Annie hung up the phone and sighed. She shook her head in disbelief;
this would be the first Thanksgiving that one or more of her children had
been missing. She stood at the phone for a few minutes willing it to ring,
willing it to be Sam or David calling to say they were on the way. She
walked out from the kitchen slowly, pondering the changes which would now
have to be made to the table. Two less for dinner, two less beds to find,
two empty spots in the pew at church tomorrow, and two empty slots in her
heart.
As she rounded the corner and headed into the hallway, she looked into Eric's old office. She pauses in the doorway, looking at her second oldest daughter. She had grown so much, and was now going to be a mommy for the fourth time. Lucy felt someone watching her and looked up from her laptop, where she has been working on her sermon. She smiled at her mother, her idol right next to her father.
"Who was on the phone?"
"Sam and David, they said the weather was horrendous. Rain going every which way, high winds, and they don't want to chance the drive. The total is now up to fifteen and their families who won't be able to make it," Annie said to her daughter.
"Who else can't make it?"
"Hank and Julie are with Hank's family. Ginger is staying in Arizona with her family. Lily and her husband's family are on a cruise. The Colonel and Ruth are with Julie; and George is having Thanksgiving with his father. Martin and Cecilia are meeting his father and Aunt. Roxanne and Chandler are in New York City visiting his brother," Annie ticks off on her fingers. "Oh, and Rabbi Glass and Rosina are in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage, they aren't expected back for a few weeks."
Lucy rocked back in her chair and sighed and patted her stomach. "As long as everyone is safe, and Kevin's family is snowed-in in Maine where they were visiting Patty Mary; so they won't be here. That alone raises the total to eighteen not coming. On the bright side; though, we'll have turkey sandwiches for weeks after."
Luce saved her file and shut her computer down, and walked to her Mom and gave her a hug as a car horn beeped. They hurried into the kitchen to see Kevin, laden down with luggage galore.
"Luce! Mom! We're back!" Kevin laughed as he stated upstairs with load one.
"Thank goodness he borrowed the church bus to go to the airport, or else he would be making eight trips." Lucy said to Annie as the whole crew came crashing in through the kitchen door trying to get out of the rain.
Eric, who had been playing with Robbie, Harrison and Kevin Jr. "Kev", Lucy and Kevin's boys, came rushing down the stairs. The boys were right on his heels with a basketball, they were hoping they could convince their Aunt Mary to play a game with them before she became one of those "giggling, coodie giving girls". Lucy, Annie, and Eric went outside to help everyone grab the rest of the luggage.
The rain was still coming down in buckets, but that didn't deter Luce's boys from asking Aunt Mary for a quick pick up game. Kevin gave them "the look" as he took the bus back to the church parking lot, where he could exchange it for his GMC Yukon.
Mary waited until all the luggage and her kids were in the house when she snuck back out and played a quick game of around the world with the boys. She promised them a game tomorrow only if the weather was better. As the four entered the house they snuck up the back stairs to dry off and change before Lucy yelled at them. Mary ran into the old "Hello Kitty" room, which she was sharing with Carlos. Simon and Deanna settled in Simon's old room, because Lucy and Kevin left it alone and used it for a guest room. Matt and Sarah were staying in the garage apartment because in held the only other double bed in the house; and that had been Matt's only real requirement this time. He and Sarah had slept on a twin bed last time they were here for a family get together; and it was horrible.
Annie and Eric had just laughed reminiscing of the time they stayed in Matt's room on his twin bed when the Colonel and Ruth had shown up for a surprise visit. The chaos got worse as Ruthie, Peter and the girls pull in the driveway. They entered the house with dinner, and Ruthie yelled to the crew to get down stairs before it was gone.
Kevin returned and grabbed a couple of slices from one of the many Pete's Pizza boxes, and high tailed it into the dining room. The massive horde came running down the stairs all yelling for a piece of this kind and that kind. Annie let out a mighty whistle, and the group quieted instantly. "You know the routine!" was all she said. They formed all formed a line, and grabbed a paper plate, napkins, and Annie dished everyone out two slices. On the dining room table were wings for the adults, and a fresh antipasto in the kitchen.
After dinner was over and everyone and thing was cleaned up. They got all the kids settled upstairs in the attic, which had been turned into a loft for the boys. No sooner had the chaos from this settled when the family entered the family room. The whole family, minus Sam and David, were gathered around the fire place in the living room, chatting.
Annie and Eric occupied the loveseat to the left of the fire place. Lucy and Kevin sat on top of each other in the oversized armchair to the right of the fire place. Peter and Ruthie took the big reclining chairs next to the couch which was next to the love seat. Matt and Sarah were stretched out on the couch which was directly in front of the fire. An air mattress was laid on the floor between the couch and the fire and this is where Mary and Carlos cuddled using the back of the couch as a head board. They sat enjoying the silence of a crackling fire, no kids screaming, or crying – Heaven!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Sam stood at the window after the boys had had a quick dinner of leftovers, from the night before when they had ordered way too many pizzas and wings. He looked out at the devastating storm, not devastating in damage but in keeping him from his family.
"God, please let the weather clear up. My brother and I really need to get home, to the rest of our huge family. I need to be home, and so does my brother. Please God, I know we don't talk much since I left collage but I need this small tiny, weenie, favor. Amen" Sam said in his head.
"David! I think we will be able to make it after all."
David joined his brother at the window, and looked out. It still looked as bad as before. David put a hand on his brother's forehead, and checked to see if he had a fever. He shook his head and put his hand down, and looked once again out the window. As he looked the rain seemed to start to come in only one direction, the wind started to die down, and he got hope.
"I think your right, we should call Mom back." "Naw, lets surprise everyone."
As she rounded the corner and headed into the hallway, she looked into Eric's old office. She pauses in the doorway, looking at her second oldest daughter. She had grown so much, and was now going to be a mommy for the fourth time. Lucy felt someone watching her and looked up from her laptop, where she has been working on her sermon. She smiled at her mother, her idol right next to her father.
"Who was on the phone?"
"Sam and David, they said the weather was horrendous. Rain going every which way, high winds, and they don't want to chance the drive. The total is now up to fifteen and their families who won't be able to make it," Annie said to her daughter.
"Who else can't make it?"
"Hank and Julie are with Hank's family. Ginger is staying in Arizona with her family. Lily and her husband's family are on a cruise. The Colonel and Ruth are with Julie; and George is having Thanksgiving with his father. Martin and Cecilia are meeting his father and Aunt. Roxanne and Chandler are in New York City visiting his brother," Annie ticks off on her fingers. "Oh, and Rabbi Glass and Rosina are in Jerusalem on a pilgrimage, they aren't expected back for a few weeks."
Lucy rocked back in her chair and sighed and patted her stomach. "As long as everyone is safe, and Kevin's family is snowed-in in Maine where they were visiting Patty Mary; so they won't be here. That alone raises the total to eighteen not coming. On the bright side; though, we'll have turkey sandwiches for weeks after."
Luce saved her file and shut her computer down, and walked to her Mom and gave her a hug as a car horn beeped. They hurried into the kitchen to see Kevin, laden down with luggage galore.
"Luce! Mom! We're back!" Kevin laughed as he stated upstairs with load one.
"Thank goodness he borrowed the church bus to go to the airport, or else he would be making eight trips." Lucy said to Annie as the whole crew came crashing in through the kitchen door trying to get out of the rain.
Eric, who had been playing with Robbie, Harrison and Kevin Jr. "Kev", Lucy and Kevin's boys, came rushing down the stairs. The boys were right on his heels with a basketball, they were hoping they could convince their Aunt Mary to play a game with them before she became one of those "giggling, coodie giving girls". Lucy, Annie, and Eric went outside to help everyone grab the rest of the luggage.
The rain was still coming down in buckets, but that didn't deter Luce's boys from asking Aunt Mary for a quick pick up game. Kevin gave them "the look" as he took the bus back to the church parking lot, where he could exchange it for his GMC Yukon.
Mary waited until all the luggage and her kids were in the house when she snuck back out and played a quick game of around the world with the boys. She promised them a game tomorrow only if the weather was better. As the four entered the house they snuck up the back stairs to dry off and change before Lucy yelled at them. Mary ran into the old "Hello Kitty" room, which she was sharing with Carlos. Simon and Deanna settled in Simon's old room, because Lucy and Kevin left it alone and used it for a guest room. Matt and Sarah were staying in the garage apartment because in held the only other double bed in the house; and that had been Matt's only real requirement this time. He and Sarah had slept on a twin bed last time they were here for a family get together; and it was horrible.
Annie and Eric had just laughed reminiscing of the time they stayed in Matt's room on his twin bed when the Colonel and Ruth had shown up for a surprise visit. The chaos got worse as Ruthie, Peter and the girls pull in the driveway. They entered the house with dinner, and Ruthie yelled to the crew to get down stairs before it was gone.
Kevin returned and grabbed a couple of slices from one of the many Pete's Pizza boxes, and high tailed it into the dining room. The massive horde came running down the stairs all yelling for a piece of this kind and that kind. Annie let out a mighty whistle, and the group quieted instantly. "You know the routine!" was all she said. They formed all formed a line, and grabbed a paper plate, napkins, and Annie dished everyone out two slices. On the dining room table were wings for the adults, and a fresh antipasto in the kitchen.
After dinner was over and everyone and thing was cleaned up. They got all the kids settled upstairs in the attic, which had been turned into a loft for the boys. No sooner had the chaos from this settled when the family entered the family room. The whole family, minus Sam and David, were gathered around the fire place in the living room, chatting.
Annie and Eric occupied the loveseat to the left of the fire place. Lucy and Kevin sat on top of each other in the oversized armchair to the right of the fire place. Peter and Ruthie took the big reclining chairs next to the couch which was next to the love seat. Matt and Sarah were stretched out on the couch which was directly in front of the fire. An air mattress was laid on the floor between the couch and the fire and this is where Mary and Carlos cuddled using the back of the couch as a head board. They sat enjoying the silence of a crackling fire, no kids screaming, or crying – Heaven!
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Sam stood at the window after the boys had had a quick dinner of leftovers, from the night before when they had ordered way too many pizzas and wings. He looked out at the devastating storm, not devastating in damage but in keeping him from his family.
"God, please let the weather clear up. My brother and I really need to get home, to the rest of our huge family. I need to be home, and so does my brother. Please God, I know we don't talk much since I left collage but I need this small tiny, weenie, favor. Amen" Sam said in his head.
"David! I think we will be able to make it after all."
David joined his brother at the window, and looked out. It still looked as bad as before. David put a hand on his brother's forehead, and checked to see if he had a fever. He shook his head and put his hand down, and looked once again out the window. As he looked the rain seemed to start to come in only one direction, the wind started to die down, and he got hope.
"I think your right, we should call Mom back." "Naw, lets surprise everyone."
