"Alright!" Vanessa called out, capturing the attention of the crowd of neighbors assembled on her front lawn. "I'm so excited to see that so many of you have come out to help us today. Thank you so much for your time. We have a lot to decorate, so there will be plenty for everyone to do.
"These are the decorations for the streets. There should be enough to decorate every light post around the neighborhood." As she spoke, she motioned toward one set of boxes on her left, then to the boxes on her right. "And these are the decorations we have for the park. I thought we could start by splitting into two groups and each group could tackle a different location. Anyone who wants to work on the street decorations come with me and everyone who wants to work on the park, go with Logan."
She clapped her hands enthusiastically to signal their start as the crowd around her started to separate into groups.
"Let's join the park group," Maura suggested as she rallied Jeremy and her friends to join her.
Most of the teenagers headed to the park with Logan. After carrying the boxes down to the park, they started sorting through the decorations and splitting up into smaller groups.
Vince gravitated toward Natalie and started helping her and Meghan hang ornaments on one of the trees.
"So, do you and your family do anything interesting to celebrate the holidays?" Vince asked, trying to start up a conversation.
"Just the usual, putting up a tree, opening presents," Natalie replied. "It's always been just my mom and me, so it's never been anything big. This year is the first time we will have Simon to celebrate with us too and it will be the first Christmas since I met my dad." She paused a moment wondering how these new additions to her family might change the holidays and if things were going to be different than they would have been if Blaine hadn't been struggling with his memory. She turned the conversation back to Vince. "How about you?"
"The same. It's usually just me and Maura and our mom opening presents in the morning and then we have dinner with Aunt Chloe and Uncle James. Sometimes I spend part of the break with my dad unless he's away on tour."
"Hey, Vince, you're tall. Can you lend me a hand with this?" Logan asked as he was stringing lights along the picnic shelter.
Meghan noticed how Natalie smiled after Vince as he walked away and couldn't help commenting on it. "You two really seem to be getting along," she grinned.
"We're starting to become friends," Natalie admitted.
"Um hmm," Meghan said doubtfully. "Just friends?"
Natalie didn't respond and continued hanging decorations.
"I always thought you were kind of into Jeremy." They looked over to where Maura and Jeremy were hanging ornaments on another tree. Maura was talking animatedly while Jeremy nodded. When he stole a glance in their direction, Natalie quickly looked away.
"I'm not into guys that are dating my friends," Natalie responded.
As she turned to grab another ornament, she caught a glimpse of Judith talking with Vince as they helped hang lights. Suddenly a troubling thought came to her. What if she was becoming interested in another friend's boyfriend again?
"Do you know why Vince and Judith broke up?" Natalie asked, trying to sound as casual and disinterested as possible. "Was it because of her parents? Does she still have feelings for him?"
Meghan laughed. "Get this! They were never even dating in the first place. Judith admitted that she made the whole thing up."
"Why?"
"No clue, but she said they're just friends, so if you want him, go for it. I don't think we should have to hold back just because we moved here later after all the guys were called dibs on."
"Brooke," Joey called out a second time as he tried to pass her an ornament for the tree.
Brooke snapped her attention away from the conversation between Natalie and Meghan that she had been listening in on and turned to Joey.
"You were off in your own world. Were you thinking about your dad?"
"Not exactly," she said cryptically. Her mind was running over the information she had just learned as she tried to figure out how she could use it to her advantage.
* * * * *
"That needs to be just a little bit higher and it's kind of crooked," Lance critiqued the decoration Paige had just hung on a lamppost.
Paige gritted her teeth and held her tongue as she followed Lance's instructions.
"No, that was a little too far. Go back the other way."
Paige adjusted the decoration again. "Don't you have anything better to do? Wouldn't you rather go hang out with your friends instead?"
"No, I'm happy to do my part by helping you."
Paige stepped away from the lamppost and spoke quietly to Lance. "You really need to tone it down a little bit. Your dad thinks I'm spoiling you and your siblings are starting to get jealous of this special treatment you've been demanding. If you don't ease up, you're going to get me fired."
"Good. That's what I wanted all along."
"If I get fired I won't be able to do anything for you anymore."
Lance shrugged. "You can get fired for doing things for me or you can get fired for lying about your identity. It's up to you because it's all the same to me."
Paige gaped at Lance's audacity as he crossed his arms in front of his chest and smirked at her. After a few blinks she made up her mind that she was not going to be bested by a twelve year old.
"You know, I could also get fired if something unfortunate were to happen to a certain child under my care. If I'm going to get fired anyway that might be the route I would choose," Paige warned him, but Lance seemed unbothered by her threats. She waved him away. "Oh, go torture someone else for a while."
"Fine," Lance agreed. Feeling that he still had the upper hand, he was willing to give her a break. "I'll let you know when I need anything."
Exasperated, Paige sighed and walked back to the decoration boxes.
"Is Lance still giving you a hard time?" Vanessa asked as she sorted decorations nearby.
"You have no idea," Paige muttered.
"Well, hang in there. He may never come around, but I think you are doing great with all of the kids."
"Thank you," Paige said. She was sincerely grateful for the praise.
"It hasn't been easy for any of them since Eileen died."
"I can tell," Paige said, with exaggerated sympathy. She jumped at the opening for a conversation. "But you know who I feel the worst for? Mr. Arrendale." She tsked and shook her head. "You can tell he's still grieving."
"I know," Vanessa agreed. "She was the love of his life."
"It must be hard to lose someone you loved so much . . . I wish Mr. Arrendale would open himself up to the idea of getting back out there and start dating again." When Vanessa looked at her skeptically, she quickly added, "I think it would make him happier and the kids happier too. Ms. Ramone mentioned that he hasn't dated since his wife died, but he used to go out with a secretary before he and Mrs. Arrendale started seeing each other?" She gave Vanessa a sideways look, hoping she would offer more information.
"Ms. Ramone told you that?"
Paige nodded. "She said she didn't know the woman, since she wasn't around then. Do you know who she was talking about?"
Vanessa thought a moment. "Yes, I do recall someone Lawrence used to date. What was her name? That was so long ago." Suddenly it came back to her. "Audrey. Audrey Jordan. It's been years since I've heard about her."
Paige frowned. "Are you sure that was her name?"
"Yes, I'm sure. Why are you so interested?"
"I was just thinking maybe Mr. Arrendale might be happier if he reconnected with a past love."
Vanessa shook her head. "Oh, I think you'd better forget that idea, hon, and leave it alone."
"I suppose you're right," Paige said dismissively. "Forget I even mentioned it."
When Lucy and Chloe approached, Paige grabbed some more decorations and hurried away.
"Vanessa, have you heard anything about the new construction starting?" Lucy asked. "Did they find someone for the new lots?"
"Not that I know of."
"Shayna is out there with a surveyor looking at the property now," Chloe said. "I would ask her myself, but last time I talked to her I was kicking her out of my house."
"And I'm certainly not the one to deal with her," Lucy added.
Vanessa nodded. "Leave it to me."
* * * * *
With an armful of decorations, Vanessa cut through her backyard and into the vacant lot behind her house where Shayna was talking with the surveyor, and pointing to different places on the lot as they looked over a set of plans.
"Don't mind me. Just spreading some holiday cheer through the neighborhood," Vanessa called out as she approached. "Did you find some new neighbors for us, hon? Should I start organizing a welcome wagon?"
"No need," Shayna said dismissively. "If all goes as planned the new residents of this lot won't require a welcome. In fact, they've already been unwelcomed."
"What do you mean?" Vanessa asked confused. "Who is moving in?"
"Hopefully, once the application is approved, it will be me."
"You and Andrew are moving? What about the house you live in now?"
"That is Andrew's house, as he has made abundantly clear. This home is going to be for me and Julian."
"Oh, hon, are you and Andrew splitting up?" Vanessa asked with concern and disbelief. "I'm so sorry. Do you want to talk about it?"
Shayna rolled her eyes. Through all her "hons" and mock compassion, Shayna knew Vanessa didn't care for her. She knew anything she shared with her was going to go straight to the rest of the neighborhood. She wasn't about to let her try to play besties with her now. She wasn't so easily charmed. "No. Nothing is settled yet. I am exploring my options, just in case."
"Building a house seems a little extreme for 'just in case'."
Shayna shrugged. "Well, that's my business, isn't it?"
"I guess so," Vanessa agreed as she turned to walk back to her house.
Shayna laughed. It was so transparent that she had only come over here for information and she was headed straight back to the neighbors to report what she had gathered with her Christmas decorations still in hand. She had completely forgotten about her cover story. "So much for your holiday cheer."
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