A/N: Hi guys, and welcome back! So much for chapter 3 coming in July, but life got in the way. Be prepared for me to say that a lot!
I finally found some time to work on this story, and I hope that you enjoy my newest chapter. This one is probably my favourite so far. I introduce to you, Ella Hawthorne.
~Ella~
"Mom!" I spot our farm truck from what seems like a mile away and make a dash for it. It's after school on my first day of eighth grade, and my best friend just got picked up by his dad, which means I've been standing here alone for the past thirty seconds. I don't mind though; I got to use the thirty seconds to think for a moment which is something I haven't been able to do all day. My teachers last year weren't lying when they said eighth grade was going to be a lot busier than seventh grade. I've barely been able to take a breath all day, what with the craziness. In all honesty I love it, but I also miss the summer, with lazy days and long nights filled with family, friends and good times. I missed my family today while I was at school; my mom, my dad and my brother, Carson. Plus our four dogs who I consider part of my family too.
My mom's leaning up against the side of the truck, her hands in the pockets of her dust-covered jeans and her plaid shirt has a few scuffs on the sleeves. She looks happy and carefree, just as she always does. Her blonde hair that's the same as mine is messily falling out of her single braid and there's dirt on her face. I smile as I make my way towards our truck. I'm not ashamed of the way my mom looks and why should I? My mom's beautiful no matter what she wears and if her hair's brushed or not. At least I think so, and so does my dad, who tells her he thinks she's beautiful every single day.
As soon as my mom spots me, her face lights up. "Ella!" She says, swinging me into a big hug. "I missed you!"
Even though it's only been one day of school, it makes me happy to know my mom missed me just as much as I missed her today. "Me too!" I hug my mom back tightly. Then I toss my school bag into the bed of the truck and slide into the front passenger seat, while my mom rev's the truck's engine.
"Ready for a fun weekend?" My mom asks, as she pulls away from Walden Middle. I nod, smiling. School is so weird because they make us go back for one day, just to have a weekend begin right after. It doesn't really make sense to me, but oh well! Why dwindle over what you can't change? I just go with the flow most of the time.
On the short drive home, I lean over and crank up the radio. My mom smiles and rolls down the windows so the breeze rushes into the car as the stereo blasts music. I belt out the lyrics to our favourite Dolly Parton song as the car makes the short drive home. My best-best friend, Parker, says I have a nice singing voice, but it's really all because of my mom. She's actually singing a harmony to the song while I messily shout the lyrics. Still, we laugh at the funny part of the song and the drive ends up going by even faster than expected. After the truck stops, I grab my school bag and quickly sprint into the house. "Dad, Carse, where are you guys?" I call, holding the screen door open for my mom who's following close behind.
I get my answer when Carson steps into the house from the backyard two seconds later. "Hey Lella," he says, coming to give me a hug. He also gives my mom a hug, even though he just saw her. Most brothers are annoying to their older sisters, but Carson and I get along just fine. We hang out every day after school, mainly just messing around in the backyard with the dogs, playing board games or swimming in the pond. Carson and I swim literally every weekend, even in the colder months. We only stop swimming when it comes time for the water to freeze over and then we skate instead!
The dogs follow Carson into the house and are eager to say hi to me too. They bark and jump around my feet. I pat all of them individually, then scoop up Lemon, my very own pup. My mom brought Lemon and her twin brother (whom we named Lime) home from the rehabilitation center she worked at a few years ago. They're both King Charles Cavalier Spaniels; white with reddish-brown markings, which make them look extra adorable. I nuzzle my face into Lemon's fur, and she licks my face. Smiling, I kiss her head, then put her down. "Hey Carse, wanna help me make cookies?"
Carson nods, grabbing my school bag off the floor. "Okay. I'll go put this in your room for you."
"Thanks!" Carson's such a nice brother, at least when he wants to be. Sometimes he's really bothersome but that's to be expected with all brothers. I've heard all the stories of what my uncles used to do to my mom back when they were growing up. "Thanks! I'm going to say hi to Dad. Meet me down here in a few minutes."
My mom left the kitchen after saying hi to Carson, and I'm assuming she's wherever Dad is. I pat all the dogs one more time, then head outside to find them.
I find them in the stables that mainly have just a few goats and our horses, Delaney and Hawthorne. "Hi Dad!" I say loudly, hoping to interrupt whatever it is my parents are doing out here. It's no secret that they use this barn to escape sometimes. In our family, we kind of have our own places that are "our own". Such as the window ledge for me, the treehouse for Carson and the barn (mostly the barn loft) for my parents. It goes without saying that these spaces are kind of our own and we go to them when we want to be alone.
My dad immediately pokes his head from the barn. "Ella! Hi sweetie!" he says, coming over to me a tight hug. "I missed you like crazy today!"
I hug him back. My mom watches us fondly and fiddles with her braid, a smile tugging at her lips. My dad likes to tug on it whenever he gets the chance. It's just something he's been doing since forever.
"I missed you too Dad," I say. "Anyways, Carse and I are going to make cookies. You guys go back to whatever it is you were doing."
"Thanks silly girl," my dad laughs. He ruffles my hair and presses a kiss to the top of my head.
I run from the barn and head back into the house. I totally know that the stables is like my mom and dad's "special place" and that's fine with me. Apparently everything special happened in our family's barn, every big moment. My mom actually grew up on this farm, and when her parents were getting ready to sell it for good, my mom and dad asked for it instead. My grandparents, Granny and Gramps, were more than happy to pass it along. Despite living in a smaller home (with way less maintenance) across town, they're always over spending time with us.
My other grandparents love spending time with us too, but it's harder for them to see us, mainly because they live in England! My dad's parents are history and literature buffs, and moved to England shortly after my cousin Lizzie was born. They come back to Concord to visit at least twice a year but it's expensive to fly here, so I understand why they can't come more often. I'm lucky to have at least one pair of grandparents that I can see on a regular basis.
In the kitchen, Carson has already laid out the ingredients for baking cookies. "Can you grab the chocolate chips?" He asks me, as I go to quickly wash my hands in the kitchen sink.
"Sure," I reply. I'm petite like my mom, but still taller than Carson, which makes me in charge of reaching things. I climb onto the counter to be able to get the chocolate chips, which we keep on the top shelf of the cupboard.
We know Mom's recipe off by heart now. It's been made so many times that I could probably eyeball all the measurements for the ingredients. Carson is the mixer while I add the ingredients carefully and make sure not to spill. Sometimes Carson and I will make cookies just so we can eat the batter. Mom and Dad help us eat the dough too, because there's something amazing about fresh cookie dough.
Today I'm making cookies to bake because Riley and Parker are coming over soon. We always hangout on the first day of school; normally they come right home with me. With Parker at her new school, it made more sense for Riley to bus home and get a ride over with Parker later.
In the meantime, Carson and I bake cookies, and sample the dough. When the backdoor opens, Mom and Dad swipe some cookie dough as well. It's too good to resist! As Carson's sweeping up the floor, he looks at me for a second, grinning wickedly. I have no time to react, before he throws a small puff of flour at me, coating my hair and the t-shirt I wore to school.
Silence washes through the kitchen. Then I reach out and grab a handful of flour, before getting Carson back. He shrieks, and starts chasing be around the kitchen island. He dumps some down the back of my shirt, which has me switching directions and chasing him now. "You're going to pay for that!" I shout, though there's a smile on my face. I love my brother despite his wicked sense of humor.
As my parents watch me and my brother, I see my mom rest her head on Dad's shoulder, and he hugs her tight. They tried for years to have another baby after Carson was born but after a while, they gave up. I wished so badly for another sibling for years, though now that Carson's ten, I don't have much hope. There's medical reasoning for why my mom can't have more kids but I don't know what it is. All I know is that my parents love Carson and I very much, and would've loved to extend that love. I know my mom imagined her future life to be filled with tons of kids, maybe even as many as Megan has. She herself has two younger brothers, Uncle Dylan and Uncle Ryan. We see them sometimes, and our cousins, although they're younger. And Uncle Ryan's wife is pregnant again, with their third baby. I know my mom wants another kid, and my dad too. I guess that's just not in the cards for our family.
When at last Carson collapses against the kitchen counter, worn out after escaping my clutches, I take a long moment to survey the mess. Flour is everywhere, and on both of us. My legs are dusty and my blonde hair has flecks of white. "You look like you're getting old," Carson jokes.
"Very funny." I roll my eyes and attempt to shake my hair out. "Guess I should grab a shower." I glance at my mom and dad, who are just shaking their heads in laughter.
"We'll see that the cookies make it out of the oven," my mom says, "But cleaning up the kitchen is for you kids to do before Parker and Riley can come over. Alright?"
I nod. "Thank you!" I gingerly pick up my sweater, careful not to coat it in flour as I carry it upstairs.
My room is the same one my mom had. There's a slanted ceiling on one side, and it's cozy feeling honestly reminds me of the loft. I love my room because sometimes I pretend I'm my mom, especially when I escape out onto the back porch roof and lie flat. When Carson was three and I was six, he went through a stage where he wouldn't leave me alone even for one second. It was sweet and all, but I needed some space. So my mom showed me her secret roof hideout and how to make myself invisible to short people wandering around in the yard. I like that my mom shares her childhood with me; it makes me feel closer to her, in a way. Sometimes I catch her on the porch roof too. She uses it to think, just like me. I don't think Dad doesn't know she goes up there, and if he does, he pretends not to know.
On the farm, our family has "secret places" where we go for space. For Mom and Dad together, it's the barn, especially the loft. Mine is either the roof or sometimes I go hangout in the shed and sit on the tractor to do some reading. Carson likes the small dock on the pond, and even though it's open and not very secluded, if he's out there alone everyone else tends to leave him be. Although the dogs aren't good with personal space, so don't expect them to not sniff you out.
Our family has four dogs; yes, four. Besides Lemon and Lime, we have Chaser, a golden retriever, and Storm, a german shepherd. All are rescues from the rehabilitation center my mom owns. She used to work there but since the owner passed away and left the center to my mom, she's hired some people to work and she just oversees things. It's more of a vet clinic now, the most popular one in Concord Massachusetts. Mueller Rehabilitation Center and Vet Clinic, the place in town is called. The vet clinic is where the business really comes in, and then other animals that are found hurt at the side of the road, go from the vet clinic to the rehabilitation property by Estabrook Woods. It's biking distance from my house, and before I started middle school and my schedule got busier, I used to go there often. There's currently a caretaker living there to keep an eye on things but I know my mom is hoping someone will come along that's more permanent. The property is nice, and has room for someone to start their own hobby farm, aside from the rehabilitation section. Maybe that's a project for the new year.
I quickly shower and put my hair into french braids. My hair goes just past shoulder-length which makes for short yet cute, braiding. After I throw on a bathing suit (when Riley and Parker come over, I know we'll be in the pond swimming for the rest of the night) and clean shorts and a t-shirt, I head back downstairs to start wiping the flour.
The first batch of cookies are coming out of the oven, as I enter the kitchen again. The floor has been mopped, by Carson apparently. "He left you the cupboards and the counter by the sink," my mom tells me.
"Cool." I quickly use an old towel to remove the rest of the flour dusting, and then head for the laundry room. I also remember that my floury clothes are upstairs, so I run to grab those as well.
My mom's helping herself to a freshly baked cookie when I return. "Still the best in the world," she says, closing her eyes as she sighs.
"Totally." I snag two, and poke my head into the keeping room. "Cookie for you, Dad," I tell him.
He stands up from the couch and takes my offered treat. "Delicious!"
I smile and dart back out to help my mom transfer the other cookies onto the cooling rack. "Can I call Riley and Parker now?" I ask.
"Already done that," my mom says, with a wink. "Actually, I have something to tell you."
"Oh?" I hoist myself onto the counter.
Mom fidgets for a second, like she's a bit nervous. Whatever it is, I hope it's nothing bad. "You know how Cassidy, your Auntie Emma and all the other girls plus me had a mother-daughter book club when we were about your age?" I nod. It's common knowledge amongst us kids about the infamous mother-daughter book club. My mom takes a deep breath, before continuing, "Well it's been in the works for months, the idea that we would finally start the club up again. Since you girls are all just older than when we started the club."
I'm quiet, as I process what my mom's saying. "You mean, we're going to have our own mother-daughter book club?"
"Yeah." Mom nods. "Is that okay?"
"YES!" I shout, jumping off the counter to wrap my arms around my mom. She's a bit surprised, but hugs me back tightly.
"Wow, had I known you would be so ecstatic, I would've suggested to the girls we'd start it earlier. I mean, the moms. Holy crap, I'm the mom now." She laughs.
Dad peers his head around the corner of the door to the keeping room. "What's this about you being a mom?"
"I'm not "one of the book club girls" anymore, I"m one of the moms," Mom replies. "Wow."
"Well of course you are," my dad rolls his eyes and comes over to press a kiss to Mom's cheek, tugging lightly on her messy braid.
I wait patiently for them to stop doing whatever it is they're doing, and then I bounce excitedly on my toes. "Who's in the club, what book are we reading and when is the first meeting?" I ask, very joyful.
"Slow down honey. I'll answer your questions one by one. All the original girls are in the club, plus their daughters. Which means, Lizzie will be there." I freeze for a second, as I forgot for a second that if Auntie Emma was in the club, my cousin would be too. Lizzie is all bark and no bite, and her comments don't bother me. It's just sad that she has nothing better to do with her life other than bother me. Though her comments can sometimes hurt, I do my best to ignore her.
I lift a shoulder and try to smile. "She's my cousin, I was bound to be forced to see her more often anyway,"
My mom hugs me. "That's my girl. Don't let a queen bee ruin your fun. Now, for the other questions. The book we are reading will be revealed at our first meeting. And that is in," Mom checks the clock above the sink, "An hour!"
"What?" My mouth drops open again. "But we haven't cleaned the house! And what is everyone going to eat?" I look at the cookie sheets. We ate a lot of dough, which means the batch is smaller than what it is supposed to make. There's not even really enough to serve as a treat.
My dad, who has been hovering nearby, answers that question. "We're having a barbecue, like we did last night with the Berkeley's. Everyone's bringing a side of some sort, or dessert or drinks. We've got the hotdogs and buns."
"I think Cass said she's going to get Kimball Farm," my mom adds. My mouth waters at the thought. Kimball Farm has the best ice cream in the entire world, I swear. The palace was around when my mom was a kid, and is still going strong. The business was passed down through generations, just like Half-Moon Farm. "It's tradition to have ice cream at the first meeting of the year, after all."
"I cannot wait!" I beam at my mom. This is going to be epic! I quickly think back to the plans I made with Parker and Riley, though. "Is everyone coming to the BBQ?" I ask.
"Yep! The younger kids and the men will leave us alone when we reveal the first book of the year." Mom looks over at Dad. "Sound familiar?"
"Almost too much so," he chuckles.
Even though I've asked enough questions to keep anyone happy, I have just one more. "Will Riley be in book club? I know he's a guy, but he likes to read as much as I do, almost."
My mom smiles. "Of course. Cassidy messaged and said she asked him as soon as he got home from school. He didn't hesitate to want to join, especially because he's been joined at the hip with you and Parker since birth, practically."
I smile. A book club with my best friends, what more could a girl ask for? If the price to pay was to also have Lizzie Norton in the club, then so be it. Nothing could put a damper on my spirits, and they were soaring high. I can't believe I'm going to be a part of the book club, almost the same one my mom joined when she was in grade six. Now, her very own thirteen year old daughter was in one. Time sure does fly.
But I wouldn't change it for the world. I can't wait for this book club and everything else in between. It's going to be epic! First meeting of the mother-daughter book club, second generation, here we come!
A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you didn't notice, I've created an almost opposite reaction to Ella learning about the MDBC-2gen, than the one her mom had many years earlier. Leave a comment if you have any theories or comments, as I love to hear from you guys. I have also uploaded this story on ao3 (Archive Of Our Own). I also plan to post about it on my Tumblr in the coming weeks (my username is thedefinitionofendgame)
I'm honestly not sure when I'll be able to get another chapter up, as I'm in my final few months of high school right now. I write best when I have inspiration/motivation, which is why I randomly decided to upload a chapter today!
My best guess would be a new chapter every month. But don't hold me to thank, lol. Anyways, hope you enjoyed as always, thanks for reading.
