The wedding was now seven days away and everyone was on the plane they had chartered, heading back to Florida.
They were an hour into the flight when everyone began to complain of boredom. Michelle pulled a small box that touted ‘Unbreakable Plastic Spoons’ on the cover and flashed it at Aaron.
“Spoons?” he asked.
Grinning she tossed the box to him and said, “Prepare to lose pretty boy.”
Aj asked, “What’s ‘Spoons’?”
Everyone stopped and stared. “WHAT?!”
“You don’t know how to play spoons?” Kevin, Michelle and Aaron asked simultaneously.
“No.”
“Come on you’re gonna learn,” Michelle drug him over to the table and sat him down.
Once everything was set up and everyone was ready she explained the game to him, “First of all the most obvious, the game is called spoons. You have to put one less spoon than the number of players in the middle of the table. Each player gets four cards, the rest of them are passed around the table one by one very quickly. The object of the game is to get four of the same cards, so you would want four threes, fives, sevens, like that. The object of the game is to be the first to get all four cards and then grab a spoon. If anyone else sees you grab one they follow suit. It’s more fun if nobody sees you grab one. Extreme spoons are even more fun.”
“Extreme Spoons?” he sounded kind of worried.
“That version is better played on the ground and not by pregnant women,” Michelle told him.
“Let’s play!” Baylee yelled; even though he was still pretty young he loved to play “grown up” games.
They played until it was time for lunch. The girls had packed a picnic because they thought it’d be fun. They made the guys move all the movable furniture and set up. Baylee thought it was hilarious that the grown ups were eating on the floor when he usually got in trouble for it.
After everyone was done eating Michelle lay down and Baylee followed. Neither woke up until the plane landed.
*~*~*~*~*
Everyone went straight home to get ready for the rehearsal dinner that night. They’d planned it so far in advance so that if they ran into problems in any other areas they’d have time to deal with them.
Michelle showered and changed into a soft pink cami and dark blue jeans. She French-braided her hair; something her friends loved to watch her do because they couldn’t do it to their own hair; and waited on the bed while Nick showered and changed himself.
*~*~*~*~*
At a quarter to seven they left to meet everyone at the church.
“Uncle Jack!” Michelle greeted the minister, who was in fact her uncle and godfather.
“It’s great to see you Shelley.” He replied hugging her.
“Excited, I can’t wait for Friday.”
“I’ll bet. What do you say we get this over with? Your aunt Mary can’t wait to get all of you in the house. Ruthie can’t wait to get Aj in the house.”
Michelle giggled, Ruthie was her sixteen year old cousin who just so happened to be in love with Aj.
*~*~*~*~*
“She’s in her room,” Mary said as they walked into the kitchen. “I don’t think there’s a chance she saw you pull up she’s busy with Eli.”
“How is he?” Michelle asked.
Her aunt turned to the group and answered, “Fine.”
Jack said to Aj, “Up stairs second door on the left.”
“Yes sir,” Aj saluted and took off.
They heard the door open and Michelle said, “Wait for it…..”
And they heard, “OH. MY. GAWD!”
Ruthie was at the bottom of the stairs seconds later. She had her mouth open to speak but when she saw the rest of the guys in the kitchen she screamed even louder.
“Ruthie calm down,” Jack told his daughter and Michelle laughed. “You might frighten them.”
“Oh please. The only thing that scares them is if one of them pisses off any one of us. Then it gets ugly,” Kristin said.
Everyone laughed including Aj who had just returned. Once they quieted down, Nick finally got it. “HEY!”
“Oh be quiet, you know it’s true.” Michelle replied swatting his arm. “Ruthie, Aunt Mary…”
“Michelle!” Ruthie yelled as she hugged her cousin. “I didn’t see you.”
“That’s ‘cause I’m surrounded by giants. Anyway, Aunt Mary, Ruthie these are Brian, Leighanne, and Baylee, Kevin and Kristin, Aj and Ana, Howie and Leigh and finally Nick, guys these are my Aunt Mary and Cousin Ruthie.”
Everyone exchanged hellos. It was a few minutes before Ruthie asked Michelle, “Do you want to go meet Elijah?”
“Of course,” Ruthie was referring to her four week old son whom Michelle had yet to meet. “I’ve been waiting to see him. I’m sorry I wasn’t there when he was born.”
“That’s okay, Mom was.”
The guys exchanged confused looks that Ruthie caught. She explained, “I did something that I really regret but I will never regret my son.” She turned and led Michelle upstairs.
“He was sleeping when Aj came in but he might be awake now.”
They walked over to the crib and saw that he was in fact awake. Michelle lifted him gently and said, “Ohhhh, I can’t wait.”
“Wait for what?”
“When I have my baby.”
“Your what?!”
“My baby, I’m pregnant. I’m due in September.”
“Dad’ll kill you if he finds out before Friday.”
“That’s why I’m not going to tell him.”
The girls laughed and talked until Jack came upstairs to tell them that dinner was “ready and waiting’.
Author's Chapter Notes:
Here's the next chapter. It was longer but it didn't make any sense to me so I cut a little of it. I'm sorry if what's left doesn't make any sense to you. And yes, I LOVE the game SPOONS.
