Chapter Eight
The separated best buds found out they would have thanksgiving together the Tuesday beforehand. Rick's mother was cooking dinner at the his house, Sid was charge of dessert, she was going to make pumpkin pie. When she heard that Cori didn't like pumpkin pie Syd decided she was going to make chocolate-covered marshmallows with sprinkles for the little girl. What four-year-old did like pumpkin pie?
Brianna and Riley would naturally be sharing Brianna's room. The spare room had a futon and tiny dresser, perfect for a short-term guest.
Cori winced at the shrill squealing of her sister and Riley. She smiled when she saw Syd. She told the woman she missed her as the two hugged.
"I missed you, too, sweetie," Syd told her.
Syd really did, she missed all of them, a lot. She still hadn't given Drew and Rick that hotel night away. It would be the perfect gift for when they got back to San Antonio in April. Riley didn't just miss Brianna, she missed Drew. She would often talk to him about the situation with her father. Whatever Drew said to her during those conversations made Riley feel better her mother noticed. The distance and time zone made having their chats difficult causing not just Riley but her mother wish the family would return sooner. Riley and Drew had a lengthy chat late that after the Jennings arrived. Sid could hear them talking in the living room close to midnight after everyone else went to bed. She heard her daughter become upset when telling of a call she made to her dad, simply to chat with him, trying to be nice and he answered with "What now, Riley? We talked yesterday!"
What kind of shitty father said that to his daughter, especially when he lived states away, Drew thought angrily.
He hugged the girl hearing this. Now he so wished he was her dad, not this jerk. No matter many times his children called him Drew would never answer like that, neither would Rick.
"What did I do wrong, Drew?" Riley asked through her tears. "I'm not a bad kid!"
"You're not, Riley. Your dad has a problem, I don't know what it is, but it's not you. Okay?"
"Your daddy is awesome," Riley told a half-asleep Brianna when she went to her friend's bedroom.
"You can borrow him whenever you want," Brianna mumbled rolling over, going back to sleep.
Syd was an early raiser as was the youngest human member in Lincoln-Alister family. When Cori woke up before eight a.m. hearing someone in the kitchen she decided to let her dads slept when Syd offered to make her breakfast. Neither dad was used to sleeping past seven, let alone nine a.m.. And not being awoken by a child none the less. Wrapped in each other's embrace they both woke up on their own, hearing their younger daughter chat with Syd. They didn't hurry to get up, Syd could handle things. The duo were eating waffles in the kitchen. Cori showed Syd where her morning medicine were, as well as Rex's food.
Riley and Brianna were the last ones out of bed. Syd was going to take them shopping for ice skates and winter clothes after they ate. The kids got another surprise, Syd and Riley were coming to Vermont for Christmas hence Riley needing winter clothes. Syd's mother didn't mind, she was off to Miami again for that time. Riley was going in fly in by herself on the twentieth, unfortunately Syd wasn't able to get off work till twenty-second. Riley was going to go with the family to pick their christmas tree, the first real one she, Drew or Brianna ever had.
It was the first time Cori had ever decorated a Christmas tree, Brianna had at least helped her previous foster families. This year, each girl had a "first Christmas" bulb, with the word "baby's" painted over to celebrate their first year with a family. Trent and Olivia were spending Christmas with Rick and his family no matter where they were. Having him home this year was very special. They hadn't spent the season together in a long time.
"Does your sister have winter things yet?"
Syd secretly wanted to outfit the smaller girl for winter, even if it wasn't in pink.
"They went shopping the other day while I was at school," Brianna replied. "Dad said daddy complained the whole time about the thought of snow storms and shoveling, saying he'd take sandstorms any day. Even Cori told him to stop whining."
Syd laughed.
That was Drew.
The snow was only a sprinkle on the ground. At first Drew had a pal in his snow hatred. Having never felt the stuff before Rex wasn't sure what to think of substance. Most of the first day it was difficult to get the dog to go outside to do his business, now in the evening time Rex was running around the front yard sticking his face in it.
"Traitor," he muttered looking out the window at the happy dog outside.
