Chapter Three
Review Response:
BabyAngel33: Thanks for the review, Ruthie's feelings aren't really explored in this chapter but I will take your suggestion into account!
Outlawed-little-angel: Thanks for the reviews, and which stories are you asking about?
Mudd1: Thanks for the review...lol you just have to let me build the plot, I can't get everything into the first couple of chapters.
Katie: Thanks for the review how this chapter is as good.
Two weeks later
The flight to New Mexico was short and uneventful and when they got off the plane they were greeted by Kevin in the baggage claim area.
"Kevin! Kevin!" The twins both exclaim rushing toward their brother-in-law.
"Hey guys." Kevin hugs the twins and then Ruthie and Cecilia.
"Hey Kevin." Robbie and Kevin exchange awkward hand shakes as neither one of them had really ever warmed up to each other.
"Did everyone else get in all right?" Cecilia asks breaking the silence that had followed the two guys' greeting.
Kevin nods, "yup, you are the last airport run I have to make until we take all of you back to the airport next week, and Simon is on the same flight going home as you guys."
When Kevin pulled up in front of the house everyone couldn't help but stare, the house was beautiful. It was done in an adobe style with two floors and sprawled across a lot of property. "The house is beautiful." Ruthie breathes staring up at it.
"We like it all right." Kevin nods, "we bought it because it gives us a lot of room to grow. It had five bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen, dining room, and a rec room. All right as for sleeping arrangement; the Colonel and Ruth are in Lucy and my room, we are in the rec room on the pull out couch. Ruthie you have your own room as do the twins, they are your rooms if you ever need to come and stay. Matt and Sarah are on the pull out couch in the living room, Cecilia you are with Ruthie, Robbie you and Simon will be sharing with the twins and Mary, Carlos and the girls will all be sharing the final room. Sound all right to everyone?"
"Sounds great, Kevin, thanks." Cecilia states as she makes sure everyone gets their bags out of the van.
As everyone steps into the house, which Lucy has decorated from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, everyone is blasted with the smell of baking cookies, cinnamon and pine as well as noise, Christmas music with lots of talking over it. And once everyone in the house has picked up on the arrival the sound elevates with greetings and hugs.
"Ruthie dear, how are you?" Ruth asks as she and the Colonel pulls Ruthie away from the large group.
"I'm OK." Ruthie responds glancing around the living room.
"How is living with Cecilia?" The Colonel asks.
"Um..." Ruthie trails off, she's still nervous about appearing to happy about living with Cecilia, "it's all right."
Before her grandparents can say anything else Robbie appears, "Colonel, Ruth how are both of you? It's been a while since I saw you last."
Christmas for the first time without Eric and Annie overall went well, there were occasional tears from everyone at some point but Lucy managed to keep family traditions while also changing them so as to not remind everyone of what they had lost. The night after Christmas and the night before everyone was supposed to leave Colonel and Ruth, while all the adults were sitting around Lucy and Kevin's long dining room table, brought up Ruthie and the twins' living arrangements.
"They are adjusting well." Cecilia states.
The Colonel nods, "we understand that but Ruth and I believe that they should be living with family. We've talked it over and we think that they should come and live with us."
"What?" Cecilia and Robbie exclaims together.
"Why?" Robbie asks.
"I think the Colonel and Grandma Ruth are right." Matt responds.
"What?" Cecilia and Lucy echo this time facing Matt and Sarah who are both nodding, it seems they've had this conversation before.
"Carlos and I agree as well." Mary adds.
"Has everyone been discussing this without including us?" Lucy asks her voice rising with emotion.
Mary and Matt exchange glances, "I had no idea anyone else was thinking about it." Matt responds.
Mary nods, "neither did I."
"We just think it would be better for Ruthie and the boys to be raised by family instead of near strangers." The Colonel responds.
"Near strangers..." Cecilia lets her sentence go, obviously unsure of what else to say.
"Cecilia and Robbie are no near strangers." Simon states.
"That's right, they are like family." Kevin adds and Lucy nods.
"We just think that maybe someone who isn't in school still, or so young should be worrying about them." Sarah defends her and Matt's decision.
"They aren't moving in with the Colonel and Ruth." Robbie states.
Ruth nods, "we figured you would say as much so for now they children may return to Glenn Oak with you, but we will be petitioning for custody as soon as the new year begins."
"You can't do that." Lucy responds staring at her brother, sister and grandparents shocked, "Mom and Dad left the decision up to the four of us as to what would be done with them in case anything should happen to them. We decided a month and a half ago that it would be best for them to live with Cecilia. We can't just go back on that."
"I think the Colonel and Grandma Ruth have the right idea." Mary states, "let a judge, someone better equipped, to make the decision as to where they should live."
That night and following half day was uncomfortable for everyone, the adults were angry with each other and the children were picking up on the tense feelings between the adults. And once they were back in Glenn Oak and the twins had gone to bed Simon, Robbie and Cecilia sat Ruthie down.
"What's going on? I know something is going on." Ruthie states quickly looking back and forth between everyone.
"The Colonel and Grandma Ruth want you and Sam and David to go live with them." Simon responds for everyone.
Ruthie mouths the words Simon had just said and finally states, "do we have to?"
"They are petitioning for custody, it'll be up to the court from there." Cecilia says softly.
Ruthie sighs, "I love them, but I don't want to live with them."
Robbie nods, "we know and we are going to fight this with everything we can all right?"
Ruthie nods, "thanks, um, I have school tomorrow, so I should get to bed."
Everyone nods, "all right Ruthie, I love you. And I'll be down to see you guys soon." Simon hugs his sister before she leaves the room. "I should get going, I have to get back to my dorm, but you guys should go see Chandler, he'd probably be able to help you in anyway he can."
"All right, thanks Simon." Robbie responds, "are you sure you don't want to stay with me? I have room."
Simon shakes his head, "I have to meet someone for breakfast tomorrow and it really isn't that long of a drive, so I will see you guys later."
Review Response:
BabyAngel33: Thanks for the review, Ruthie's feelings aren't really explored in this chapter but I will take your suggestion into account!
Outlawed-little-angel: Thanks for the reviews, and which stories are you asking about?
Mudd1: Thanks for the review...lol you just have to let me build the plot, I can't get everything into the first couple of chapters.
Katie: Thanks for the review how this chapter is as good.
Two weeks later
The flight to New Mexico was short and uneventful and when they got off the plane they were greeted by Kevin in the baggage claim area.
"Kevin! Kevin!" The twins both exclaim rushing toward their brother-in-law.
"Hey guys." Kevin hugs the twins and then Ruthie and Cecilia.
"Hey Kevin." Robbie and Kevin exchange awkward hand shakes as neither one of them had really ever warmed up to each other.
"Did everyone else get in all right?" Cecilia asks breaking the silence that had followed the two guys' greeting.
Kevin nods, "yup, you are the last airport run I have to make until we take all of you back to the airport next week, and Simon is on the same flight going home as you guys."
When Kevin pulled up in front of the house everyone couldn't help but stare, the house was beautiful. It was done in an adobe style with two floors and sprawled across a lot of property. "The house is beautiful." Ruthie breathes staring up at it.
"We like it all right." Kevin nods, "we bought it because it gives us a lot of room to grow. It had five bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, two living rooms, a kitchen, dining room, and a rec room. All right as for sleeping arrangement; the Colonel and Ruth are in Lucy and my room, we are in the rec room on the pull out couch. Ruthie you have your own room as do the twins, they are your rooms if you ever need to come and stay. Matt and Sarah are on the pull out couch in the living room, Cecilia you are with Ruthie, Robbie you and Simon will be sharing with the twins and Mary, Carlos and the girls will all be sharing the final room. Sound all right to everyone?"
"Sounds great, Kevin, thanks." Cecilia states as she makes sure everyone gets their bags out of the van.
As everyone steps into the house, which Lucy has decorated from top to bottom in Christmas decorations, everyone is blasted with the smell of baking cookies, cinnamon and pine as well as noise, Christmas music with lots of talking over it. And once everyone in the house has picked up on the arrival the sound elevates with greetings and hugs.
"Ruthie dear, how are you?" Ruth asks as she and the Colonel pulls Ruthie away from the large group.
"I'm OK." Ruthie responds glancing around the living room.
"How is living with Cecilia?" The Colonel asks.
"Um..." Ruthie trails off, she's still nervous about appearing to happy about living with Cecilia, "it's all right."
Before her grandparents can say anything else Robbie appears, "Colonel, Ruth how are both of you? It's been a while since I saw you last."
Christmas for the first time without Eric and Annie overall went well, there were occasional tears from everyone at some point but Lucy managed to keep family traditions while also changing them so as to not remind everyone of what they had lost. The night after Christmas and the night before everyone was supposed to leave Colonel and Ruth, while all the adults were sitting around Lucy and Kevin's long dining room table, brought up Ruthie and the twins' living arrangements.
"They are adjusting well." Cecilia states.
The Colonel nods, "we understand that but Ruth and I believe that they should be living with family. We've talked it over and we think that they should come and live with us."
"What?" Cecilia and Robbie exclaims together.
"Why?" Robbie asks.
"I think the Colonel and Grandma Ruth are right." Matt responds.
"What?" Cecilia and Lucy echo this time facing Matt and Sarah who are both nodding, it seems they've had this conversation before.
"Carlos and I agree as well." Mary adds.
"Has everyone been discussing this without including us?" Lucy asks her voice rising with emotion.
Mary and Matt exchange glances, "I had no idea anyone else was thinking about it." Matt responds.
Mary nods, "neither did I."
"We just think it would be better for Ruthie and the boys to be raised by family instead of near strangers." The Colonel responds.
"Near strangers..." Cecilia lets her sentence go, obviously unsure of what else to say.
"Cecilia and Robbie are no near strangers." Simon states.
"That's right, they are like family." Kevin adds and Lucy nods.
"We just think that maybe someone who isn't in school still, or so young should be worrying about them." Sarah defends her and Matt's decision.
"They aren't moving in with the Colonel and Ruth." Robbie states.
Ruth nods, "we figured you would say as much so for now they children may return to Glenn Oak with you, but we will be petitioning for custody as soon as the new year begins."
"You can't do that." Lucy responds staring at her brother, sister and grandparents shocked, "Mom and Dad left the decision up to the four of us as to what would be done with them in case anything should happen to them. We decided a month and a half ago that it would be best for them to live with Cecilia. We can't just go back on that."
"I think the Colonel and Grandma Ruth have the right idea." Mary states, "let a judge, someone better equipped, to make the decision as to where they should live."
That night and following half day was uncomfortable for everyone, the adults were angry with each other and the children were picking up on the tense feelings between the adults. And once they were back in Glenn Oak and the twins had gone to bed Simon, Robbie and Cecilia sat Ruthie down.
"What's going on? I know something is going on." Ruthie states quickly looking back and forth between everyone.
"The Colonel and Grandma Ruth want you and Sam and David to go live with them." Simon responds for everyone.
Ruthie mouths the words Simon had just said and finally states, "do we have to?"
"They are petitioning for custody, it'll be up to the court from there." Cecilia says softly.
Ruthie sighs, "I love them, but I don't want to live with them."
Robbie nods, "we know and we are going to fight this with everything we can all right?"
Ruthie nods, "thanks, um, I have school tomorrow, so I should get to bed."
Everyone nods, "all right Ruthie, I love you. And I'll be down to see you guys soon." Simon hugs his sister before she leaves the room. "I should get going, I have to get back to my dorm, but you guys should go see Chandler, he'd probably be able to help you in anyway he can."
"All right, thanks Simon." Robbie responds, "are you sure you don't want to stay with me? I have room."
Simon shakes his head, "I have to meet someone for breakfast tomorrow and it really isn't that long of a drive, so I will see you guys later."