The Greatest Secret
Disclaimer: Nope, don't own iCarly
A/N:
Chapter 166 (Arriving at Grandma's)
"We're almost here girls." Melanie felt someone shaking her knee and slowly opened her eyes, she'd fallen asleep somewhere during the last leg of the trip. With a loud yawn, she took a look outside and saw Morris turning onto Arcadia Avenue, the last street just before Putnam Street, where her grandparents were. She looked over and saw Sam still flashing pictures, they were passing the Liberty Christian School on their left. "We may be the first ones here. Cross your fingers, ladies!" Melanie blinked and looked at Maggie as Morris staretd chuckling.
"She has a running bet with Madeline, and Violet. Whoever gets there first, the other women and their husbands have to wait on them." Sam shook her head and Melanie laughed. She crossed her fingers and watched with growing anticipation as her Uncle pointed off to the right. "Look, we're here!" Maggie practically jumped for joy as they duitily took notice that they were indeed the first ones there. Morris rolled his eyes and laughed once as he drove into the driveway and glanced at the clock. "12:55, we made good time." They didn't have to stop to grab lunch or breakfast since Marissa had prepared a brunch for them all to have along the journey, but the other family members probably did.
"Okay girls, everyone out and breathe in the fresh air." As Sam and Melanie stepped out of the car, they were in total awe of the home and area before them. The house was on the corner of the street and had beautiful green, freshly mowed, grass and a sidewalk right in the middle going all the way out to a stone mailbox. The house itself was a beautiful two story, crème shingled home with a white metal fence going around the peremiter. On the front of the house, there were four windows, two no each story, and the front door right in the middle. The door was a double door, brown oak with a dark wood frame that formed an arrowhead at the top. Sam flashed a picture of the home and lowered her camera as Melanie took a breath of the fresh air.
The two sisters looked to each other, their eyes both filled with wonder, eagerness, and awe. "Race you to the door?" Sam asked with a broadening smile. Melanie nodded her head and smirked as they ran towards the door.
Behind them, Maggie eyed the street to see who would show up next so she could boast about their win. Morris opened the back of the car and pulled out two bags, inhaling softly and smiling over at his wife. "Maggie, I think Brian and Madeline will be pulling up soon. Last we spoke to them, didn't they leave around the same time?"
"Yeah, but they stopped for food." She lowered her hand from above her eyes and looked over at the front door, Sam and Melanie were eyeing them. "Aw, look at them Morris, they look so happy."
"These are the memories we live for, Maggie."
Sam waved at the two and Melanie bounced a bit. "Come on! What are you waiting for?" Melanie laughed and her sister quickly looked over. "Mel, ring the doorbell. I can't wait to see Grandma and Grandpa."
"Me either!" She reached up and hit the doorbell. They heard an almost whimsical chime and grinned as their Aunt and Uncle made it to the door. She felt Maggie's hand on her shoulder and looked back, her heart filled with excitement. "You just missed a great doorbell. I hope you know that." The two elders laughed and watched as the front door opened up. Susan opened up the door and gasped with delight as Melanie and Sam hugged her. "Grandma!"
"Oh what a surprise, you didn't tell me you were coming!" She joked as she hugged her granddaughters.
"Yeah we did, you didn't forget did you?"
"No, I couldn't forget you! Come inside, have you girls eaten today?" They nodded and followed their grandmother in the house. "Have a look around if you like, I'll go get Hugh and let him know you're here. He's out back."
"Okay Grandma." When the entered the home, they were in complete awe of the place. The carpeting was a pearl white, the front room was wide and open with a large vanilla couch sectional against the left corner wall, a coffee table in front of it and a television against the wall facing the couch. Above them was an opening that revealed the second floor, it had a white railing with a maple top. Through the arch of the living room, where Susan was walking, they could see the white tiled kitchen and marble countertop running along wall. In the other corner of the room was a very well decorated Christmas tree. Lights and garland were also prominent around the area. Sam went on ahead as Melanie carefully eyed the bookshelves along the wall with the railing for the second floor. She would enjoy reading some of these, if she got the chance. It was possible to have too much fun, wasn't it?
"Mel, come here!" She hurried into the kitchen and lifted her eyebrows up curiously. She laughed as Sam slowly closed the door. Adjacent to the kitchen was a small alcove with a glass door that led to the backyard, two computers next to each other, and another door that led into the master bedroom. Sam was at the kitchen closet and was eyeing all the snacks and treats inside. "I think I'm going to enjoy the food here too much at this rate, if I'm not careful."
"What is it with you and food?"
"I love it?"
"That works. God this is a big house…"
"I don't think we've seen the half of it yet. Come on, let's see what else there is!" They hurried around the wall of the kitchen and through another arch, into a wider area, but not quite as open and bright as the front room. It looked more like a den. There was a table in the center area with several wooden chairs around it, a fireplace off to the right, and a stairwell to the left. Next to the fireplace was a brown recliner chair, then a door leading out to the backyard. Next to the stairwell was another arch into a hallway. "Wow…come on, let's go check out the hallway!" Sam took Melanie's hand and ran into the hall, both of them laughed with excitement.
The hallway was long and had family pictures strewn about. In the center of the hall was a bathroom, right next to the hall closet. On either end of the halls were two bedroom doors, leading into two different bedrooms. The bathroom and hall closet doors were also right next to a bedroom door. "So how many bedrooms is this? four so far, counting the master bedroom?"
"Let's check upstairs!"
"Good idea!" With quick feet, the girls ran out of the hallway and up the stairwell, taking notice of more family photos along the side wall. When they made it upstairs, they saw a large pool table, a rack holding the pool sticks and other essentials. Behind the table was a small brown couch that faced a television with a PS3 connected to it. "Grandma and Grandpa play the Playstation?"
"Evidently." An amusing thought, but yet, it just showed the grandparents to be fun and lively. On the opposite side was an arch that led down a hallway. At the end of the hallway was a bathroom, a hall closet, and a bedroom door. When they moved into the bedroom, they were astonished by the brightness of the sun coming in through the window and the large bed with vanilla comforters. "It's beautiful!"
"I know!" The girls made their way back to the pool table and stood at the railing, looking down as Morris and Maggie brought in the last of the luggage. Sam grinned happily and waved. "Uncle Morris! Aunt Maggie! Up here!" The two glanced up at the girls and smiled at them.
"You two enjoying yourselves up there?" Morris asked.
"They have a pooltable!"
"Oh? I can show you a few tricks of the trade if you want."
"You'd do that?"
"Of course, I used to be a pool champ when I was a kid!" Maggie laughed with disbelief and Morris slowly looked at her. Her laugh deflated him. "Hey, let the kid think I was good, I don't want her to think she can beat me."
"Oh I know I can, Uncle Morris!"
"You're on!" Maggie sighed and rubbed her forehead, smiling lightly as she walked towards the wall and looked up.
"While you two do that, I'll actually be hanging out at the pool in the back yard." Sam's eyes widened and Melanie's heart leapt up with glee.
"They have a pool?"
"Last I checked, they did, unfortunately it's probably sealed for the winter."
"Awesome!" Melanie took Sam's hand and quickly bolted down the stairs. Once down, they almost ran into Hugh. He was dressed up in outside work clothes and covered with dirt. "Grandpa! Hi!" Hugh smiled as his granddaughters hugged him. "What were you doing outside?"
"I had to finish up some yard work. I'm happy to see you made it. Now we just have to wait for the rest of the family." Maggie set down a bag and moved over to Hugh.
"By the way, Greg and Annie, Buzz, Garth, and Carl have all said they're going to stay in a nearby motel."
"Okay, that's fine. Eleven people to a house with the bedrooms we have is just fine." Sam and Melanie eyed each other for a moment, both were curious as to why Hugh and Susan lived in a five bedroom, two story house.
"Hey Grandpa, why do you live in such a big house?" Hugh smiled and folded his arms over.
"This was the house your mom grew up in, Samantha." She gasped and Melanie's eyes filled up with pride. It made sense now, since there were four children growing up in the house. Brian, Lucy, Sarah, and Violet, one kid to a room. "That room upstairs, that's where your mother slept." The sisters looked back to the steps and felt a warm, yet ghostly feeling take them. It felt odd to have just crept around their mother's old stomping grounds without even knowing. Hugh looked over to Morris and tilted his head. "Any clue where the others are?"
"Yeah," Morris replied with a grunt as he dropped his bag next to Maggie's. "Greg and Annie should be arriving soon. Carl, Buzz and his son are coming in from Tacoma, so they have just a bit longer. Brian and his family should be here any time." The majority of the family was centered in cities around Seattle, with only Morris, Maggie, Greg, and Annie actually living in Seattle. Buzz, Carl, and Garth were in Tacoma. Madeline, Brian and Leon lived in Redmond. While Violet and Venus lived in Edmonds, giving them a full four hour drive. "I think everyone should be here by two at least."
"Great, I don't want anyone to miss the roast I got cooking for tonight."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Susan placed her hands on Morris and Maggie's shoulders and stepped between them. "You guys ready to be shown to your room? I've got the upstairs room made up for Sam and Melanie." The girls breathed in sharply and practically leapt for joy. Both of them wanted to have that room, and now they had it. They grabbed their luggage and quickly dashed up the steps. Susan smiled a cheerful grin and slowly led Morris and Maggie to one of the back rooms. "We may have to get an air mattress out for some people, I'm not sure how we're going to do the whole sleeping arrangement." Hugh chuckled and slowly shook his head.
"We'll figure something out dear." He leaned into Morris and whispered. "She's been so worked up, always worrying about something. Has to have everything done right."
"Tell me about it, Maggie's the same way!" The men laughed and abruptly silenced when their wives glared in their direction. "Sorry dear."
What a nice family get together, and isn't it great, I'm getting together with my family for the holidays XD. Stick around. By the way, Mitch will be around for the second christmas of this story XD. Who will he affect this time? We'll just have to see.