"Helen, have you see the remote control?" Jack Pryor asked his wife.
"No, you're the only one who uses it," she answered. "Jack, what do you think about selling the house?"
"Why would we sell the house?" he questioned.
"Well, there are new condominiums being built closer to JJ; we'd be able to see the kids more often," Helen replied.
"I don't like the idea of living in a condo," Jack stated.
Helen didn't say anything else, and after a few moments, the doorbell rang.
"How have you been?" Helen asked her oldest daughter.
"Fine, everything has been going just fine," Meg said.
"I'm glad to hear that, but Meg you know that you can always talk to me," Helen reminded her.
"Mom, I know," Meg replied. "Are you ready?" the question was directed towards Sarah.
"Yes, bye Grandma, bye Grandpa," Sarah called.
"Bye," the both answered.
Sarah and Meg walked towards the car.
~~~~~~ Later that Day ~~~~~~
"Sarah, David," Meg said to her two oldest children, "I have something to tell you."
"You aren't pregnant are you?" Sarah demanded.
"No, I'm not pregnant," Meg told them
"Good because I don't think I could take something like that," Sarah stated.
"I do, however, have some big news. I have been offered a job at Eastman Music," Meg said.
"Mom, that's awesome," David replied.
"Yeah, real cool," Sarah responded.
"I'm glad you guys are so happy, but there is another part to it. The job is in California," Meg stated. She watched the two expressions change instantly.
"You're not going to take it right?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know, I mean, moving would be ruff, but a job like this doesn't come around very often," Meg said.
"But it isn't like moving cities, it would mean moving across the country," Sarah yelled.
"Sarah, I haven't decided anything yet," Meg told her.
"I don't care what you decide because I'm not moving to California," Sarah said as she stormed out of the room.
"That went well," Meg said to herself.
"Don't worry about her, she's just upset," David replied.
"What do you think about all this?" Meg asked.
"I'd rather not say, until after you've made up your mind," David answered.
"Fair enough," she said.
~~~~~~ The Next Day ~~~~~~
"Do you think there is enough potato salad?" Beth asked her husband.
"I don't know," JJ replied. "How much potato salad do you think my family is going to eat?" He eyed the heaping bowl on the table.
"I just want everything to be perfect," she explained.
"Nothing is going to ever turn out perfect," he responded.
"No, this family gathering is going to be perfect," Beth stated.
"All right, you win; I'll go start up the grill," he said with a smile.
JJ stepped outside into the summer heat. Christy was lying face down on the picnic table.
"How about helping out an old man," he suggested.
Christy lifted her head up and looked around. "I don't see any old men."
"Come on, it won't be too painful," JJ told her.
Christy climbed off the picnic table with only a small grumble. "Why don't you make Michael help you?" she asked as she dragged the bag of charcoal over to the grill.
"I like you better than I like Michael," JJ told her with a wink.
"I thought that was it," she answered.
~~~~~~ Later that Day ~~~~~~
"Anyone up for some football?" Will Pryor asked his family. They were all sitting outside, enjoying the late evening.
"I'll play, but only if we get to tackle," Sarah told him.
"No, tackling," Helen, Jack, JJ, and Meg all said at the same time.
"Wow, I guess, people really do turn into their parents," Michael stated.
"All right, Michael you're the other captain," Will said tossing him the ball.
"I want Sarah and my dad," Michael stated.
"All right, then I'll take Christy and David," Will said. "Anyone else want to play?"
"Me," Kate yelled.
"Patty, Meg, Beth, Mom, Dad any of you want in?" Will asked.
"Sure, why not, it'll be fun," Patty said.
"Yeah, why not," Beth stated.
"What about me?" Kate demanded. "Don't you want me to play?"
"I was teasing you Kate; you can be on my team," Will told her.
"Grandma and Grandpa play," Kate pleaded.
"I don't know," Helen said.
"Come on Helen, it'll be fun," Jack said.
"All right, I'll play," Helen replied.
"We get Grandma and Aunt Patty," Kate stated.
"I guess that fills up our team, the rest of you are on the losing team," Will said.
The two teams lined up, and the ball was put into play. The first half went well, with points for both teams. Now, it was the moment of truth the last play, and Will's team was down by two points. David threw a clean pass to Christy. Christy tossed it to Helen, who was trying to give the ball to Kate.
JJ saw this plan and went to stop it with a quick swipe, Kate was in his arms.
"Uncle JJ is cheating," Kate screamed. "You can't pick up players on the other team up."
"We win; Dad cheated," Christy announced.
"You're never playing for me again," Michael told his father.
"I think there is some lemonade in the refrigerator," Beth said.
The older Pryors rested on the picnic table, and the younger generation sat in the grass near by. Meg decided now was as good of a time as any.
"I want to tell everyone something," Meg stated.
"Go ahead," Helen told her.
"I've been offered a job with Eastman, and I'm going to take it," Meg explained.
"Congratulations, sounds like quite the promotion," Jack told her.
"It is; the job is in California," Meg replied.
No one knew what to say until Will broke the silence. "I vote to have Christmas at Meg's house from now on," he said.
Laughter filled the silence and soon everyone was talking excitably, except Sarah. She did not intend to move anywhere.
@~~)~~~
*Once again, thank you for the reviews. There will be more of Meg with her kids and just plain more Meg in the next few chapters. Your comments are very helpful so keep them coming.
"No, you're the only one who uses it," she answered. "Jack, what do you think about selling the house?"
"Why would we sell the house?" he questioned.
"Well, there are new condominiums being built closer to JJ; we'd be able to see the kids more often," Helen replied.
"I don't like the idea of living in a condo," Jack stated.
Helen didn't say anything else, and after a few moments, the doorbell rang.
"How have you been?" Helen asked her oldest daughter.
"Fine, everything has been going just fine," Meg said.
"I'm glad to hear that, but Meg you know that you can always talk to me," Helen reminded her.
"Mom, I know," Meg replied. "Are you ready?" the question was directed towards Sarah.
"Yes, bye Grandma, bye Grandpa," Sarah called.
"Bye," the both answered.
Sarah and Meg walked towards the car.
~~~~~~ Later that Day ~~~~~~
"Sarah, David," Meg said to her two oldest children, "I have something to tell you."
"You aren't pregnant are you?" Sarah demanded.
"No, I'm not pregnant," Meg told them
"Good because I don't think I could take something like that," Sarah stated.
"I do, however, have some big news. I have been offered a job at Eastman Music," Meg said.
"Mom, that's awesome," David replied.
"Yeah, real cool," Sarah responded.
"I'm glad you guys are so happy, but there is another part to it. The job is in California," Meg stated. She watched the two expressions change instantly.
"You're not going to take it right?" Sarah asked.
"I don't know, I mean, moving would be ruff, but a job like this doesn't come around very often," Meg said.
"But it isn't like moving cities, it would mean moving across the country," Sarah yelled.
"Sarah, I haven't decided anything yet," Meg told her.
"I don't care what you decide because I'm not moving to California," Sarah said as she stormed out of the room.
"That went well," Meg said to herself.
"Don't worry about her, she's just upset," David replied.
"What do you think about all this?" Meg asked.
"I'd rather not say, until after you've made up your mind," David answered.
"Fair enough," she said.
~~~~~~ The Next Day ~~~~~~
"Do you think there is enough potato salad?" Beth asked her husband.
"I don't know," JJ replied. "How much potato salad do you think my family is going to eat?" He eyed the heaping bowl on the table.
"I just want everything to be perfect," she explained.
"Nothing is going to ever turn out perfect," he responded.
"No, this family gathering is going to be perfect," Beth stated.
"All right, you win; I'll go start up the grill," he said with a smile.
JJ stepped outside into the summer heat. Christy was lying face down on the picnic table.
"How about helping out an old man," he suggested.
Christy lifted her head up and looked around. "I don't see any old men."
"Come on, it won't be too painful," JJ told her.
Christy climbed off the picnic table with only a small grumble. "Why don't you make Michael help you?" she asked as she dragged the bag of charcoal over to the grill.
"I like you better than I like Michael," JJ told her with a wink.
"I thought that was it," she answered.
~~~~~~ Later that Day ~~~~~~
"Anyone up for some football?" Will Pryor asked his family. They were all sitting outside, enjoying the late evening.
"I'll play, but only if we get to tackle," Sarah told him.
"No, tackling," Helen, Jack, JJ, and Meg all said at the same time.
"Wow, I guess, people really do turn into their parents," Michael stated.
"All right, Michael you're the other captain," Will said tossing him the ball.
"I want Sarah and my dad," Michael stated.
"All right, then I'll take Christy and David," Will said. "Anyone else want to play?"
"Me," Kate yelled.
"Patty, Meg, Beth, Mom, Dad any of you want in?" Will asked.
"Sure, why not, it'll be fun," Patty said.
"Yeah, why not," Beth stated.
"What about me?" Kate demanded. "Don't you want me to play?"
"I was teasing you Kate; you can be on my team," Will told her.
"Grandma and Grandpa play," Kate pleaded.
"I don't know," Helen said.
"Come on Helen, it'll be fun," Jack said.
"All right, I'll play," Helen replied.
"We get Grandma and Aunt Patty," Kate stated.
"I guess that fills up our team, the rest of you are on the losing team," Will said.
The two teams lined up, and the ball was put into play. The first half went well, with points for both teams. Now, it was the moment of truth the last play, and Will's team was down by two points. David threw a clean pass to Christy. Christy tossed it to Helen, who was trying to give the ball to Kate.
JJ saw this plan and went to stop it with a quick swipe, Kate was in his arms.
"Uncle JJ is cheating," Kate screamed. "You can't pick up players on the other team up."
"We win; Dad cheated," Christy announced.
"You're never playing for me again," Michael told his father.
"I think there is some lemonade in the refrigerator," Beth said.
The older Pryors rested on the picnic table, and the younger generation sat in the grass near by. Meg decided now was as good of a time as any.
"I want to tell everyone something," Meg stated.
"Go ahead," Helen told her.
"I've been offered a job with Eastman, and I'm going to take it," Meg explained.
"Congratulations, sounds like quite the promotion," Jack told her.
"It is; the job is in California," Meg replied.
No one knew what to say until Will broke the silence. "I vote to have Christmas at Meg's house from now on," he said.
Laughter filled the silence and soon everyone was talking excitably, except Sarah. She did not intend to move anywhere.
@~~)~~~
*Once again, thank you for the reviews. There will be more of Meg with her kids and just plain more Meg in the next few chapters. Your comments are very helpful so keep them coming.