Four
Laurie
Both girls greatly enjoyed having a mother, spending time with her. They moved to Haddonfield within a month of their return to Laurie. She bought her foster parents old house and helped redecorate her room to accommodate both girls tastes, and had a swing-set put up in the backyard.
They would eat together and she would read to them every night. She got a job at Vincent's Drugstore, and they would often come up to see her, talk to her while she worked, look around and even help stock the shelves.
The Carruthers family were frequent customers. Laurie later explained that Mrs. Carruthers was their father, Jimmy Lloyd's sister. Which made Rachel their cousin. Curious on their newfound family, Jennifer approached her mother one day during one of their visits.
"Mom," she said slowly. "Where is our Dad?"
Laurie froze, turned from the box she had been working on opening. "Jimmy? He still lives around here."
Nervously, Jennifer moved her foot and kept her eyes lowered. "Do you think, maybe we can see him? Meet him?"
Laurie's face lost color. "Why would you want that, punkin?"
"Well he's our Dad." She said simply, unable to phrase it.
Laurie sighed. "I'll see if I can work something out. Why don't you go play with Jamie for a bit, hmmm?"
"Ok, thanks mommy!"
Laurie set the food on the table a few days later and smiled at them, sat down and unfolded her napkin. The girls poked at it with their forks a few minutes before Laurie spoke up, curious by their silence.
"So, how was your day with Dad?"
"Ok." Jamie said softly.
"No it wasn't," Jennifer snorted. "He didn't even show!"
Laurie's brow furrowed as she gazed at them. "What? What are you talking about!?"
"We sat there until you came to pick us up! He wasn't there!"
Laurie angrily stood and went to the phone, dialed the number to Jimmy's and waited, her face contorted in anger. "Hello? Jimmy? Where were you today!? I mean when the girls came by! Yes that was today!" She listened to him speak for a minute, shook her head in disgust, and then hung up.
"Girls, I am so sorry about that! I promise next time, I'll wait until he lets you in before I leave."
Jamie smiled. "You know something? I like it when you're mad!"
Jennifer and Laurie both began to laugh. Jamie smiled, the baby of the group, and I that particular moment, Laurie couldn't help but notice how cute she was! (Just think Danielle Harris 3 years old laughing).
The girls ate more now and Laurie sat, she just watched them for a moment and smiled to herself, then began to eat too. The doorbell rang and she chuckled, went to get it and they heard her laugh and begin to speak with someone. A few minutes later, as they were washing their plates she came in, John in arms.
They giggled and went to greet the three year old that they hadn't seen a week. Mr. Tate came in and smiled, he was a thin man, fair skinned and dark haired. He looked very young, almost younger than their mother, but they knew he wasn't, Jennifer had looked at his driver's licence in curiosity.
But what four and three year old isn't curious?
To sat the least their visits with their Dad went much better after that, so much better that they actually would beg to go see him. They'd all become close but in this family only bad things happen when good things begin.
And a bad thing was about to happen.
