Note:

This is the first chapter, where you will read about a new character. Her name is Alice and you will be seeing her ~ and other new characters ~ in future chapters.

Chapter 5 ~ The Phone Call

It was sunrise, just hours after Abby's nightmare, and Annie was starting to wake up. She looked over at Abby, who was still sleeping, and wondered what she was dreaming about and hoping it wasn't another bad dream. She tucked in the sheets and blankets around Abby, to make sure she was warm, enough, and then kissed her on the head. She looked at her watch and realized it was almost an hour later than the time she usually gets up. She hurried out of bed and ran to check the other rooms, to make sure her children were awake, not seeing her Mom standing in the hallway. "Good morning, Annie." Jenny said.

Annie turned around. "Oh, good morning, Mom."

"Are you looking for Mary and Lucy?" Jenny asked.

"Yeah, I overslept and wanted to make sure the children are up, so they're not late for school." Annie replied.

"They're all downstairs with your dad and Eric. I'm making breakfast for them, if you want to get some more sleep." Jenny explained.

"Oh, thanks, Mom." Annie said as she hugged Jenny. "I think I'll take a quick shower and get dressed, before Abby wakes up."

"Okay." Jenny said as she turned to go back downstairs.

Before leaving to take her shower, Annie walked back in the room for a few things.

"Auntie Annie, where are you going?" Abby asked in a tired voice.

Annie sat down next to Abby and kissed her on the head. "I'm just going to take a shower and get dressed, Sweetie, and then I'll come back, okay?"

"Okay." Abby said as she rubbed her eyes. "I want to sleep some more. I'm still tired."

Annie hugged Abby and gave her another kiss on the head. "Okay, Baby." She tucked in the sheets and blankets around Abby again, before leaving the room. When she finished her shower and everything, she went back in the room to check on Abby.

Abby sat up in bed and started to rub her eyes.

"Good morning, Sweetie." Annie said as she sat down next to Abby.

"Good morning, Auntie Annie." Abby smiled. "I think I'm ready to get up, now."

"Okay, Sweet Baby." Annie replied as she hugged Abby and kissed her on the head. "You'll need to take a bath and you can use the one in mine and Uncle Eric's bathroom, okay?"

"Okay." Abby said as she hugged Annie.

"After we get your clothes picked out, I'll go start your water and get you a towel and everything." Annie said as she stood up so she could help Abby pick out some clean clothes.

"Okay." Abby replied as she crawled out of bed and followed Annie.

"Okay, Sweetie, let's go start your bath water." Annie said after they finished picking out Abby's clean clothes.

"Okay." Abby said as she skipped through the hall, Eric and Annie's bedroom and to their bathroom. "Auntie Annie, you're my hero. I thought I was going to cry forever last night."

"Sweetie, does your Daddy do anything about the other children in your neighborhood?" Annie asked as she set Abby's clean clothes down and then hugged her.

"He yells at them sometimes, but I don't think he scares them away. Sometimes he scares me, when he yells at them." Abby replied.

"Oh...." Annie said as she tried to think of a way she could help stop the other children from being mean to Abby while she started the water in the bathtub.

"I'm getting hungry." Abby said as Annie helped her out of her pajamas.

"Do you want me to make you some oatmeal, after your bath, Honey?" Annie asked.

Abby smiled. "YEAH! Can I please, have some toast with butter and strawberry jam, too?"

"Yes, you can, Sweetheart." Annie replied as Abby stepped into the bathtub. After Abby finished her bath, Annie picked up around their room before going downstairs for breakfast. Eric was almost ready to walk out the door to take Matt, Mary and Lucy to school as Annie and Abby entered the kitchen. Annie walked over and hugged everyone before she started to make breakfast.

"I love you, Mommy." Lucy said.

Annie hugged Lucy and kissed her on the head. "I love you, too, Sweetie."

"I'll be back soon." Eric said as he grabbed his car keys. "Your Mom and Dad are in the living room, with Simon, who is playing with his toys."

"Okay. We're just now getting breakfast, so we'll probably still be here when you get back." Annie replied before she kissed Eric.

"Okay." Eric said as he walked out the door.

"Why didn't Simon go to school?" Abby asked.

"Oh, he's too young to go to school, for now, Honey. He'll start pre~school this fall." Annie replied as she got out the oatmeal and two teal, microwave bowls.

"Oh." Abby said as she climbed up on a stool to sit down at the Island.

Annie held up two packets of oatmeal. "Do you want Maple and Brown Sugar or Apples and Cinnamon?"

Abby smiled. "Maple and Brown Sugar!"

"Okay." Annie said as she smiled back.

"I'm thirsty, can I please have some orange juice?" Abby asked.

"Yes, you can, Sweetheart." Annie replied. She poured the orange juice and was about to put it back in the refrigerator when the phone rang. She quickly handed Abby her cup of orange juice. "Hold on, Sweetie, I have to get that."

"Okay." Abby replied before taking a drink.

Annie picked up the phone. "Hello?"

"Hi, Annie. This is Alice, your cousin."

Annie smiled. "Oh, hi, Alice! It's been a long time since we talked. How have you been?"

"Everything is great. We've been getting a lot of rain, here in Michigan, lately. What about you?" Alice asked.

"We're all great. Mom, Dad and Abby are here and I was just getting some breakfast." Annie replied.

"Would you, Eric and your children like to come to Michigan, and stay in our other cottage for the summer?" Alice asked.

"Well, actually, we have Abby, staying with us for the whole summer. She won't be leaving, until after Labor Day." Annie said.

"Oh, that's okay, you can bring Abby, too. We're having a family reunion in July, and we would really like for all of you to be there. We were also wondering if Eric would like to help teach Vacation Bible School at some of the churches in our area." Alice explained.

Abby jumped down from the stool she was sitting on at the Island and went through the whole kitchen, pretending to eat everything.

"Okay." Annie answered. "I'll talk with Eric, and then call you back and let you know if we're coming."

"Okay." Alice said.

"Well, I guess I should get going, now, I think Abby is trying to tell me that she's really hungry." Annie said after watching Abby start her trip around the kitchen for the second time.

Alice laughs. "Okay, Annie. I'm looking forward to your call. I hope you can come. Talk with you soon."

"Okay. I hope we can come, too. If I don't call you today, it will probably be tomorrow." Annie explained.

"Okay. Talk with you later." Alice replied.

"Talk with you later." Annie said before hanging up the phone.

"Are we going somewhere?" Abby asked.

"My cousin ~ she's actually your Grandma's cousin ~ wants us to come and spend the summer in their other cottage, in Michigan." Annie replied as she opened the packets of oatmeal. "Do you want to go to Michigan, Honey?"

"If you go, then I want to go, too." Abby said as she climbed back up on the stool by the Island.

"If any of us go, we'll all go, but first we have to talk with Uncle Eric to make sure we saved up enough money and everything." Annie said as she put the oatmeal and milk into the two teal microwave bowls.

"Okay. If we can go, can we leave as soon as Uncle Eric says we can?" Abby asked.

"No, Sweetie, your cousins still have two weeks of school left, but if we can go, we'll leave as soon as they're out of school for the summer." Annie replied as she put the first bowl in the microwave.

"Oh." Abby said as she watched Annie put some bread in the toaster. "I want mine light brown."

"I know you do, Sweetheart." Annie said as she hugged Abby and kissed her on the head.

"Can I please have milk and raisins in my oatmeal, too?" Abby asked.

"Yes, you can, Honey." Annie replied as she took the butter and strawberry jam from the refrigerator.

Abby jumped down from the stool again and started skipping through the kitchen, singing. "I'm spending the summer with my Auntie Annie...we might go to Michigan....!"

"Abby, Sweetie, your food is almost ready." Annie said as she sat the milk on the counter by the raisins.

"Okay." Abby giggled. "I'll sit down when it's ready."

"Here's your oatmeal, Honey." Annie said as she sat the hot bowl of oatmeal on the table. "It's a little hot, so be careful, okay?"

Abby smiled as she skipped over to the counter. "I'll cool it off, with some milk!"

"Here, Sweetie, let me get the milk ~ it's still too full and I don't want you to drop it and hurt yourself." Annie said as she picked up the milk and handed Abby the box of raisins. "You can carry these."

"Okay." Abby said as she took the raisins and skipped back over to the table.

Annie poured some milk into Abby's oatmeal. "Here's your milk, Sweetheart."

Abby smiled as she hugged Annie. "Thank you, Auntie Annie."

"You're Welcome, Sweet Baby." Annie said as she hugged Abby.

"I'm back." Eric said as he walked in the door.

Abby smiled. "We might go to Michigan, Uncle Eric!"

"Alice called while you were gone ~ she wants all of us to come and stay in her other cottage for the summer. They're having a family reunion in July and she said they would really like for all of us to be there. She also asked if you could help teach Vacation Bible School at some of the churches in the area. I told her I would talk with you and then call her back." Annie explained before he had a chance to answer Abby.

"What about, Abby?" Eric asked.

"She said Abby can come, too." Annie replied.

"Okay." Eric said. "I know a few people who might be able to fill in for me, on Sundays ~ I'll call them and set up a meeting and then I'll let you know."

"Okay." Annie said as she took her oatmeal out of the microwave.

Abby smiled. "Do you want some oatmeal and toast, Uncle Eric? Auntie Annie makes good food."

"No thanks, Honey, I already ate before I took your cousins to school." Eric replied. "I have some church business to do for now and I heard that you're going shopping today."

Abby was still smiling. "Yeah, Auntie Annie is going to buy me some sun dresses."

"Yeah, I heard ~ have fun shopping." Eric said as he looked back before going to his office.

"Okay." Abby said before taking another bite of her oatmeal.

After putting the butter and strawberry jam on her toast, Annie took her plate and bowl of oatmeal and sat down next to Abby at the table. "First we're going to go shopping, then we're going meet Grandpa, Grandma, Uncle Eric, cousins Lucy and Simon for lunch at McDonalds and then I'll take you to see a movie."

Abby smiled. "We get to have fun all day!"

"Well, most of the day, Sweetie." Annie said. "I still have to make dinner for all of us tonight."

"Okay." Abby replied. "I'll watch Sesame Street, while you make dinner."

Annie put her arm around Abby and hugged her while kissing her on the head. "Okay, Sweetheart."

After Annie and Abby finished eating their breakfast, they went upstairs to get ready to leave for the store.

Abby smiled as she walked back in the room. "I'm ready to go, Auntie Annie."

"Here, Sweetie, it might be cold in some of the stores, so we'll bring this with us." Annie said as she took a sweatshirt from Abby's bag.

"Can I please, take my blanket, too?" Abby asked.

Annie smiled. "Yes, you can, Honey. But we can't take it in the store, okay?"

"Okay. I hope no one steals it, while we're at the store." Abby said as she wrapped her blanket around her.

"Oh, I don't think anyone will steal it, Sweetheart, but we can put it in one of the bags in the back seat, okay?" Annie replied as she hugged Abby and kissed her on the head.

"Okay." Abby smiled.

Annie smiled back as she took Abby's hand. "Okay, let's go tell Grandpa, Grandma, Cousin Simon and Uncle Eric we're leaving, now."

"Okay." Abby replied as they left the room and walked downstairs to Eric's office.

"We're leaving, now." Annie told Eric as they walked in and saw him sitting at his desk. "We'll meet you at McDonalds later."

"Oh, Annie ~ I called everyone and set up a meeting for tomorrow." Eric said.

"Okay, thanks, Honey. See you later." Annie said as they left Eric's office.

"See you at McDonalds!" Abby yelled.

"Not if I see you, first." Eric said as he smiled and waved.

"He means that he might get to McDonalds before us." Annie explained after seeing the confused expression on Abby's face.

"We better hurry, so we can beat him." Abby said, starting to walk a little faster, causing Annie to walk faster, too.

"Okay." Annie smiled as they walked through the living room, where Charles, Jenny and Simon were sitting on the couch. "We're leaving."

"Okay" Charles and Jenny both replied.

Simon was too busy playing, so he didn't notice Annie and Abby pass through the living room, or hear them walk out the door.

Abby smiled as she looked out her side of the window and saw the town carnival being set up. "Auntie Annie, they're building rides!"

"Oh that's our town carnival, Sweetie." Annie replied as she continued driving. "They set it up every year for Memorial Day weekend."

"Can we please, go?" Abby asked, still smiling.

"Not today, Honey, but I might be able to take you tomorrow." Annie replied. "We'll see, okay?"

Abby smiled. "Okay! If we go to Michigan, what are we going to do?"

"It will be a lot like camping." Annie answered.

Abby smiled again. "I LOVE camping! This will be my favorite summer!"

"We're almost there." Annie said as she smiled back.

"Okay." Abby said as she looked out the window.

A few minutes later, Annie pulled into a parking space at the store. She stepped out of the car and went around to the other side, and opened the door for Abby.

"Do I need my sweatshirt in this store?" Abby asked as she took Annie's hand, helping her out of the car.

"I don't know, Honey." Annie replied. "We better take it, just in case they have the air conditioner turned on."

"Okay." Abby said as she took her sweatshirt from the car.

Annie took Abby's hand, as they walked in the store. They looked around for a few minutes, but couldn't seem to find any sundresses.

"Let's ask someone if they have sun dresses." Abby suggested.

"I don't see anyone who works here, Sweetie." Annie said as she looked all around her.

They were about to start looking in another part of the store, when they heard a voice behind them. "Are you looking for something?"

"We can't find any sun dresses." Abby replied in a shy and quiet voice while looking down at the floor.

"I think we have some over there ~ we also have some dressing rooms back there, if you and your mom want to go in so you can try them on." The Sales Clerk said as she pointed to the back of the store.

Annie smiled. "Okay, thanks."

Abby was surprised that Annie didn't tell her she was her niece, not her daughter. "She thinks you're my Mommy. We should tell her you're my Auntie, so we're not telling a lie."

"Oh, it's okay, Honey. She doesn't know us, so she was just guessing." Annie smiled. "Let's go find you some sun dresses."

"Okay." Abby replied as they started walking to the back of the store.

Annie and Abby shopped for a little more than an hour, when Annie looked at her watch and saw that it was almost time for Eric to pick Lucy up from kindergarten. "Sweetie, it's almost time to meet everyone for lunch. We should pay for everything, soon."

"Okay." Abby replied. "I think my feet are starting to hurt."

"Okay, Sweetheart. Let's go." Annie said as she hugged Abby and kissed her on the head. After she paid for everything, they left the store and walked back out to the car.

Abby smiled as they walked over to the car. "It's really warm, out here."

"Do you want me to help you take off your sweatshirt, Sweetie?" Annie asked.

"Yeah." Abby replied.

Annie helped Abby take her shirt off and then unlocked the car.

"Ouch!" Abby said as she started to trip while getting in the car.

Annie gasped a little as she helped Abby stand up. "Are you okay, Honey?"

Abby looked like she was about to cry. "I don't walk good."

Annie gave Abby another hug and then kissed her on the head, before helping her into the car. After they left the store, they drove for about fifteen minutes when they pulled into the McDonalds parking lot. "I don't see your Uncle Eric or Grandpa and Grandma anywhere."

Abby smiled as she started clapping her hands. "We won, we won!"

"Does your leg still hurt, Sweetie?" Annie asked as she pulled into a parking space and turned off the car.

"Just a little." Abby replied as she put her hand on her leg. "I think my feet hurt, more."

Annie unhooked her seat belt, and slid over to Abby and helped her onto her lap.

"Can we please eat outside, so we will be warm?" Abby asked as she looked out the car window and saw the picnic tables.

"I'll ask Uncle Eric, and Grandpa and Grandma, okay, Honey?" Annie replied.

"Okay." Abby smiled. "Maybe we could eat our food in the park!"

Annie smiled back. "We'll see, Sweetie."

"Okay." Abby said as she rested her head on Annie and closed her eyes.

Annie continued to hold Abby, until they heard a knock on the window.

"I saw you, first, Uncle Eric!" Abby giggled.

"Abby wants to eat her food at the park." Annie said after Eric opened her car door.

"It's okay with me, if it's okay with your Mom and Dad." Eric replied.

"I want to go to the park!" Lucy said as she appeared from behind Eric.

"Okay, Sweetie." Annie answered. "We'll check with Grandpa and Grandma, first, okay?"

"Okay." Lucy said as Charles and Jenny pulled into the parking lot. "There's Grandpa and Grandma!"

"Okay, let's go and get some lunch, Sweetie." Annie said as she helped Abby off her lap and then out of the car.

Abby smiled. "Okay."

"Abby wants to eat her food in the park, and so does Lucy." Annie told Charles and Jenny as they walked over to her car.

"It's okay with me." Charles replied.

"Yeah, we'll just order our food, and get it to go." Jenny added.

"Okay." Annie said as they all walked into McDonalds together. After everyone ordered their food and everything, they left McDonalds and met at the park.

"Abby wants me to take her to our town carnival ~ I told her I might be able to take her tomorrow." Annie told Eric as she picked up a big blanket out of the back of her car.

"You can take her tomorrow, and then we'll all go, on Monday after the morning parade." Eric suggested.

"Okay ~ But one of us has to pick Matt, Mary and Lucy up from school." Annie said.

"My meeting isn't scheduled until later in the afternoon, so I'll pick them up ~ and I'll carry that blanket for you, too." Eric offered.

Annie smiled as she handed the blanket to Eric. "Okay, thanks, Honey."

"So, can we please go, Auntie Annie?" Abby asked as she ate her chicken nuggets while sitting in the front seat of Annie's car.

"Yes, we can, Sweetheart." Annie smiled as she opened the car door for Abby.

Abby put her container of chicken nuggets down on the seat, and then started clapping her hands.

"Come on, Sweetie, I have the blanket so we can all sit on it." Annie said as she took Abby's hand and helped her out of the car.

"Okay." Abby said as she picked up her container of chicken nuggets off the seat of the car.

"Where are Mom and Dad?" Annie asked as Eric walked back over to the car.

"I think our children dragged them to the playground." Eric replied. "Do you want me to go and get them?"

"Yes, please tell them it's time to eat. Thanks, Honey." Annie said as she and Abby walked over to the blanket.

"Okay." Eric said as he turned to walk over to the playground.

Abby was dancing around in circles as they walked over to the blanket until she heard a buzzing noise. "Auntie Annie, I think there's a bee over here."

"Let's run fast over to the blanket, where it's not as sunny or bright." Annie said as she took Abby's hand and then stopped and looked the other way for a few seconds. "He just flew that way, Honey, so he won't bother us."

"Okay." Abby said as they ran over to the blanket and sat down. "I hope he doesn't try to eat our food." Abby covered her chicken nuggets with her hands as Lucy and Simon came running over to the blanket ahead of Eric, Charles and Jenny.

"Here's your food." Annie said as she took some fries and more chicken nuggets out of the bag.

"Where are my fries?" Lucy asked.

"You're going to split them with your brother." Annie replied as she split the fries.

"Oh." Lucy said.

"Don't let the bees eat your food." Abby warned everyone as Eric, Charles and Jenny sat down. "Can I please, have some fries?"

Annie dumped some of her fries on a napkin, for Abby.

"Thank you, Auntie Annie." Abby said as she picked up her last chicken nugget.

Annie smiled as she put her hand on Abby's back and kissed her on the head. "Your welcome, Sweetheart."

After everyone finished their food, they started to clean up so they could leave.

"I should get going, I have a few things I need to do before picking Matt and Mary up from school." Eric said as he looked at his watch.

"Can I please, go with Grandpa, Grandma and Simon?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, you can come with us." Jenny answered.

"Okay." Eric agreed.

Charles, Jenny, Lucy and Simon walked ahead, to the parking lot.

"We should be home in a couple hours." Annie told Eric as she looked at her watch while opening the car door for Abby. "The movie starts in fifteen minutes."

"Okay." Eric replied as he walked away to his car. "I'll meet you at home."

"Okay." Annie said as she opened the door on her side of the car. "See you later, Honey!"

"See you at your house, Uncle Eric!" Abby yelled after she opened the window on her side.

"Okay, Abby, see you later!" Eric yelled back as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Annie pulled out of the parking lot, behind Eric, and then left to take Abby to see a movie.

"Do you want to share some popcorn, Sweetie?" Annie asked as they stood in line.

Abby smiled. "Yeah. Can I please, have some soda, too?"

"Yes, you can, Sweetheart." Annie replied as she picked Abby up and gave her a hug. "Do your feet still hurt?"

"Yeah" Abby said as she hugged Annie. "I hope they stop hurting when the movie is over."

After everything was paid for, they left to find a seat while they waited for the movie to start.

"It's cold in here, can I please have my blanket and sweatshirt?" Abby asked as she sat down.

Annie took Abby's blanket and sweatshirt out of her bag. "Here, Sweetie." She said as she handed them to her.

A few minutes later, the movie started.

One hour and 45 minutes later, Annie and Abby walked back out to the parking lot.

"What time is it?" Abby asked.

"It's almost three~o~clock, Sweetie." Annie replied as she started the car.

"Did I miss, Sesame Street?" Abby asked.

"No, Honey, that comes on at four ~ you have a little more than one hour." Annie said as she pulled out of the parking lot.

Abby smiled. "Can I please, listen to some country music?"

Annie turned on the radio and let Abby go through the stations until she found one that played country music. As soon as she found one, she started dancing and giggling. "Look, Auntie Annie, I'm dancing while sitting down!"

Annie smiled at her as she turned onto another road. Abby continued to dance and giggle for the rest of the ride home. "I'm going to show everyone, my new sun dresses!" She said as they pulled into the driveway.

"Okay, Honey." Annie smiled as she took off her seat belt.

"Look, what Auntie Annie bought for me!" Abby said as soon as she walked through the door, holding up one of her dresses when she saw Jenny.

Jenny smiled. "Abby, that's beautiful!"

"The girl who works at the store, thinks Auntie Annie is my Mommy!" Abby giggled as she showed Jenny the rest of her dresses. After Jenny had seen all of her new sundresses, Abby went skipping through the house to show everyone else, while Annie talked with her Mom for a few minutes.

A few minutes later, Annie went upstairs and joined Abby, who was showing off her new sundresses.

"Where, do you want me to put these?" Abby asked holding up the sundresses as soon as she saw Annie.

"Let's put them in our room for now, Sweetie, and tomorrow I'll wash them so you can wear one of them to church on Sunday." Annie replied as they walked back to the room they were sharing.

"Okay." Abby said as she handed the dresses to Annie. "Will you, please play Nintendo with me, until it's time for Sesame Street?"

Annie looked at her watch. "I can for a little while, and then Grandma is going to help me get dinner started, okay, Honey?"

"Okay!" Abby smiled as she hugged Annie. "What are we having?"

"Green bean casserole, chicken and some left over mashed potatoes." Annie replied as she picked Abby up and hugged her.

Abby smiled. "You always make my favorite foods! I can't wait until it's time to eat."

"Thank you, Sweetheart!" Annie smiled back as she left the room, still holding Abby. "Let's go play Nintendo, now, and then Grandma and I will start dinner, while you're watching Sesame Street."

"Okay." Abby smiled.

Annie and Abby played Nintendo, until Simon walked in the room a few minutes before it was time for Sesame Street to come on and tried to change the channel.

Abby looked at Annie, hoping she wouldn't let Simon mess up their game.

"Hold on, Honey, we're almost done." Annie told Simon. "Abby is going to watch Sesame Street with you when it comes on."

Abby finished the level she was on, and then decided she didn't want to miss the beginning of her favorite show. "I want to stop for now, Auntie Annie."

"Okay, Sweetheart." Annie replied. "I need to get dinner started, anyway. I'll be in the kitchen if you need me, okay?"

"Okay." Abby said as she turned off the game.

Annie hugged Abby and Simon and gave them each a kiss on the head, before leaving the room. A few minutes later, while making dinner, Matt walked in. "Mom, why is Abby watching Sesame Street? Isn't she the same age as me?" He asked.

"Yes, Honey, she will be ten in August, but it's okay to like it at any age." Annie replied as she opened the package of chicken.

"Oh." Matt said.

"You can go watch it with them, if you want." Annie suggested.

"No, way! Can I call Jeff?" Matt asked. "You told me he could come over tomorrow."

"I know, I did, Honey, but I'll talk with your Dad a little later and see what he says." Annie replied as she continued to get dinner ready.

Matt sighed. "Okay. I hope he says yes. I'll just go up to my room and read."

"Hey, wait ~ do you have any homework?" Annie asked.

"The reading, is part of my homework." Matt said as he started to go upstairs.

"What are your sisters doing?" Annie asked.

"I think they're playing in their room." Matt replied as he stopped and turned around.

"Okay." Annie said as Matt started to walk upstairs again. She turned to Jenny. "I think Abby finds it more entertaining, than educational."

"Yeah, I think it's good that she watches it, instead of some of the other stuff they show on TV." Jenny said as she opened a can of green beans.

"Yeah...." Annie said as she thought for a minute. "I just hope none of the other children make fun of her for watching that. I wish there was something I could do to stop them from hurting her."

"Yeah, me, too." Jenny replied. "I'm glad that she gets to stay with you for the summer, so she can get away from them for awhile."

"Yeah...." Annie was still thinking of how she could help, so the other children wouldn't be able to hurt Abby anymore.

Annie and Jenny continued to have conversations about different topics, as they finished making dinner.

About one hour later, Abby walked in the kitchen with Simon following behind her. "Where is Grandpa?" She asked.

"He went somewhere with Uncle Eric, Sweetie." Annie replied.

Abby was confused. "Are they going to miss dinner?"

"No, Honey, they should be back by the time Grandma and I have it ready." Annie said.

"I'm getting hungry, again. I hope we can eat soon." Abby said as she climbed up on the stool by the Island.

"I want, some crackers." Simon added.

Annie took two packets of cheese and crackers out of the cupboard and handed one to Abby and the other one to Simon. "Here, you can eat these until it's time for dinner."

Abby smiled as she opened the cheese and crackers. "Thank you, Auntie Annie."

Annie smiled as she hugged Abby. "You're welcome, Sweetheart."

Abby and Simon ate their cheese and crackers, while Annie and Jenny continued getting dinner ready.

Later that night after everyone had dinner and the kitchen was cleaned up, Annie went upstairs and found Abby almost asleep on her air mattress bed. "Sweetie, are you feeling okay?"

Abby opened her eyes and looked up. "Yeah, I'm really tired, Auntie Annie."

"Here, let's get ready for bed, in case you fall asleep." Annie suggested as she handed Abby her pajamas.

"Okay." Abby replied as she sat up and started rubbing her eyes.

"Would you like to lay in bed and listen to some Children's Bible Stories on a tape, after I finish getting my pajamas on?" Annie asked as she shut the bedroom door so Abby could get her pajamas on. "I'll lay down and listen, too."

Abby smiled. "Okay. I love you, Auntie Annie."

"I love you, too, Sweet Baby." Annie said as she hugged Abby and kissed her on the head.

After Abby was finished getting ready for bed, Annie left the room, to get her pajamas on. When she came back, she found Abby in her bed, in a deep sleep. She pulled the covers over her, gave her a kiss on the head, and then left to check on Matt, Mary, Lucy and Simon.

Notes:

The town where I live has a carnival every year on Memorial Day weekend, and that's where I got the idea to add it in this story.

I couldn't think of what movies were showing, in May 1989, so I just didn't mention a title for the movie they saw.

************************************************************************************************

Chapter 6

Please post a review to my story

Read reviews posted by other fans

Back To The Story Index

************************************************************************************************

Please Sign & View My GuestBook.

Please Send Me Some E~Mail.

Home

************************************************************************************************

Number of visitors since Monday, December 31, 2007:



This page was last updated Wednesday, July 25, 2018.

************************************************************************************************