A new Power of three Part 18:
Morning
2037, Saturday
At 7 again Hope's cries filled the house. Prue peeled herself off her daughters, wondering a little how Lily laid now crawled up in the armchair instead of the sofa with them. She ran upstairs and picked her grandchild
"hey, hey, hey... it's okay, sweetie. Grandma got you" she told her rocking her a little. She almost had to chuckle at herself. Had she really just called herself grandma? She hadn't really thought about it, but it felt right and came to her naturally.
"you're hungry, huh? C'mon let's go downstairs. Then we're gonna start making this huge breakfast for everyone" she told her as she went downstairs. She looked around the kitchen and into some of the cupboards to make sure everything was still on it's place. She then searched the fridge to see what she could use from it. She looked at Hope. She was one. What could she give to her?
"so, what is mommy making you for breakfast normally, huh?" she asked the little girl and then nodded to herself and took one of the joghurts from the fridge. "that should taste good, huh?" she asked and placed the little girl in her highchair. She opened the joghurt and got a spoon out of one of the drawers and sat down in front of Hope, then started to feed her. Anna, all her mother's daughter, came into the kitchen not long after
"morning mom" she told her, still yawning a bit
"hey, morning! You're up already?"
"early bird. Just like you..." Prue just smiled, nodded and continued to feed Hope "hey honey bun" she told her niece and kissed the top of her head. Hope giggled a little as she now was in a better mood after having something in her stomach. Prue smiled at them
"c'mon sweetie, we'll eat some of that joghurt, okay?" she asked Hope to get her attention back to her
"I'll make some coffee" Anna told her and went to the coffee machine
"oh I'd be glad" Prue smirked
"it's a wonder Lily didn't wake by her cries. She's a little overprotective..."
"well it was a long night. I'm surprised you're standing"
"i usually get up by this time. If I sleep in it's like 9... but that only when I sleep in Mike's arms"
"you two are really in love, huh?"
"i never loved anyone more than him. aaaaand I'm completely not used to sleep without him anymore..." she laughed
"when are you planning the wedding?"
"uuuh... we... we haven't set a date yet. Mike wants to marry in spring or summer. I want to get married on our anniversary"
"a Christmas wedding? Sounds nice. Something different..."
"Michael says we never would like celebrate our wedding day. We'd only celebrate Christmas. Without any time to even think about our special day."
"well... your dad and I used to do our own little Christmas party every year as well. Noone noticed. Noone knew..."
"Lily knew. She caught you one Christmas..." Anna told her smiling slightly
"and you know because..."
"i read the book" Prue looked back at Hope and continued to feed her
"should I read it?"
"well. You know a lot of it already... but... Lily is a really great writer. It really goes straight to the heart. But I'm not sure if you have enough time left... it's huge..." Anna laughed and Prue smiled as well, now looked down
"Anna... listen... something still bugs me about last night. What did Meghan mean with Lily's illness?" Anna stopped in her actions as Prue asked that. Prue only saw her shrugging together from the edge of her eyes as she kept her attention on Hope
"i could make some pancakes for the brunch. Dad taught me how to make them..."
"that bad?" Anna again sighed
"not anymore. She's supposed to be cancer free now. She had it when she was 10. kidney cancer. She was doing pretty miserable. They did a chemo and a radiation therapy. Then took her first kidney out, but it had been too late. It had already spread and returned just as she finally was supposed to be better... they did another chemo. Took out something from her lung, which turned out to be alright as the chemo had already made it smaller. Also some lymph nodes which were affected and last but not least she got aunt Paige's kidney. She was in hospital almost 2 years. We all practically lived there. She actually was going to school with aunt phoebe's twins, but fell back fast as she at times barely could sit... you, Meghan and I shaved our hair off as well, just because she didn't want to... she's like... our constant baby. She's such a sunshine. we're all pretty protective of her ever since. You and dad were as well." Anna explained to her mom, all the way not looking at her. Both women didn't look up from what they were doing. Prue kept feeding Hope. Anna already made pancakes.
These news upset Prue more than anything else she had heard these past 24 hours. She didn't know what to say. She like protectively wrapped her free hand around her belly. She felt horrible for the way she felt just a few days ago about her youngest. She believed Anna when she said she was like their sunshine. To Prue she seemed somewhat a saint. A little like Piper to her and Phoebe. Instantly she felt a connection to her. Felt comfortable around her. She also felt a connection to Meghan and Anna. She started to 'fall in love' with all three of them. But Lily somewhat seemed more to her.
It felt like she was her guide in this quest. Maybe she felt like that because she was there from the start. Or maybe she just connected to Meghan and Brianna in a different way, because she already had a connection to them. She already knew them in some kind of way. She couldn't imagine how her little girls could grow to the women she now met, but she recognized some gestures and attitudes of her children. Her characters even though now grown adult already were 'in' the little ones and it made it easier to 'see' them.
Once Hope had finished her joghurt with strawberries she finally looked at Anna. She put a hand on her arm and smiled at her
"you know, I really am proud on you. All three of you. You grew up to be wonderful women. Pretty. Smart. Loving. Caring. I never thought about you guys all grown up. But I think no matter how much I'd think about you grown up, you couldn't have turned out better than you are. I couldn't ask for more." she told her. A smile grew on Anna's face and she went to hug her mom
"thanks" she whispered and clung a little to her mom
"hey, hey, hey... what's going on here?" Meghan asked entering the kitchen as well
"yeah I could ask you that as well..." Anna said as she pulled away from their mom to look at her sister "you up before Lily?"
"yeah, weird, huh? But I guess she just needs it. I mean the feelings she let go last night were a lot to deal with... and this little one here keeps her up a lot as well, right baby girl?" she asked Hope and picked her up. Hope happily started to babble and clapped her hands into Meghan's face, what caused Meghan to laugh. Then held her hands back a second and filled her cheeks with air, then let her again proceed to hit her face... letting the air go whenever she hit her cheeks.
"seems like you two do that a lot" Prue commented smiling
"well I babysit her when Lily has to work. She works in the morning... newspaper and all and I do in the evening. And sometimes also when Kevin is home. So he and Lily can spend some time alone. Right? Yeah... mommy and daddy sometimes need a tiny break, too." she told them, not leaving her eyes off the baby though "and when my kids were this young, I had great babysitters as well" she added and looked at Prue with a smile
"sooooo... are you gonna go groceries shopping or am I? Seems like Lily hasn't been shopping in a while. Fridge is almost empty. And considering we'll be almost 10 people later..." Anna asked Meghan
"i can send Robbie and the kids to do that" Meghan answered. "gotta hurry though. I mean they wanted to be here latest at 9... knowing Justin it'll turn out way earlier." Anna let out a laugh
"you think he gets Robbie out of bed this early?"
"you act like we aren't able to get up early"
"last time I came around for brunch you were still sleeping!"
"we didn't hear the alarm going off..." Meghan defended
"normal people are up at 10 on a workday!"
"Robbie had a gig the day before... and we had a little after show party..."
"you knew I was coming..."
"girls... stop." Prue told them laughing a little and got three mugs out to fill them with coffee, sipping on one and handing the other two over to her daughters. "so we need to make a list of what we need... then someone has to change the little sunshine there... and what do we do about Lily? Let her sleep? What do you two say?"
"i think she needs the sleep" Meghan said looking at Anna
"i think she'll never forgive us, if we let her sleep, because she would have less time with mom" Prue looked from Anna to Meghan again, seeing how she reacted on Anna's opinion. Meghan sighed
"Anna's right. I'm just worried about her. I mean... it was easier for me with Justin... I was young, yes, but I wasn't all alone. I always could count on mom and dad. Also on Robbie."
"stop worrying. It's only two more weeks till grandma moves in. it'll become easier for her."
"i know. I just can't help it." Meghan said silently. Prue smiled at her and put a hand on her shoulder
"coming after me much?" prue asked smirking slightly, to what Meghan just laughed
"yes, it really looks that way" she answered "you make that list, Hope and I will wake mommy, right?"
"mama" Hope made and in some cute baby way clapped her hands. Meghan laughed, let the little girl down to the floor, held her hands and walked with her to the living. When they reached the armchair where Lily slept Meghan picked Hope again
"let's give mommy a kiss, okay?" she asked her and lifted her over to her sister. Hope opened her mouth and almost licked at her mother's cheek like a dog. Meghan had to keep back a tiny chuckle as Lily right away shot up. Meghan instantly pulled Hope back and Lily just looked confused at her sister and daughter
"wha... why... wait... where's mom?"
"good morning to you, too, mommy" Meghan answered smiling
"haha. Where's mom?"
"she and Anna are in the kitchen planning brunch. Mom fed Hope already some joghurt and Anna made coffee and pancakes."
"is Kevin up yet?"
"Kevin is home already?"
Lily nodded and groaned
"i need coffee..." Lily said and got up to go to the kitchen
"what is it? I barely saw you this grumpy..." Meghan told her going after her "especially not with Kevin home."
"it's nothing. I just slept miserable" Lily said and went straight to the coffee machine, also ignoring Prue and Anna
"right. You didn't even look at Hope yet. Didn't tell me nor anyone else morning. That ain't you. You usually are greeting people with a bright smile and a GOOD morning and not just a morning"
"well I'm sorry if I'm not all peachy right now... I like slept two hours tonight. What time is it anyway?"
"almost 8" Anna mixed and too looked worried at her sister. Lily caught Anna's look and groaned
"jeez, would you guys just stop?!" she asked and then forced herself to smile "good morning Meghan, good morning Anna" she told them and then let her smile fall again "better?"
"wow! I don't think I saw you ever like this. What happened?" Anna said as well. Lily sighed
"Kevin and I still talked a little when he got home and he asked me something... something I like... can't answer him, okay? I barely was able to fall asleep afterwards. Can't get it out of my head. Can you guys just drop it now?"
"what did he ask, that upset you so much?"
"i don't wanna talk about it right now, okay?"
"okay." Anna said lowly and Meghan just nodded
"I'm sorry, okay?" she asked them, then went over to Anna and Prue, first hugging Prue, then Anna, telling them a good morning each. Then went over to Meghan, pecked her cheek and took Hope from her
"and a wonderful good morning to you two as well" she said now smiling and kissed the baby
"let's get you dressed, huh?" she asked Hope and started to leave the kitchen
"umm, Lily wait. If it's okay with you, I'd like to take a look at your book." Prue told her, stopping her from leaving. Lily turned back around and looked at Prue "i just... I'd like to read something of you. Also I'd like to hear a song of you" she added and looked at Meghan
"then you also have to look at the family portraits of Anna. She drew some stuff for Lily's book"
"oooh. Okay. I didn't know you drew..."
"she also makes sculptures and she makes a great photographer" Meghan added
"seems like I've got some really talented girls there" Prue told them smiling, looking from one to another "I'd really love to see and hear something from you, if that's alright with you guys"
"okay. I... I got Anna's pictures and one of the last cds of Robbie there. I'll bring it down along with the book" Lily answer and now finally went outside the kitchen and upstairs to change Hope
"is she going to be okay?" Prue asked and both other women just nodded
