Chapter 2
"Amy do you have any place for us to stay?" Amy smiles gently at the Roberts family, they were one of half of the residents of Everwood with major water damage and needed a place to stay. Amy was in charge of finding places for everyone to stay, seeing how everyone opened there homes to anyone made Amy realize how much she loved the quaint, small town feeling and how much she missed Everwood.
Ronie and Bailey had attracted the attention of the people waiting in Amy's line. Finally after flipping through the ledger that held all of the houses available and writing the name and address on a slip of paper and relief washes over the family of four's faces.
Stretching Amy allows herself to look around the busy train station and Amy's eyes land on a beautiful younger woman walking toward her. She wears low rise jeans and a tube top and her long dark brown hair is pulled back into a clip and it takes Amy several seconds to realize who the woman is.
"Amy!" Delia exclaims hugging Amy tightly.
"Delia, oh my God how are you?" Amy asks staring at the young woman who had only been a child the last time she had even glimpsed her.
Delia smiles, "I'm good. I flew in from Chicago as soon as I heard, my classes are over for the summer anyway. But my Dad said you've been working for nearly six hours trying to get living arrangements organized. Nina is donating all of the food in Mama Joy's to anyone who wants to eat there. Why don't you go on over and get something to eat for you and your girls."
"But..."
"I'll take over here. IT's way past dinner time, I'm sure the girls are hungry. So go on."
"All right, thank you. Come on girls." Amy calls the girls away from their captive audience. Each girl takes one of Amy's hands as they pick their way through the mud and debris, across the street. Mama Joy's was packed full of people eating and talking and all but one table is full. The only open table has Andy sitting alone with a cup of coffee.
"Hi Dr. Brown." Amy greets hugging the older man, whom at one point she had hated with everything in her being.
"How are you Amy?" Andy questions.
"I'm good, I've been really busy running my daughters around." Amy stops realizing that Andy had never met the twins. "Dr. Brown I would like you to meet my daughters Ronlie and Bailey."
"Ronie!" Ronie corrects.
"Well it's good to meet both of you." Andy shakes both girls' hands, "why don't you join me? Nina will be out in a minute to eat with us. I'll run in and have her bring you out something to eat. What can I get you ladies?"
"Peanut butter and honey!" Ronie exclaims.
"Peanut butter, banana and honey please." Bailey requests softly.
"For you, Amy?"
"A sandwich is fine." Amy responds.
When Andy and Nina emerge from the kitchen the twins' sandwiches are placed before them, along with two glasses of milk and fruit on the side. Amy on the to her hand has a bowl of Mama Joy's Chili and Cornbread, her favorite, Nina had remembered.
"My mother told me you got married, congratulations." Amy states as they being eating.
Nina and Andy both smile, and Nina responds, "thank you. Mama Joy gave us Mama Joy's for a wedding present. She was on her deathbed, and she had no family to pass it on too..."
Amy glances around, "it looks exactly the same and the food tastes the same."
"We haven't changed anything. We wanted everything like it has always been."
"Plus it's Everwood and nothing ever changes around here." Andy adds.
"Some things change." Amy states. "like the fact that you and my father have worked together all day and I don't think I've heard any of you usual banter."
Nina laughs, "ok there's still plenty o that."
"How's Sam?" Amy asks.
"He's great he's doing really well in school." Andy responds, "he's going to be a sophomore next year."
"Where is he?" Amy questions.
"He's helping out at the veterinarian clinic. He wants to be a vet so he jumped at the chance to help out there."
"That's great I saw Delia she looks great, so grown-up I didn't get the chance to ask her, what's she majoring in?"
"Pre-law," Andy beams proudly.
Nina nods, "you should hear her, she can persuade anyone to do anything for you."
Amy smiles probably from growing up with having her dad and brother wrapped around her finger all the time. How is Ephram?"
Andy and Nina exchange glances, and Andy finally states, "Ephram lost his wife a little over a year ago."
"That's terrible!" Amy exclaims, "I'm so sorry. His poor son."
Andy and Nina exchange quick startled looks again and Andy questions, "how'd you know about Ephram's kids?"
"Just his oldest son." Amy bites her lip not wanting to be questioned.
But it was to late Andy's curiosity was sparked, did your parents tell you about Troy?"
Amy shakes her head, she might as well be honest, "Ephram was in Denver once and we ran into each up, and caught up."
"Oh when was what?"
"Spring break of our freshman years in college." Amy responds.
Subtly Nina and Andy's eyes fall on the twins who are lost n their own world, but Amy picks up on the gesture. And the look in Nina and Andy's eyes are the same looks she'd seen in her parents eyes when she had let it slip that she had seen Ephram then too.
The uncomfortable silence is broken by Bailey's glass of milk tipping over and spilling milk everywhere. "I'm sorry!" Bailey cries.
"Well there's no use crying over spilled milk." Andy states jumping up to wipe up the milk.
"Bailey cries over everything." Ronie sighs as if annoyed by her sister's tears.
"I do not!" Bailey exclaims but her sister's words only make her cry harder.
"I should get them to bed." Amy states helping mop up the milk.
"Of course, go on Amy we have everything under control here."
"All right, thank you for dinner." Amy responds picking up Bailey and taking Ronie's hand, "it was good catching up with you."
Ephram's place landed in Denver just as the sun was sinking out of sight. Grabbing his carry-on he heads to the car rental to pick up the truck he had rented. Ephram hadn't set foot in Colorado in just over seven years, Nina, his father, Delia and Sam had always come to visit him and Alayna in New York. His father had called the day before telling him that they were all right but his help would be greatly appreciated if he could get away from the office for a few days. And for a reason Ephram still wasn't sure of why he had actually come, something had compelled him ot take off work, leave his children behind and flew across the country to help the town he had left behind seven years ago.
"Amy do you have any place for us to stay?" Amy smiles gently at the Roberts family, they were one of half of the residents of Everwood with major water damage and needed a place to stay. Amy was in charge of finding places for everyone to stay, seeing how everyone opened there homes to anyone made Amy realize how much she loved the quaint, small town feeling and how much she missed Everwood.
Ronie and Bailey had attracted the attention of the people waiting in Amy's line. Finally after flipping through the ledger that held all of the houses available and writing the name and address on a slip of paper and relief washes over the family of four's faces.
Stretching Amy allows herself to look around the busy train station and Amy's eyes land on a beautiful younger woman walking toward her. She wears low rise jeans and a tube top and her long dark brown hair is pulled back into a clip and it takes Amy several seconds to realize who the woman is.
"Amy!" Delia exclaims hugging Amy tightly.
"Delia, oh my God how are you?" Amy asks staring at the young woman who had only been a child the last time she had even glimpsed her.
Delia smiles, "I'm good. I flew in from Chicago as soon as I heard, my classes are over for the summer anyway. But my Dad said you've been working for nearly six hours trying to get living arrangements organized. Nina is donating all of the food in Mama Joy's to anyone who wants to eat there. Why don't you go on over and get something to eat for you and your girls."
"But..."
"I'll take over here. IT's way past dinner time, I'm sure the girls are hungry. So go on."
"All right, thank you. Come on girls." Amy calls the girls away from their captive audience. Each girl takes one of Amy's hands as they pick their way through the mud and debris, across the street. Mama Joy's was packed full of people eating and talking and all but one table is full. The only open table has Andy sitting alone with a cup of coffee.
"Hi Dr. Brown." Amy greets hugging the older man, whom at one point she had hated with everything in her being.
"How are you Amy?" Andy questions.
"I'm good, I've been really busy running my daughters around." Amy stops realizing that Andy had never met the twins. "Dr. Brown I would like you to meet my daughters Ronlie and Bailey."
"Ronie!" Ronie corrects.
"Well it's good to meet both of you." Andy shakes both girls' hands, "why don't you join me? Nina will be out in a minute to eat with us. I'll run in and have her bring you out something to eat. What can I get you ladies?"
"Peanut butter and honey!" Ronie exclaims.
"Peanut butter, banana and honey please." Bailey requests softly.
"For you, Amy?"
"A sandwich is fine." Amy responds.
When Andy and Nina emerge from the kitchen the twins' sandwiches are placed before them, along with two glasses of milk and fruit on the side. Amy on the to her hand has a bowl of Mama Joy's Chili and Cornbread, her favorite, Nina had remembered.
"My mother told me you got married, congratulations." Amy states as they being eating.
Nina and Andy both smile, and Nina responds, "thank you. Mama Joy gave us Mama Joy's for a wedding present. She was on her deathbed, and she had no family to pass it on too..."
Amy glances around, "it looks exactly the same and the food tastes the same."
"We haven't changed anything. We wanted everything like it has always been."
"Plus it's Everwood and nothing ever changes around here." Andy adds.
"Some things change." Amy states. "like the fact that you and my father have worked together all day and I don't think I've heard any of you usual banter."
Nina laughs, "ok there's still plenty o that."
"How's Sam?" Amy asks.
"He's great he's doing really well in school." Andy responds, "he's going to be a sophomore next year."
"Where is he?" Amy questions.
"He's helping out at the veterinarian clinic. He wants to be a vet so he jumped at the chance to help out there."
"That's great I saw Delia she looks great, so grown-up I didn't get the chance to ask her, what's she majoring in?"
"Pre-law," Andy beams proudly.
Nina nods, "you should hear her, she can persuade anyone to do anything for you."
Amy smiles probably from growing up with having her dad and brother wrapped around her finger all the time. How is Ephram?"
Andy and Nina exchange glances, and Andy finally states, "Ephram lost his wife a little over a year ago."
"That's terrible!" Amy exclaims, "I'm so sorry. His poor son."
Andy and Nina exchange quick startled looks again and Andy questions, "how'd you know about Ephram's kids?"
"Just his oldest son." Amy bites her lip not wanting to be questioned.
But it was to late Andy's curiosity was sparked, did your parents tell you about Troy?"
Amy shakes her head, she might as well be honest, "Ephram was in Denver once and we ran into each up, and caught up."
"Oh when was what?"
"Spring break of our freshman years in college." Amy responds.
Subtly Nina and Andy's eyes fall on the twins who are lost n their own world, but Amy picks up on the gesture. And the look in Nina and Andy's eyes are the same looks she'd seen in her parents eyes when she had let it slip that she had seen Ephram then too.
The uncomfortable silence is broken by Bailey's glass of milk tipping over and spilling milk everywhere. "I'm sorry!" Bailey cries.
"Well there's no use crying over spilled milk." Andy states jumping up to wipe up the milk.
"Bailey cries over everything." Ronie sighs as if annoyed by her sister's tears.
"I do not!" Bailey exclaims but her sister's words only make her cry harder.
"I should get them to bed." Amy states helping mop up the milk.
"Of course, go on Amy we have everything under control here."
"All right, thank you for dinner." Amy responds picking up Bailey and taking Ronie's hand, "it was good catching up with you."
Ephram's place landed in Denver just as the sun was sinking out of sight. Grabbing his carry-on he heads to the car rental to pick up the truck he had rented. Ephram hadn't set foot in Colorado in just over seven years, Nina, his father, Delia and Sam had always come to visit him and Alayna in New York. His father had called the day before telling him that they were all right but his help would be greatly appreciated if he could get away from the office for a few days. And for a reason Ephram still wasn't sure of why he had actually come, something had compelled him ot take off work, leave his children behind and flew across the country to help the town he had left behind seven years ago.
