Disclaimer: I only own the story specific characters I created. The originals belong to Cecily von Zeigesar and The CW.
I hope this update finds you all happy and healthy.
Charlotte woke the next morning to the hustle and bustle swarming her home. The party setup was already in full swing, and her mother was there to coordinate it all.
"Morning, Sleepyhead," Blair kissed her daughter's forehead.
"How long have you been here?" Charlotte ambled into the kitchen, the one place not touched by the party setup, at least yet.
"Not long," Blair watched her daughter help herself to some coffee as Emie ambled into the room and went immediately to her water dish, "I already took Emie out for her morning walk."
"You didn't have to do that," Charlotte replied.
"She was doing a little dance when I came down. You and Eddie were still sleeping. She's a lot easier to manage on a leash than Barty ever was," Blair replied.
"I think it's time for a dog of your own, Mom," Charlotte smiled as Blair went to pick Emie up, putting her on the counter along with the doggie dish.
"I'm still thinking about it," Blair nuzzled her nose into Emie's shoulder, "Until then, I'm enjoying spoiling this little cutie."
"And she's enjoying it," Charlotte smiled as Emie flopped onto her back to present her belly to Blair. The matriarch was all too happy to give Emie a good belly rub. "Dani's going to love that you let Emie roll around on the kitchen counter."
Blair waved away the concern as she lifted Emie into her arms and continued to pet the pooch.
"Morning, Blair," Collette ambled into the kitchen in search of coffee, "You're here early."
"Just trying to get everything organized," Blair replied.
"Which is really my job," Charlotte chimed in, "Mom, tell Dad from here on out, he needs to take you on a tropical vacation after Christmas. You're going positively stir crazy."
"We've already had that talk," Blair laughed, "Apparently I've been driving your father a bit batty. At least when we're someplace tropical, we can be outdoors."
"And pampered by five star hospitality," Charlotte added.
"I guess it was a bit different when you were all at home, but now everyone is doing their own thing. Even Aiden has been hardly home during this winter break," Blair sighed.
"It's called an empty nest, Mom," Charlotte told her, "You're going to need a new hobby."
"It's hard to remember what your father and I did to entertain ourselves before we had you three," Blair replied.
"Each other?" Charlotte thought out loud.
"Very funny," Blair glared at her daughter.
"But also very true," Charlotte added.
"Be thankful for our hobby daughter dear, or you wouldn't be here," Blair reminded her.
Collette laughed as mother and daughter engaged in a stare down.
"What time should we be expecting guests?" Collette broke through.
"Around eight," Charlotte replied before a horrifying thought hit her, "Oh god, what if no one shows? I mean the invitations went out a bit late."
"Sweetheart, you're Charlotte Bass. No one is going to refuse your invitation," Blair reminded her.
"Especially if they want to stay on your good side, which they definitely should when you and Eddie take over the social scene," Collette added.
"Take over?" Charlotte asked.
"Well, the younger social scene anyway," Collette amended.
"Are you implying Chuck and I are old?" Blair teased.
"Ancient," Collette snickered.
Blair took the ribbing with the humor it was intending. She loved that her soon to be daughter-in-law felt comfortable enough to have these teasing moments. Though she'd been concerned about how serious her son was about the young woman early on in their relationship, she'd grown to love the woman Brice had chosen for his partner in love. She'd seen a lot of herself in Collette, and the relationship the young pair had.
Daniella came into the kitchen with a setup question.
"I'll handle it," Charlotte left to speak with the decorating staff.
Once the business was handled, Charlotte disappeared into her bedroom to dress for the day. Eddie was just getting up.
"Bonjour, Mon beau," Charlotte went up on her toes to give him a kiss.
"Morning, Love," Eddie's arms went around her waist to bring her in close. He smiled as he felt her melt against him.
"How'd you sleep?" she lingered against him, soaking in his warmth.
"You wore me out last night, so I slept like a log," he pecked at her lips again.
"I hope I didn't wear you out too much. You'll need your energy to help me host our late night soiree," she lingered against his lips.
Eddie released a rumble of laughter from the back of his throat.
"I have to get dressed," she reluctantly pulled away, "They're already setting up for the party. I need to help, or I won't be able to claim any part of the planning of this thing."
"Do you need any help, or should I make myself scarce for a few hours?" he asked.
"I think I'll be okay. Why don't you take your brother and sister-in-law to lunch or something?" she suggested.
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Not at all," she assured him, "You need to have your bonding time with them before the baby comes. They'll be entirely too busy after."
"You're the best girlfriend ever," he snatched one final kiss before releasing her.
"Your gracing us with your presence two days in a row. Should we feel honored?" Abby greeted Eddie when he entered his parents' apartment.
"You've gotten funnier since my brother knocked you up," Eddie chuckled as he leaned in to kiss her cheek.
"I've always been funny, but I used to have the filter between my brain and my tongue. The pregnancy removed the filter," she giggled.
"And I'm sure Justin is thrilled," Eddie tossed his keys in the bowl by the door.
"To what do we owe the pleasure of your presence?" Abby rubbed at her belly.
"I was hoping to take you and Justin to lunch," Eddie replied.
"Yum, yes, please," Abby eagerly accepted, "I'm hoping for some good Thai food."
"Thai it is," Eddie agreed, "Where's my big brother?"
"He's sweating it out on the treadmill in the fitness room," she motioned down the hallway.
"I'll see if I can bug him a bit," Eddie replied.
"I'll see if I can find a pair of matching shoes to put on my feet," Abby motioned towards her protruding belly, "No easy feat these days."
Finding Justin pounding the crap out of the punching bag rather than the treadmill, Eddie leaned against the wall to watch for a bit. He and his brother had spent hours as teens working out their aggression on that bag. His mother had it installed so they wouldn't punch each other.
"Your form is off," Eddie finally made his presence known.
"Like hell it is," Justin snorted, "What are you doing here? I figured Charlotte would have you working hard at party central."
"Actually, she sent me away. Too many cooks or something," Eddie stepped behind the bag to steady it for his brother.
"Has the honeymoon ended?" Justin kept up his exercise.
"Hardly," Eddie pulled a small box from his pocket and presented it to his brother.
Justin quickly tossed the gloves aside and snatched the box to open it, "You really did it, didn't you?"
"Yeah, I took your advice. Charlotte may not be ready for a proposal, but I wanted to make sure I had the perfect ring when she is. I'm going to have Mom put it in the safe in her office," Eddie explained.
"Are you going to tell her what's in the box?" Justin asked.
"I'm probably going to have to," Eddie admitted, "She'll pester me until I tell her anyways."
"Have you talked to Mom and Dad about how serious you are about Charlotte?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Eddie asked.
"There was a time they were convinced you were serious about Heather and going to marry her," Justin replied.
"Oh, god, that was never going to happen," Eddie groaned. "Grab a shower, I'm taking you and Abby for lunch. The pregnant one is craving Thai food. I'm going to check in with the parents."
"I'll take a quick shower and then help Abby find a pair of matching shoes," Justin stated, "It's become quite the challenge for her lately."
"She mentioned something about that," Eddie chuckled before he went in search of his parents. They were in the study reading.
"Wait, I think we know you," Eugenia rose to her feet to hug her son.
"I just saw you yesterday when I stopped over to check in," Eddie reminded her.
"Yes, but ten minutes here and there isn't nearly sufficient," Eugenia told her son, "Especially when you supposedly live here."
Eddie chuckled in reply. He knew his mother was just giving him grief. She told him when he returned to New York after his lengthy stay in London that he was free to come and go as he pleased until he found his own place.
"To what do we owe the pleasure?" Eugenia asked.
"I have a favor to ask you," Eddie produced the ring box from his pocket.
"Edward Cedric Fraser, what on earth are you doing with a ring sized jewelry box?" Eugenia snatched the box from his hand and flipped it open, gasping at the sparkling ring nestled inside, "Is this?"
"Yes," Eddie bobbed his head as Eugenia twisted to show off the ring to his father.
"Are you here for advice on how to ask Chuck?" Eugenia asked.
"No," Eddie shook his head, "I'm here to ask you to put this in your safe. I found the perfect ring, but I'm not ready to propose yet…or rather, we're not ready to get engaged yet."
"Eddie, we love Charlotte, but are you sure marrying into the Bass family is what you want?" Eugenia treaded carefully.
"I love her, Mom," Eddie's eyes were as serious as they'd ever been, "I love her in a way I've never loved anyone else."
"The Bass family brings a lot of intrigue and attention. Are you ready for that?" Eugenia asked.
"Yeah, I think I am," he bobbed his head, "Whatever I have to do to be with her, I'm willing to do it."
"Edward," his father placed his hands on his youngest son's shoulders and looked him straight in the eyes, "I asked the same thing of Justin before he proposed to Abby, so I need to ask it of you. Can you imagine yourself fifty years down the road with anyone other than Charlotte?"
"No," was Eddie's instant answer.
Cedric turned towards his wife with a shrug, "I think he knows what he wants."
Eugenia sighed heavily, "How is this going to even work? Chuck's my boss, and now he'll be my son's father-in-law?"
"I don't know," Eddie admitted, "I don't know how it's going to work for you and Chuck. I don't know how Charlotte and I will exist at Bass, but I have faith in figuring it out. If I have to leave Bass, so be it. She is worth the sacrifice."
Eugenia bobbed her head. There was no more to be said. Her son had his mind made up. He would proceed whether he had their blessing or not, and she'd have to be blind to not see how much Eddie cared for Charlotte. When they were together, the entire world felt brighter.
"Be careful, Edward," Eugenia warned her son.
"I will be," he assured her.
"And be happy," Eugenia hugged him, "That's what I want most for you."
"I know," Eddie hugged her back.
"Ced, did you ever think when you were holding baby Charlotte for the first time that she'd one day be your daughter-in-law?" Eugenia laughed.
"She's always felt like family," Cedric snickered, "Guess we know why."
"Oh, geez," Eddie rolled his eyes, "I'm taking Justin and Abby out to lunch. Get the jokes out of your system by the time I get back."
"You're no fun," Eugenia hugged her son. "I'll make sure this is locked up tight until you ask for it back."
"Thank you," Eddie replied. "See you tonight at Charlotte's party, if not before."
"With bells on," Eugenia called after him.
Returning to Charlotte's apartment after lunch with his brother and sister-in-law, he was amazed by the transformation. The entire home had been transformed for optimum mingling.
Emie came towards him, leaping into his arms. All the unfamiliar people in and out must have left her a bit frazzled. "I wonder what Charlotte has planned for you this evening," Eddie stroked the puppy's head.
"She and Barty are going to have a quiet night at my parents' place," Charlotte entered, rising up on her toes to greet him with a kiss. "How was lunch with Justin and Abby?"
"I think they enjoy taking turns irking me," Eddie chuckled, "Fortunately they can give as good as I can."
"Sounds like me, Brice, and Aiden most of the time," Charlotte laughed.
"The place looks great. I almost didn't recognize it when I stepped off the elevator," Eddie motioned around.
"Mom had some suggestions on how to set up to keep the damage to the minimum yet encourage socialization," Charlotte replied, "I figured it was a good idea to take tips from the master party planner."
"Smart," he pressed his lips to hers.
"We're going to have dinner a bit later at my parents place, just something light to tide us over until the party. Did you want to join us?"
"Sure," he replied.
"We're playing a card game in the dining room if you want to join us," she stated, "Killing time until we have to get ready."
"Bermuda?"
"Yep," Charlotte bobbed her head, "We taught Collette a couple of years ago. She's ruthless."
"Won't the teams be uneven?" he followed her into the dining room.
"Oh, you can take my spot," Aiden offered, "This is not my game. I only played because we needed to even up the teams."
"Fresh meat," Collette looked to Eddie with excitement.
"I swear Collette is a card shark," Aiden shifted to a different seat, "You should see her at the casino in Monaco. She cleaned up at Blackjack."
"It's easier to gamble when you're not playing with your own money," Collette winked at her fiancé.
"Dad didn't mind ponying up, especially when you ended up turning a profit," Aiden laughed.
"When were you all in Monaco?" Eddie made himself comfortable as Brice began to shuffle the cards.
"April," Charlotte replied, "Celebrating Aiden's eighteenth birthday. Mom and Dad started a tradition when I turned eighteen that we could take a trip wherever we wanted so long as it included the entire family. I chose Milan for Fashion Week…"
"Which sucked," Brice chimed in.
"You had to be included, you didn't have to like it," Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Brice chose Fiji."
"Which we all enjoyed," Collette added.
"Aiden chose Monaco," Charlotte replied.
"And I lost every dollar Dad gave me," Aiden laughed, "Guess we didn't all inherit Dad's poker face."
"I didn't fair much better," Charlotte stated.
"Lettie covered all of us," Brice set a wink his fiancée's way.
"And then some," Aiden snorted.
"Like I said, it's easier to play with someone else's money," Collette laughed as they started the game.
As the hour of the party drew nearer, Charlotte's anxiety increased. She was convinced the only people who would show up were her immediate family, but as she stepped out of her bedroom guests began streaming in, anxious to get the new year started right.
"I was so excited to get the invite," Hannah hugged her co-worker as she stepped off the elevator, "My New Year's Eve plans were going to be depressing."
"I'm glad you came," Charlotte smiled, "I made sure to pick out a few single men I thought you might hit it off with. Eddie has friends…"
"Yes, absolutely," Hannah's grin widened, "Point me in the right direction."
Charlotte dutifully made introductions and then went back to the elevator to greet the newest party-goers. Eddie was dutifully at her side, introducing her to the friends of his she hadn't yet met. They were having a wonderful evening until one of Eddie's friends stepped off the elevator with a date, "Heather."
"Heather," Charlotte's attention snapped to the woman dressed elegantly with model like good looks and a graceful gait. There was no doubt this was the woman Eddie had seriously dated before her.
"Hello, Edward," the woman responded with a slightly smug expression.
"Henry," Eddie glared towards his friend, "You thought this was a good idea?"
"Oh, come on, Eddie," the woman gave him a teasing smile, "We're all adults here, some of us more so than others. We should be able to be in the same room and remain civil."
"Last time we spoke, you wanted to castrate me," Eddie responded coolly.
"Well, you were breaking up with me at the time," she replied. "Are you going to introduce me to the hostess here?"
Eddie took a deep breath, "Charlotte, this is my mate, Henry, and I'm guessing his date for the evening, Heather."
"His ex," Heather extended her hand, "I believe we've met once or twice before at the Bass Holiday Galas. You were much younger then."
"Right," Charlotte made an attempt at a smile. It felt forced, but she didn't want to create a scene. "Enjoy the party."
"We will," Heather wrapped her arm through Henry's as they went to mingle with a few of Henry's friends already in attendance. They all looked equally surprised by Henry's choice of dates for the evening.
"Are you okay?" Eddie reached for Charlotte's hand and brought it to his lips.
"Yeah," Charlotte forced another smile, "She's your ex. I'm your current. I have nothing to worry about, right?"
"Nothing at all," he assured her.
After the guests had mostly arrived, Charlotte and Eddie abandoned their post at the elevator and mingled with their guests. There was a decent mix, between Blair and Chuck's friends and the younger group, which seemed to be separated between Eddie's friends and Charlotte's. It was easy to tell the difference. Charlotte's friends were acting more like the gathering was some sort of frat party, which actually started to mortify Charlotte, especially when they wanted to order a keg for the party…She had to escape.
"Hey, Charlie, there you are," Blair found her daughter in her library on the verge of tears, "What's wrong?"
"This was a mistake," Charlotte pushed a few tears away.
"What happened?" Blair asked.
"The friends I invited are talking about kegs and beer pong and it all sees so juvenile when compared to everyone else," a few tears trailed down Charlotte's cheeks, "And Eddie's ex is out there, and she's got these long legs and model good looks. She looked at me like some pimply faced teenager, and then I started to feel like one."
"I thought that woman looked vaguely familiar," Blair frowned, "No wonder she's been tossing daggers in your direction all night."
"I was just looking between my friends and Eddie's, and I just don't fit in either place anymore. All my friends are still sorting through things and finding careers. Eddie's friends all have them and are talking about their big promotions or the cases they just won in court or the big stock market trades they made," Charlotte plopped herself down in a chair, "Am I stupid, Mom?"
"You are anything but stupid, Sweetheart," Blair took a seat next to her, "You were the valedictorian at Constance, one of the best prep schools in the country."
"Not book smart, Mom," Charlotte groaned, "I mean about me and Eddie. Our ages didn't feel that far apart until tonight."
"Oh, Sweetheart, you can't judge yourself by how your friends are acting," Blair took her hands and tried to sooth her frazzled nerves, "It's really not as bad as you're thinking. Everyone is just having a bit of fun, there's no harm in it. Heck, even your aunt wouldn't mind dusting of her keg stand talents if a keg showed up."
"That's really not funny," Charlotte glared at her mother. "This is supposed to be my first adult party, and it feels like a frat party with some adult chaperones."
"Well the adult chaperones are having a wonderful time," Blair kissed her cheek.
"Everything okay in here?" Eddie poked his head in. He'd been looking for Charlotte for a few minutes.
"My friends are behaving like jerks," Charlotte pushed her tears away as Eddie came to her side, bending down to kiss the top of her head.
"Yeah, well, mine aren't doing much better," he frowned, "I can't believe Henry had the nerve to show up with Heather."
"She's really pretty," Charlotte swallowed hard, "She looks like a model or something."
"Dancer, ballerina, actually," Eddie replied, "And she's always been a bit of a stuck up princess. She really shouldn't have said what she did when she first arrived, and I told her as much."
"Eddie, will you please tell Charlotte that her guests are behaving better than she thinks," Blair told the young man.
"What's wrong with how they're behaving?" Eddie looked genuinely confused.
"Come on," Charlotte rolled their eyes, "They want to order a keg and play beer pong."
"Oh, goodness, Serena would clean up," Blair chimed in.
"Seriously," Charlotte scowled.
"Sweetheart, I love your aunt dearly. She's pretty much the sister I never had, but she's still the party girl she was in high school. There are times I still want to throttle her," Blair replied, "Friends behave how they behave. We just have to decide if we can tolerate how they behave."
"I just wanted to have an adult party," Charlotte sighed heavily.
"Char, everyone's having a good time," Eddie assured her, "Justin and Abby were just telling me about how this is a perfect last hurrah before they become parents."
"I feel so inadequate," Charlotte admitted, "Maybe I'm too young for you."
"I'll leave you to talk," Blair rose to her feet after trading looks with Eddie.
"Where do you get that you're too young for me?" Eddie knelt before her, caressing her cheek softly.
"I just look between your friends and mine, and we're just at different places. My friends are all starting out. Your friends are all settled in their careers and advancing," Charlotte stated.
"My friends have a significant head start," Eddie wiped away a few tears trailing down her cheeks, "Just because they're in careers doesn't mean they're intellectually any older than your friends. Heck, a few of my friends probably would join in on the keg games."
"Not helping," Charlotte glared at him.
"Char, I don't care if your friends seem juvenile or if my friends seem stogy," he kissed her cheeks, "What I care about is you. You fit with me. The hell with everyone else, especially Heather."
"But she's beautiful and a ballerina," Charlotte's tears started anew.
"You're equally beautiful, and she's a horrible ballerina," he snorted, "She hasn't even been able to land with one of the major companies, and she's a back row dancer at best."
"But you dated her for years," Charlotte countered.
"Because I was stupid," he replied.
"Really stupid," she pushed her tears away.
"So incredibly stupid," he smiled, "I've since wised up."
"Or dumbed down even further," she countered.
"Definitely wised up," his smile grew, "I love you, Charlotte. Heather was just someone I kept company with."
"I just wish I was a couple years older," she sighed heavily, "Then I'd have no doubts about us."
"What difference does a few years make?" he asked, "It makes zero difference to me. You have my heart. That's all that matters."
"You have mine too," she pressed her hand to his chest.
"Come on," he rose to his feet and tugged on her hand, "The ball is going to drop soon. We don't want to miss it."
"I'm sorry for being so emotional," she rose to her feet and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"You have nothing to apologize for," he assured her, "I'm sorry my ex crashed our party."
"That wasn't your fault," she melted against him as his arms wrapped around her waist.
"Believe me, I'll be having a talk with Henry about his choice of dates," Eddie assured her, "He knows my feelings on her."
"We've let Heather ruin enough of our night," her fingers brushed through the hair at the nape of his neck, "Let's not let her ruin anymore."
"Deal," he pressed his lips softly to hers.
Emerging from the library, Serena was passing out hats and noisemakers to everyone at the party. "There you are," Serena thrust both towards Charlotte, "I was getting worried you two were going to miss it."
"Not a chance," Eddie dutifully donned the hat as everyone gathered around the large screen set up in the living room to broadcast the ball dropping.
As the countdown began, Eddie's arms wrapped tightly around Charlotte from behind. She could hear his whispered countdown in her ear. She knew without a doubt that this new year was going to change her life, and she couldn't wait to get it started.
When the countdown ended the partygoers blew their noisemakers, couples paired up to ring in the new year with kisses. Charlotte turned in Eddie's arms to plant a kiss on his lips, melting against him. It was a magical moment.
Shortly after, couples started leaving with the first being the parents-to-be, Justin and Abby.
"We had so much fun," Abby hugged Charlotte before slipping into her coat, which was being held by her husband, "We hope this will be an annual thing. This is the first time Justin and I actually were able to party it up. The Army always seemed to interfere with our New Year's Eve celebrations until now."
"We'll see how it goes," Charlotte smiled, "Maybe next year you and Justin can host."
"We definitely don't have your party planning skills," Abby replied, "Are you free one day this weekend? I was hoping we could have lunch."
"Oh, yes, definitely," Charlotte bobbed her head eagerly, "Pick a day and a restaurant. I'll meet you there."
"I'll consult with Eddie and get back to you," Abby smiled, "Thanks again for the party."
After final hugs, the pair left and multiple couples followed them out, each echoing Abby and Justin's sentiments that the party was a lot of fun. Charlotte was feeling much better about the party with each bit of praise.
Out of the corner of his eye, Eddie could see Henry and Heather lingering. When Charlotte's co-worker, Hannah, approached to gush over the party and the cute men Charlotte had invited for her, he excused himself for a few moments.
"What were you thinking?" Eddie pulled Henry aside to scold his friend.
"I wasn't," Henry sighed heavily, "You know I've always had a bit of a thing for her, and she called me up a couple of days ago with some crap about how she'd been thinking about me and hoped we could get together soon. It didn't even hit me until we were in the elevator on the way up that this was going to be awkward for you. Then she made that comment about meeting Charlotte…I'm really sorry."
"That is total bullshit," Eddie growled, "Out of respect for my girlfriend, I am not going to be making a scene tonight, but you and me are going to have words soon. Get her out of here."
Henry went to grab Heather's wrap when she approached him. "Lighten up, Eddie. It's just a party."
"In my girlfriend's home where you were not invited," Eddie snarled.
"I've missed you," she cooed, "I just wanted to see you again. I mean you can't be serious about this girl. She's like a decade younger than you."
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response," Eddie scowled, "You're leaving…right now."
With Heather and Henry finally out of the apartment, Eddie took a deep breath to calm himself down. There was something her presence that evening that still wasn't sitting right with him. It almost felt like Heather had some kind of agenda, but he couldn't put his finger on what she was up to.
"Everything alright, Eddie?" Chuck approached the younger man, recognizing the irritation on his face.
"I feel like I'm being manipulated somehow," Eddie reluctantly admitted, "But I can't put my finger on it."
"On it," Chuck pulled out his phone, likely to contact his private investigator. "Are there any videos or photographs I should be aware of?"
"No!" Eddie gasped, "God, no!"
"I had to ask," Chuck replied, "Blackmail is the oldest trick in the book."
"I'm smarter than that, Chuck," Eddie replied.
"I'll handle things," Chuck assured him with a pat on his back.
Eddie bobbed his head as Chuck sauntered off with his phone to his ear.
"I know Charlotte thinks this party was a total disaster, but we have a lot of fun," Blair told Eddie, "Don't let her stew all night."
"I'll do my best," Eddie replied as Blair hugged him.
"I'll bring Emie down in a few minutes," Blair told him, "She'll perk up Charlotte's mood."
"And mine," Eddie replied.
With close family the only people to remain, Charlotte surveyed the damage to her home. Mostly it appeared that glasses and plates from the food were strewn about, but everything looked intact. Collette, Brice, and Aiden were picking things up and throwing them in a trash bag.
"Guys, leave that for tomorrow," Charlotte approached them, "I hired a crew to come in and clean from top to bottom. Go to bed."
"Are you sure, Charlotte?" Collette replied, "We don't mind."
"I'm sure," Charlotte gave her a reassuring smile.
"It was a great party. I know our friends had fun," Collette hugged her.
"Yeah, well, at least your friends behaved themselves," Charlotte frowned, "Mine were talking about kegs and beer pong. I swear they still think they're in college."
"It takes some people longer to mature than others," Collette shrugged.
"Even Aiden's friends behaved themselves," Charlotte grumbled.
"I wouldn't worry about it," Collette replied, "No one thought anything of it but you."
The elevator chimed and out poured Barty and Emie. The little pup ran straight towards Charlotte. Charlotte smiled as she picked the puppy up and cuddled with her.
"Come on, Char," Eddie tugged on her hand, "We'll deal with the mess tomorrow."
Charlotte bobbed her head and followed him, with one final wave to her family.
TBC…
Happy Holidays everyone, and have a happy new year, hopefully one more joyous that the one we are closing out.