A\N: I know it's been a long time since I've updated this story. My life is making more sense now so I wanted to post the next chapter of this series.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything.

The Flower Girls

Jessica's transition into Hope's classroom was a surprising success. As well as being classmates Hope and Jessica were becoming excellent friends; they played well together. Hope wanted to be Baby Shark for Halloween and insisted Jessica wear a matching costume. Not wanting her to miss out on Halloween, Shane and Oliver had gathered some information on explaining allergies to young children. After talking to her daycare teachers, they also got a book. A few days before Halloween, they described her allergy and how she was a big girl and could understand more now. While trick-or-treating was complicated for Hope, Shane and Oliver didn't want her to miss out due to her allergy. They checked all the labels on the candy she got. Luckily, lots of people offered a choice of candy, so Hope had lots of chips and Skittles and Starbursts. To ensure the girls didn't eat all their candy at once Shane and Oliver pooled all the candy together and gave it to them in tiny pieces.

In November, Shane was busy helping Dale with some final wedding preparations and helping Hope and Jessica understand how vital being flower girls was. On the night of the rehearsal dinner, Hope sat on the floor of a dressing room, attempting to get a flower girl dress on Baby Shark. As she dressed her toy, she watched as her parents struggled to get Jessica's attention long enough to dress her in her dress.

Jessica was busy running around the room, laughter filling the air as she dodged her parents. Just as Hope was beginning to listen to her parents more, Jessica was becoming more complex. She didn't like to sit still and would like to be out exploring.

Hope finished dressing her toy and looked around the room, "Where Jessie?" She looked around, mimicking games her daycare teacher sometimes played to her the children's attention.

"Me!" Jessica ran to her sister happily.

"Good girl," Hope smiled happily as she took her sister's hand and led her over to Shane, "Be good, help Mommy," she instructed her sister.

Shane didn't know what just happened, but after almost three minutes of trying to dress Jessica, she was relieved, "Thank you, Hope. Jessica seems to listen to you more than Mommy and Daddy right now.

Without realizing she was delivering a perfectly timed response, Hope replied, "Mommy, Daddy, be better."

At the reception, Hope and Jessica were almost upstaging Dale and her fiancée (they claimed they didn't mind). Hope led Jessica to all the tables and insisted on talking to everyone. She introduced herself and attempted to lead conversations. All the adults in the room gladly spoke to her and Jessica.

"When they finally returned to the dance floor Dale approached them. So, my little wedding planner, is everyone having a good time tonight" She laughed as she looked at Hope.

"Five people," Hope held up three fingers as she began to explain what was happening at the wedding.

Shane and Oliver stood back a little and watched as Hope began to explain to her Godmother about what she had done and whom she had talked to, "I think all her visits to the preschool room have been good for her," Shane said, "She's looking forward to moving to the room in January. I think it will be good for her."

Oliver watched their daughter animatedly talk to Dale; over the past few months, she had learned multiple new words. He believed that further exposure to older children would help her even more.

The following day everything went as well as could be expected. Oliver and Shane got the girls up early and gave them a quick breakfast before Shane took Hope and Jessica to the church, where they'd get their hair done. Jessica happily played with her toys while the adults got make-up done, but Hope watched with curiosity as the make-up artist worked. When she thought no one was looking, she took some lipstick and was just about to put some on when it was taken out of her hands.

"I think your Mommy might be upset if you wear make-up," The make-up and hair artist told Hope, "Luckily, I have something for you that Mommy said you could wear. Can you go and play with your sister?"

"No, I watch Jessie," Hope babbled as she turned back to look at her little sister, who was getting bored, Hope gave her new toys to play with, and soon they were playing with their baby dolls.

The baby dolls were put away when it was Hope and Jessica's turn to get their hair done. Hope was very excited for her hair to be done, but Jessica wasn't so sure. She cried as the hair stylist Ellie brushed her blonde hair. Ellie decided just to put Jessica's hair into ponytails. Once Jessica was playing again, Hope looked up at Ellie. "Like Mommy's hair," Hope pointed to Shane, who had her hair curled and bobby-pinned to keep it in place. "Make-up, too," Hope proclaimed.

"Remember I said no make-up, but Mommy said this was all right," Ellie pulled a child-friendly lip gloss and nail polish from her bag. Upon seeing it, Hope squealed happily and reached for it, "Sparkly," She grinned, "Thank you, Ellie," she said, and Shane looked at her daughter, impressed as she didn't need to be reminded to say thank you.

"Hope you're going to look like a very big girl," Shane told her daughter, "While Miss Ellie does your hair, I'll paint your nails. Do you want pink to match your dress?"

"Yes, Mommy," Hope answered.

After the wedding, Shane's mother picked up Hope and Jessica and brought them back to her newly furnished house. As Sharon expected, both girls were asleep before they got to her house. She carried them in one at a time and put them in the guest bedroom. She let them have a one-hour nap and then woke them up for lunch.

TBC

A\N: Only one more chapter is left in this story, then I have a very different SSD story I'll be starting to write.