Easter Sunday...
"Aurora! Aurora, you made it!" Alice cried out.
Alice ran towards Aurora and Aurora crouched down to greet her with a hug.
"Aurora, I'm gonna meet the Easter Bunny and then I get to look for all the eggs he hid for me!" Alice said.
Aurora hung her purse and jacket on the coat rack. "How exciting!"
Alice ran off just as her mom was walking towards Aurora.
"Happy Easter, Aurora," Alice's mom said.
"Happy Easter."
"I'm so glad you came."
"Yeah, well I was a little surprised that you wanted me to spend Easter with you and your family," Aurora said.
"Alice just adores you! She doesn't see you as just her babysitter," Alice's mom said. "We want you to feel like you're part of the family."
"Thank you."
Alice's mom nodded. "However, if you don't mind just keeping an eye on her for a few minutes, that would be great. Her father is in the backyard hiding her eggs right now and I don't want her to see him."
"No problem."
"Alice, come here, darling!" Alice's mom called out. Alice ran over to her. "Stay with Aurora for a little while, okay?"
Alice nodded and her mom walked away. Aurora looked down at Alice and realized she was still in her pajamas.
"Do you want to get dressed?" Aurora asked.
"Yeah!" Alice grabbed Aurora's hand. "Come with me."
Aurora followed her into her bedroom. Alice closed the door behind them and went over to her closet.
"I don't know what to wear," Alice said.
"Why don't you wear a pretty dress?" Aurora suggested.
Alice's eyes lit up and she pulled out her favorite blue dress. "Can I wear this?"
"Of course."
While Alice changed, Aurora got the tights, shoes and headband she usually wore with the dress. Then, Aurora helped her finish getting ready. When it was time to go outside to meet the Easter Bunny, Alice took Aurora's hand and practically dragged her outside. Alice's parents were waiting on the back patio. When Alice came outside she looked around, trying to find the Easter Bunny.
"Where is he?" Alice asked.
Before anyone could answer, the Easter Bunny (which Aurora could tell was somebody dressed in a bunny suit) hopped out from the side of the house. Alice's eyes lit up and she started bouncing up and down. The Easter Bunny hopped over to Alice and Alice gave it a big hug.
"Alice, do you want your picture taken with the Easter Bunny?" her mom asked.
"Yeah!"
The Easter Bunny knelt down and put its arms around Alice. After her mom took the picture, the Easter Bunny bent over and handed Alice a basket. It was then that Aurora saw the brown hair peeking out from under the bunny head and she smiled. The Easter Bunny was Alice's older sister, who was supposed to be away at college. Alice took her basket and began running around the yard, looking for her eggs. After she found all the eggs, Alice set her basket on the patio table.
"No candy until after we eat," Alice's mom said.
Alice opened her eggs and started sorting the prizes. She put all the candy in her basket and put the small toys on the table. She didn't notice the Easter Bunny sneak away. Alice's mom's cellphone rang.
"Hello? Oh, honey, it's so good to hear from you!" Alice's mom said. "Happy Easter. Do you want to talk to Alice? Okay, let me get her. Alice, your sister wants to talk to you."
Alice got excited and took the phone from her mom. Alice paced back and forth on the patio, looking down at her feet; her shoes click-clocked on the pavement and she loved the sound. Alice hung up the phone just as her sister was sneaking through the house. She quietly came up behind Alice.
"Your shoes make a pretty sound," Alice's sister said.
Alice turned around with wide eyes and hugged her sister.
"You missed the Easter Bunny!" Alice said.
Alice's sister pretended to look sad. "Oh, darn."
"Aurora?"
Aurora turned to see Alice's mom standing next to her. "Yes?"
"Do you mind taking a picture of the four of us?"
Aurora shook her head. "Not at all."
Alice's mom handed her the camera, then got everyone together for the picture.
Aurora held the camera up. "Say 'chipmunks'!"
Alice's eyes lit up and she gave the camera a big smile.
XXX
Meg and Pocahontas arrived at Thomas and John's house at the same time. Pocahontas was struggling to get a plastic container out of her car.
"Do you need any help?" Meg asked her.
"No, I got it," Pocahontas muttered. "Thanks."
Meg and Pocahontas walked up to the front door and Meg rang the doorbell. Thomas' mom answered the door.
"Hi, girls! Happy Easter!"
The girls wished her a happy Easter as they walked in. Pocahontas followed Thomas' mom into the kitchen. Meg stood awkwardly by the door until Thomas came downstairs.
"Happy Easter, baby," Meg said.
"Happy Easter." Thomas gave Meg a quick kiss on the cheek. "I think dinner is just about done."
Thomas took Meg's hand and they went into the dinning room. John and his dad were setting the table. Thomas' mom came out and set two vases on the table; each of them had a bouquet of daffodils and purple tulips.
"Dinner's ready," Thomas' mom said. "Go ahead and take your seats."
Meg and Thomas sat down on one side of the table, while Pocahontas and John sat across from them. Their parents brought out the food and then took their places at the ends of the table. Thomas' mom had made ham and mashed potatoes.
"Are you excited about your trip tomorrow?" Thomas' mom asked.
"Oh, yes," Pocahontas said. "It's going to be so much fun."
John shrugged. "I guess."
"I can't wait to hit the beach," Thomas said.
"What about you, Meg?" Thomas' mom asked.
"Oh. Um, it'll be nice to hang out with Thomas and Vanessa," Meg said.
Pocahontas, John and Thomas gave Meg a look that made her regret bringing up Vanessa. She forgot that no one else really liked her. Meg looked down at her food and started picking at her mashed potatoes.
Pocahontas cleared her throat. "Thank you so much for taking care of Meeko while I'm gone."
"It's no problem, dear," Thomas' mom said.
"But, this is the only time, Pocahontas," John's dad said.
Pocahontas nodded. "Of course."
After dinner, the men cleared the table and washed the dishes.
"So, Meg, tell me a little bit about yourself," Thomas' mom said. "You've come over a few times, but we've never actually talked."
Meg straightened up in her chair. "There isn't much to tell."
"What are you interested in?"
"I really like music," Meg said. "I play guitar."
"She's really good at it," Pocahontas said. "I've heard her playing in Thomas' bedroom."
Meg blushed. "I'm all right."
"Will you play something for me?"
"Oh, I don't know..."
"Please? I would love to hear it," Thomas' mom said.
Meg really didn't want to play for anyone, but she wanted to leave a good impression on Thomas' mom, so she agreed. She went up to Thomas' room and grabbed his guitar. Pocahontas and Thomas' mom were waiting in the living room. Meg sat down on the armchair and tuned the guitar. She thought for a moment, then started playing "Bare Naked" by Jennifer Love Hewitt. Meg sang the song quietly while she played it.
"Do you know anything by The Band Perry?" Pocahontas asked after Meg finished her song.
"I know 'If I Die Young'," Meg said, beginning the song.
Pocahontas started singing and Meg sang along with her. John and Thomas joined them in the living room as they went into the first chorus. When they finished the song, everyone clapped.
"That was great, girls," Thomas' mom said.
Meg brought the guitar back up to Thomas' room. Thomas followed her and closed the door behind them.
"I thought you don't sing with other people around," Thomas said.
Meg set the guitar on its stand. "Typically, I don't. But, I was trying to impress your mom."
"Why?"
"Because I really like you, Thomas. I want your mom to approve of me," Meg said.
"I'm sure she does."
"Hey," John said, opening the door. "Pocahontas brought dessert for us."
Meg and Thomas followed John back down to the dinning room. Meg sat down and Pocahontas set her dessert on front of her. It was a small chocolate bunny cake with her name on it.
"Pocahontas, these are adorable!" Thomas' mom said.
"Thank you." Pocahontas sat down. "Nakoma and I make these every year."
Pocahontas watched as everyone at their cakes. Thomas' mom looked up and caught John's dad's eyes. He winked at her and she smiled at him. Pocahontas looked sadly down at her cake; she missed her mom. Her mom was the one who had started making these cakes. Pocahontas was able to help her mom with the cakes on her last Easter. Every year after that Pocahontas made her dad help her make them; it was her way of keeping her mom's memory alive. When she moved in with her aunt and uncle, she found out her aunt knew how to make the cakes the way her mom used to make them and she taught Pocahontas. Pocahontas' mom died a couple weeks after Easter. Baking with her was one of the last memories she had of her mother.