On October 11, 2022, the world of entertainment lost a great legend. Angela Lansbury, the voice of Mrs. Potts from Beauty and the Beast, the star of the TV show Murder She Wrote, and the Balloon Lady in Mary Poppins Returns, passed away at age 96.
When they learn that their birthday party has been postponed due to bad weather, Madeline and Sabrina take their frustrations out on Nell. However, thanks to a song that Lydia and Bianca used to sing to them when they were younger, the sisters are able to reconcile, and then they get some more exciting news. Thanks to theblindwriter95 for helping me with the story. Mary Poppins Returns is not mine, and on a more serious note, rest in peace Angela Lansbury.
"Don't try to cheer us up, Nell! You got a birthday party when you turned ten and to us, that's not fair! We hate you!"
Her sisters' words made her shiver as Nell gazed out the window as heavy rain splashed against it.
They were upset about their tenth birthday party being canceled. They hadn't been meant it and she knew it, yet it still hurt.
"I'm guessing they didn't take the news well, Helen Genevieve?" Bianca sighed, putting a hand on her trembling shoulder.
Nell shook her head. "They had this party planned for weeks, Bianca. It was the happiest I've seen them since we reunited with Mama and Papa, but the rain happened, and now I don't know what to do. I failed them as a big sister."
"That's not true and you know it," Bianca murmured, pulling her into a hug. "You helped them plan everything for the party, but you know you can't control the weather. And I heard that it may clear up by tomorrow."
"I know, but what can I do for them right now?" Nell sighed.
"Hi Mommy! Where Auntie Sabrina and Auntie Madeline?" Elena asked.
"Yeah! We want to wish them a happy—" Gabby paused as she saw tears in Nell's eyes. "Mommy, you're sad. What happened?"
"Your aunties' party got cancelled because of the rain and now they're mad at me," Nell sighed, smiling a little as her daughters hugged her legs. "Thank you, girls. Your hugs always make Mommy feel better."
"Hugs make it all better!" Elena giggled.
"Music too!" Gabby giggled.
"You know, Gabby, that's not a bad idea," Nell mused. "I think I remember a song Mama and Bianca used to sing to me when I was sad. But I don't know if Bri and Maddie remember it."
"I think I know the one you're thinking of, Helen Genevieve," Bianca smiled. "That was always one of your favorite songs when you were younger. We can sing it for Madeline Elizabeth and Sabrina Marie and see if it works for them."
"Okay," Nell agreed. "But where are they?"
"Not with Daddy, cause he help Sofia with their birthday cake," Elena smiled.
"I know! I heard Mommy's mommy and daddy say something about their room before we saw Mommy. Maybe they're in there," Gabby murmured.
"Well, we can go see if they're in their room," Nell agreed.
"We come too! We make Auntie Sabrina and Auntie Madeline happy again!" Elena smiled.
"Yes, as Miranda so eloquently puts it, the more the merrier," Bianca agreed. "We can all help Madeline Elizabeth and Sabrina Marie feel better."
"We sing too!" Gabby giggled.
"Of course," Nell grinned. "You may not know the words, but you can sing what James calls the 'la-la-la song' until you learn it."
"That's a very good idea," Bianca smiled. "And you're right; every singer has to start somewhere!"
Nell's heart broke as she was the first to step inside Sabrina and Madeline's room. She saw the two girls sulking on their beds as they looked up, hearing her footsteps.
"Hi, girls. You don't mind if you have a few visitors, do you?" Nell asked.
Madeline shook her head. "I don't mind, but I still wanted that party we all planned together as sisters." She smiled a little as she heard Elena's voice. "I was really happy that it wasn't a kitty party this time."
"Me too!" Sabrina giggled. Her smile faded, gazing at the pouring rain. "Stupid rain! It ruined our big girl party!"
"The rain may let up by tomorrow," Nell tried to smile. "And hopefully by the afternoon, we can have some of the party outside like you wanted."
"I stay away from horsies!" Gabby promised.
"That's right, Gab-Gab," Nell chuckled, pulling her onto her lap. "But you can ride Minimus, as long as somebody's there to watch you."
"He's a little horsie, but he's not scary!" Gabby smiled. She still remembered the time at one of Amber's parties where she had taken a ride on a winged horse, even if it was a small one. She was still terrified of horses, but she was getting better each day. She also didn't mind riding on Sofia's pony Minimus.
"That's right, Gabby Anna, and you did learn a valuable lesson from that experience," Bianca agreed. "But now, how can we help Madeline Elizabeth and Sabrina Marie?"
"We sing kitty song!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Not in the mood for baby things like kitty songs!" Madeline grumbled.
"Madeline Elizabeth…" Bianca warned as Elena sniffed, trying not to cry.
"We don't mean to make Elena feel bad, but Maddie's right, Miss Bianca. Kitty songs are a little babyish now that we're ten," Sabrina murmured, pulling Elena into a hug.
"James doesn't just play songs about kitties, you know," Nell reminded them, "He's played other songs too. And you know Elena calls all songs he plays kitty songs, whether they're about kitties or not. And Bianca, Mama, Papa, Robert, and I love hearing James play them, so do you think we're babies?"
"No!" Sabrina gasped.
"You're not babies!" Madeline gasped.
"That's right," Bianca agreed. "There's no age limit for Prince James' kitty songs. They're for everyone to enjoy."
"Yeah!" Gabby giggled. "Mommy's a big girl and she loves kitty songs!"
"We do too," Madeline smiled a little. "We're sorry, everyone. We're just upset about our party. We didn't mean the words we said earlier."
"I know you didn't mean it, and to be honest with you, girls, my tenth birthday party wasn't perfect either," Nell smirked. "You're too young to remember it, but you two had gotten into my birthday cake while Mama wasn't looking and left little crumbs behind."
"We had to make sure it was okay for everyone," Sabrina giggled.
"That's what Robert always tells me when he steals cookies from me after I pull them out of the oven," Nell smirked. "But you two aren't castle guards, so you can't really use that as an excuse."
"It's not our fault you're a good cookie maker!" Madeline smiled.
"Mommy makes the best cookies!" Gabby giggled.
"Can Mommy make some now? Please?" Elena asked.
"Sorry, girls, but as your aunties' big sister, I have to cheer them up first before I do anything else," Nell smiled.
"We can make cookies later, can't we?" Sabrina asked.
"Of course we can," Nell smiled. "Now, since you apologized for what you said before, I think it's time Bianca and I help you feel better."
"How will you do that?" Madeline asked.
"With this," Bianca smiled as she found the tape with the song she and Nell had talked about. "Lydia and I used to sing this to you and Helen Genevieve when you were younger. You always loved dancing around to it, and even Edward would pick you up and spin you."
"I can spin you this time, girls, and I'll spin Elena and Gabby too!" Nell smiled as Bianca started the music.
Bianca smiled as she started, Life's a balloon
That tumbles or rises
Depending on what is inside
Fill it with hope
And playful surprises
And oh, deary ducks
Then you're in for a ride
"Yay!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Thank you Nell!" Sabrina grinned.
"Where are Mommy and Daddy?" Madeline frowned. "We haven't seen them since this morning."
"I think they told me that they had a surprise for you but wanted me to keep it a secret!" Nell teased.
She spun Madeline around as she sang, Look inside the balloon
And if you hear a tune
There's nowhere to go but up
Choose the secret we know
Before life makes us grow
There's nowhere to go but up
"I haven't heard this in forever!" Madeline smiled.
"I forgot how much I like this song!" Sabrina agreed.
"Music makes it all better!" Elena giggled. "La-la-la!"
"La-la-la!" Gabby echoed.
Bianca smiled and nodded as she sang to them, If your selection feels right
Well then deary, hold tight
If you see your reflection
Your heart will take flight
If you pick the right string
Then your heart will take wing
And there's nowhere to go but up
"Nell, did Miss Bianca sing this to you after we ate your cake?" Sabrina asked.
"Yes she did, but it wasn't the whole cake. Just little tiny handfuls and a missing flower or two," Nell smirked.
"We were babies! We didn't know better!" Madeline giggled.
"Well, you did want to make sure it was all right for everyone, right?" Nell chuckled.
She caught Sabrina as she continued, Now I feel like that girl
With a shiny new toy
And there's nowhere to go but up! ("Nell!" Sabrina giggled.)
Just one day at the fair
Has me waltzing on air
And there's nowhere to go but up!
"That's right!" Sabrina giggled.
"Yeah!" Madeline agreed.
Nell nodded as she spun Madeline and sang, Now my heart is so light
That I think I just might
Start feeding the birds
And then go fly a kite!
With your head in a cloud
Only laughter's allowed
And there's nowhere to go but up
"Did we do that too, Mommy?" Elena asked.
Nell nodded, chuckling as she took her in her lap. "You did, Love Bug, but you and Gabby only took two flowers."
"I remember that! Chef Andre couldn't get mad at them for doing it because they offered him a piece," Madeline smirked.
She and Sabrina joined in as they danced with Elena and Gabby, We're zigging and zagging
Our feet never dragging
We might take a ride to the moon
All this bobbing and weaving
All comes from believing
The magic inside the balloon
"As much as I wanted to scold them for messing up the cake when I found them next to it, I couldn't as it was too adorable seeing Elena Lydia and Gabby Anna covered in pink frosting," Bianca admitted as she steadied a wobbly Gabby. "And Queen Miranda was certainly understanding about the missing flowers."
"We all enjoy that once in a while," Nell smiled. "I remember Florence once said to Robert that she made a cake for him that was covered with frosting flowers that he could pick off while she brought a second one out for her guests at a tea party! She even did that for Madeline Elizabeth and Sabrina Marie for one of their birthdays!"
"Yes, I remember now," Bianca chuckled. "He tried to help Florence decorate it, but he put too many letters on it. Then he said, 'Mother, what's wrong with it? It's not Madadeline's or Sabbabrina's birthday?'"
"We still ate it," Madeline smiled. "But you called us Madadeline and Sabbabrina for a few days!"
"I'm sorry, Madaddie," Nell giggled.
Madeline giggled as she sang with her, The past is the past
It lives on as history
And that's an important thing
The future comes fast
Each second a mystery
For nobody knows what
Tomorrow way bring
Elena and Gabby giggled at the funny names as Nell spun around the room.
"Me next! Me next!" Madeline shirked.
"No fair! I'm older! I should get a turn next!" Sabrina pouted.
"Now, Bri, you're only older by two minutes. You should be lucky. Elena and Gabby were ten minutes apart," Nell recalled, stopping as she heard a knock on the door. "I wonder who that could be."
As they danced over to the door, Nell, Madeline, and Sabrina sang, Up here in the blue
It's a marvelous view
Side by side is the best way to fly
Once I just looked above
But now I am part of
The lovely Enchancia sky
"Helen! I just wanted to let you know that the rain finally let up," Bobby Lee greeted them when he came in. "But it looks like Madeline and Sabrina are feeling better. Do you want to go out and see the party we set up for them?"
"Yeah!" Madeline cheered.
"Yeah!" Sabrina echoed.
"By the way, I haven't heard that song in a million years," Bobby Lee smiled. "Mother used to sing that to me too."
He scooped Elena up as he joined in, When the clouds make a muss
Well I won't make a fuss
But I'll polish the stars
Helen, better let us!
"Mommy, let's go!" Gabby giggled dragging Nell by the hand.
"I wonder if the party's gonna look like we planned it," Madeline smiled. "What do you think, Nell?"
"What the party looks like doesn't matter to me, Butterfly," Nell murmured. "What matters to me is seeing you and Baby Girl happy again."
"I'm sure everything will be just fine," Bianca agreed. "This was just a small delay in your birthday plans, but at least you were able to enjoy some of it despite the weather."
"We can still have the party outside, right?" Sabrina asked.
"I don't see why not," Nell smiled. "Just try to avoid the puddles and mud as best you can, and be careful, since the ground might be slippery, and I think you can still have a good time."
She smiled as she continued the verse, Give a lift to a foe
For you reap what you sow
And there's nowhere to go but up
Sabrina and Madeline grinned as they sprinted down the stairs and into the castle courtyard.
"It's just like we planned!" Sabrina gasped. She smiled as she spotted their birthday cake. "Maddie! Look how big our cake is!"
"It's even bigger than the one we had for our first birthday in the castle!" Madeline giggled.
She and Sabrina circled the cake, taking in every decoration as they sang with Nell and Bianca, If your day's up the spout
Well there isn't a doubt
There's nowhere to go but up
And if you don't believe
Just hang on to my sleeve
For there's nowhere to go but up
Nell, Bobby Lee, and Bianca smiled as they watched them, and they all finished the song together, As you fly over town
It gets harder to frown
And we'll all hit the heights
If we never loom down
Let the past take a bow
The forever is now
And there's nowhere to go but up, up!
There's nowhere to go but up!
"That was fun!" Sabrina smiled.
"I haven't heard that song in forever!" Madeline agreed.
"Yes it was, girls, but even though bigger's not always better, this is still nice, and Robert, the guards, and James will make sure there's no cake left over," Nell agreed. "Elena, Gabby, don't worry," she added, seeing Elena and Gabby start to pout, "I'm positive they'll share with you too."
"Of course we will," Bobby Lee grinned. "But you know it's not our fault that princes and castle guards are bottomless pits!"
"And daddies aren't?" A voice smirked.
Sabrina and Madeline gasped as they ran into Edward's arms.
"Papa! You're covered in hay!" Nell grinned, holding back a laugh. "What happened?"
"Your mother and I had a little trouble getting your sisters' surprise in the stables," Edward smirked. "They kept wanting to escape because of all the noise."
"What's in the stables?" Sabrina asked.
"You'll see," Edward smiled.
"If it's something alive and it's something skittish around noise, maybe we can show the girls later, when it's a little quieter," Nell suggested. She saw Madeline and Sabrina start to protest, but she said, "Remember what happened when the horse Gabby was on heard the loud noise? We don't want that to happen again."
"Good idea," Madeline murmured, pulling Gabby into a hug.
That's right," Sabrina agreed, hugging Gabby's other side.
"Happy birthday, girls!" Lydia grinned as she ruffled Sabrina and Madeline's hair. "It's hard to believe you're both ten."
"It was only yesterday that they were little babies cradled in Mama's arms," Nell smiled.
"And you were so excited to see them," Edward added, pulling her into a hug. "But now they're big girls and we love them very much."
"Happy birthday to you, Auntie Madeline and Auntie Sabrina!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Thank you, Elena!" Sabrina smiled, catching one of Elena's hands and spinning her around.
"Can we have cake now? Please?" Gabby asked, jumping up and down.
"Why do you want cake so badly?" Nell teased.
"We've been waiting all day to celebrate, haven't we?" Madeline grinned. "Besides, I want to know Mommy and Daddy's surprise!"
"Good things come to those who wait, Madeline Elizabeth," Bianca smiled as she sat down with them.
"And you won't have to wait much longer," Lydia agreed as she and Edward brought the cake out.
"Girls, we just agreed that waiting will make the cake taste better," Nell said as she took Elena's and Gabby's hands. "It won't be too much longer."
"Promise?" Madeline smiled.
"I promise."
"Is that your big sister promise or your mommy promise talking?" Sabrina smirked.
"Can't it be both?" Nell asked.
"Maybe," Madeline smiled.
"Daddy, can we have a hint about our surprise? Please?" Sabrina asked.
"All right but only if I can stop getting the puppy dog look," Edward smirked. "Okay your hint is that your surprise is for each of you, and that Mommy was so happy about them, she named one Nellie after your big sister."
"Can we see them now? Please?" Madeline begged.
"No. After we sing happy birthday and eat cake," Elena frowned. "You need to be more pay-sent."
"Well played, Love Bug," Nell smirked.
Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Madeline and Sabrina, and they all enjoyed the cake. Finally, Edward motioned for the girls to follow him to the stables.
"Horsies! Kitty!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"Horsies?" Gabby whimpered.
"Don't worry, Gabby. Your aunties will make sure Nellie and her sister are gentle around you," Lydia smiled.
"So that's what Daddy meant when he said Mommy named one after Nell!" Madeline giggled.
"We'll let you sit on the horsies every day, and we'll walk you around the grounds, just like you did with Minimus," Sabrina suggested. "You liked him, and he was a little pony."
"Sofia's pony was nice!" Gabby smiled.
"These horsies may be a little bigger than Minimus, but we'll ride on them with you," Madeline agreed.
"Thank you!" Gabby smiled.
"Is Kitty aunties too?" Elena giggled.
Lydia shook her head, taking her in arms. "Your daddy and I were talking, and we decided that your mommy deserved a gift too."
"Why? It's not her birthday!" Gabby giggled.
"Well no, but the day your aunties were born was the day your mommy became a big sister," Edward smiled, handing Nell a little gray and black kitty.
"Yes, I remember dragging Robert all the way to the house when Bri and Maddie were born," Nell giggled. "But who wouldn't be excited about that? I learned that I had two new sisters, and I wanted to tell everybody!"
"Well, as long as you had a good reason for doing that," Edward smirked.
"Mommy, what you name Kitty?" Elena asked.
"Yeah! What are you naming your kitty?" Gabby giggled.
"Now girls, let Auntie Madeleine name her horse first," Nell smirked.
"Nell, since Mommy named Sabrina's horse, why don't you name mine?" Madeline suggested.
"But I'm not as good as you are when it comes to naming something," Nell admitted.
"We'll help you Mommy!" Gabby giggled.
"Yeah! We wanna help!" Elena echoed.
"Where's the harm in that, Helen?" Bobby Lee smirked.
"There's no harm in it, I guess," Nell smiled. "Now, girls, I know I'm not as good as James when it comes to words..."
"Oh, nonsense," Bianca chuckled. "You wrote that charming story when you were six years old about the knight!"
"And as I recall, it won a prize for the best story in your first-grade class," Lydia agreed. "You were so excited about that, that you read it to your sisters for a week afterward!"
"They did like it, didn't they?" Nell smiled. "Okay, if I can remember the name of the knight's horse, we can name the other after him."
"But I want a girl horsie!" Elena pouted.
"Nellie's a girl," Sabrina reminded her, pulling her into a hug. "Don't you want a boy horsie?"
"He won't be named after mean boy Jack," Gabby added.
Elena smiled a little. As long as the horse wouldn't be named Jack, she would be happy.
"Wait a minute, Nell. I remember one time how you told me the story of the knight while you cleaned me up after I had a really bad nightmare about fire," Madeline recalled. "Wasn't Gardner the knight's horse named Sam, which you said was short for Sammy?"
"I think you're right," Nell smiled. "And I think it was a female horse he had. Of course, it's been so long since I wrote that story that I don't really remember all the details."
"I know you've got a copy of it, Helen Genevieve," Bianca smiled. "You were so proud, and Lydia and I told you that we'd make copies of it, and put them in our own libraries."
"Just like how James reacted when he had his first story published in that magazine," Nell giggled. "Miranda told me that James bought an entire box full of those magazines, then he gave a copy to not just his friends at school, but also to everyone in the castle!"
"It's not his fault he did that," Madeline giggled. "We'd do the same thing if that happened to us!"
"I like Sammy!" Gabby giggled.
"Sammy good horsie!" Elena grinned, flapping her hands.
"Well, girls, how do you feel about Sammy and Nellie?" Nell smirked.
"They're cute!" Sabrina smiled.
"I like those names!" Madeline smiled.
"And you can decide who gets each name," Bianca agreed.
"Now Mommy's kitty gets a name!" Elena giggled.
"We can't name her kitty Kitty. That's silly!" Gabby grinned. "And Elena's Kitty would get jealous."
"Maybe you could help me name the kitty, girls," Nell suggested. "What do you think her name should be?"
"Well, she's a pretty little gray kitty with stripes, so...how about Pretty Kitty?" Sabrina giggled.
"That's cute!" Nell smiled. "And at least Kitty's her middle name, so Elena's Kitty won't be jealous."
"Pretty Kitty sounds silly!" Madeline giggled.
"Okay, then. What name do you have in mind?"
"Well, since Mommy named my horse Nellie, your kitty should be named Maddie."
"Okay, but is it okay if I call her Pretty when she and I are together?" Nell smiled.
"Okay! That can be her nickname!" Madeline smiled.
"And that's a wonderful nickname, Butterfly!" Lydia grinned.
"Can we play with Mommy's kitty now? Please?" Elena begged.
"I don't see why not. Your aunties' other presents can wait a little while longer," Edward smirked.
"Good things do come to those who wait," Bianca smiled.
"That's right," Nell smiled. "We'll let Maddie rest while we enjoy the rest of the party."
"Okay, but wait a minute. I just thought of something," Sabrina spoke up. "If we're all together, how will we know which Maddie we're talking about?"
"I have an idea," Lydia said after a minute. "Why don't we re-name her Lizzie? It's still like she's named after Maddie, but we use her middle name, just like how James uses middle names in his stories."
"Yeah!" Madeline smiled. "I'm sorry, Nell. I didn't mean to make anyone confused."
"Me either," Sabrina agreed. "I just thought of that, and I didn't want Maddie to get in trouble if it was the kitty that was causing mischief or doing something she shouldn't."
"You're right, girls. Lizzie is a better name for her," Nell smiled.
"We sing kitty song to Lizzie after her nap-nap?" Gabby giggled.
"That sounds like a wonderful idea," Bianca smiled. "I'm sure Lizzie would love any song you sing to her!"
"Yeah! We could even sing the one we did earlier for her!" Sabrina added.
"But for now, let's let resting kitties lie," Lydia smiled.
"Okay," Nell smiled. "And maybe we'll play some party games while we wait."
"Yeah!" Elena cheered, flapping her hands as everyone else agreed.
"Nell, can I talk to you? Please?" Madeline asked.
Nell motioned for Bobby Lee to go ahead and knelt down to Madeline's level. "What is it, Maddie?"
"Thank you for cheering up Sabrina and me. You didn't have too but I feel bad."
"How come?"
"We yelled at you earlier and we said we hated you," Madeline looked down.
"Oh, Maddie, you were just frustrated that it was raining, so it's perfectly understandable that you'd be angry that the party would be postponed until the weather cleared up," Nell assured her. "I can't count the number of times I'd make plans only for something to happen and I'd have to do something else."
"That's right, dear," Bianca said as she came over to check on them. "It's like my grandmother used to say, 'Man plans, the gods laugh.'"
"So you're not mad?" Madeline smiled.
"Of course not. I could never stay mad at you, Butterfly," Nell assured her, playfully nudging her. "I've been meaning to talk to Bobby Lee about this, but since he's not here, you'll be the first to know."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember when I got sick about a week ago?"
"Uh huh. You were in the bathroom a lot!" Madeline teased.
"Well, there was a good reason for that..." Nell smiled. She beckoned Madeline closer and whispered, "Elena and Gabby are going to be big sisters!"
"You mean you're having a baby? Again? Oh Nell! This is wonderful!" Madeline giggled. "I can't wait to tell Sabrina!"
"Now, Madeline Elizabeth, let her be surprised too," Bianca smirked.
"Okay," Madeline agreed. "Can we tell her tonight after the party?"
"Good idea, Maddie," Nell agreed. "But for now, let's enjoy the party, and later we can talk about this new little one!"
"Yay! Let's go! Let's go!"
Nell and Bianca chuckled at Madeline's excitement and followed behind her.
"Despite the earlier rain, the girls had a great party after all," Bianca smiled.
"They did," Nell agreed. She sighed, hugging herself. "This was what I always wanted for them while we were Jimmy's prisoners but that was always difficult to do."
"Well, Helen Genevieve, it's like we tell you, good things come to those who wait," Bianca smiled.
"And a party like this was worth waiting for," Lydia agreed, "Especially since you told us about a surprise too!"
"A surprise? I didn't say anything about a surprise!" Nell laughed. She grinned, seeing Madeline's sheepish face. "Butterfly, did you have anything to do with this?"
"Sorry, Nell. I was excited," Madeline frowned.
"Well, I can't blame you for that," Nell smiled. "After all, I did drag Robert to our house when you and Bri were born!"
"That's right, and I would have found out anyway," Bobby Lee smiled as he came over. "Helen, I'm so proud of you!"
"So am I," Edward smiled. "Now if you have a boy this time, that'll make my year."
"Edward!" Lydia groaned.
"It's okay, Mama. If I do have a boy, James won't be the only guy in the castle anymore," Nell smirked.
"That's right! He does like his 'guy time' with Robert!" Edward grinned as he recalled how James would be busy writing, then Bobby Lee would come in his room and start a play fight with him.
"But if Helen Genevieve does have a boy, they'll have to wait until he's a little older before he starts roughhousing with James and Robert!" Bianca smiled.
"A boy? I want another niece!" Madeline giggled.
"Now, Butterfly, we won't know about the gender right away," Nell smiled. "We have to see how Elena and Gabby will react to being big sisters first."
"We'll tell them later Nellie. For now, we have a party to finish," Lydia smiled, kissing Madeline on the cheek. "You only turn ten once!"
"That's right," Bianca smiled. "Now, what do you say we have some cake, then we'll make a plan to go to the village and get some toys for little Lizzie? I'm sure she'd love something of her own to play with!"
"Yeah! Lizzie can play with Snow White's toys too! Snow White's a good sharer, just like me!" Elena giggled, flapping her hands.
"That's very generous of you, Elena," Nell smiled.
"I'm a good sharer too!" Gabby pouted. She brightened up at the thought of having cake. "Can we have cake now? Please?"
"All right but just one piece," Madeline smiled. "Nell wouldn't like it if you and Elena have too much sugar."
"That's right," Nell agreed. "Lizzie wouldn't like it if you couldn't play with her because you got tummy aches from eating too much cake!"
"We just eat one piece!" Elena smiled, Gabby nodding beside her.
Madeline chuckled, knowing how much of a sweet tooth Elena had. "Gabby, can you make sure Elena only has one piece? She has your daddy's sweet tooth, and we only need one of them to have a tummy ache today."
"Okay!" Gabby giggled. She and Elena ran over to her and gave her a hug. "You and Auntie Sabrina happy now?"
"Yes. Why?"
"You were mad at Mommy, and it was scary," Elena frowned.
"I'm sorry, Elena," Madeline paused, recalling how angry she and Sabrina had been earlier. "We didn't mean to scare you. It's just that the weather was so bad earlier that we were afraid we'd have to miss the party we'd planned all week for."
"That's right," Sabrina added. "We never meant to make you upset. But we do feel better now, so you don't have to worry about that anymore."
"Can you forgive us?"
"Okay, but only for cake!" Elena giggled.
Sabrina and Madeline giggled before sprinting to Nell and pull her in a tight embrace.
"What's this for?" Nell gasped. "I didn't do anything."
"You helped cheer us up!" Madeline smiled. "That song we sang before, I remember Mommy singing it with us once when Maddie and I wanted to play outside, but just like today, it was raining."
"I think you also sang that after we got back from when we played with Andy!" Sabrina agreed. "You and Mommy danced around the room with me and we all sang that!"
"I do remember that," Lydia smiled.
"I do too," Nell smiled. "Papa was so silly when he caught us all singing!"
"He twirled me around and asked when the wedding was!" Sabrina giggled.
"We were so happy then," Madeline added. "Like we've always been because of our wonderful big sister."
"I did try to help us all stay positive," Nell admitted, carefully stroking Lizzie's head.
"And it worked! Look how far you all came," Lydia smiled. "We're all together again, Jimmy and his family are out of our lives forever, and we have two wonderful additions to the family..." she glanced at Nell. "Well, soon to be three."
"Oh, Mama," Nell smiled.
"And we can make new happy memories now," Edward smiled. "Because after all, there's nowhere to go but up!"