Part Four
Shopping bags hit the floor as Kimberly Oliver flipped open her cell phone.
"Hello?" she asked. "This is Alison's mother. I'm just calling to check on her."
Alison was staying over a friend's house that night. The girl hadn't seen her friend since summer and begged their parents for a sleepover.
"Yes, thank you very much, Mrs. Matthews," Kim said sweetly.
"The munchkin okay?" Kira asked dropping her own bags.
"Yes, she's fine," Kim said.
"That's great," Trini said dropping her bags.
"I'm going to put the babies down," Tanya said.
She pushed the stroller holding her baby, Lynn with one hand and carried Kyle on her hip with the other. Kat was carrying both their bags.
The former Zeo Ranger II gave Kyle to Kimberly while she took her own baby from the stroller. She put Lynn in the carrier she had in the stroller and took Kyle back. She went upstairs to her and Adam's room.
"Don't you think we over did it this year?" Former Zeo Ranger I asked.
"Girl, you know we can do worse damage," Aisha said to her.
Everyone laughed.
"Normally, shopping isin't my idea of a good time," Kira said flopping down in the nearest seat. "But you guys make it fun."
"You just needed the right friends," Kim said.
""Yeah, somehow I don't picture Conner, Ethan, and Trent carrying shopping bags," Trini said.
"Ethan and Trent, no," Hayley said. "Conner, maybe."
Another laugh was shared and Trini offered to get everyone a drink.
Beer bottles clanked together as Jason set the two cases on the patio deck floor. He opened the cardboard box and passed them around to everyone in the room, including, Conner, Trent, and Ethan.
"It's Christmas," the first leader said as an explanation to the minors.
"One," Tommy told his former students firmly.
Moans and groans escaped the trio's mouths.
"Okay, two, but no more," Dr. Oliver said. "I don't know how much any of you can handle and I don't want to explain to your parents how you ended up naked in Billy's pond."
"No problem, Dr. O," Conner said. "We don't want to end you like you, Jason, and Justin did last year."
This time groans came from a different set of former Red, White, and Blue Rangers.
"Point taken," Justin said tallying his count to only two.
Billy, Rocky, Adam, and Zack laughed. They too made quick decisions about their drinking limits. They remembered last year and they didn't want to be THAT wasted until New Years. Well, Adam wouldn't be able to even get buzzed. Since Tanya wasn't drinking, he promised he wouldn't drink. He was going to sit back, drink tea, and laugh at Rocky and Zack. They were the only two who wouldn't be able to resist overdoing it.
Everyone else was also in for a good laugh, that is, if they stuck with not drinking too much.
Kimberly rested her head on the balcony railing. One hand was on the rail and the other on her churning stomach.
"Oh god," she moaned.
"I feel the same way," Aisha groaned from behind her, taking a seat on a lawn chair. Her hand was also over her own upset stomach.
"You tell Rocky yet?" The former Pink Ranger asked.
"No," the former Yellow Ranger answered. "Have you told Tommy?"
"Not yet," Kim answered sheepishly. "We've been so busy lately."
"Yeah, the same with Rocky and me," Aisha said with a small laugh. "In fact, I barely had time to go to my doctor to confirm the news."
Kim laughed. She stood up straight and walked to a second lawn chair.
"So, when do you suggest we tell our loving husbands the wonderful news?" she asked.
Aisha squirmed as her stomach churned.
"How about," the Yellow Bear said slowly. "Christmas day?"
"Perfect," the Pink Crane said with a smile. "We can tell everyone at the same time."
"Exactly," Aisha agreed returning the bright smile.
They shared a hearty laugh before they began to talk about their laughs.
END OF PT. 4
