-chapter 4-

As soon as Greenlee was through the big door, family members began to swarm around her in the large entranceway.

"Greenlee!"

"Jimmy!"

"How was the trip?"

"Fine, yours?"

"About as fine as it can get with four kids and a pregnant wife." He smiled. Greenlee laughed.

"Where are the kids?"

"Oh, they're around... running about with all their cousins, probably getting into trouble."

Greenlee was suddenly grabbed by her shoulders and whirled around.

"It's been too long, Greenlee!"

"Annie!" She shrieked giving her cousin a warm hug.

"What are you doing with yourself these days?"

"I just got accepted into Medical School!" Annie said.

"Are you serious? Why didn't anyone tell me?"

A stern, old voice that Greenlee knew all too well came from behind her: "Because you distance yourself from the family too much."

Greenlee turned around, her Grandmother was sitting in a wheelchair.

"Grandma." She smiled. She bent down and gave the old woman a hug.

"It's been far too long, Greenlee."

*Her voice is even harsher then I remember...* Greenlee thought.

"I know Grandma. I'm sorry."

"Well you damn well should be."

And with that, Grandma wheeled herself out of the room. Greenlee looked up at Jimmy; he shrugged, spinning his finger around in a circle by his head. Greenlee smiled, shaking her head a little. She picked up her luggage and started awkwardly up the large flight of stairs. When she reached the top, she turned to the right and walked down a long hallway that had several doors along it. She continued to the end of the hallway, turned left, and began walking down another long hallway. At the end was a flight of stairs that wrapped up to the third floor, which was where all the bedrooms were. Greenlee knew exactly which one was hers. She walked about halfway down yet another hallway and opened up the door to her room. It felt stuffy inside, like nobody had opened the windows or doors since she left. She flicked the light on; everything was exactly how she had left it. Her big canopy bed was perfectly made with the same dull pink sheets, her same fluffy white curtains were hanging down from the large window that over-looked the backyard, and the same old furniture she used as a girl was sitting in all the same spots, covered in thick layers of dust. She walked around the room; streaking her fingers across her desk as hints of the fine wood appeared beneath the dust, and her high heels left marks in the carpet because it was so stiff. She looked out the window, snow was covering everything. That was one thing she did miss, the snow. It never snowed in Pine Valley.

Suddenly, Greenlee heard a soft tapping behind her and turned around quickly to see a young maid standing in the doorway.

"Excuse me, Miss, your mother sent me up to tell you dinner is in an hour."

Greenlee nodded. She felt like a little girl again, being warned an hour before dinner. She smiled to herself, remembering how she used to need that entire hour to get ready. When she was little, her parents were always having important guests over for dinner, and Greenlee always had to dress up in elegant dresses, and someone would do her hair up in some fancy way that Greenlee didn't like.

"Thanks." She said to the maid. The maid made a small bow, then walked away.

"What, am I royalty?" Greenlee rolled her eyes. The things her parents made the staff do, it was ridiculous.

Forty-five minutes later, Greenlee had put on a nice but simple dress, touched up her makeup, put her hair up, and now she was on her way down the large flight of stairs.

"Hey Greens! Wait up!" A voice called from behind her.

"Hey, Josh." Greenlee smiled as one of her cousins came up behind her.

"Well, would you look at little Greenlee Smyth." He said as he looked at her. "You look great."

"So do you," She said. "all grown up."

"Did you hear the news?" He asked.

Greenlee bit her lip. Did she want to hear the news? Josh was born on the same day as her, and ever since pre-school they had competed for the best grades, and they bet on who would be most successful when they were older. Greenlee had put that all behind her now, it was just a silly thing she did as a child, but Josh always seemed to bring it up; just because he did get better grades all the time, and now he was a semi-world famous surgeon.

"I was on the cover of Time magazine!" He said with the excitement of a child.

Greenlee rolled her eyes. Great, another thing to rub in her face.

"Really? Time Magazine?"

"Yep, an entire five page article about me. Lots of pictures too, of me in my surgeon outfit, some of me at home with my girlfriend."

"Who are you dating these days?" Greenlee asked as they continued walking towards the dining room.

"Oh, a really sweet girl. Her name is Angela, she'll be coming for the masquerade dance."

"Can't wait to meet her." Greenlee smiled.

"Hey Greens, remember when we went to the masquerade together that one year?"

Greenlee laughed, "Yeah, I remember. We were thirteen and both our dates turned us down."

Josh laughed too, "Jimmy made fun of us for an entire year. What did we dress up as again?"

"I was a princess and you were a frog," She said.

"That's right!" He smirked, "Where did we get a stupid idea like that anyway?"

"It wasn't so bad." Greenlee said, she loved that princess costume.

"Say, who's your date this year?" Josh asked.

"Nobody." she said quickly.

"Nobody? You mean you still can't get a date, after all these years?" He joked. Greenlee knew he was only joking, but it hurt to hear him say that.

". . .yet. Nobody yet." She smiled.

They entered the dining room. A large table was in the middle, big enough to fit two-hundred and fifteen people around. Of course, there weren't two-hundred and fifteen people there, so the family was all gathered at the far end of the table, with Grandma and Grandpa sitting at the head. Greenlee's parents were on one side of them, and some of Greenlee's uncle's were on the other side with their wives. Greenlee took a seat by Annie, which was across from Jimmy. Josh sat on the other side of her.

"Susie, hello!" Greenlee said sitting down. Jimmy's wife, who was pregnant and had a baby in her lap, looked up.

"Greenlee! How are you?"

"Just fine, thanks. Looks like you've got your hands full, huh?"

Susie laughed, "Yeah, just a little."

"Where are the twins?" Greenlee asked, not seeing the two oldest children.

"Are you kidding?" Jimmy said, "They're eating in the kitchen, I don't dare bring them in here."

"Well don't tell that to Grandma," Greenlee warned, "She'll probably tell you you're raising them wrong."

Susie's expression suddenly turned angry, "She already did."

"Oh,"

Greenlee looked up the table at her Grandma, she was sitting with a scowl on her face as usual. Greenlee turned her attention to her mother, who still looked unusually happy. Greenlee couldn't help but think that something was wrong.

Dinner lasted for two hours. They had all kinds of food: mashed potatoes, a roasted lamb, fresh vegetables, home-made cheese bread with rich butter, a garden salad, macaroni salad, and other things Greenlee didn't even get around to trying.

After they had all been excused, Greenlee went straight upstairs to her father's big study, where he and her Grandpa were having cigars.

"Hi daddy, Grandpa," She said as she walked in.

"Greenlee! Well it's about time you said hello to me." Her father got up from his chair and kissed her cheek.

"Your trip went well, I hope?"

"It was fine." Greenlee said. She hugged her grandfather, then sat down in a big chair beside them.

"So what are you two old men doing?" She smiled.

"Just discussing the family," Her father said.

"What about it?"

"Well, we were just saying how you've all grown up so fast, and we're already into our 4th generation."

"Yeah," Greenlee nodded, "It's pretty amazing how the family has grown."

She looked down at her hands, popping her knuckles.

"Daddy," She said, "is there something wrong with mom?"

"No, why?"

"I don't know, she seems different."

"How so?"

Greenlee bit her lip, she didn't want to outwardly say that her mom finally had a smile on her face for the first time in twenty years, and that she was actually pleasant to be around for a change.

"Oh, I don't know. She just is."

"Greenlee darling, it's wonderful to see you, but do you suppose your Grandfather and I could have a word alone?"

Greenlee sat blinking for a second, "Oh, okay daddy..." She got up from her chair and left the study, quietly shutting the door behind her. Same old dad. When Greenlee was little, she was daddy's girl. Always sitting on his lap, fetching his pipe and slippers. But when she turned seventeen he began to distance himself from not just her, but his wife too. Greenlee never did find out why, but he's always been somewhat cold ever since.

When Greenlee returned to her room, it had been completely cleaned. The floor had been vacuumed, the furniture dusted, the curtains washed and the sheets changed. Her suitcase was sitting on her bed. She closed the door behind her, and started to unpack her clothes into her dresser. When she had finished, she pulled out a bag of gummy bears and sat Indian style on her bed, munching on the candy. She sighed, she really didn't want to be here. She wanted more then anything to go back to Pine Valley, to her apartment, to sleep in her bed. She wanted to go to her office and work on her article, she wanted to stop by her favorite little cafe for coffee. She didn't want to be here, because she didn't want this kind of life. She didn't like everyone doing everything for her, she didn't like having everything in the world at her finger-tips.

A knock came suddenly on her door.

"Come in," She called. Josh walked in.

"Hey," She said.

"What are you doing?" He asked, approaching her bed.

"Eating gummy bears. Want one?"

He laughed, "Sure."

She tossed him a yellow one, because those are the one's she likes least, and he took a seat on the end of her bed.

"Do you know the Crandlemire's?" He asked suddenly.

"No, I've never met them."

"Oh, they just got here a few minutes ago."

"Oh great,"

"What?"

"My mom sounded pretty fixed on hooking this Crandlemire guy and I up. . ."

"With who, Andrew?"

"Yeah."

"You'll have to fight for him," Josh grinned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means as soon as he walked in the door, Annie, Amy and Teresa were already all over him."

Greenlee's eyes lit up, "Really? That's great!"

"My sister is so pathetic," Josh shook his head, "She goes through about five boyfriends a month."

Greenlee laughed, "Who would have guessed sweet, modest little Amy would turn out to be like that?"

"I would've. But anyway, want to come meet them?"

"Not really," She said, "I think I'm going to bed soon."

"Come on, it's still early. I think Jimmy and I are going to shoot a game of pool, want to join us?"

"No thanks."

"What's wrong, Greens?"

"Nothing... I was on a plane for nine hours today, I'm trying to adjust to this time change, can't a girl get a little rest?"

"Come on, admit it."

"Admit what?" Greenlee was becoming annoyed.

"Something's up with you, I can tell."

"Nothing's up!"

"Really? Is that why you're being so defensive?"

"I'm not defensive..." she rubbed her head with her hand, "would you just go away already?"

"Alright, alright. . . I wish you'd come meet Andrew though."

"Not you too!" She yelled, throwing gummy bears at him.

He laughed as he stood up, "I seriously think your mom is set on you falling for this guy."

"Is that why she's so happy?" Greenlee asked.

"Maybe. I don't know. I doubt it."

She bit off the head of a gummy bear.

"It better not be."