Olivia Walton completed her final copy of her Thanksgiving list with a smile. A plan for each daughter what they had said they would get and prepare for the celebration. Mary Ellen had offered to do the vegetables – squash, turnips, carrots and green beans. Erin had said she'd make soup as an appetiser. Cindy had taken charge of the pies – pumpkin and apple. Toni was making biscuits and macaroni and cheese; claiming it was for the fussy children but in reality it was one of her favourite meals. Olivia and Elizabeth would have the turkey and potatoes and stuffing under control then there would be plenty of cookies and brownies and treats made collectively. Ginny had asked could she help her to make fudge and Olivia had eagerly agreed. There would be twenty seven to feed for Thanksgiving and while most would probably be terrified of that number Olivia couldn't wait to have her whole family sit down for the meal.
"Up early Mama," Elizabeth noted as she hopped down the last of the stairs. Olivia smiled at her daughter.
"I wanted to get this list sorted for everyone for Thanksgiving," Olivia replied.
"I can't wait. It'll be nice to have a holiday for a few days," Elizabeth said. This was the first year she was a full-time teacher at Walton's Mountain School and while she loved teaching the kindergarten to Third Grade class it was an exhausting job.
"I'm sure," Olivia agreed.
"I can't wait for John Boy to get home. What time do you think he'll arrive on Friday?" Elizabeth asked, as she fixed herself a bowl of cereal and sat opposite her mother.
"I imagine it'll be late. By the time they leave New York. And it's quite a drive," Olivia said. She was also looking forward to having her eldest son home.
"What do you think Janet will be like?" Elizabeth asked. All of them were quite surprised when John Boy said he was bringing a guest with him for the holiday.
"With John Boy you never know. Nice," Olivia hoped. When it came to her son he didn't seem to have a particular sort of girl that he liked – each girl friend was unique. This one seemed pretty serious though, she'd been mentioned a lot and it all sounded very positive.
"Think he's gonna marry her?" Elizabeth asked.
"I hope so. It's about time he settled down," Olivia said.
"I don't think John Boy will do that Mama," Elizabeth said, thinking of how her brother had only came back recently from Italy and how he still spoke of other places he wanted to visit and write about.
"I can dream," Olivia said. She looked at the clock then at Elizabeth. "Do you have to get Tyler this morning?"
"Oh yes." Elizabeth noticed the time and quickly finished her cereal. Every Thursday and Friday she walked her nephew to school and home again. "If you're going to the store can you mail my letter to Drew?"
Olivia nodded.
"Have you heard from him?" Elizabeth shook her head. It had been a month now since a letter. Free wasn't much for writing but she normally heard from him every couple of weeks and she wrote at least twice a week to him. There always seemed things to tell him. About the family and working and how much she missed him and looked forward to him coming home.
"Mail can be a slow thing sometimes," Olivia said, trying to reassure her youngest daughter. "Think of when John Boy and Jason were in Europe and Ben in the Pacific."
"I know. I need to go or I'll be late," Elizabeth said, standing up. "Have a nice day Mama."
"Here, give this to Toni," Olivia said. As Elizabeth kissed her cheek she placed one of the lists into her hands.
"Sure," Elizabeth smiled and grabbed her bag before she ran out of the house. Olivia watched her. She may have been an adult now but there was still a little girl in Elizabeth, something that she hoped would never leave her. With Elizabeth's departure she was now alone in the house. John had went to the mill early, hoping to get his orders finished to get a couple of days off and Jim Bob had a busy day at the garage so had also disappeared earlier than normal. Long gone were the days that the house was always busy and loud – which was why Olivia was so looking forward to Thanksgiving.
Elizabeth waved to her Daddy, Ben and Paul as she ran past the mill towards Jason's. She let herself in through the back door and sat her things on the kitchen table. The twins sat in their highchairs, an empty bowl in front of each of them and scrambled egg all over two identical faces. She could hear an argument going on in the living room between the older boys and decided she would go to act as mediator.
"Hey? What's going on?" She asked.
"Jay stole my train," Tyler said, glaring at his younger brother, standing fists clenched. Elizabeth knew that Tyler would be the first to strike if he had the opportunity and quiet little Jay wouldn't get a chance to duck.
"Tyler broke my lion. Look Aunt Elizabeth," Jay said, turning to show her the broken parts of his little lion figure.
"Did not!"
"Did too!"
"Did not!"
"Did too!" Tyler swung his arm out aiming to hit his younger brother but Elizabeth grabbed it just in time.
"Boys, give it a rest," Toni said, coming down the stairs, holding a basket of laundry and Tyler's school bag.
"Mama, I didn't steal it," Jay said, running up to her and tugging on her arm. "But he broke my lion. He standed on it."
"Look under the table Tyler. That's where you were playing last night," Toni said to the five-year-old. Tyler nodded and got down on his hands and knees to search for the train. Elizabeth watched as Toni went into the kitchen, dropped the laundry basket to the floor and began to clear up the twins's breakfast.
"You alright?" Elizabeth asked.
"One of those mornings," was the reply. Elizabeth nodded and began to do what she could to help clean up and then she lifted Georgie from the highchair and took a set of trousers and a jumper to dress him in.
"Where's Jason?" Elizabeth asked, though she could almost guess the answer.
"Not home yet," Toni replied. Elizabeth nodded. He was supposed to get home the previous evening. It seemed like recently her brother had never been getting home when he hoped to. Their father had warned him that music touring and a family wouldn't run hand in hand but Jason had insisted that he would make it work. Looking at Toni Elizabeth wasn't so sure it was working. She knew her sister-in-law counted down the days till his return; being alone with four sons was not an easy job but she never said anything.
Elizabeth sat on the couch and began dressing a wriggling Georgie as Toni did the same with Gene.
"John Boy's coming home tomorrow," Elizabeth said.
"It'll be good to see him," Toni said. It had been a long time since her brother in law was home.
"And he's bringing his girlfriend," Elizabeth added. Toni nodded, this was big news to all of them. John Boy had never brought a girl back to the Mountain. His letters and phone calls mentioned many different females; but none seemed serious until Janet appeared a few months previous.
"Are you going to be nice to her?" Toni teased, glancing up at Elizabeth. The girl blushed slightly remembering how she'd treated Toni the first time they'd met.
"I was not that bad!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"Yes you were," Toni laughed. The girl seemingly hated her the first few times they'd met but soon they'd become friends. Once Elizabeth realised that if she had to share Jason with someone then Toni wasn't so bad.
"Is Mama at home this morning?" Toni asked.
"She's trying to sort things for Thanksgiving," Elizabeth said.
"Do you think she'd take the boys?"
"Of course." There was nothing Olivia Walton loved more than looking after her grandchildren; something all of her daughters were extremely grateful for. She already took Jason and Toni's boys twice a week and any extra time that Toni needed to go to work.
Elizabeth stood Georgie on the floor and got up. She walked over to Tyler, who having retrieved the missing train was pushing it around the little wooden track.
"Come on Ty. Time for school," she said. He nodded and took his aunt's hand.
"Bye Mama." Elizabeth grabbed his school bag before the walked out and then Toni looked st the three who were left.
"Ok boys, time to go to Grandma and Grandpa's. Get your coats."
I hope you're liking my story so far. I'd love to know what you think