Family Matters

Chapter 5

"Mommy where is she?" Ellie asked impatiently pulling her mother's blouse a little.

"I'm sure she'll be here any minute," Jean replied, pushing Benjamin's and Henry's stroller back and forth a bit.

"Why are we here?" Andy asked his mother.

"I don't wanna play with them. I don't know them," Charlie complained and pouted.

"So, you will get to know them. Why are you so hostile towards Liz?"

"Hos... what?" Charlie asked confused.

"Why don't you like her? You don't know her nor her family well yet. Be open, maybe you'll make new best friends," Jean said with a smile.

"Hey, sorry for being late. Couldn't find a parking spot," Liz excused herself and walked around the bench where Jean was sitting.

"No worries. Hi!" Jean hugged her slightly, avoiding the baby seat Liz was carrying.

"Lizzie!" Ellie wanted to hug her, but Jean held her back, "Careful, the baby." Liz put the baby seat on the bench and got down on one knee to hug Ellie. "Hey, munchkin." A grin spread across Ellie's face.

"Hi, kids. I'm Jean, nice to meet you.," Jean introduced herself to Taylor and Evan. They looked at Liz, uncertain what do to. "Introduce yourselves, go on. Come on, I told you about Jean and her kids in the car."

"Hi," Taylor said quietly.

Liz sighed, "This is Taylor, and this is Evan. And this little guy here is Timmy."

"I'm Ellie," Ellie said with a wide smile, "They are Charlie and Andy, my brothers." The boys waved a little.

Taylor looked at Ellie and gasped. "You have curls like me!" she exclaimed happily.

Ellie smiled widely and shook her head, so her curls flew around her face.

"You know what...," Liz said looking at the two girls, "Ellie, you're blonde, and Taylor, you're a little redhead. Remind you of someone?"

The girls looked at each other for a moment, then they gasped loudly. "Anna and Elsa!" they both screamed happily. Liz and Jean were surprised the babies didn't wake up from that noise. Or that the dogs in the neighborhood didn't start barking.

"Well then Anna and Elsa and you boys, go on and play," Jean said and pointed at the playground behind them, "Get to know each other."

Ellie and Taylor smiled widely, then the kids spread across the playground, Charlie and Evan went on the slide while Andy, Taylor and Ellie sat down in the sand and started playing with it.

"Where's the rest of your gang?" Liz asked, as she sat down as well and took Timmy out of the seat.

"JJ are still at school and Becca and Tommy are at music practice," Jean explained, again pushing the stroller back and forth.

"I'm guessing JJ are Jaime and Jenny?"

"Oh, yeah. Sorry," Jean laughed.

"You could call Becca and Tommy BT. Or TB," Liz suggested with a smile.

"They would reject us instantly," Jean replied.

"Then do it, when they're ticking you off."

Again, Jean laughed. "Not a bad idea."

"What instruments are Becca and Tommy playing?" Liz asked, cradling Timmy in her arms.

"Becca's learning how to play the piano with my mother and Tommy is with his uncle practicing guitar," Jean explained.