Author's Note: The final chapter of the Little Sister trio! Next there will more clients and such, I'll do the ones I have plots for first (like Jordan, Charlotte, etc.) and then work out from there. Again let me know if you have a client you want to see in particular since I'm not covering all of them (like the DeWitt kids or the Perkins girls). Also gave Mrs. Papadakis a first name since she did not have one in the books.
Please enjoy and let me know what you think!
Hannie Papadakis knew Stoneybrook well. From the stoplight on Kimball Street to who the old neighbors were when she was 7. Like Amanda Delaney, whom she still hated despite her moving about twenty years ago. The streets she passed felt like coming home to her. Finally, McLelland Road lined with the stately mansion and fancy shrubbery was in front of her. The Brewer family across the street, the Kilbourne home long abandoned with new occupants, and the Korman's in their pool.
A U-Haul was parked in front of their house, ready to leave it behind.
"Hannie!" shouted Mason Peck, Linny's husband seeing her get out of the uber.
"Mason!"
With that she threw herself into his awaiting arms as he hugged her. He was strong enough to even twirl her a little. Mason was awesome and one of the few people that could get away with calling her Hannie now a days. Normally she went by Hannah and if you were really lucky Hannie.
"Come on everyone is inside with the pizza," he said. "Well Sari isn't here yet, but she'll be here soon."
They caught up briefly after walking into the house. Inside was a mess with tons of boxes scattered about. The living room was already empty, and the hallway was cleaned up. Apparently, they were selling some of the art on the walls with the house. Some of their furniture staying and some going.
Her gaze roamed around the room seeing the boxes half empty and boxes squeezed shut slightly bulging.
"Find anything interesting yet?" she asked hugging Linny, her brother, and Mason's daughter, Rowan.
"I found these," he said showing her pictures.
In them she found a picture of herself in her mothers wedding gown, Sari dressed in her best dress, and next to her was Scott Hsu. Hannie turned a little red remembering when she "married" the neighbor boy. She used to have a giant crush on him.
"I remember that," said Linny. "I think that was me pretending to marry you two in dads robe right?"
"Wait you pretended to get married?" asked Mason surprised.
"I didn't know I long I would be single for," she said jokingly.
Hannie flipped through the photos that her mother had taken. There was video proof of this happening too. I wonder whatever happened to him, she thought, trying to remember Scott Hsu. He went to Stoneybrook Day School opposite of Stoneybrook High School where she went.
That was when she realized that she really liked girls and guys but wouldn't admit it right away. It was a relief to tell her family and even a bit of a surprise when Linny came out as gay too. Of course both of her parents were happy for them. Now Linny was married and she was still looking for that perfect girl.
She studied her pictures and saw Karen there with her hair styled as a mohawk. Okay that was kind of hilarious to see. Hannie had to send a picture of this to Karen. Maybe now she could laugh at it instead of being embarrassed.
"Hey, look my old magic kit," said Linny pulling out a hat with a false bottom. "I was about nine when I used it. I did it for our school's fun day and when we helped that baby-sitting business raise money for the Zuni tribes. I think that's what it's for at least."
He had pulled a coin from behind Rowan's ear surprising the young girl. She clapped at the trick as Mason studied him.
"Maybe you should try that…"
"Not in front of the kid," sang out Sari coming up from behind them, making herself known.
Hannie had tackled her younger sister, pulling her into a hug. Linny just shook his head and kissed Mason's head.
"That was not going in the direction you think," he said hugging her next. Hannie had watched as Sari had pulled out a gift for Rowan.
Sari just shrugged and hugged Mason next. All the Papadakis family back in their childhood home for the last time. Her parents were moving to downtown Stoneybrook. One of their neighbors was Mr. and Mrs. Kishi and the other Mr. Peterman. They didn't really need a mansion with all the kids moved out.
"Remember Lou?" asked Sari finding some documents off her father's desk.
"I think that's when we realized that we couldn't really foster," said Mrs. Melina Papadakis wiping hair from her face. "I'm glad that she was able to settle down with her aunt and uncle."
Hannie knew Lou, or Louisa now, had settled down as a social worker herself. She had no idea what happened to her brother Jay though.
They rifled through an old book trying to claim their old stuff. Melina kept her old monopoly game from when she was a kid. Her father, George Papadakis, was keeping some of the old art they made for him a long time ago and a giant family tree for the last reunion.
Linny found information about the "It Came from Underground" demonstration and project booth at the Green Fair he did with David Michael Thomas. He won "Most Frequent Weight-Lifting Award" at the BSC Mini-Olympics that he had found.
"Man, I wish I was older then two when you guys did all this stuff," grumbled Sari.
"I wish I was around to see you do all that weightlifting," said Mason nudging his husband. Linny just turned pink remembering how much he liked to show how macho he was then.
Then tapes and tapes of their old nativity play that they'd put on with the neighborhood. Sari had oodles of her my little pony dolls.
"Those will sell for a lot," said Sari putting them in a spare bag.
"I bet," said Hannie chuckling and looked around their living room. The movers had taken most of what they had to have already. It was weird to see everything cleared out. They had played outside for hours and hours when she was younger. She remembered her baby-sitter having an asthma attack once and she and Linny saved her. She joined a local baseball team, Kristy's Krushers and learned all kinds of stuff. Even pony camp, playing by the stream, being in plays, and all those summers swimming were some of her favorite memories.
In a way it was like leaving part of her childhood behind.
"We'll have dinner later tonight at Rosebud," said Melina brightly knowing once the pizza was all gone. "It's nice to have all of my children home."
Hannie gave her a tiny smile. She had to fly all the way from the Grand Canyon on route to Greece when she got the call. Linny lived in Boston and Sari was coming from UPenn. They were all scattered somewhat and now they were here.
"I wonder whatever happened to everyone that lived in this neighborhood," said Sari. "I mean I still talk to Skylar and Emily but…"
"I'm not sure," said Linny.
"Karen lives in New York," she said. "I should see her while I'm nearby, it's been a long time."
"Well you're here for a week," said Melina kissing her head. "Let's finish packing all of this stuff and I'll show everyone around our new place."
With that Hannie found some more of her old stuff. Her harmonica and a few mementos were in the time capsule at Karen's house. Laughing, she found old toys and even some old clothes from when she was in high school or even younger. Man, this was a great idea to come back and help her parents.
