The Tuck household was in a flurry. Miles was coming home! He would be
spending a month with them, before going back to France. Mae was extremely
excited about her son's return, and Tuck suddenly became very interested in
the airplane schedules. Even Jesse began to act more like his old self,
bouncing around the house and thinking up pranks to play on Miles. It was
as if he had forgotten Winnie, just for a little while as they all planned
for Miles' return.
Jesse drove to town to meet Miles. He was in very high spirits, as he had not seen Miles for a long time. They used to be really close, quarrelling at times as brothers do, but those arguments never changed the fact that they were a team. Then Miles decided to work in France, and Jesse decided to live with his parents in New Zealand, and from then they parted ways, hearing from each other occasionally through the Internet (which Mae thought was dangerous and unheard of, and Tuck thought incredibly fascinating), letters and the rare phone call.
Miles was waiting for him at the post office as he pulled up. Miles gave his younger brother a grin, and got into the passenger seat, knowing better than to demand to drive. Jesse nodded and started the engine again. As they drove away, he noticed a young lady with long, dark brown hair standing outside the post office with her suitcase, looking after them, but he thought nothing of her.
"So, how's France?" Jesse asked, glancing at his brother.
"Trés bien, merci," Miles replied.
"Hah! So you think you're a real Frenchman, now do you? Let me ask you something: would it be asking too much of you to request that you speak English from now on until you return to France?"
"Of course, Kiwi."
"All right, then, Frenchie."
This went on, all the way home. Even as they got out of the car and Jesse was helping Miles with his luggage, they were still calling each other "Kiwi" and "Frenchie". Mae smiled to see her boys, with their cheeky banter, just as brothers should act around each other.
"It's good to see Jesse like himself again, isn't it?" she whispered to Tuck as they laid the table.
"Yes it is."
Jesse drove to town to meet Miles. He was in very high spirits, as he had not seen Miles for a long time. They used to be really close, quarrelling at times as brothers do, but those arguments never changed the fact that they were a team. Then Miles decided to work in France, and Jesse decided to live with his parents in New Zealand, and from then they parted ways, hearing from each other occasionally through the Internet (which Mae thought was dangerous and unheard of, and Tuck thought incredibly fascinating), letters and the rare phone call.
Miles was waiting for him at the post office as he pulled up. Miles gave his younger brother a grin, and got into the passenger seat, knowing better than to demand to drive. Jesse nodded and started the engine again. As they drove away, he noticed a young lady with long, dark brown hair standing outside the post office with her suitcase, looking after them, but he thought nothing of her.
"So, how's France?" Jesse asked, glancing at his brother.
"Trés bien, merci," Miles replied.
"Hah! So you think you're a real Frenchman, now do you? Let me ask you something: would it be asking too much of you to request that you speak English from now on until you return to France?"
"Of course, Kiwi."
"All right, then, Frenchie."
This went on, all the way home. Even as they got out of the car and Jesse was helping Miles with his luggage, they were still calling each other "Kiwi" and "Frenchie". Mae smiled to see her boys, with their cheeky banter, just as brothers should act around each other.
"It's good to see Jesse like himself again, isn't it?" she whispered to Tuck as they laid the table.
"Yes it is."