about facing everyone from her past.
