Disclaimer: I do not own the Penderwicks.
Chapter Two: Arrivals
Lucy watched her mother greet her aunt with a dreamy expression on her face. They rarely saw her mother's family, and it was always interesting to see Jane's reactions to the people she'd grown up with. She and Aunt Skye made an interesting pair, they were incredibly different. Her fingers itched for her pencils and watercolors, as she watched Jane reach forward to hug Skye, her red peacoat a spot of color in the gray landscape. Her mother's wild chestnut curls were tumbling free from a white hat that made her look alien next to Skye, who all clean lines and blue eyes in a black ski jacket and work boots. The two of them seemed to be the only color in the grey winter landscape. Lucy didn't need to take a photo, the details would stick to her mind, another useful quirk of her mother's homeschooling.
"Hey," a voice ripped Lucy from her reverie. She turned to face her cousin Lizzy. Lizzy would be an interesting subject to paint, Lucy thought absently. She really was pretty, with her mother's bright blonde hair cut just below the jawline and her father's vivid green eyes and smattering of freckles. Her father. Lucy's eyes drifted over to her Uncle Jeffery, who'd come out of the car and was bending down to give her mom a hug.
"Earth to Lucy. Lucy…hey!" Lizzy was waving her hand in front of Lucy's face, "Are you still here?"
"What?" Lucy asked sharply.
"She just said we should go inside," Malcom explained patiently. "It's freezing out here.
Lucy nodded in agreement and the three children headed inside. Malcom and I look nothing alike, she thought. True, they both had the dark eyes that were the family's trademark, but the similarities ended there. Mal looked like their mother, tall and lanky with curling dark hair and pale skin. Lucy on the other hand, was petite and had pale blonde hair, which contrasted oddly with her mother's dark eyes. Mal hung back slightly as they approached the door, like Lucy knew he would. Malcom didn't like talking to most people, family members included. In fact, as Lucy thought about it, the only people she'd seen him talk to on a regular basis were herself and their mom. She didn't have time to think about it more because Lizzy was opening the door and the world was a whir of bright lamplight, warm air, and cheerful voices as they stepped inside.
The house was delightfully chaotic. A heap of snow boots sat beside the door, under a rack that had been buried in coats, jackets, hats, and scarves. Christmas music was playing from the radio as Aunt Rosalind hurried around the kitchen making dinner. The air smelled heavenly, like vegetable soup, fresh bread, homemade cookies, and pine needles from the wreath hanging by the window.
"Oh good, you all are here," Lucy's Aunt Rosalind smiled and stepped forward and wrapped her nieces and nephew in a tight hug, "Close that door quickly now, we don't want all the cold air getting in." she skillfully slid past them as Lizzy's little brother Ryan slipped through the door, his bag slung over his skinny shoulders.
"Jules and Anna are in the living room with Nana and Grandpa." She said to them as she leaned out the door calling, "Skye! Jane! Jeffery! If the three of you don't get in here right this second, I'll tell Daddy about that mess you made in the attic when you were twelve!"
The adults tramped in moments later.
"You wouldn't dare," laughed Skye as she kissed her elder sister on the cheek.
''You love us too much," Jane smiled as she kicked off her boots.
"Mom!" yelled a girl's voice, "Mom! Where are you!"
"I'm in the kitchen!" Rosalind yelled over her shoulder as two girls sped in. The older one was tall, with caramel colored skin and silky black curls that flew everywhere. Her eyes were wide and dark and full of laughter, and she was about the same age as Lucy. Lucy instantly recognized her cousin Anna. A smaller girl, maybe five or six years old, was perched on Anna's back with her arms latched around her neck. Lucy identified Aunt Rosalind's other adoptive daughter, Julia, by her gap toothed smile and wild brown curls.
"Mom, can you get Jules off my back, she won't let go, oh hey guys!" Anna fixed her bright eyes on Lizzy, Lucy, and Malcom, who had been standing awkwardly in the doorway.
"Julia Elizabeth, let go of your sister this instant," said Rosalind sternly while she waved a cooking spoon at her offspring, "And say hello to your cousins."
Julia then realized that she had an audience and decided now would be a good time to hide behind Anna's legs. Anna just grinned and picked the younger girl up. "Do you want me to show you guys where we're sleeping?" she offered after the usual pleasantries. When the girls agreed, the picked up their bags and headed for the staircase, but not after Lizzy made an attempt on snitching a glob of the cookie dough.
They left the adults chattering in the kitchen, said hello to their grandparents in the living room, and clambered up the narrow staircase. ''Nana and Grandpa have a hotel room in town because we don't all fit," Anna was saying, "Malcom, you and your mom are in the little room at the end of the hall, my parents are in the one next to it, Aunt Batty and Uncle Ben have the big white one, Lizzy's parents are on the fold out bed in the office, Ryan's sleeping with them by the way and we..." the girls turned up a very narrow flight of stairs, "are up here."
The attic room was small, with white walls and a sloped ceiling. Light poured in from a single round window above the radiator, and a large brass bed filled up most of the space. There was no closet, but there was a big cedar chest for keeping clothes in. A faded wool rug covered most of the floor, and an overstuffed armchair sat in the corner, directly in front of a small, white panel door that looked like it lead to insulation, or maybe plumbing. Altogether, it was charming and cozy. There was only one problem.
"Who has to sleep on the floor?" Lizzy asked.
(Scene Change)
Rosalind looked out the window just as the truck pulled in. Ben's big red pickup was easy to recognize, especially with the music blaring from the speakers. Sure enough, a familiar figure hopped down from the passenger's seat, lugging a black duffle bag and a guitar case, and pulling another girl by the hand.
Batty, Mercedes, and Ben had always made an odd trio, even as children. Part of it was that they looked so different. Batty was tiny, with short brown curls with an "expressive" yellow streak down the side, and huge dark eyes. Ben was tall and lanky, with a shock of bright red hair and a quiet demeanor. Mercedes had grown up to be very beautiful, with long light brown hair and pretty hazel eyes. The three of them were laughing and chatting as Batty flung open the door and strode in.
"I brought Mercedes!" she announced to no one in particular as she dropped her overstuffed duffel bag by the door.
"I didn't want to intrude, but Batty insisted,'' Mercedes began, but Rosalind cut her off.
"You're always welcome," Rosalind smiled as she gave the girl who was as close to her as another sister a hug, then dropped a kiss on her no longer little sister's cheek.
"Ben," Skye groaned, "You've gotten taller than me again."
Ben laughed as he gave Skye a hug, "Hey pretty girl."
"How's the band going, Battykins?" asked Jeffery, once all the adults were ranged around the kitchen.
"It's going great," Batty smiled, "Mercedes is an awesome manager."
"I try," Mercedes grinned sheepishly as gazes turned on her.
"They have a new CD," Ben grinned as he slid it across the table. A bright yellow case with a stylized green logo of a monster landed in front of Jane.
"The Wild Things," Jane read out loud, "I love that name."
The rest of the afternoon was full of laughter, music, and food and no one really cared about the scary woman in the mansion next door, or the more pressing secrets hidden behind closed doors. Nothing else mattered except for the fact that the Penderwick family was together again.
A/N: Just to clear some stuff up on ages, Lizzy is thirteen, Malcom, Lucy, and Anna are twelve, Ryan is seven, and Julia is five. Anna and Julia are both adopted, something which I will elaborate on in future chapters. Questions? Comments? Concerns? Leave a review!
-countingmoons