The Trap

Chapter 47

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Paula opened the door to see her daughters sitting on the floor.

"What are you doing, girls?" she asked, looking at them. She hadn't seen them in a while.

"Nothing Mom," Lily said with a smile. She hoped that her mom couldn't see the walkie-talkie sticking out from Holly's pillow.

"Did you need something Mom? We're in the middle of sister time," Holly said wanting to know what was so important to interrupt them.

"Your godparents are coming over for lunch today!" their mother said with a smile. She knew that would cheer them up.

"Yay!" Both girls screamed together. They were super excited because Randy could help them put their parents back together.

"So is that it?" Holly asked, wanting to start working on their plan.

"No I want you both to go get some fresh air. I can hear your friends playing. Go join them!" she replied with a smile. Since they moved in with the Baker's, Holly and Lily had spent most of the time in their room.

"Okay!" Lily said smiling. She was relieved that her mom didn't discover the device. Lily also loved how it was a secret way that she and Holly could talk to their siblings without tying up the phone line.

The girls ran past their mom, flew down the stairs and out the door. Their friends were waiting for them on the front lawn. And every single friend gave the girls huge hugs. All of them had heard from the Baker children what had happened to their perfect family.

"It's okay everyone. We're doing good," Holly said with a smile, hoping that they would believe her. She was still mad at Simon as the day it happened. She also hoped that their friends would drop it so that they could go play. The last thing Holly ever wanted to do was break down and cry and ruin their good time.

The kids played for three hours. They enjoyed games such as doorbell ditch, basketball and tag. The girls were able to forget all about their worries and enjoyed being kids again.

"Wow they seem to be enjoying themselves," Paula said with a smile.

"Yeah they do," Beth said returning the smile.

"Thanks for the idea to make them go outside."

"See I told you they would love it. So when are Randy and Erica coming?"

Suddenly they was a knock on the door.

"That answered my question."

Both women smiled and laughed as Paula opened the door. She greeted her friends and invited them inside. Paula was grateful to have friends like these people because they were more like family than anything else. Of course she had a street full of people who had been there for her when Rob left, but these two couples really made a difference in her life and the lives of her daughters. Both the Baker's and the Jackson's had helped her raise the girls and treated them like blood family. She would always be grateful to have all four people in her tight circle of friends.

"Mason and Randy would you please go watch the kids please? We will call you when lunch is ready," Beth said, looking at them.

All of a sudden, the house was silent. The women got to work making sandwiches and all the fix-ins, while the men were playing football with the all the neighborhood kids. When the game ended, and the kids had won, Holly and Lily attacked their uncle with hugs.

"We've really missed you!" Holly said with a huge grin.

"I missed my girls too!" he said returning the smile. He wished he saw them every day.