"Hey, guys!" Richie greeted cheerily breaking the silence. "How's
college?"
"About to graduate," Whitney, the shorter twin, answered. "That was quite a performance, earlier. How'd you place?"
"Third," Richie answered making a face.
"Too bad, Rich," Brendan, the taller twin, consoled. "I thought you were awesome."
"Thanks."
The silence returned. "Would you like something to drink, a soda?" Tessa asked suddenly.
"That would be great, thank you," Brendan smiled Rylan's crocked grin.
"Rylan, why don't you help me in the kitchen," Tessa said over her shoulder. "Richie, show the boys to the living room."
Rylan quietly helped Tessa fill six glasses. "Sorry," she said after a minute.
"Rylan, you know better," Tessa scolded sternly. "Things are different around here, we're a little more cautious. I don't mind that you went out with your brothers, I mind that you didn't tell me."
"I know," she assured her. "I just, I was so excited, I almost didn't tell Jana to talk to you guys. At least I remembered that." Rylan looked at Tessa with a hopeful, shy, smile.
Tessa's face softened. "Yes, at least you remembered that. But remember to put in some details next time. What sodas do your brothers like?"
. . . . . .
Rylan flushed and tried to hide behind Richie. "Not the Hershey bar story you guys," she whined.
"I want to hear it," Tessa prompted.
Whitney smile mischievously the same smile Rylan got when she was about to do something she knew she wasn't supposed to. Duncan smiled, it was like if you knew one's habits you knew all three. Rylan looked nothing like her brothers, but they had the same facial expressions.
"When Rylan was a baby she had this bad habit of taking things and hiding them in her diapers," Whitney started.
"A klepto from the start, huh?" Duncan chuckled. Rylan sank lower into the couch.
"She also loved chocolate," Brendan added. "One day we spent hours, Mom, Dad, Kev, Whit and me, all trying to figure out why the house smelled like cookies. Then Rylan started crying 'cause she needed her diaper changed." He flashed a look at Rylan who had turned a bright shade of red that matched Richie's shirt. "We had gone to the store earlier and that little girl had grabbed a Hershey bar and stuffed it her diaper while we were in the check out. By the time we found it, it had melted and was all over her backside and down her legs. She was covered."
"How old was she?" Tessa laughed.
"One and a half?" Whitney estimated.
"Ry, that's disgusting," Richie informed her.
"I was a baby," she reminded everyone. "I didn't know what I was doin'."
"What else did she do?"
"The usual stuff any girl with four older brothers did: stuff peas up her nose, try and figure out how to pee standing up . nothing to strange," Whitney nudged Rylan with his elbow.
"Shut up," she pleaded.
"I take it potty training was an experience," Duncan said with a smile.
The twins laughed and Rylan groaned. "You have no idea, Mr. MacLeod," Brendan drawled. "She couldn't figure out why she had to sit, while we could stand. She would insist on watching so she could figure it out."
"Oh, God!" Rylan had nearly slumped her way off the couch. Everyone laughed. "I was two! I didn't know there was a difference between boys and girls, I was still figuring it all out!"
"Which she did, after crying and screaming and throwing a huge hissy fit," Whitney allowed.
"Sto-o-o-opp!"
"What about the peas?" Tessa asked thoroughly enjoyed torturing Rylan.
"I can field that one," Richie interrupted.
"I'll kill you," Rylan warned.
"And if you do, you're grounded," Duncan told her. "If I've told you once, I've told you a million time. You're not allowed to kill Richie until you're eighteen."
At that Brendan and Whitney laughed. They had already decided that Rylan had found the perfect home for her to be herself.
"What about the peas?" Tessa repeated.
Richie grinned. "She was five, I was seven, Brendan and Whitney were ten. Their parents took us all to the park for a picnic."
"Where mom made the mistake of trying to give us peas," Brendan interrupted.
"Real mom or adoptive mom?" Duncan asked.
"Adoptive."
"Well," Richie continued. "Little boys know there's one way that any mom won't make you eat your peas. If they've been up you nose and on the ground. So naturally, the three of us," he gestured to himself and the twins. "Starting stuffin' and shootin'. Ry decided she wanted to give it a try. But, she didn't know that you could only stuff one pea at a time and you couldn't stuff it that far or it would get stuck. It took twenty minutes to get them out."
"And she had a green nose for a week," Whitney added.
"Petite lapine!" Tessa exclaimed. "Is that why you won't eat peas?" Rylan grimaced and slapped her hand on her forehead. "Why didn't you just tell me?" Tessa teased. "I can always make carrots." A snicker arouse from the couch the twins were sitting on. "Is there a story that should be shared?" Tessa asked.
"No!" Rylan insisted. "No more embarrassing stories guys, please?"
"Rylan Elizabeth Fisher," Brendan scolded. "We are your big brothers we changed your diapers and powdered your tush, we have eared the right to tell stories."
. . . . . .
Saturday afternoon Tessa was still laughing at the stories the twins had told the night before. She hummed merrily to herself as she looked over orders on the computer. "Richie turn the music down!" she yelled into the loft. They were remodeling the upstairs to expand the store and Richie had been recruited to scrub the place down.
"Sorry!" he yelled back and the music softened to a dull roar.
Tessa heard the door open and emerged from the office. "May I help you?" she asked pleasantly.
"Yes," the woman answered. "I was told Rylan Fisher might be working today."
"No, I'm sorry, she's studying for her exams. I'm her mother, can I help you?"
The woman made a strange face. "I'm Julie Kregson. I am Rylan's mother."
"Oh," Tessa breathed. "I'm sorry, if I had known. . . it's just easier to explain that way. What did you need Rylan for?"
"I just want to talk to her. I met with a boy here earlier this week, he said she might be in today."
"Richie?" Tessa asked. Julie nodded. "He must not have realized." Tessa made a mental note to yell at Richie later. "Um, if you'd like I can give you our home phone number and you can call her."
"I was hoping to talk to her in person. I'm afraid that she'll hang up on me if I call."
Tessa thought for a minute. "She has exams this week, so I'm afraid she needs to study."
"Of course," Julie quickly agreed.
"But, they're over on Thursday. Why don't you come to dinner Friday night? I'm sure Richie will make something wonderful."
Upstairs, Richie turned down the radio, he could have sworn he heard his name. He wondered to the top of the stairs. "Hey, Tessa, did you call me?" he asked. He swallowed when he spotted Julie. "Mrs. Kregson, you came back." He glanced briefly at Tessa and knew that Julie had been there for a while.
"Richie, you will make dinner Friday night, no?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?" Richie already knew and dreaded the answer.
"We have company." She gestured to Julie.
"Oh," Richie forced a smile. "Great. Do you like Italian?"
"Yes, that would be wonderful. If its not too much trouble," Julie said returning the forced smile. She could tell Richie had problems with her coming.
"No, not at all," Richie assured her. 'I'm dead,' he thought. 'Ry is going to kill me for sure.'
"Thank you. Well, I don't want to take up anymore of your time. You seem busy." Julie turned to leave.
"Let me give you our address," Tessa interrupted her running into the office and scribbling it on a piece of paper. "Here you are. It's in Spring Meadows. Do know how to get there?"
Julie looked at the paper. "Yes," she answered. "It's a nice neighborhood. I'll see you Friday night."
"Seven thirty," Tessa told her with a grin. And with that Julie turned and left.
"I can't believe you did that!" Richie exclaimed as soon as the door shut. "Rylan's going to flip!"
"Why? She should talk to her mother."
"She doesn't want to Tess," Richie told her. "She hates her!"
"Nonsense, no child can hate their mother."
"Ry does. I was supposed to tell Mrs. Kregson that Rylan doesn't want to talk to her. And instead you invite her to dinner!"
"I will explain it to Rylan, she will understand," Tessa said assuredly.
"About to graduate," Whitney, the shorter twin, answered. "That was quite a performance, earlier. How'd you place?"
"Third," Richie answered making a face.
"Too bad, Rich," Brendan, the taller twin, consoled. "I thought you were awesome."
"Thanks."
The silence returned. "Would you like something to drink, a soda?" Tessa asked suddenly.
"That would be great, thank you," Brendan smiled Rylan's crocked grin.
"Rylan, why don't you help me in the kitchen," Tessa said over her shoulder. "Richie, show the boys to the living room."
Rylan quietly helped Tessa fill six glasses. "Sorry," she said after a minute.
"Rylan, you know better," Tessa scolded sternly. "Things are different around here, we're a little more cautious. I don't mind that you went out with your brothers, I mind that you didn't tell me."
"I know," she assured her. "I just, I was so excited, I almost didn't tell Jana to talk to you guys. At least I remembered that." Rylan looked at Tessa with a hopeful, shy, smile.
Tessa's face softened. "Yes, at least you remembered that. But remember to put in some details next time. What sodas do your brothers like?"
. . . . . .
Rylan flushed and tried to hide behind Richie. "Not the Hershey bar story you guys," she whined.
"I want to hear it," Tessa prompted.
Whitney smile mischievously the same smile Rylan got when she was about to do something she knew she wasn't supposed to. Duncan smiled, it was like if you knew one's habits you knew all three. Rylan looked nothing like her brothers, but they had the same facial expressions.
"When Rylan was a baby she had this bad habit of taking things and hiding them in her diapers," Whitney started.
"A klepto from the start, huh?" Duncan chuckled. Rylan sank lower into the couch.
"She also loved chocolate," Brendan added. "One day we spent hours, Mom, Dad, Kev, Whit and me, all trying to figure out why the house smelled like cookies. Then Rylan started crying 'cause she needed her diaper changed." He flashed a look at Rylan who had turned a bright shade of red that matched Richie's shirt. "We had gone to the store earlier and that little girl had grabbed a Hershey bar and stuffed it her diaper while we were in the check out. By the time we found it, it had melted and was all over her backside and down her legs. She was covered."
"How old was she?" Tessa laughed.
"One and a half?" Whitney estimated.
"Ry, that's disgusting," Richie informed her.
"I was a baby," she reminded everyone. "I didn't know what I was doin'."
"What else did she do?"
"The usual stuff any girl with four older brothers did: stuff peas up her nose, try and figure out how to pee standing up . nothing to strange," Whitney nudged Rylan with his elbow.
"Shut up," she pleaded.
"I take it potty training was an experience," Duncan said with a smile.
The twins laughed and Rylan groaned. "You have no idea, Mr. MacLeod," Brendan drawled. "She couldn't figure out why she had to sit, while we could stand. She would insist on watching so she could figure it out."
"Oh, God!" Rylan had nearly slumped her way off the couch. Everyone laughed. "I was two! I didn't know there was a difference between boys and girls, I was still figuring it all out!"
"Which she did, after crying and screaming and throwing a huge hissy fit," Whitney allowed.
"Sto-o-o-opp!"
"What about the peas?" Tessa asked thoroughly enjoyed torturing Rylan.
"I can field that one," Richie interrupted.
"I'll kill you," Rylan warned.
"And if you do, you're grounded," Duncan told her. "If I've told you once, I've told you a million time. You're not allowed to kill Richie until you're eighteen."
At that Brendan and Whitney laughed. They had already decided that Rylan had found the perfect home for her to be herself.
"What about the peas?" Tessa repeated.
Richie grinned. "She was five, I was seven, Brendan and Whitney were ten. Their parents took us all to the park for a picnic."
"Where mom made the mistake of trying to give us peas," Brendan interrupted.
"Real mom or adoptive mom?" Duncan asked.
"Adoptive."
"Well," Richie continued. "Little boys know there's one way that any mom won't make you eat your peas. If they've been up you nose and on the ground. So naturally, the three of us," he gestured to himself and the twins. "Starting stuffin' and shootin'. Ry decided she wanted to give it a try. But, she didn't know that you could only stuff one pea at a time and you couldn't stuff it that far or it would get stuck. It took twenty minutes to get them out."
"And she had a green nose for a week," Whitney added.
"Petite lapine!" Tessa exclaimed. "Is that why you won't eat peas?" Rylan grimaced and slapped her hand on her forehead. "Why didn't you just tell me?" Tessa teased. "I can always make carrots." A snicker arouse from the couch the twins were sitting on. "Is there a story that should be shared?" Tessa asked.
"No!" Rylan insisted. "No more embarrassing stories guys, please?"
"Rylan Elizabeth Fisher," Brendan scolded. "We are your big brothers we changed your diapers and powdered your tush, we have eared the right to tell stories."
. . . . . .
Saturday afternoon Tessa was still laughing at the stories the twins had told the night before. She hummed merrily to herself as she looked over orders on the computer. "Richie turn the music down!" she yelled into the loft. They were remodeling the upstairs to expand the store and Richie had been recruited to scrub the place down.
"Sorry!" he yelled back and the music softened to a dull roar.
Tessa heard the door open and emerged from the office. "May I help you?" she asked pleasantly.
"Yes," the woman answered. "I was told Rylan Fisher might be working today."
"No, I'm sorry, she's studying for her exams. I'm her mother, can I help you?"
The woman made a strange face. "I'm Julie Kregson. I am Rylan's mother."
"Oh," Tessa breathed. "I'm sorry, if I had known. . . it's just easier to explain that way. What did you need Rylan for?"
"I just want to talk to her. I met with a boy here earlier this week, he said she might be in today."
"Richie?" Tessa asked. Julie nodded. "He must not have realized." Tessa made a mental note to yell at Richie later. "Um, if you'd like I can give you our home phone number and you can call her."
"I was hoping to talk to her in person. I'm afraid that she'll hang up on me if I call."
Tessa thought for a minute. "She has exams this week, so I'm afraid she needs to study."
"Of course," Julie quickly agreed.
"But, they're over on Thursday. Why don't you come to dinner Friday night? I'm sure Richie will make something wonderful."
Upstairs, Richie turned down the radio, he could have sworn he heard his name. He wondered to the top of the stairs. "Hey, Tessa, did you call me?" he asked. He swallowed when he spotted Julie. "Mrs. Kregson, you came back." He glanced briefly at Tessa and knew that Julie had been there for a while.
"Richie, you will make dinner Friday night, no?"
"Uh, yeah. Why?" Richie already knew and dreaded the answer.
"We have company." She gestured to Julie.
"Oh," Richie forced a smile. "Great. Do you like Italian?"
"Yes, that would be wonderful. If its not too much trouble," Julie said returning the forced smile. She could tell Richie had problems with her coming.
"No, not at all," Richie assured her. 'I'm dead,' he thought. 'Ry is going to kill me for sure.'
"Thank you. Well, I don't want to take up anymore of your time. You seem busy." Julie turned to leave.
"Let me give you our address," Tessa interrupted her running into the office and scribbling it on a piece of paper. "Here you are. It's in Spring Meadows. Do know how to get there?"
Julie looked at the paper. "Yes," she answered. "It's a nice neighborhood. I'll see you Friday night."
"Seven thirty," Tessa told her with a grin. And with that Julie turned and left.
"I can't believe you did that!" Richie exclaimed as soon as the door shut. "Rylan's going to flip!"
"Why? She should talk to her mother."
"She doesn't want to Tess," Richie told her. "She hates her!"
"Nonsense, no child can hate their mother."
"Ry does. I was supposed to tell Mrs. Kregson that Rylan doesn't want to talk to her. And instead you invite her to dinner!"
"I will explain it to Rylan, she will understand," Tessa said assuredly.