It was a quarter after six. Emily and Richard had stopped by earlier,
but had to run because of some prior engagements. Everyone else was still
hanging around, and the Marianos weren't complaining. Shane and Lana didn't
end up under the mistletoe, but they were still giving secret glances and
smiles.
" Okay, who wants to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life,' or ' Scrooge?'" Rory asked holding up the two movie selections.
" I vote 'It's a Wonderful Life'" Dave stated sitting on the couch next to Lane.
" Anyone else?" Rory asked waving the movies in the air.
" Just put in 'It's a Wonderful Life' ma. Everyone likes that one." Shane said sitting on the floor due to lack of seats.
" Okay, I guess that's the one we'll watch." Rory said placing the tape in the VCR.
As the movie played, the snow started coming down really hard. Jess kept on glancing up at the window, amazed at the amount coming down.
"Ror," he whispered, " Look outside! I don't know if these people are going anywhere tonight!" Jess exclaimed softly.
" I know, I was thinking the same thing." Rory said snuggling up on her husband's shoulder.
When the movie finally ended, Dave stated that they'd better go.
" I don't know about that Dave. Look outside! You can't drive in this. Either can anyone else." Rory stated peering out the window.
" I don't know, I'm sure we'd be okay." Luke said.
" Uncle Luke, come on. Have you seen it? It's a nightmare out there! That snow is coming down so hard! You'd never be able to see where you're going! Everyone will just have to stay here tonight." Jess stated plainly.
" Are you sure? I mean that's a lot of people to find bedding for." Sookie asked.
" Yes, we're sure. Harrison and Shane go upstairs and gather all of the sleeping bags. We'll all just have to make do." Rory said, " Jess help me move the couch back so there's more room."
" Rory let me do that." Luke said running over to take the couch from her.
" Thanks. Okay. We can put Sookie and Jackson in Harrison's room. Lane and David in Shane's room. Mom, you can have the guest room next to Shane's room, and Luke you can sleep in the other guest room. Kids, you'll have to sleep down here. Shane and Harrison will sleep in the parlor on sleeping bags and Marie and Lana will sleep in here. Is that okay with everyone?" Rory asked unwrapping the four sleeping bags.
" That's great Ror. Come on Dave, we'd better get some sleep. Lana I want you in bed too, once you make it up. Don't make Rory do it." Lane said holding her husband's hand.
" Night everyone." Dave said following his wife upstairs. Sookie and Jackson said their good nights too and headed up to bed, and a few minutes later Luke and Lorelei went up to their separate bedrooms.
" Okay girls. Is everything okay?" Rory asked standing over the beds that she made in the living room for them.
" Yes, thank you." Marie said.
" I'm good, thanks Mrs. Mariano." Lana stated, laying her head down on the pillow.
" Okay. See you two in the morning." Rory said as she walked over to the parlor to check on her boys.
" Goodnight you guys. Now get some sleep. It's been a busy day." Rory said turning off the light.
"Night ma." Harrison said.
" Goodnight mom." Shane responded.
A half an hour went by when Shane and Harrison crept into the family room.
" You guys asleep?" Shane asked peering over the couch.
" No, we're awake." Marie said. She and Lana had been talking about the whole day.
"Good, we couldn't sleep." Harrison said leaning on the back of the couch.
" We couldn't either." Lana said sitting up.
" What do you guys want to do?" Shane asked.
" I don't know. I wonder how bad it is out there." Marie said sitting up too.
" Well it's about up to the window sill. I think if we open the door to find out, we'll end up cleaning up a pile of snow off the foyer floor." Harrison said sitting on the couch.
" I love snow, it's so magical." Lana said smiling.
" I know I'm glad it snowed too." Marie said smiling at Harrison who immediately became red in the face.
Shane ran a hand through his dark brown hair, " Well I guess there's nothing to really do besides watch TV. or talk." He stated.
" Let's see what's on." Lana said sitting up next to Shane on the couch. Marie followed Lana's example and sat on the other side next to Harrison.
The rest of the evening the kids spent watching cartoons and cracking up at the stupidity of Sponge bob, talking about everything from school to they're strangest dreams, and eating the leftover pumpkin, cherry, and apple pies. In her bed Rory heard the noise, but didn't rise to quiet them. It was nice to hear laughter.she didn't want to silence that. And so, even though she hoped no one else heard them, she slept on.with the sound of laughter in the distance.
" Okay, who wants to watch 'It's a Wonderful Life,' or ' Scrooge?'" Rory asked holding up the two movie selections.
" I vote 'It's a Wonderful Life'" Dave stated sitting on the couch next to Lane.
" Anyone else?" Rory asked waving the movies in the air.
" Just put in 'It's a Wonderful Life' ma. Everyone likes that one." Shane said sitting on the floor due to lack of seats.
" Okay, I guess that's the one we'll watch." Rory said placing the tape in the VCR.
As the movie played, the snow started coming down really hard. Jess kept on glancing up at the window, amazed at the amount coming down.
"Ror," he whispered, " Look outside! I don't know if these people are going anywhere tonight!" Jess exclaimed softly.
" I know, I was thinking the same thing." Rory said snuggling up on her husband's shoulder.
When the movie finally ended, Dave stated that they'd better go.
" I don't know about that Dave. Look outside! You can't drive in this. Either can anyone else." Rory stated peering out the window.
" I don't know, I'm sure we'd be okay." Luke said.
" Uncle Luke, come on. Have you seen it? It's a nightmare out there! That snow is coming down so hard! You'd never be able to see where you're going! Everyone will just have to stay here tonight." Jess stated plainly.
" Are you sure? I mean that's a lot of people to find bedding for." Sookie asked.
" Yes, we're sure. Harrison and Shane go upstairs and gather all of the sleeping bags. We'll all just have to make do." Rory said, " Jess help me move the couch back so there's more room."
" Rory let me do that." Luke said running over to take the couch from her.
" Thanks. Okay. We can put Sookie and Jackson in Harrison's room. Lane and David in Shane's room. Mom, you can have the guest room next to Shane's room, and Luke you can sleep in the other guest room. Kids, you'll have to sleep down here. Shane and Harrison will sleep in the parlor on sleeping bags and Marie and Lana will sleep in here. Is that okay with everyone?" Rory asked unwrapping the four sleeping bags.
" That's great Ror. Come on Dave, we'd better get some sleep. Lana I want you in bed too, once you make it up. Don't make Rory do it." Lane said holding her husband's hand.
" Night everyone." Dave said following his wife upstairs. Sookie and Jackson said their good nights too and headed up to bed, and a few minutes later Luke and Lorelei went up to their separate bedrooms.
" Okay girls. Is everything okay?" Rory asked standing over the beds that she made in the living room for them.
" Yes, thank you." Marie said.
" I'm good, thanks Mrs. Mariano." Lana stated, laying her head down on the pillow.
" Okay. See you two in the morning." Rory said as she walked over to the parlor to check on her boys.
" Goodnight you guys. Now get some sleep. It's been a busy day." Rory said turning off the light.
"Night ma." Harrison said.
" Goodnight mom." Shane responded.
A half an hour went by when Shane and Harrison crept into the family room.
" You guys asleep?" Shane asked peering over the couch.
" No, we're awake." Marie said. She and Lana had been talking about the whole day.
"Good, we couldn't sleep." Harrison said leaning on the back of the couch.
" We couldn't either." Lana said sitting up.
" What do you guys want to do?" Shane asked.
" I don't know. I wonder how bad it is out there." Marie said sitting up too.
" Well it's about up to the window sill. I think if we open the door to find out, we'll end up cleaning up a pile of snow off the foyer floor." Harrison said sitting on the couch.
" I love snow, it's so magical." Lana said smiling.
" I know I'm glad it snowed too." Marie said smiling at Harrison who immediately became red in the face.
Shane ran a hand through his dark brown hair, " Well I guess there's nothing to really do besides watch TV. or talk." He stated.
" Let's see what's on." Lana said sitting up next to Shane on the couch. Marie followed Lana's example and sat on the other side next to Harrison.
The rest of the evening the kids spent watching cartoons and cracking up at the stupidity of Sponge bob, talking about everything from school to they're strangest dreams, and eating the leftover pumpkin, cherry, and apple pies. In her bed Rory heard the noise, but didn't rise to quiet them. It was nice to hear laughter.she didn't want to silence that. And so, even though she hoped no one else heard them, she slept on.with the sound of laughter in the distance.