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Wonderfully Normal (1/5)

Angie sat next to Joan, both girls cross-legged on the living room floor. Tablet in hand, Joan was scrolling through photos. Chatter and laughter filled the room, and their attention was on a picture of Cody and Jess where the couple was grinning widely in front of Catherine's rose bushes.

"They look so happy!" Joan exclaimed as she zoomed in on the photo. "I can't wait for next year!"

Angie tilted her head to get a better look at the screen. "I hope Jess picks out a dress that looks like a princess! Do you think they'll have a cake shaped like a castle? I hope they have sparkles everywhere!" Her eyes shone with the kind of excitement that only a seven year old could conjure.

"Jacob said he thinks they're going for a pretty traditional theme," DJ replied, looking up from the book he was reading. Aaron had brought him one on the history of the Cubs.

"What's that mean?" his sister inquired. She needed to be sure she understood every detail of the very first wedding she'd be attending as a member of the bridal party.

"It's like most weddings you see on TV - like Mom and Dad's and Aunt Mary and Uncle Aaron's. You know, the bride in a bougie dress and the groom in a really nice suit."

"Oh, maybe Jess will wear a tiara!" Joan said with a smile.

DJ grinned at her and said, "Maybe," before returning his eyes to his book.

Mary stepped into the room, a plate of marshmallow cookies in hand. "I thought I heard junior bridesmaid talk in here," She grinned at the girls and said, "Both your dads and Joseph are going to make a Home Depot run. If anyone wants to go, grab your shoes and meet them at the truck."

The eleven year old closed his book and placed it on the end table. "I'll take a ride with them," he responded with a nod as he stood and grabbed a couple of cookies. "Thanks, Aunt Mary." Turning to the girls he asked, "You guys wanna come?"

Joan and Angie looked at each other and shook their heads. "No, thanks," Joan said. "We're gonna look at more wedding stuff." She grabbed a cookie and passed it to her cousin before taking one for herself.

"I'm really glad I'm a groomsman," DJ said with a smile, "being a bridesmaid seems a little confusing with the dresses and hair and stuff. Cody said all us guys need to do is get fitted for our suits and show up smiling."

Catherine, who had followed a few steps behind Mary into the room, smiled softly at DJ's use of the phrase 'us guys'. There was no question. Their little boy was growing up. Her hand fluttered to her chest as she turned around and went back into the kitchen to take a moment to compose herself.

"Sounds about right," Mary teased. "Go have fun at Home Depot, see you later." She placed the plate on the coffee table and sat between her daughter and niece. "So, ladies, are you looking at tiaras?"

The sound of giggles filled the room, and just then, Joseph appeared in the doorway, arms crossed and a smile on his face. "Last call for Home Depot … what's this talk about tiaras? Are you the royal court?"

"Grandpa!" Angie giggled at his silliness, before declaring dramatically, "We need to look at wedding stuff while Joanie's here."

"Right, right. I see. The wedding plans."

"We're looking at all the stuff, so if Jess asks us we can help her pick," she stated while her aunt and grandfather exchanged amused grins.

"In that case, I'll leave you to it."

"You know," Mary told Angie as Joseph snagged a cookie, took a bite, and headed outside with a wave. "Your mommy didn't even try on her honor attendant dress for my wedding until two days before the ceremony. We ordered it and of course she looked amazing."

"How come we didn't come to California earlier for Mommy to try it on?" Angie asked.

"Because you, ma'am, were a couple of months old and she was a tiny bit swamped with being a brand new mommy and getting back to work. And you had the cutest little dress with a sash that matched your mommy and Alyssa's dresses."

"I know you were too little to remember, but Aunt Cath looked beautiful," Joan gushed to her cousin, and Angie beamed. "And you looked like a princess, Mama."

Mary leaned in and kissed her cheek. "Aww, thank you. Now, how about you two show me what you're looking at?"

As they sat scrolling through more pictures of tiaras, Luna darted into the room and under the couch, emitting a low growl as she went.

"What's wrong with Luna?" Joan asked, her voice laced with concern.

Angie walked over next to the couch then bent at the waist and looked underneath.

"She has a spider," the seven-year-old announced. "Somebody must have left the garage door open."

The appearance of Angie's face in front of her distracted Luna just long enough for the spider to escape. It darted out from under the couch but only made it a few feet before Luna caught up and trapped it under her paw.

Mary and Joan screamed in unison causing Angie to look at them with a confused expression.

"It's just a cane spider," she said. "It won't hurt you."

Catherine ran into the room. "What's going on? Is everybody ok?"

"Luna caught a spider," Angie replied matter of factly.

"That's her favorite pastime," Catherine said with a chuckle.

"Give it to me," the little girl instructed her beloved cat.

Luna looked at her as if she understood every word. After a brief hesitation she lifted her paw, albeit begrudgingly, and the spider tried once again to run for freedom. This time it was Angie who picked the eight legged creature up with her bare hands.

"I'll take it back outside," she announced.

A minute later they heard the water running in the downstairs bathroom then Angie reappeared and announced, "I put the spider in the flower bed and I remembered to wash my hands."

"Very good," Catherine said.

Angie plopped back down beside Joan and said, "Come look at tiaras with us, Mommy."

As Catherine joined them Mary just shook her head and smiled. "From tiaras, to picking up spiders, then right back to tiaras without missing a beat."

"That's Angie in a nutshell," Catherine said.

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