Chapter Two
Review Response:
Alexa: Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter!
The next day seemed to pass in a blur for Cecilia, she was awake at six to dress shower, eat and then make sure that the twins and Ruthie were up and ready to go by the time Robbie arrived at their door at nine. Once he picked them up she was headed to her Philosophy class from 10 to 12:30, with a 30 minute break and then followed by Calculus from 1 to 3. After leaving class she headed directly to the hospital where Sam was waiting to be checked out, then Robbie took everyone back to the condo while Cecilia went grocery shopping. It was 10 now, Cecilia had had dinner on the table at 6:30 the boys had watched a movie while she and Robbie had cleaned the kitchen and after putting the boys to bed and Ruthie having gone to bed early as well, Cecilia was exhausted but she had the feeling that this was what her life was going to become.
"Hot chocolate." Robbie states setting two mugs on the kitchen table, "I'm glad you had some."
Cecilia smiles, "if there is anything I learned from Annie and Eric Camden it's to always have hot chocolate on hand, and never have ice cream on hand because how else could you spy?"
Robbie smiles at whatever memory Cecilia had brought about, "so explain to me exactly how you came about being the one responsible for raising three children at 18-years-old?"
"I offered and they really didn't have any better ideas, I guess. They felt bad for ripping the kids out of their lives." Cecilia responds with a shrug.
"What about Julie and Hank, or the Colonel and Ruth?" Robbie asks.
"Julie and Hank are in Africa and the Colonel and Ruth weren't too happy about the decision but Eric and Annie never actually named a legal guardian...they were constantly changing their will that they were between guardians since Lucy moved."
"I guess it's all pretty weird." Robbie states, "but I was serious when I said that I would help out, with anything. Eric and Annie saved my life, I was living on the streets and who knew where I would be right now if they hadn't taken me in, I want to help them as much as possible. I'm all ready set up with a job transfer and I spoke to a woman last night about a short term lease in the apartments in this development, just until I figure out what it is exactly I am going to do."
"Thank you so much Robbie, the entire Camden is like family to me and I wanted to do everything I could, but today made me realize that I don't know if I can do this alone."
"Well then that's what I am here for." Robbie responds.
The next day Ruthie woke up insisting on starting back at school, "are you sure?" Cecilia questioned for probably the millionth time in the last 5 minutes. "We worked it out with your vice principal, she said that you could take as much time as you needed. Peter can always bring your homework home to you."
Ruthie nods, "I know, but I can't sit around here all day, I will go crazy."
"We wanna go back to school too." Sam and David chime in.
Cecilia looks back and forth between the three of them, "if that's what you really want to do then get ready and I will get you guys some bowls of cereal."
The three nod and hurrying back to their bedrooms to change and reappear minutes later to eat the cereal Cecilia had poured out for them, just as the phone rang.
"Cecilia it's Robbie." Ruthie holds the phone out to her.
"Hello, Robbie? What's up?" Cecilia is silent as she listens to Robbie on the other line, "actually Ruthie, Sam and David are going to go back to school, but I guess I could join you for breakfast after I drop everyone off at school. All right, I will see you then."
"So you have early classes on Monday and Friday?" Robbie clarifies.
Cecilia nods, "Philosophy and English."
"All right, well that's not a problem I can drop them off at school if you want." Robbie offers.
"Really?" Cecilia questions, "I don't want to inconvenience you."
"No, it's all right, I can build my own schedule." Robbie responds, "and what about later classes?"
"The only days that I have classes that would stop me from being able to pick them up from school would be Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I have class until 4:30, all my other classes get out at 2:30 or 3 right on time to pick them up."
"All right," Robbie nods, "I can drop them off at school on Mondays and Fridays and pick them up Tuesdays and Wednesdays."
"You know Cecilia, I think you're brave." Robbie states.
"What?" Cecilia asks puzzled.
"I mean, you are 18-years-old and you are willing to take on Ruthie and Sam and David."
Cecilia shrugs, "I know that Annie and Eric, or Lucy, would have done it for me. And besides if everyone trusts me to do it, why wouldn't I?"
Robbie stares at her amazed as her eyes fill with tears, "what's wrong?"
"It's just that there are so many things I'm going to miss about them. Like, last year, Annie promised me that she was going to teach my kids how to ride a bike one day and now I have to teach her children everything. And I know I can't do nearly as well as Annie could have, they won't be raised nearly as well by me as they would have been by Annie." By this time Cecilia has tears running down her cheeks.
Robbie scoots around the booth and wraps his arms around Cecilia, "you are going to do the best you can do and I know that that is going to be enough for Annie. I know she and Eric are watching us and they are going to guide as to help their children."
"Thanks Robbie." Cecilia pulls away and glances at her watch, "I should get going, I have class. But thanks for breakfast."
One Month Later-Early December
"How's your guys' history project going?" Cecilia questions as she, Robbie, Ruthie, Peter, and the twins sit down for dinner.
Ruthie shrugs, "all right, I guess, there is a lot more work in it than we thought there would be."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Cecilia asks as the phone rings.
"We've got it, but thanks." Ruthie reassures.
"Hello?" Robbie had been around so much that he and Peter both had taken to answering the phone. "Oh, hey Lucy. Hang on a second and I will put you on speaker phone."
When greetings had been exchanged Lucy states, "so we've talked to everyone and we've decided that we want to have Christmas here. Everyone's flying here, Matt and Sarah invited the Colonel and Grandma Ruth, we are going to send Ruthie and the twins plane tickets and Cecilia and Robbie we want you both to come also."
"All right that sounds good," Cecilia responds enthusiastically knowing that Ruthie, Sam and David all missed their family. "Listen though Lucy, we are sitting down to dinner, why don't we give you a call later to iron out the details?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I will talk to you later then." Lucy responds before Robbie hangs up the phone.
That night when Peter left, the twins are in bed and Cecilia and Robbie are watching TV in the living room Ruthie comes out to talk to them. "Hey Ruthie, what's up?" Cecilia asks shutting the TV off.
Ruthie sits in the chair opposite them, "I don't know if I want to go to New Mexico for Christmas."
"Why not?" Robbie asks, "you don't have to, but I want to know why."
Ruthie's expression darkens for a moment and then she states, "it's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not." Cecilia assures, "what's going on?"
"I'm afraid to see everyone." Ruthie responds.
"What?" Both Cecilia and Robbie exclaim.
"Why?" Cecilia questions.
"I'm afraid that they will be mad about me being happy here, and about me pleading to stay here. I'm afraid that they will think that I'm being selfish." Ruthie bites her lip looking back and forth between Cecilia and Robbie.
Cecilia gets up and walks over to Ruthie, and Robbie eventually follows as they both sit on either armrest of the chair and Cecilia assures, "I know for a fact that they won't be mad. They will be happy that you are happy."
"No one expects you to mourn your parents forever, Ruthie." Robbie adds.
"Are you sure?" Ruthie asks.
"Positive." Robbie and Cecilia reply simultaneously.
Review Response:
Alexa: Thanks for the review, hope you like this chapter!
The next day seemed to pass in a blur for Cecilia, she was awake at six to dress shower, eat and then make sure that the twins and Ruthie were up and ready to go by the time Robbie arrived at their door at nine. Once he picked them up she was headed to her Philosophy class from 10 to 12:30, with a 30 minute break and then followed by Calculus from 1 to 3. After leaving class she headed directly to the hospital where Sam was waiting to be checked out, then Robbie took everyone back to the condo while Cecilia went grocery shopping. It was 10 now, Cecilia had had dinner on the table at 6:30 the boys had watched a movie while she and Robbie had cleaned the kitchen and after putting the boys to bed and Ruthie having gone to bed early as well, Cecilia was exhausted but she had the feeling that this was what her life was going to become.
"Hot chocolate." Robbie states setting two mugs on the kitchen table, "I'm glad you had some."
Cecilia smiles, "if there is anything I learned from Annie and Eric Camden it's to always have hot chocolate on hand, and never have ice cream on hand because how else could you spy?"
Robbie smiles at whatever memory Cecilia had brought about, "so explain to me exactly how you came about being the one responsible for raising three children at 18-years-old?"
"I offered and they really didn't have any better ideas, I guess. They felt bad for ripping the kids out of their lives." Cecilia responds with a shrug.
"What about Julie and Hank, or the Colonel and Ruth?" Robbie asks.
"Julie and Hank are in Africa and the Colonel and Ruth weren't too happy about the decision but Eric and Annie never actually named a legal guardian...they were constantly changing their will that they were between guardians since Lucy moved."
"I guess it's all pretty weird." Robbie states, "but I was serious when I said that I would help out, with anything. Eric and Annie saved my life, I was living on the streets and who knew where I would be right now if they hadn't taken me in, I want to help them as much as possible. I'm all ready set up with a job transfer and I spoke to a woman last night about a short term lease in the apartments in this development, just until I figure out what it is exactly I am going to do."
"Thank you so much Robbie, the entire Camden is like family to me and I wanted to do everything I could, but today made me realize that I don't know if I can do this alone."
"Well then that's what I am here for." Robbie responds.
The next day Ruthie woke up insisting on starting back at school, "are you sure?" Cecilia questioned for probably the millionth time in the last 5 minutes. "We worked it out with your vice principal, she said that you could take as much time as you needed. Peter can always bring your homework home to you."
Ruthie nods, "I know, but I can't sit around here all day, I will go crazy."
"We wanna go back to school too." Sam and David chime in.
Cecilia looks back and forth between the three of them, "if that's what you really want to do then get ready and I will get you guys some bowls of cereal."
The three nod and hurrying back to their bedrooms to change and reappear minutes later to eat the cereal Cecilia had poured out for them, just as the phone rang.
"Cecilia it's Robbie." Ruthie holds the phone out to her.
"Hello, Robbie? What's up?" Cecilia is silent as she listens to Robbie on the other line, "actually Ruthie, Sam and David are going to go back to school, but I guess I could join you for breakfast after I drop everyone off at school. All right, I will see you then."
"So you have early classes on Monday and Friday?" Robbie clarifies.
Cecilia nods, "Philosophy and English."
"All right, well that's not a problem I can drop them off at school if you want." Robbie offers.
"Really?" Cecilia questions, "I don't want to inconvenience you."
"No, it's all right, I can build my own schedule." Robbie responds, "and what about later classes?"
"The only days that I have classes that would stop me from being able to pick them up from school would be Tuesdays and Wednesdays when I have class until 4:30, all my other classes get out at 2:30 or 3 right on time to pick them up."
"All right," Robbie nods, "I can drop them off at school on Mondays and Fridays and pick them up Tuesdays and Wednesdays."
"You know Cecilia, I think you're brave." Robbie states.
"What?" Cecilia asks puzzled.
"I mean, you are 18-years-old and you are willing to take on Ruthie and Sam and David."
Cecilia shrugs, "I know that Annie and Eric, or Lucy, would have done it for me. And besides if everyone trusts me to do it, why wouldn't I?"
Robbie stares at her amazed as her eyes fill with tears, "what's wrong?"
"It's just that there are so many things I'm going to miss about them. Like, last year, Annie promised me that she was going to teach my kids how to ride a bike one day and now I have to teach her children everything. And I know I can't do nearly as well as Annie could have, they won't be raised nearly as well by me as they would have been by Annie." By this time Cecilia has tears running down her cheeks.
Robbie scoots around the booth and wraps his arms around Cecilia, "you are going to do the best you can do and I know that that is going to be enough for Annie. I know she and Eric are watching us and they are going to guide as to help their children."
"Thanks Robbie." Cecilia pulls away and glances at her watch, "I should get going, I have class. But thanks for breakfast."
One Month Later-Early December
"How's your guys' history project going?" Cecilia questions as she, Robbie, Ruthie, Peter, and the twins sit down for dinner.
Ruthie shrugs, "all right, I guess, there is a lot more work in it than we thought there would be."
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Cecilia asks as the phone rings.
"We've got it, but thanks." Ruthie reassures.
"Hello?" Robbie had been around so much that he and Peter both had taken to answering the phone. "Oh, hey Lucy. Hang on a second and I will put you on speaker phone."
When greetings had been exchanged Lucy states, "so we've talked to everyone and we've decided that we want to have Christmas here. Everyone's flying here, Matt and Sarah invited the Colonel and Grandma Ruth, we are going to send Ruthie and the twins plane tickets and Cecilia and Robbie we want you both to come also."
"All right that sounds good," Cecilia responds enthusiastically knowing that Ruthie, Sam and David all missed their family. "Listen though Lucy, we are sitting down to dinner, why don't we give you a call later to iron out the details?"
"Yeah, that's fine. I will talk to you later then." Lucy responds before Robbie hangs up the phone.
That night when Peter left, the twins are in bed and Cecilia and Robbie are watching TV in the living room Ruthie comes out to talk to them. "Hey Ruthie, what's up?" Cecilia asks shutting the TV off.
Ruthie sits in the chair opposite them, "I don't know if I want to go to New Mexico for Christmas."
"Why not?" Robbie asks, "you don't have to, but I want to know why."
Ruthie's expression darkens for a moment and then she states, "it's stupid."
"I'm sure it's not." Cecilia assures, "what's going on?"
"I'm afraid to see everyone." Ruthie responds.
"What?" Both Cecilia and Robbie exclaim.
"Why?" Cecilia questions.
"I'm afraid that they will be mad about me being happy here, and about me pleading to stay here. I'm afraid that they will think that I'm being selfish." Ruthie bites her lip looking back and forth between Cecilia and Robbie.
Cecilia gets up and walks over to Ruthie, and Robbie eventually follows as they both sit on either armrest of the chair and Cecilia assures, "I know for a fact that they won't be mad. They will be happy that you are happy."
"No one expects you to mourn your parents forever, Ruthie." Robbie adds.
"Are you sure?" Ruthie asks.
"Positive." Robbie and Cecilia reply simultaneously.