I looked in her eyes and asked a surprised, “Tate doesn’t like Jonas’s girlfriend?” And I was surprised because I’d met her more than once, she was cute, she was sweet, she was a cheerleader and since Jonas was the captain of the football team, handsome, smart, funny and doting, they fit.

“Tate doesn’t like Jonas bailing on his family on a family holiday at the last minute for some girl,” she replied then told me something I already knew. “Though, they’ve been together now for three years so she isn’t exactly some girl. But Tate also doesn’t like them being together for three years. He does not want his son to make his father’s mistakes. That said, she’s really sweet and not exactly like Tate’s high school girlfriend but he’s having flashbacks. Neeta flashbacks have a way of grabbing hold and not letting go. So, I’ve said my piece on the way here and now I’m being neutral. They’ll have to figure it out.”

I was filing this away to tell Ty later as proof that sons might not always be easier than daughters when Laurie gave me more fodder.

“Jonas looks just like his Dad and acts just like his Dad. This is not lost on Tate. Though Tate doesn’t see that Jonas has skipped the twenty-five years his father lived through hell with Neeta. I’ve also explained this to him and he’s ignored me so he’ll have to figure that out too.”

This was good stuff and I wanted her to tell me more but she shut it down.

“Now,” she clapped her hands. “What can I do?”

“You know how to make sweet potato pie?” Ella chimed in readily.

“Of course,” Laurie said, “that’s my favorite.”

“Stuff’s all set out,” Ella jerked her head to another counter across the kitchen where the stuff was, indeed, all set out. “Have at it.”

Laurie moved the sweet potato pie station and Honey moved to Laurie’s bags and unearthed a six pack of beer, two bottles of wine, the chocolate pecan pie Laurie promised to bring, a gallon of ice cream and three cans of spray whipping cream, the best kind.

Vivie suddenly shrieked, my head snapped up and I saw that Ty had switched the channel from the parade to a game to watch with Tate, Roland and Zander.

His eyes came over the back of the couch to me and they spoke volumes. I looked down to my pie crust and kept rolling while grinning.

At shriek two from Vivie which included actual words this time and they were, “No footbaw, Daddy!”, Bessie forged into the opening breach, calling while walking toward the living room, “Vivie, girl, get in here, baby, you too Lellie, honey. Girls get to be in the kitchen doing the fun stuff.”

Lell appeared instantly, dashing in quickly but quietly.

My first born was like her father. She had a lot to say and a lot of ways to communicate but not all those were with words.

Vivie made a mad, boisterous dash, screeching, “Fun stuff!” and shaking her hands over her head.

And it was obvious who my second born took after.

Lell attacked her grandmother’s legs, wrapped her arms around, tipped her head way back and smiled up at Ella. Ella instantly bent and lifted her, depositing her bottom on the counter and explaining she was peeling potatoes so we could mash them later. Lell listened with rapt attention and stared with absorption at her grandmother’s hands.

Bessie swung Vivie up in her arms while Vivie still shrieked, “Fun stuff! Fun stuff! Fun stuff!” as Bess carried her into the kitchen and then this chant changed to, “Pie! Pie! Pie!” when she spotted Laurie’s pie.

“That’s for dessert, baby,” Bess murmured to her.

“Pie, Auntie Bess!” Vivie squealed.

I ignored my daughter squealing and could do this because I had a great deal of practice because she rarely spoke in any other tone and I turned to Honey and asked, “Can you get Tate a beer and see if the boys need a fresh one? Game’s on.”

Honey grinned at me and rushed to the fridge.

I rolled the pie crust over the rolling pin then rolled it over the pie dish.

“Pie!” my daughter shrieked.

The doorbell rang.

My eyes went back to the family room to see Ty fold off the couch. Then I looked back at my crust.

One minute later, I heard called, “Where are my ragamuffins!”

“Grandpa,” Lell whispered, her eyes moving across Ella to me and they were alight.

“Grandpa!” Vivie squealed and fought Bess’s arms.

Bess let her down and Vivie raced out of the kitchen. Then she moved to Lell and let her down and she raced out too.

Thirty seconds later, Irv appeared with both girls riding his legs, their bottoms skimming the floor as he walked.

More greetings which Irv returned but he came right to me, my daughters still riding his calves, ankles and feet. He wrapped his hand around the back of my neck, bent in and kissed my temple.

I closed my eyes.

“Hey, Irv,” I whispered.

“Beautiful,” he whispered back and squeezed my neck.

I opened my eyes and tipped them back to look up at him.

He smiled at me.

I smiled back.

Then, with some effort and not very quickly, he shuffled out of the kitchen with my girls still attached to his legs.

“You want a beer, Irv?” Honey called and my eyes shot to Ty.

“Coke,” Irv called back with zero hesitation, “Thanks Honey-hon.”

Jeez, I loved it when Irv called Honey “Honey-hon”.

I let out a breath. Ty followed his Dad. Honey raced out with Irv’s soda like she’d get to stand on a podium and have a medal draped around her neck if she got the fastest time. That was Honey; she’d definitely win gold for being sweet.

I started to cut the overhang off the pie crust around the edge.

The doorbell rang again. Ty went after it again.

One minute later, we heard Julius shout, “That f**kin’ pool at the hotel is heated. My man, I took a dip at nine thirty at night, in the mountains, snow all around and it was the shit!”

“Unkul Juujuu!” Vivie shrieked and I could hear her little feet on the go and I was loving every minute of my daughter’s excitement. Mostly this was because she was excited; she had a lot of love to give and enjoyed spreading it around so she was in heaven. But also this was because this meant that later, she’d be out like a light.

I looked into the family room and saw Lell on her grandfather’s lap. Her head was turned to her sister but it quickly turned back. This was not because she didn’t love her Uncle Julius, this was because she absolutely freaking adored her Granddad.