Being in a child's life, especially as someone who is so close to them, it takes a lot of patience and strength when they let their imagination rain over you. And with this tea party that Leilani insisted we have, that's exactly what I need. She's been preparing this "tea" for almost an hour, missing cold tap water with a spoon.
My eyes look over at Ryan who seems to have fallen out of her small, child sized indigo cushioned chair, onto the white carpet. She's stretched out with the tan cowboy hat on her face that Leilani put on her earlier. Of course's she's asleep with her white and black striped shirt risen just a little on her flat tummy while her lips are poked up in the air.
She knows that when Lauren comes in to take yet another picture of the scene, that she will literally shake her awake. I guess Ryan is enjoying it while she can.
My younger brother, Garry, is really enjoying that silver tiara Leilani put on his spiky brunet hair. He seems to have a liking to the plastic purple jewels in the middle the most. His tan fingers run over the jewels causing his thin pale pink lips to curl into a smile.
"Is everyone ready?" Leilani says as I straighten the firefighter jacket over my shoulders. For some reason, I'm beginning to believe that Lauren is buying these costumes in our sizes rather than my niece's because they fit so perfectly.
"Yes," Ryan says sticking her hand up as she slides her body back into the chair.
Watching her, she carefully pours the "tea" into small ivory porcelain tea cups that have pink roses painted onto them and passes one to each of us.
If Thanksgiving is the only time I could have this intimate time with my family in such a long and like this, I guess that I'll have to take it.
"You guys are so adorable," Lauren stands in the doorway taking yet another picture on her phone.
"Lauren you should be in here with us," Gar's husky voice carries through the room as Lauren's medium chestnut brown eyebrows raise on her face as if she's surprised.
"Mommy is cooking."
Lauren disappears on that note as we all groan but we all straighten up when Leilani begins to talk again.
"This is the dinner before the dinner," Leilani says to us as we all nod. "So we have to eat snacks for now. And mommy let me take cupcakes for us."
"Yes," Garry rubs his hands together as she gives us each a different flavored cupcake. Mine, a chocolate one with vanilla frosting.
The best thing about coming to Lauren's house is she brought a house that wasn't too far from where we all grew up. That includes the girls. So we can literally never miss a holiday or a special occasion.
Forty minutes away is better than hours.
I can always be there.
Right now, the girls were at their houses and Eli was with his family, but as usual the girls would all be here in a few hours stuffing their faces of course. It wouldn't be Thanksgiving if they didn't.
So I'm thankful for that.
I take my time eating my cupcake as Gar stuffs his cupcake into his mouth and sips his "tea" to wash it down. Leilani is instantly happy.
Ryan however is trying to separate herself from her sleepy state but her eyelids keep closing and her head keeps nodding, so she might be eating that cupcake later.
On the wooden circle table that we're all sitting at, my phone begins to light up. Without hesitation before my eyes can scan the name, I put the phone to my ear.
YOU ARE READING
Somebody Else
Fanfiction"You're intertwining your soul with somebody else" Happiness seems to be far away as Cheryl's relationship with her boyfriend is practically falling apart in front of her eyes. Despite the need to break it off, she holds onto a glimmer of a hope th...
