Chapter 20: Together In Glen Oak
A/N: I think this is the last chapter of this story. I finally came up with a way to end this story. It won't be real exciting, but I think this story has had it's share of moments. I sort of have an idea for a sequel to this story, if anyone would be interested in a sequel, let me know in your reviews.
(Lucy's POV)
I brought Samantha home a week ago. She is such a beautiful baby. I can't believe how quiet she is. I remember when the twins were born, they were noisy. Samantha doesn't cry very much. I love her so much. Kevin took a little bit of time off work to spend with the baby and me. It's nice to have our own home. I miss my family, but I can visit them all the time. Today is Kevin's first day back to work, so I am going to take Samantha over to visit her grandparents. I know Mom will enjoy visiting with her first granddaughter. This will be the first trip out of the house with the baby. The only other place she's been is the hospital.
After kissing Kevin good-bye, I prepared Samantha to go out. I loaded her diaper bag and found her stroller. I decided it would be easiest to walk because it was only a couple blocks away. I also wanted to work on losing some of the weight I gained during my pregnancy. I didn't gain a huge amount of weight, but I still felt like taking a walk. It didn't take long for us to reach the Camden house. I didn't knock on the door because Mom knew I was coming over.
"Hi Lucy," Ruthie greeted me as I entered.
"Hello Ruthie. How are you?" I asked.
"I'm great. Did you know that I have a boyfriend now?" she questioned.
"Really? Who's your boyfriend? Peter?" I asked.
"Actually yes. It's only been a few days since we started being boyfriend and girlfriend," she explained.
"Well, that's great. I like Peter," I told her.
"Me too," she giggled," so how's the baby?"
"Oh Samantha is great. She is a very quiet baby. She hardly cries. It's nice to not have a baby constantly screaming their head off," I said.
"Yeah. I remember when Sam and David would scream and cry. It nearly drove us all nuts," she remembered.
"And if I remember correctly, the only thing that could get them to stop crying was me singing to them. Samantha likes to be sung to. Would you like to hold her?" I asked, sensing she wanted out of the stroller.
"Sure," Ruthie replied.
I lifted the baby out of the stroller and handed her to Ruthie. Ruthie immediately smiled and started baby-talking to her. I could tell she really liked holding Samantha. Mom came into the room and hugged me.
"Hi Mom. How are you?" I inquired.
"I'm wonderful. How about you and the baby?" she asked.
"Great. She's so quiet. She rarely cries. Having a baby is the best thing I can think of. I love it," I grinned.
"It is truly wonderful," she agreed," now you know why your father and I had seven children."
"I don't know if I'd have that many," I said," but I do think I will eventually want another baby."
"Can I hold her now?" Mom asked Ruthie.
"Sure," Ruthie kissed her forehead and handed the baby to Mom.
"It's been a few years since I've held a baby in my arms. It's different when you're holding your granddaughter. She really is beautiful," Mom smiled.
"So, where's Dad?" I asked.
"Who knows?" Ruthie said.
"He's been up to something lately. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure that's why he's not here right now," Mom explained.
(Mary's POV)
I met Dad at the airport and we waited for Matt and Sarah's plane to land. It felt good to be home. The last time I came home, well, it didn't turn out so great. This time it was Dad's idea though. I was excited to get home and see Lucy's baby. I kept hearing about her, first from Lucy on the phone, then by Dad as we waited for Matt and Sarah. Their flight was scheduled to land only a half hour after mine, and Dad wanted to pick us all up at once. I didn't actually mind waiting. I was just excited to be at home for a happy occasion.
Matt and Sarah's plane landed right on time. When we spotted them there were hugs all around. Dad directed us to the car so we could get home and surprise everyone else. We all chatted about how everybody's last few months had been. The ride home seemed extra short.
"Annie! Simon! Ruthie! David! I'm home and I've got a surprise!" Dad yelled when we got inside.
Mom and Ruthie came from the kitchen with Lucy and her baby. Then Simon and David came down the stairs. They all seemed completely surprised to see us.
"Matt, Mary, Sarah! What are you all doing here?" Mom asked.
"I asked them to come," Eric said.
"It's good to see you all," Simon smiled.
"It's great to see you too," Matt replied, hugging his brother," so how are you these days?"
"I'm fine," Simon returned," thanks for asking."
It felt awkward for a moment. I knew he had tried to commit suicide, but I didn't know how he had been lately. When I talked to Dad, he told me Simon had been very depressed, but he was much better now. I hadn't been sure of what to expect, but he seemed normal to me. I realized I was staring at him and shook myself out of my thoughts.
"It's good to see my little brother is okay," I hugged him.
"Momma?" David asked.
"What, sweetie?" she questioned.
"Who is that?" he pointed at Sarah.
"Don't you remember me?" Sarah asked.
"Nuh-uh," David was confused.
"I'm Matt's wife," she explained.
"Oh. Now I know you," David grinned sheepishly.
I made my to Lucy and asked to hold the baby. Lucy carefully placed her into my arms. I looked down and smiled at how beautiful and tiny she was. She definitely looked like her mother.
"Oh Luce, she is the cutest little baby I have ever seen," I told her.
"She is such a good baby too. She is pretty quiet, she doesn't really cry much," Lucy explained.
"Holding her makes me even more jealous of you. I'm not even married yet. You're so lucky," I started to cry.
"Don't worry, Mare," she started," you'll get married and have your own baby one day."
"Yeah," Ruthie chimed in.
"Hi Ruthie," I said.
"It's nice to see you here," she told me.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been?" I asked.
"I've been all right. Did you know that Peter Petrowski is my boyfriend?" she asked.
"No, I didn't know that. He's the boy who was in the accident with you, right?"
"Yes, he was in the accident," she explained.
"Oh. So how long have you been dating him?"
"We haven't gone on any actual dates yet, but we've been a couple for a few days," she told me.
"That's great. Even YOU have a boyfriend and I don't."
"Mary, you're gonna find the right guy. Maybe he's under your nose and you just don't know it," she said.
"I hope you are right," I sighed.
(Annie's POV)
I was completely surprised when Eric called the family to see that Matt, Sarah and Mary had come home. A few minutes after their arrival, the doorbell rang. Everyone else was preoccupied so I went to answer the door.
"Annie!" my father greeted me.
"Dad, Ginger, you're here too! I'm so glad to see you," I exclaimed, embracing both of them.
Before I even shut the door, I saw that the Colonel, Ruth, and George were here too. I ushered them into the house and the bell rang again. This time it was Ben and Mrs. Kinkirk with Kevin. At this point, the curiousity of what Eric had planned was really nagging me, but before I had a chance to ask just what was going on, the doorbell rang one more time. It was Rabbi and Mrs. Glass, followed by Julie and Hank. Once everyone was inside, Eric stood up above everyone to speak.
"Okay, most of you already know what's going on, but for Annie and those of you don't know, I called you all here to Glen Oak for a family gathering. The last time most of us saw eachother was about nine months ago. The family was brought together then by tragic circumstances, so I decided we all needed to get together and just have a good time," he explained," so later we are all going to go have a big family dinner and then we'll play some games and spend time together as a happy family."
"Oh Eric, you're wonderful!" I exclaimed.
The family applauded Eric's efforts and then everyone moved into the backyard to visit with everyone else. I made way around the yard greeting family members and trying to play hostess. Eric, however, would not let me. He said it was my turn to take it easy. He had it all under control. I kissed him and thanked him. He knew that this was exactly what the family needed.
(Ruthie's POV)
The entire family spent an evening in the park. We had a huge picnic and then split up. The younger people went off to play a game while the adults sat around talking to eachother and catching up on everyone else's life. I had more fun than I'd had in months. After everyone had a chance to talk, the whole family got together to do a relay race. It must have been a crazy sight. We didn't care though. We were having a good time. We played some other games, including charades and then everyone sat down to tell stories. It felt good to be together again. No one wanted the night to end, but it did. Everyone who lived in Glen Oak went to their respective homes. The Colonel, Ruth and George went to stay with Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank. Ginger, Grandpa, and Mary came to stay at our house. Matt and Sarah went over to stay with Sarah's parents. Ben and his mom went to stay with Lucy and Kevin. Everyone promised to meet at our house in the morning for breakfast before most of them had to leave again. I fell asleep that night, happier than I'd been in about a year.
A/N: This last chapter kinda sucked, but I wanted to give the story a happy ending. I can always do a sequel if you readers want. I hope the end of this story wasn't too disappointing.
A/N: I think this is the last chapter of this story. I finally came up with a way to end this story. It won't be real exciting, but I think this story has had it's share of moments. I sort of have an idea for a sequel to this story, if anyone would be interested in a sequel, let me know in your reviews.
(Lucy's POV)
I brought Samantha home a week ago. She is such a beautiful baby. I can't believe how quiet she is. I remember when the twins were born, they were noisy. Samantha doesn't cry very much. I love her so much. Kevin took a little bit of time off work to spend with the baby and me. It's nice to have our own home. I miss my family, but I can visit them all the time. Today is Kevin's first day back to work, so I am going to take Samantha over to visit her grandparents. I know Mom will enjoy visiting with her first granddaughter. This will be the first trip out of the house with the baby. The only other place she's been is the hospital.
After kissing Kevin good-bye, I prepared Samantha to go out. I loaded her diaper bag and found her stroller. I decided it would be easiest to walk because it was only a couple blocks away. I also wanted to work on losing some of the weight I gained during my pregnancy. I didn't gain a huge amount of weight, but I still felt like taking a walk. It didn't take long for us to reach the Camden house. I didn't knock on the door because Mom knew I was coming over.
"Hi Lucy," Ruthie greeted me as I entered.
"Hello Ruthie. How are you?" I asked.
"I'm great. Did you know that I have a boyfriend now?" she questioned.
"Really? Who's your boyfriend? Peter?" I asked.
"Actually yes. It's only been a few days since we started being boyfriend and girlfriend," she explained.
"Well, that's great. I like Peter," I told her.
"Me too," she giggled," so how's the baby?"
"Oh Samantha is great. She is a very quiet baby. She hardly cries. It's nice to not have a baby constantly screaming their head off," I said.
"Yeah. I remember when Sam and David would scream and cry. It nearly drove us all nuts," she remembered.
"And if I remember correctly, the only thing that could get them to stop crying was me singing to them. Samantha likes to be sung to. Would you like to hold her?" I asked, sensing she wanted out of the stroller.
"Sure," Ruthie replied.
I lifted the baby out of the stroller and handed her to Ruthie. Ruthie immediately smiled and started baby-talking to her. I could tell she really liked holding Samantha. Mom came into the room and hugged me.
"Hi Mom. How are you?" I inquired.
"I'm wonderful. How about you and the baby?" she asked.
"Great. She's so quiet. She rarely cries. Having a baby is the best thing I can think of. I love it," I grinned.
"It is truly wonderful," she agreed," now you know why your father and I had seven children."
"I don't know if I'd have that many," I said," but I do think I will eventually want another baby."
"Can I hold her now?" Mom asked Ruthie.
"Sure," Ruthie kissed her forehead and handed the baby to Mom.
"It's been a few years since I've held a baby in my arms. It's different when you're holding your granddaughter. She really is beautiful," Mom smiled.
"So, where's Dad?" I asked.
"Who knows?" Ruthie said.
"He's been up to something lately. I'm not sure what it is, but I'm pretty sure that's why he's not here right now," Mom explained.
(Mary's POV)
I met Dad at the airport and we waited for Matt and Sarah's plane to land. It felt good to be home. The last time I came home, well, it didn't turn out so great. This time it was Dad's idea though. I was excited to get home and see Lucy's baby. I kept hearing about her, first from Lucy on the phone, then by Dad as we waited for Matt and Sarah. Their flight was scheduled to land only a half hour after mine, and Dad wanted to pick us all up at once. I didn't actually mind waiting. I was just excited to be at home for a happy occasion.
Matt and Sarah's plane landed right on time. When we spotted them there were hugs all around. Dad directed us to the car so we could get home and surprise everyone else. We all chatted about how everybody's last few months had been. The ride home seemed extra short.
"Annie! Simon! Ruthie! David! I'm home and I've got a surprise!" Dad yelled when we got inside.
Mom and Ruthie came from the kitchen with Lucy and her baby. Then Simon and David came down the stairs. They all seemed completely surprised to see us.
"Matt, Mary, Sarah! What are you all doing here?" Mom asked.
"I asked them to come," Eric said.
"It's good to see you all," Simon smiled.
"It's great to see you too," Matt replied, hugging his brother," so how are you these days?"
"I'm fine," Simon returned," thanks for asking."
It felt awkward for a moment. I knew he had tried to commit suicide, but I didn't know how he had been lately. When I talked to Dad, he told me Simon had been very depressed, but he was much better now. I hadn't been sure of what to expect, but he seemed normal to me. I realized I was staring at him and shook myself out of my thoughts.
"It's good to see my little brother is okay," I hugged him.
"Momma?" David asked.
"What, sweetie?" she questioned.
"Who is that?" he pointed at Sarah.
"Don't you remember me?" Sarah asked.
"Nuh-uh," David was confused.
"I'm Matt's wife," she explained.
"Oh. Now I know you," David grinned sheepishly.
I made my to Lucy and asked to hold the baby. Lucy carefully placed her into my arms. I looked down and smiled at how beautiful and tiny she was. She definitely looked like her mother.
"Oh Luce, she is the cutest little baby I have ever seen," I told her.
"She is such a good baby too. She is pretty quiet, she doesn't really cry much," Lucy explained.
"Holding her makes me even more jealous of you. I'm not even married yet. You're so lucky," I started to cry.
"Don't worry, Mare," she started," you'll get married and have your own baby one day."
"Yeah," Ruthie chimed in.
"Hi Ruthie," I said.
"It's nice to see you here," she told me.
"It's been a while since I've seen you. How have you been?" I asked.
"I've been all right. Did you know that Peter Petrowski is my boyfriend?" she asked.
"No, I didn't know that. He's the boy who was in the accident with you, right?"
"Yes, he was in the accident," she explained.
"Oh. So how long have you been dating him?"
"We haven't gone on any actual dates yet, but we've been a couple for a few days," she told me.
"That's great. Even YOU have a boyfriend and I don't."
"Mary, you're gonna find the right guy. Maybe he's under your nose and you just don't know it," she said.
"I hope you are right," I sighed.
(Annie's POV)
I was completely surprised when Eric called the family to see that Matt, Sarah and Mary had come home. A few minutes after their arrival, the doorbell rang. Everyone else was preoccupied so I went to answer the door.
"Annie!" my father greeted me.
"Dad, Ginger, you're here too! I'm so glad to see you," I exclaimed, embracing both of them.
Before I even shut the door, I saw that the Colonel, Ruth, and George were here too. I ushered them into the house and the bell rang again. This time it was Ben and Mrs. Kinkirk with Kevin. At this point, the curiousity of what Eric had planned was really nagging me, but before I had a chance to ask just what was going on, the doorbell rang one more time. It was Rabbi and Mrs. Glass, followed by Julie and Hank. Once everyone was inside, Eric stood up above everyone to speak.
"Okay, most of you already know what's going on, but for Annie and those of you don't know, I called you all here to Glen Oak for a family gathering. The last time most of us saw eachother was about nine months ago. The family was brought together then by tragic circumstances, so I decided we all needed to get together and just have a good time," he explained," so later we are all going to go have a big family dinner and then we'll play some games and spend time together as a happy family."
"Oh Eric, you're wonderful!" I exclaimed.
The family applauded Eric's efforts and then everyone moved into the backyard to visit with everyone else. I made way around the yard greeting family members and trying to play hostess. Eric, however, would not let me. He said it was my turn to take it easy. He had it all under control. I kissed him and thanked him. He knew that this was exactly what the family needed.
(Ruthie's POV)
The entire family spent an evening in the park. We had a huge picnic and then split up. The younger people went off to play a game while the adults sat around talking to eachother and catching up on everyone else's life. I had more fun than I'd had in months. After everyone had a chance to talk, the whole family got together to do a relay race. It must have been a crazy sight. We didn't care though. We were having a good time. We played some other games, including charades and then everyone sat down to tell stories. It felt good to be together again. No one wanted the night to end, but it did. Everyone who lived in Glen Oak went to their respective homes. The Colonel, Ruth and George went to stay with Aunt Julie and Uncle Hank. Ginger, Grandpa, and Mary came to stay at our house. Matt and Sarah went over to stay with Sarah's parents. Ben and his mom went to stay with Lucy and Kevin. Everyone promised to meet at our house in the morning for breakfast before most of them had to leave again. I fell asleep that night, happier than I'd been in about a year.
A/N: This last chapter kinda sucked, but I wanted to give the story a happy ending. I can always do a sequel if you readers want. I hope the end of this story wasn't too disappointing.