A/N: Here's Chapter 7! Hope you are enjoying everything so far! Not sure when the next chapter will be up, most likely this weekend, but I will try to get it out sooner.
Chapter 7: Thanksgiving and Molly's birthday
Oliver, Grace, Annie, and Molly were going to New Jersey for Thanksgiving to visit Grace's mother. They day before they were to leave, snow fell for the first time that winter and the girls were overjoyed to actually be able to play in it for once. They spent the whole afternoon outside, playing and making snowmen and snow angels. Grace looked out the window at her children lovingly and was once again glad that she and Oliver had been able to give them such a loving home. Annie and Molly came inside, their noses red, but smiles spread across their faces.
"You girls have a good time?" Grace asked.
The girls nodded.
"That's good, girls. Now, go get changed, dinner is almost ready,"
The girls hopped up the stairs and Grace went into the kitchen to get their hot chocolates from Mrs. Pugh. The girls came in a little bit later to retrieve their hot chocolates and talk with their mother. Molly sat on Grace's lap.
"Are you excited about going to New Jersey tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Are Aunt Melissa and Aunt Jen coming?" Annie asked.
"I think so, dear,"
"Does Aunt Melissa have any kids?"
"I'm not sure, sweetheart. I suppose we'll find out tomorrow,"
They sat for a little while longer until dinner was ready. They went into the dining room and Oliver joined them shortly. He had been busy finishing up some last minute business things, so he headn't seen his family much that day. He was glad to be able to spend some time with them now.
"What time do we have to leave tomorrow?" Annie asked her father.
"Around eight,"
Annie nodded. "Okay. I'm excited to go to New Jersey,"
"I'm glad, sweetheart,"
The family finished their dinner and then spent time together before the girls had to go bed. Grace helped the girls finish up packing their things and then they spent time in Oliver's study. Molly fell asleep in Grace's arms and Annie played some chess with her father. Grace tucked the girls into their beds around ten thirty and then she and Oliver went to bed.
Grace and Oliver were up around seven-thirty so they could get ready for their trip. The girls would have to eat their breakfasts in the car, because they had to be in New Jersey by at least ten in the morning. Grace got the girls up at seven forty five and got them dressed. Annie was excited to be going to New Jersey, but Grace could tell Molly still wanted to be asleep. She felt bad for having to wake her daughters so early, but she had to if they wanted to get to New Jersey in time. They finally arrived at Emily's house at nine thirty in the morning.
"Good morning, my lovelies," Emily said, embracing her eldest granddaughter.
"Good morning," Annie said.
Grace hugged her mother next. "It's so good to see you, Mom,"
"You, too, my dear," Emily said, pulling away and picking her youngest granddaughter up.
"Hi, Grandmom," She said sleepily.
"Hi, sweetheart. You look tired,"
Molly nodded, leaning her head against her grandmother's shoulder.
The family walked inside Emily's house. She showed Grace and Oliver to where they were staying as well as the girls.
"When are Aunt Melissa and Aunt Jennifer arriving?" Annie asked.
"Early this afternoon, sweetheart. I missed you girls a lot,"
"We did, too," Annie said, Molly nodding in agreement.
"How's school going?"
"Good," Annie said, "I like it,"
"Well, that's good. What about you, honey?" She asked Molly.
"School's fun,"
Oliver and Grace came downstairs from putting all their things away. They sat at the table with their family.
Jennifer and Melissa arrived at one thirty with their children. Melissa did turn out to have a child, Christopher, who was five years old and a husband, Alex. Annie and Molly were glad to meet all of their cousins and felt excited to have so many. Kathryn and Jacob were excited to see their cousins once again.
"It's good to see you all again," Melissa said, hugging her mother.
Grace smiled. She'd always loved the holiday time because she got to see her family and catch up and winter was her favorite season. Now she had even more of a reason to love the holidays, since she got to spend it with her little girls. The girls and their cousins went upstairs to play and Grace, her sisters, and her mother caught up.
"So, how are the girls adjusting to school?" Emily asked Grace.
"It's fun for them. I think they're enjoying it,"
"That's good,"
Jennifer nodded. "Kathryn and Jacob were so excited to see Annie and Molly again,"
Grace chuckled. "So were the girls. I'm so glad that we're able to get together for the holidays. I wish Daddy were here,"
Melissa hugged her little sister. "So do I, Grace. But he's smiling down on us,"
Emily smiled. "Indeed he is. I'm so glad to have you all for the holidays," Tears started to water in her eyes.
Her daughters hugged their mother and then continued to talk. The children went outside to play in the snow outside Emily's house. Grace was so glad to see all of them getting along.
The next day was Thanksgiving. Grace, Melissa, Emily, and Jennifer got up early to cook the food for later that evening. Grace loved spending time with her family and cooking food with them. She hadn't had a Thanksgiving like this in many years, but now that she had the girls, she looked forward to doing this every year. Molly's birthday came up just a few days after Thanksgiving, so she was looking forward to celebrating that with her family, too. It landed on Saturday that year, so they would be travelling back to New York on Sunday. Grace felt bad that she couldn't throw a party for her daughter, but she was going to be surrounded by family and that was all that really mattered. The girls were up late on Thanksgiving and Grace had no doubt in her mind that they had been up late talking. They finally woke up around ten thirty.
"Happy Thanksgiving, girls," Grace said to her daughters and niece.
"Happy Thanksgiving," Annie said, kissing her mother on the cheek.
"How late were you girls up last night?" Jennifer asked.
"Two or three, I don't know," Kathryn said.
Grace chuckled. "I don't know how you girls can stay up so late,"
"It's fun, Mom," Annie said.
Molly and Kathryn nodded in agreement.
"Well, anyways, do you girls want to help us?" Emily asked her granddaughters.
"Sure," The girls said in unison. They started helping their mothers and grandmother make the Thanksgiving feast. Grace remembered doing this as a little girl with her mother, sisters, and grandmother and was glad that she could do it now with her daughters. They finished cooking around four thirty and then they enjoyed their Thanksgiving dinner. Grace had a lot to be thankful for this year. A year ago, she'd never have imagined that she was going to be married to Oliver Warbucks and have two amazing daughters. Oliver looked at her during dinner with a knowing smile, like he knew what was on her mind that day. She felt truly blessed with how her life was turning out. While she was tucking in her daughters that night, Annie said to her,
"I love you, Mom. You, Daddy, and Molly are the best things that have ever happened to me,"
Grace kissed her daughter's forehead. "I love you, too, sweetheart,"
Molly woke up on Saturday feeling very, very excited because it was her seventh birthday. She remebered what Annie's birthday was like and was really excited to be celebrating hers with her Mommy, Daddy, sister, cousins, aunts, and grandmother. She ran into where her parents were staying at seven AM on her birthday and jumped up onto the bed. Grace was awoken by this and rolled over to give her daughter a hug.
"Good morning, sweetheart. Happy birthday,"
"Thanks, Mommy,"
Grace kissed her daughter on the head as Oliver woke up. "Happy birthday, princess," He said.
Molly smiled. "Thanks, Daddy," Oliver got up out of bed with his youngest daughter and they went downstairs. Emily was downstairs already with Melissa, who was helping her make breakfast.
"Good morning, Molly. Happy birthday!" Emily said, kissing her granddaughter on the cheek.
"Thank you, Grandmom,"
Melissa picked her niece up and also wished her a happy birthday. As usual, Annie and Kathryn were up late that morning.
"Happy brithday, Molly," Annie said, hugging her little sister.
"Thanks," Molly said. She felt so loved to have so many people to wish her a happy birthday. At the orphanage, birthdays were no different than regular days, but now she was abloe to do anything she wanted on her birthday. They went to the beach on her birthday and spent the day with her family. She had a blast with everyone and Grace was so glad that she had a good day. What she wanted more than anything in the entire world was for her daughters to be happy and now they had the best birthdays of their lives.
They left New Jersey the next day, and while Annie and Molly were sad to leave their grandmother, aunts, and cousins, they mad plans to get together for Christmas at the mansion. Grace had always loved the holidays and now she had even more of a reason to, since she had her daughters with her. She loved them more than anything in the whole world and was so glad they were loving their new life.
A/N: So I hoped you enjoyed it and please review!
