"Are you sure you are going to be able to handle Sarah?" Meg questioned JJ. They were sitting in the dim light of Meg's kitchen packing the dishes.
"Meg, I really think I should be the adult figure in her life right now. She doesn't even know Luke, and I know she has very little respect for you," JJ explained.
"All right. Do you think I am a horrible mother for not being able to control my own daughter?" she asked.
"You're doing the best you can. It isn't your fault Stephen chose his career over his children," he told her.
"What would I do without you?" Meg asked him.
"You'd be packing your own stuff," he teased.
Meg looked at the clock. Luke should be here in a half hour with the U-Haul. Do you want breakfast?" she offered.
"I'd love breakfast," JJ told her.
"I'll make it if you go wake the kids up," she said.
Meg began to sort through the cupboard. JJ walked into David's room and shook his nephew. "David, time to get up."
"Already?" the twelve year-old questioned.
"Yes, it's moving day, buddy," JJ said before leaving the room.
JJ crossed the hall into his nieces' room. He turned the light and announced, "Rise and shine, ladies."
"How do Michael and Christy stand you?" Sarah asked.
"They don't," he answered.
"Seriously, get out," she told her uncle.
"Not until you are both awake. Kate are you awake?" he questioned.
"No, I'm still sleeping," Kate told him.
"Someone is getting mouthy, taking after their big sister. Sarah, you should be proud," JJ said before leaving the room.
David was already dressed and sitting at the table. "When do we start?" he asked.
"As soon as Luke gets here," Meg told him.
"How big is the new house?" David asked.
"Much larger than this apartment," Meg explained.
Kate walked into the room carrying a large box.
"Where are you going with that?" Meg asked her daughter.
"I'm making sure it gets to California," Kate explained.
"Why don't you set that down and eat breakfast," Meg suggested.
Kate dropped the box in the middle of the floor and went to the table.
Sarah appeared a few moments later and walked into the box. "Ow!" she exclaimed. "Who left a damn box in the middle of the room?"
"Sarah, I didn't mean to. Don't be mad at me," Kate pleaded.
"I'm not mad," Sarah said bending down to hold her toe.
"Then why did you say damn?" David asked.
"I don't know," she replied.
"Sarah, I think you are smart enough to find another word to express your feelings with," David told her.
"Shut up," she said smacking her younger brother in the head.
"I'm not scared of you and your bad words" David told her.
"Damn," she said again.
"Both of you stop," Meg told them.
"Yes, Mommie Dearest," Sarah told her mother.
"David, if you want you can help Sarah put her things in JJ's car," Meg suggested.
"I don't want to help her," David said.
"Good, I don't want you touching my stuff," Sarah replied.
"I'll help Sarah. It shouldn't take too long," JJ offered.
"All right, but we may need your help with some of the furniture," Meg told him.
There was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Kate said jumping up and running to the door.
Meg watched as Kate cracked open the door without removing the chain lock.
"It's Luke," she said.
"Well, open the door," Meg told her.
"I can't reach the top lock," Kate explained.
David went to finish unlocking the door.
They had loaded all the processions into the U-HAUL before one o'clock. Sarah, David, and Kate sat on the steps on the building.
"I can't believe this is the last time we are going to be calling this home," David stated.
"Sarah, are you sure you don't want to come to California?" Kate asked.
"I'm positive, but it isn't going to be so bad. You'll be back in Philadelphia for all the holidays," Sarah explained.
"I don't want anything to change. I want to live here with you, Mom, and David forever," Kate said as tears filled her eyes.
"Sometimes change can be a good thing," David told her. "Have you ever seen Mom so happy?"
"No, but still" Kate said as she stabbed her foot into the dirt.
"Kate, David, are you ready? I have a flight to catch," Meg called.
"We're coming," David yelled back.
"Wait I thought you were driving the truck to California," Sarah questioned.
"Luke, Kate, and I are. Mom has to be back to work. She thought it would be a good bonding experience for the three of us," David explained.
"I see. So I guess this is goodbye," Sarah told them.
"You aren't coming to the airport?" Kate questioned.
"Nope," Sarah replied.
She gave each of her siblings a hug and they said a few kind words to each other.
Sarah walked with David and Kate to the sidewalk. Meg's eyes filled with tears, and she leaned over to give Sarah a hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much," Meg told her.
"Mom, stop. You're going to make me cry," Sarah said.
After a few more goodbyes, the U-haul drove off. JJ waited a few minutes before he asked Sarah if she was ready to leave.
Sarah took one last look around her old neighborhood before she followed JJ to his car. They drove all the way to
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sorry it has been so long, but I lost everything I had saved on my old computer and had to start fresh. Thank you for the reviews. I enjoy reading all the feedback on my writing not just the positive reviews. I hope to have the next chapter up within the month. Have a great 2004!
"Meg, I really think I should be the adult figure in her life right now. She doesn't even know Luke, and I know she has very little respect for you," JJ explained.
"All right. Do you think I am a horrible mother for not being able to control my own daughter?" she asked.
"You're doing the best you can. It isn't your fault Stephen chose his career over his children," he told her.
"What would I do without you?" Meg asked him.
"You'd be packing your own stuff," he teased.
Meg looked at the clock. Luke should be here in a half hour with the U-Haul. Do you want breakfast?" she offered.
"I'd love breakfast," JJ told her.
"I'll make it if you go wake the kids up," she said.
Meg began to sort through the cupboard. JJ walked into David's room and shook his nephew. "David, time to get up."
"Already?" the twelve year-old questioned.
"Yes, it's moving day, buddy," JJ said before leaving the room.
JJ crossed the hall into his nieces' room. He turned the light and announced, "Rise and shine, ladies."
"How do Michael and Christy stand you?" Sarah asked.
"They don't," he answered.
"Seriously, get out," she told her uncle.
"Not until you are both awake. Kate are you awake?" he questioned.
"No, I'm still sleeping," Kate told him.
"Someone is getting mouthy, taking after their big sister. Sarah, you should be proud," JJ said before leaving the room.
David was already dressed and sitting at the table. "When do we start?" he asked.
"As soon as Luke gets here," Meg told him.
"How big is the new house?" David asked.
"Much larger than this apartment," Meg explained.
Kate walked into the room carrying a large box.
"Where are you going with that?" Meg asked her daughter.
"I'm making sure it gets to California," Kate explained.
"Why don't you set that down and eat breakfast," Meg suggested.
Kate dropped the box in the middle of the floor and went to the table.
Sarah appeared a few moments later and walked into the box. "Ow!" she exclaimed. "Who left a damn box in the middle of the room?"
"Sarah, I didn't mean to. Don't be mad at me," Kate pleaded.
"I'm not mad," Sarah said bending down to hold her toe.
"Then why did you say damn?" David asked.
"I don't know," she replied.
"Sarah, I think you are smart enough to find another word to express your feelings with," David told her.
"Shut up," she said smacking her younger brother in the head.
"I'm not scared of you and your bad words" David told her.
"Damn," she said again.
"Both of you stop," Meg told them.
"Yes, Mommie Dearest," Sarah told her mother.
"David, if you want you can help Sarah put her things in JJ's car," Meg suggested.
"I don't want to help her," David said.
"Good, I don't want you touching my stuff," Sarah replied.
"I'll help Sarah. It shouldn't take too long," JJ offered.
"All right, but we may need your help with some of the furniture," Meg told him.
There was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it," Kate said jumping up and running to the door.
Meg watched as Kate cracked open the door without removing the chain lock.
"It's Luke," she said.
"Well, open the door," Meg told her.
"I can't reach the top lock," Kate explained.
David went to finish unlocking the door.
They had loaded all the processions into the U-HAUL before one o'clock. Sarah, David, and Kate sat on the steps on the building.
"I can't believe this is the last time we are going to be calling this home," David stated.
"Sarah, are you sure you don't want to come to California?" Kate asked.
"I'm positive, but it isn't going to be so bad. You'll be back in Philadelphia for all the holidays," Sarah explained.
"I don't want anything to change. I want to live here with you, Mom, and David forever," Kate said as tears filled her eyes.
"Sometimes change can be a good thing," David told her. "Have you ever seen Mom so happy?"
"No, but still" Kate said as she stabbed her foot into the dirt.
"Kate, David, are you ready? I have a flight to catch," Meg called.
"We're coming," David yelled back.
"Wait I thought you were driving the truck to California," Sarah questioned.
"Luke, Kate, and I are. Mom has to be back to work. She thought it would be a good bonding experience for the three of us," David explained.
"I see. So I guess this is goodbye," Sarah told them.
"You aren't coming to the airport?" Kate questioned.
"Nope," Sarah replied.
She gave each of her siblings a hug and they said a few kind words to each other.
Sarah walked with David and Kate to the sidewalk. Meg's eyes filled with tears, and she leaned over to give Sarah a hug.
"I'm going to miss you so much," Meg told her.
"Mom, stop. You're going to make me cry," Sarah said.
After a few more goodbyes, the U-haul drove off. JJ waited a few minutes before he asked Sarah if she was ready to leave.
Sarah took one last look around her old neighborhood before she followed JJ to his car. They drove all the way to
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Sorry it has been so long, but I lost everything I had saved on my old computer and had to start fresh. Thank you for the reviews. I enjoy reading all the feedback on my writing not just the positive reviews. I hope to have the next chapter up within the month. Have a great 2004!