Chapter 10

Jeff was driving behind Tad and Blair's car. Tootie had turned around in the passenger seat to face Tisha in the back.

"So, who did you meet at camp?" Tootie asked.

"Kelsey's twin sister. She was in my cabin this year. How come we never met her before?"

"Wait, what? What do you mean you met Kelsey's twin sister?"

"She was at camp. She looked exactly like Kelsey, except that she had a broken arm and her hair was a lot shorter."

"Honey, you must have been mistaken."

"No, everyone at camp saw they were twins. They were even born on the same exact day."

Tootie felt her seatbelt tighten around her body as Jeff slammed on the brakes and swerved around Tad and Blair's car.

"Ow, Jeff, what happened?"

"They just swerved off the road and stopped. I was trying not to hit them."

"Oh boy," Tootie said, realizing that Kelsey must have told Tad and Blair the same thing that Tisha had just told her. "There's gonna be trou-ble."

Tad saw Blair struggling against her seatbelt, she was stuck in her seat. Tad helped Blair unbuckle her seat belt.

"Daddy, why did you do that? That hurt." Kelsey pulled her seatbelt off and refastened it.

"What did you just say?" Tad asked. "What do you mean, you met your twin sister?"

"I met my twin sister at camp. Her name is Elsie and she looks just like me. Her birthday is the same as mine."

Tad saw Blair wiping lipstick off of her face.

"No, no, no, that's impossible," Tad said. "Your sister died after you were born."

"So, I do have a twin sister! Why didn't you tell me?"

"Kelsey, we were going to tell you when you were older. We never found the right time."

"When are you going to tell Amanda that she's adopted?" Kelsey asked angrily. "When she's eight too, or never?"

"Kelsey, watch it. That's not fair. Amanda is a baby. We will tell her she was adopted in a couple of years when she can talk and we can answer her questions," Tad said.

"That's not fair," Kelsey shouted. "You're going to tell Amanda she's adopted, but you couldn't tell me I had a twin sister. I hate you guys, you're the worst parents ever."

Tad watched Blair burst into tears. She hadn't said a word the entire time.

"Kelsey, your mother and I had a really difficult time when your sister died. Mommy doesn't like to talk about it."

"She's not dead," Kelsey screamed.

"That's enough Kelsey," Tad reached over and pulled Blair's seatbelt over her and clicked it into place. He whispered to Blair and she nodded. "Kelsey, I think it's time we showed you something."

Tad put the car in drive and they continued down the road. When Tad got to the end of the road, he turned left instead of right.

Natalie, Snake, and Annie walked into their apartment and Annie flopped onto the couch and grabbed the remote for the TV.

"Not until after you take a shower," Natalie told her.

"But Mom…"

Annie was interrupted by her father, "you heard your mother. Get in the bathroom, the TV will still be here when you're done."

Annie huffed, "Fine." She got up off of the couch and walked into the bathroom.

"Cover up your stitches, so they don't get wet," Natalie called after her.

"I know, Mom," Annie shouted before she closed the bathroom door.

Natalie rolled her eyes, it was going to be fun when Annie was a teenager. She picked up the phone and dialed the doctor's office to see if she could make an appointment to get Annie's stitches out.

Jo opened the door to the apartment and Rick and Jamie walked in.

"Jamie, give me your dirty clothes and hop in the shower," Jo said. "I hope you didn't shove your wet bathing suit and towel in your bag this time."

"I didn't Mom, all my clothes were dry before I packed them." Jamie dumped the contents of her duffel bag on the floor.

Jo sat an empty laundry basket on the floor next to Jamie. "Put your clothes in the basket. I have enough time to wash them before we go to dinner. Don't worry, Aunt Blair didn't pick the restaurant."

"Good, last time she tried to get me to try eating dead snails," Jamie said with a disgusted look on her face.

Jamie put all her clothes in the laundry basket. Jo picked up the basket and headed to the door. The phone rang before she could get out the door.

"Jamie, get in the shower please," Jo picked up the phone. "Hello? Oh, hey Tootie. What's up?"

It was quiet in the car as Tad drove up Oregon Road.

"Daddy, what's that really big house back there?" Kelsey pointed to the right at a large two story brick mansion with a gable roof.

"That's Van Cortlandt Upper Manor House. George Washington slept there."

"No, he didn't."

"Yes, he did, he stayed there a few times during the Revolutionary War. He was-"

"Never mind, I don't care anymore." Kelsey cut him off and covered her ears, before Tad gave her the complete history of George Washington.

Tad sighed, he would talk to Kelsey about her rudeness when they got home. Tad continued up the road until he turned through the entrance of Hillside Cemetery.

"Daddy, why are we going to the cemetery? I told you my sister is not dead."

Tad stopped the car, got out and opened Kelsey's door.

"Let's take a walk."

Kelsey stepped out of the car and noticed Blair wasn't getting out of the car.

"Is Mommy coming?"

Blair opened her door and got out. Tad got a good look at her face, which was tear streaked from crying. Her mascara had run down her face and she hadn't gotten all of the lipstick off of her face. Even with her make-up ruined, Tad still thought Blair was the most beautiful woman in the universe.

Tad grabbed Blair's hand and squeezed it and he led Kelsey into the cemetery. They stopped in front of a headstone with 'Baby Warner' carved into it.

"Kelsey, this is where your sister is buried."

"Daddy, you're not listening to me. My sister is alive, I saw her at camp. She looks just like me, she has my birthday."

"Kelsey, that's not possible. Your sister died after you were born."

"How do you know?" Kelsey shouted. "Did you even see her?"

"Quiet down, this is a cemetery," Tad whispered sternly.

Kelsey had tears streaming down her face. She looked up at Tad, "She's alive, I know it."

Tad shook his head. Kelsey ran in the direction of the car.

"Kelsey! Wait, get back here."

Tad started after Kelsey, but then turned back to Blair, who seemed to not have heard any of the previous conversation. She was staring at the headstone, as if she was in her own little world.

February 7, 1989

Blair watched as the tiny casket was lowered into the ground. How could this happen? They were supposed to have two happy, healthy babies. Now they were burying one of their daughters.

Kelsey was wailing again. Blair couldn't stand the noise.

"Can't you make her be quiet?"

"She wants you," Tad whispered. "Please just hold her?"

Blair shook her head and walked away, tears threatening to spill once again.

As she walked away, she heard Mrs. Garrett talking to Tad. "I'll go talk to her."

Blair sat on a bench and Mrs. Garrett sat next to her. Mrs. Garrett put her arm around Blair, Blair lay her head on Mrs. Garrett's shoulder and cried.

"Why did this happen to us?"

"I don't know, sweetheart."

"We were supposed to bring two babies home. I didn't even see her, I didn't even give her a name."

"You can still name her, sweetheart."

"I didn't have one picked out, I still don't have one."

"You don't have to name her right now. The right name will come to you, when the time is right."

"Do you think God takes care of babies who don't have names?"

"I'm sure he does, sweetheart."

"I'm not sure I like God right now."

"It's alright to be angry at God."

"How could he let my baby die?" Blair sobbed into Mrs. Garrett's chest.

"I don't know, love." Mrs. Garrett rubbed Blair's back.

The funeral goers had cleared out of the cemetery. Tad walked over to them with a now sleeping Kelsey in his arms.

"Sweetie, it's time to go home now."

"Sweetie, it's time to go home now." Tad startled Blair out of her thoughts.

"Okay," Blair wiped her eyes with her hands.

"What were you thinking about? You looked like you were a million miles away."

"Nothing, just thinking. Let's go home."

Blair and Tad met Kelsey at the car. She was leaning against the door with her arms folded and a scowl on her face.

"Well, look who it is. The worst parents ever."

Jo walked into the house and headed towards the kitchen when she saw no one in the living room. She figured Blair would be home since they were right in front of Tootie and Jeff on the drive home. Jo entered the kitchen and found Mrs. Garrett washing dishes, while Amanda sat in her high chair eating Cheerios off of her tray.

"Where's B?"

"They haven't come home yet," Mrs. Garrett answered as she put a plate in the drying rack.

Jo was surprised. "I thought they would be home by now, they were right behind me."

"Maybe Tad wanted to get gas before they came home, I'm sure they'll be home any minute."

"I think it may be more than that. The reason I'm asking is because I just got off the phone with Tootie. Tisha told Tootie that Kelsey met someone at camp that could pass for her dead twin sister. Kelsey has probably told Blair and Tad this by now and they are probably upset and freaking out."

"Oh dear," Mrs. Garrett shut the water off and placed a mug into the drying rack before she sat down in a kitchen chair. "Oh my!"

Jo sat down next to Mrs. Garrett.

"Mrs. G, are you alright?" Jo took Mrs. Garrett's hand in her own, she probably should've waited until Mrs. Garrret was sitting down, before she sprung this news on her.

"I'll be fine, dear. I'm worried about Blair, if this is true, this could break her."

"Mrs. G, is there any possibility that this girl that Kelsey met at camp could really be Blair and Tad's child?"

"Mistakes happen all the time in hospitals, babies get switched… snatched by doctors, nurses, visitors. Blair and Tad never saw the baby they buried. If that's what they buried, could be an empty casket, a doll, or somebody else's baby. Yes, Jo, it's possible that this could be their child."

Jo was worried, if this was true, she didn't think that it would have a happy outcome.

Jo and Mrs. Garrett were talking in the living room when Blair stormed into the house and slammed the door behind her. Jo could see that Blair was crying.

"Blair, what…"

"Just leave me alone, Jo, I'm not feeling well," Blair said through tears as she ran upstairs.

"Okay… wow," Jo sighed.

"Maybe, I should go talk to her," Mrs. Garrett said.

"No Mrs. G, let's just give her some space. She needs time to process, and you know it takes her brain a little longer to process what's going on. She'll calm down, she just needs some quiet time."

Kelsey and Tad walked in the door. Tad put Kelsey's luggage on the floor next to the door.

"Grandma, Auntie Jo! I missed you." Kelsey ran over and gave Mrs. Garrett and Jo hugs.

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Mrs. Garrett said. "Did you have fun at camp?"

"Yeah, but I got thrown in the lake and there was a snake in my bed."

Jo was trying not to laugh.

"Oh my, it sounds like you had quite an adventure," Mrs. Garrett said.

Tad cleared his throat behind them. Everyone looked at him.

"Kelsey, upstairs. Bath now," He said pointing upstairs.

"Yes, Daddy," Kelsey said as she got off the couch and went upstairs.

"Tad, what took you guys so long to get home? You were right behind me and then you guys just disappeared." Jo asked.

"We took a little detour to the cemetery. Kelsey told us she met her twin sister at camp, her twin sister who died at birth."

"Yeah, Tootie called me and told me Tisha said something about that," Jo said. "That's why Blair came in here like a rocket and bolted up the stairs?"

"That's part of it, we had a little fight with Kelsey, she told us she hated us and we were the worst parents ever."

"Oh, you know kids, she didn't mean it," Mrs. Garrett said.

"I know she was just upset and she didn't mean it, but Blair got her feelings hurt." Tad picked up Amanda from her playpen. "I'm going to get the kids ready to go to dinner."

"Yeah, I left Jamie taking a shower and I need to go check on my laundry." Jo stood up off the couch. "I'll see you guys at the restaurant."

Kelsey entered the bathroom and found a basket filled with all her favorite bath soaps and lotions. It could only be from one person. Kelsey instantly felt bad, she realized she was a brat earlier. Her mom and dad loved her and she had told them she hated them and that they were the worst parents ever.

She stripped off her clothes and ran the bath water, she decided she didn't deserve bubbles. She sat in the tub and washed herself as quickly as possible. She needed to go find her mom and apologize.

Blair was lying on her bed. Kelsey entered the room, wearing a robe with her hair wrapped in a towel.

"Mommy?"

Blair looked at her.

"I was a brat earlier, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said."

"You really hurt my feelings today," Blair sat up.

"I know. I'm sorry," Kelsey started crying. "I love you."

"Shh, baby," Blair pulled her onto her lap. "You're forgiven."

Kelsey sniffled for a few minutes and then lifted her head to look at her mother.

"Will you brush my hair?"

"Of course," Blair found Kelsey's brush and unwrapped the towel from Kelsey's head. Kelsey started counting the brushstrokes until they got to one-hundred.

"Mommy, you look tired. You haven't been sleeping well, have you."

"No, I haven't," Blair admitted.

"Didn't anyone check for monsters under your bed, while I was gone?"

"No, Daddy and Grandma aren't as good at monster patrol as you are."

"I'll get my flashlight, then we'll take a nap. I'm tired."

Kelsey ran to her room and came back with her little pink flashlight. She checked under all the beds and in the closet.

"No monsters, it's safe for you to go to sleep." Kelsey climbed into bed next to Blair and wrapped her arm around her mother's waist. "Don't worry, I'll protect you."

Jo finished folding Jamie's laundry and took the basket into Jamie's room to put it away. Jo saw Jamie sprawled out on top of her comforter fast asleep. Jo didn't want to wake her, so she gently set the basket on the floor and exited the room, closing the door behind her. She could put the clothes away later. The phone rang and Jo sprinted to answer it, before it woke Jamie up.

"Hello? Hey, Mrs. G! What's going on?"

"I was just calling to let you know that Bruce changed the reservation to 7:00. Blair and Kelsey fell asleep in Blair and Tad's room."

"Two naps today?"

"She needs the sleep, and we didn't want to disturb her. I called Natalie and she said Annie fell asleep in front of the TV. I called Tootie and she said Tisha fell asleep as well."

"Jamie is conked out in her room too."

"We decided to change the reservation to give everyone more time."

"Thanks for calling Mrs. G, that should be plenty of time. I can wake Jamie up in an hour or so and we'll see you at seven."

Jo said her goodbye's to Mrs. Garrett and went to tell Rick they had more time, before they had to leave for dinner.

Blair tried to hide as they all entered the restaurant.

"What's the matter with you?" Jo asked.

"I'll just die, if anyone recognizes me. I just can't be seen in a place called Banjo's Bingo Bango."

"Oh, you're just upset you didn't get to go to Club Cheese Moe again."

"Excusez-moi, but it's pronounced Club Chez Moi."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Stop trying to make yourself invisible. You're just drawing more attention to yourself. Besides, I seem to remember you didn't mind eating here a few years ago."

"You mean when I couldn't remember that I didn't want to be caught dead in a place like this?"

"You went to a fast food joint too and ordered fries and you wanted gravy on them."

"Alright, alright hush. You're causing a scene."

Jo rolled her eyes. Blair was the one causing a scene.

"That reminds me of when I was passing through Idaho, there was a little restaurant that was just called Potato." Natalie said.

"Let me guess, they served potatoes?" Tootie asked.

"Actually no, they didn't have a single menu item that had potatoes."

"But they're called Potato, one would think they would have mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, scalloped potatoes, French fries, hash browns, tater tots, potat-"

"That's what I said!" Natalie interrupted. "Imagine my disappointment, when I went in there expecting to be able to get a nice baked potato loaded with cheese, sour cream, bacon, and scallions."

"Oh, that sounds so good right now," Jo said. "I hope they seat us soon, I'm starving."

Jo didn't have to wait much longer, because the hostess had just called 'Gaines, party of fifteen' and they were seated at several tables that had been pushed together in order to seat them all.

"I don't want a kids menu," Annie complained.

"Just keep it. I'll let you order off the adult menu," Natalie told her. "But just remember, if you order it, you eat it."

"Yeah Mom, okay. Give me the menu," Annie grabbed at Natalie's menu.

"Mind your manners, Annie. You'll wait until someone else is finished with theirs," Snake scolded.

Annie scowled and then opened the packet of crayons that came with her kids menu and started doing the maze on the back.

Tisha was sitting between Tootie and Bruce and was sitting so close to Tootie that she was practically in her lap.

"Tisha, scoot over please. What are you going to have?"

"Macaroniandcheese," Tisha answered her in a whispered rush.

"You have to speak up, I can't hear you."

"Macaroni and cheese."

"You need to eat something besides that. How about chicken fingers?"

Tisha nodded and started coloring the picture on the front of her menu.

"Sit in your own chair, please."

Tisha sat on the edge of her chair closest to Tootie and resumed coloring.

The waitress came back with their drinks and took everyone's order. Kelsey and Jamie ordered the same cheeseburger off the kids menu and Jamie declared them 'burger twins.' Tad expected Kelsey to start up about her twin sister again and was surprised when she didn't mention it. There was a small argument when Annie ordered a King Kong burger, which consisted of three hamburger patties stacked high with pickles, tomatoes, lettuce, cheese, and onion rings. It came with a challenge to eat it by yourself within an hour, a feat that had only been completed by three people as shown on the restaurant's wall of fame.

The adults all ordered steaks, except for Blair, who ordered a salad. Jo and Natalie ordered loaded baked potatoes with their steak. When everyone's order was taken, Blair started feeding Amanda her mashed carrots out of a baby food jar.

Mrs. Garrett decided that while they were waiting, they should go around the table and introduce themselves to Bruce. They got all the way around the table, ending with Tisha, who said her name as quietly as possible.

The waitress brought everyone's salad out and the adults started eating.

"But wait, what are we supposed to call you?" Annie asked Bruce.

"Well what do you call her?" Bruce nodded his head towards Mrs. Garrett.

"Um, we call her Grandma," Jamie answered.

"Well then, I guess you can call me Grandpa," Bruce winked at Tisha.

"Okay, Grandpa!" Annie said.

Mrs. Philips paid the toll and exited the Pennsylvania turnpike and entered the freeway.

"Mom, can we bring my camera to the photo place right now?" Elsie asked.

Mrs. Philips looked at the clock on the dashboard. "Yes, I suppose, we have a little time before we go to the hospital and get your cast off."

Both Brett and Elsie had fallen asleep in the car as soon as they left the camp grounds. Mrs. Philips wasn't aware that Elsie had woken up, she was being so quiet.

They exited the freeway and pulled into a one hour photo. Mrs. Phillips ran into the store and turned in the camera.

"When will they be done?" Elsie asked when her mom got back in the car.

"About an hour, we'll come back after we get done at the hospital."

Mrs. Phillips woke Brett, when they arrived at the hospital.

"Will it hurt when they take my cast off?"

"No, honey, they will use a saw, but they will be careful and it won't hurt."

"Mom, I have to tell you about something that happened at camp," Brett said.

"You'll have to tell me later, sweetie. I have to take your sister to her appointment. Here's some money for the vending machine," Mrs. Phillips gave Brett five dollars and rushed off with Elsie.

Brett was nervous as he waited in the lobby with his soda and chips. He hoped Elsie didn't say anything to their mom, before he could get a chance.

It was about forty minutes before he saw his sister and mom walking back to the lobby. Elsie finally without a casted arm. His mom seemed to be in a good mood, maybe Elsie didn't say anything. Brett decided it could wait until they got home. Hopefully Elsie kept her mouth shut and didn't say anything while his mom was driving. That would surely cause an accident.

"Brett, look I got my cast off and it didn't hurt."

"That's wonderful Els."

"Mom, can we pick up my pictures now?"

Brett forgot about Elsie's camera.

Yikes!

"Yes, honey, they should be done by the time we get there."

Brett insisted they all go in together, when they arrived back at the photo place.

"Brett, I can get them."

"I know Mom, but there's something I should tell you, before you look at the pictures."

"What is it, Brett?"

Before Brett could say another word, the girl behind the counter greeted them.

"I see you brought everyone to pick up your photos, but where is your other daughter?"

Mrs. Phillips was confused. "I only have one daughter."

"Hmm?" the girl handed Mrs. Phillips the envelope.

Mrs. Phillips opened the envelope.

"Mom, Elsie has-"

"Jiminy Crickets!" Mrs. Phillips stared at a photo of Elsie and Kelsey side by side.

"Elsie has a twin."