Ella Kennedy had on her new dress the one she had been saving for a special
occasion. She wanted to look her best when she saw her mother. Her reddish
hair was pulled back in a braid. Although she had wanted it down long her
Aunt Suellen wouldn't hear of it.
Ella could still remember, even if it had been over three years since she last seen her mother, how beautiful Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy
Butler was. If only she had looked like her mother things would be so much better. But the child knew she looked like her late father. And that was one of the reasons her Aunt Suellen was mean to her some days.
Now that was going to change, or at least that's what Ella wished. She hoped her mother's return meant that perhaps she could leave with her now. The twelve year old wanted nothing more then to live with her mother.
Hearing the front door open and voices in the hall Ella ran to the hall expecting to see her mother standing there with Wade. So when she saw her Uncle Rhett her mouth dropped up.
"Hello Ella" Rhett said, smiling at his stepdaughter. He could see she was shocked at seeing him here.
"Uncle Rhett" Ella yelled. The next second she was in his arms, hugging him. Oh how she had missed him! Ella couldn't remember a time when she didn't know Uncle Rhett. When Bonnie had been alive he used to take them all over Atlanta buying them toys and candy. Then when she died he went away. Later Wade had told her that Rhett had divorced their mother and they would never see him again.
Ella couldn't believe that, her Uncle Rhett was like a father to her. She knew one day he would come back. Ella just hadn't thought that day would be today.
Scarlett waited while Ella hugged Rhett, happy to see at least one of her older children not angry at Rhett. Cat's emerald eyes went wide as she watched Ella. She knew this older girl was her sister. Cat wasn't sure if she liked her or not yet. Ella did seem friendly, allot nicer then Wade had.
Pulling back Ella had tears in her eyes as she whisper "I knew I would see you again Uncle Rhett. Wade said we never would but I knew he was wrong."
There were almost tears in Rhett's eyes as well. Ella had been like a daughter to him, but after he married Anne he couldn't bring himself to look either of Scarlett's children in the eyes. He had wanted to see both many times over the last few years and wondered quite often how they were.
Ella turned to look at her Mother and wasn't surprised to see her smiling. This was the moment Ella had dreamed about for years, she just knew that her mother was finally going to be a real mother to her.
"Mother" Ella said standing a few inches from Scarlett.
Opening her arms Scarlett asked playfully. "Don't I get a hug too or are all your hugs reserved for your stepfather?"
Not a second later Ella was in her Mother's arms with tears running down her faces. Ella knew it now they were coming to take her home with them where she belonged. Everything was right again Uncle Rhett was her stepfather again, and he would make sure her Mother took her with them.
"You've come to take me home with you haven't you?" Ella asked as she felt Scarlett's hand rub her back gently.
Scarlett looked at Rhett and smiled. Ella, her older daughter, wasn't anger at her or Rhett. Instead she wanted to come live with them. Oh how wonderful!
"Yes, Ella, if you want? We've come to take you back with us to Atlanta." Scarlett stated trying not to cry herself.
Cat just stood behind Scarlett and watched mother and daughter reunited. 'Yes' Cat thought she liked Ella way better then Wade.
"Of course I want to come! Is Wade coming too?" Ella asked as she pulled away from Scarlett. Ella knew her big brother might not exactly feel the same as she did on this subject but she felt a family should stay together. She had always regretted not going with her mother when she had come back that time. That was before her Aunt Suellen had started showing her true colors. So many nights Ella had laid in bed and prayed her mother would return and take her back to Atlanta and their life there.
"I haven't gotten a chance to ask him yet, Ella, but I will" Scarlett replied as she turned around.
"Ella there is someone I would like you to meet." Scarlett said as she took Cat and lifted her up. "This is your little sister Katie Colum but we call her Cat for short."
"She looks just like Uncle Rhett!" Ella said before she could stop herself, which was rewarded with Rhett's laughter.
"Can I hold her?" Ella asked holding her arms out for her baby sister. Cat looked Ella up and down deciding if she wanted to be held by this girl before her.
"Kitty Cat" Scarlett said looking at her youngest child. Their eyes locked and Cat nodded her head. The unspoken question was asked and answered.
Cat went to Ella and noticed that the older girl smiled at her
brightly."How old are you?" Ella asked.
"Three almost four." Cat stated. Ella couldn't help but smile again at her sister's ascent it was so cute to hear a little girl with a Irish accent. "Did you live in Ireland your whole life?" Ella asked a little jealous of the fact Cat had seen Ireland when she hadn't.
"I was born there at Ballyhara." Cat said as if that explained everything. She then started to wiggle her way free of Ella's arms. Cat wasn't one for being held.
"Ballyhara?" Ella asked to her Mother as Cat ran over to her Father.
"Ballyhara is a town in Ireland that I own. I was going to take you there with me last time I visited but you didn't want to come remember?" Scarlett asked hoping Ella didn't think she had forgotten all about her.
"Yes, I remember. But if you told me about Cat I would have come" Ella said then asked. "Why didn't you tell Wade or me about Cat?"
Scarlett looked to Rhett and saw he had a frown on his face. She wasn't going to get any help from him on this. Not that she expected any, after all this was her mess she had to clean it up.
"It's a long story. One which I believe I should wait to begin until I can tell you and your brother at the same time." Scarlett said. It warmed her heart to think Ella had already taken a liking to Cat. Her biggest fear had been Ella and Wade wouldn't like Cat and blame her for stealing their mother.
Remembering her Aunt Suellen would be coming soon to welcome her mother Ella thought perhaps it would be best if Cat weren't here when the two met again.
"Cat would you like to see my kitten Blue? I just got him and I'm sure he would like you." Ella asked as she walked up to the little girl and held her hand out.
Cat looked to her mommy then daddy and saw each of them give her a okay. Ella seemed nice and a kitten would be fun to play with. So the three year old took her twelve-year-old sister's hand and both departed up the stairs to Ella's room.
"Smart girl you have there, Scarlett" Rhett said as Scarlett stood next to him. "I believe she thinks Suellen and you are going to get into a fight and she didn't want Cat to see it."
Scarlett laughed but knew Rhett was probably right. Suellen more then likely had a bone to pick with her. Scarlett felt proud of Ella for thinking of her little sister's feelings. Cat wouldn't understand that her Aunt Suellen and Mommy just didn't get along.
"Rhett I don't plan on starting anything with Suellen today." Scarlett knew that wouldn't stop Suellen from fighting her thought.
"Scarlett" Suellen's voice called from the kitchen. Looking at each other Rhett and Scarlett knew this was just the first of many people who would be shocked by their marriage.
Ella could still remember, even if it had been over three years since she last seen her mother, how beautiful Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy
Butler was. If only she had looked like her mother things would be so much better. But the child knew she looked like her late father. And that was one of the reasons her Aunt Suellen was mean to her some days.
Now that was going to change, or at least that's what Ella wished. She hoped her mother's return meant that perhaps she could leave with her now. The twelve year old wanted nothing more then to live with her mother.
Hearing the front door open and voices in the hall Ella ran to the hall expecting to see her mother standing there with Wade. So when she saw her Uncle Rhett her mouth dropped up.
"Hello Ella" Rhett said, smiling at his stepdaughter. He could see she was shocked at seeing him here.
"Uncle Rhett" Ella yelled. The next second she was in his arms, hugging him. Oh how she had missed him! Ella couldn't remember a time when she didn't know Uncle Rhett. When Bonnie had been alive he used to take them all over Atlanta buying them toys and candy. Then when she died he went away. Later Wade had told her that Rhett had divorced their mother and they would never see him again.
Ella couldn't believe that, her Uncle Rhett was like a father to her. She knew one day he would come back. Ella just hadn't thought that day would be today.
Scarlett waited while Ella hugged Rhett, happy to see at least one of her older children not angry at Rhett. Cat's emerald eyes went wide as she watched Ella. She knew this older girl was her sister. Cat wasn't sure if she liked her or not yet. Ella did seem friendly, allot nicer then Wade had.
Pulling back Ella had tears in her eyes as she whisper "I knew I would see you again Uncle Rhett. Wade said we never would but I knew he was wrong."
There were almost tears in Rhett's eyes as well. Ella had been like a daughter to him, but after he married Anne he couldn't bring himself to look either of Scarlett's children in the eyes. He had wanted to see both many times over the last few years and wondered quite often how they were.
Ella turned to look at her Mother and wasn't surprised to see her smiling. This was the moment Ella had dreamed about for years, she just knew that her mother was finally going to be a real mother to her.
"Mother" Ella said standing a few inches from Scarlett.
Opening her arms Scarlett asked playfully. "Don't I get a hug too or are all your hugs reserved for your stepfather?"
Not a second later Ella was in her Mother's arms with tears running down her faces. Ella knew it now they were coming to take her home with them where she belonged. Everything was right again Uncle Rhett was her stepfather again, and he would make sure her Mother took her with them.
"You've come to take me home with you haven't you?" Ella asked as she felt Scarlett's hand rub her back gently.
Scarlett looked at Rhett and smiled. Ella, her older daughter, wasn't anger at her or Rhett. Instead she wanted to come live with them. Oh how wonderful!
"Yes, Ella, if you want? We've come to take you back with us to Atlanta." Scarlett stated trying not to cry herself.
Cat just stood behind Scarlett and watched mother and daughter reunited. 'Yes' Cat thought she liked Ella way better then Wade.
"Of course I want to come! Is Wade coming too?" Ella asked as she pulled away from Scarlett. Ella knew her big brother might not exactly feel the same as she did on this subject but she felt a family should stay together. She had always regretted not going with her mother when she had come back that time. That was before her Aunt Suellen had started showing her true colors. So many nights Ella had laid in bed and prayed her mother would return and take her back to Atlanta and their life there.
"I haven't gotten a chance to ask him yet, Ella, but I will" Scarlett replied as she turned around.
"Ella there is someone I would like you to meet." Scarlett said as she took Cat and lifted her up. "This is your little sister Katie Colum but we call her Cat for short."
"She looks just like Uncle Rhett!" Ella said before she could stop herself, which was rewarded with Rhett's laughter.
"Can I hold her?" Ella asked holding her arms out for her baby sister. Cat looked Ella up and down deciding if she wanted to be held by this girl before her.
"Kitty Cat" Scarlett said looking at her youngest child. Their eyes locked and Cat nodded her head. The unspoken question was asked and answered.
Cat went to Ella and noticed that the older girl smiled at her
brightly."How old are you?" Ella asked.
"Three almost four." Cat stated. Ella couldn't help but smile again at her sister's ascent it was so cute to hear a little girl with a Irish accent. "Did you live in Ireland your whole life?" Ella asked a little jealous of the fact Cat had seen Ireland when she hadn't.
"I was born there at Ballyhara." Cat said as if that explained everything. She then started to wiggle her way free of Ella's arms. Cat wasn't one for being held.
"Ballyhara?" Ella asked to her Mother as Cat ran over to her Father.
"Ballyhara is a town in Ireland that I own. I was going to take you there with me last time I visited but you didn't want to come remember?" Scarlett asked hoping Ella didn't think she had forgotten all about her.
"Yes, I remember. But if you told me about Cat I would have come" Ella said then asked. "Why didn't you tell Wade or me about Cat?"
Scarlett looked to Rhett and saw he had a frown on his face. She wasn't going to get any help from him on this. Not that she expected any, after all this was her mess she had to clean it up.
"It's a long story. One which I believe I should wait to begin until I can tell you and your brother at the same time." Scarlett said. It warmed her heart to think Ella had already taken a liking to Cat. Her biggest fear had been Ella and Wade wouldn't like Cat and blame her for stealing their mother.
Remembering her Aunt Suellen would be coming soon to welcome her mother Ella thought perhaps it would be best if Cat weren't here when the two met again.
"Cat would you like to see my kitten Blue? I just got him and I'm sure he would like you." Ella asked as she walked up to the little girl and held her hand out.
Cat looked to her mommy then daddy and saw each of them give her a okay. Ella seemed nice and a kitten would be fun to play with. So the three year old took her twelve-year-old sister's hand and both departed up the stairs to Ella's room.
"Smart girl you have there, Scarlett" Rhett said as Scarlett stood next to him. "I believe she thinks Suellen and you are going to get into a fight and she didn't want Cat to see it."
Scarlett laughed but knew Rhett was probably right. Suellen more then likely had a bone to pick with her. Scarlett felt proud of Ella for thinking of her little sister's feelings. Cat wouldn't understand that her Aunt Suellen and Mommy just didn't get along.
"Rhett I don't plan on starting anything with Suellen today." Scarlett knew that wouldn't stop Suellen from fighting her thought.
"Scarlett" Suellen's voice called from the kitchen. Looking at each other Rhett and Scarlett knew this was just the first of many people who would be shocked by their marriage.