Sunday, November 17, 2024

Episode 66 - Decking the Neighborhood

"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.

Sunday, November 10, 2024

Episode 65 - Finding Yourself

For the first time since his accident, Blaine walked into his office. At Lance's birthday party, Lawrence had approached him about working on a project for the Townsend Corporation. He wasn't sure if he was capable of doing the work he used to do, but the more he thought about it, the more he wanted to try. Staying with James and Chloe gave him some respite from feeling pressured to remember his life, but he knew he couldn't be reliant on them forever. While he enjoyed their company and spending time getting to know his children again, he was frequently bored. It was time to figure out what he was going to do with his life.

Sunday, November 3, 2024

Episode 64 - Lance's Birthday

Paige walked around the community room with Lance's list of birthday party demands as she made sure that everything was in its place. She had gotten him the games, decorations, and party favors he wanted. She learned how to bake and decorate the elaborate birthday cake that he had specifically requested that she bake herself from scratch. She knew that request had to be for the sole purpose of making her life more difficult. She hoped it would be enough for him.

As the finishing touches were put in place, the birthday boy himself walked in to assess her work.

Sunday, October 27, 2024

Episode 63 - Dignified

"Okay, how many of us are there?" Vanessa asked as she helped Chloe prepare refreshments for the ladies' meeting. "There's you and me. Lucy will be here, right?"

"Yes, she said she would be."

"I think Cassie is going to make it and Reese will be joining us. I asked Alma not to come for Lucy's sake. Alma seemed so down even before I said anything about the meeting that I felt bad asking her not to come, but it needed to be done."

"That is probably for the best," Chloe agreed. "Lucy isn't ready to be anywhere near her."

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Episode 62 - Supposed to Be

Reese sat at the kitchen island with a stack of bridal magazines spread before her. She hadn't realized how much planning went into a wedding. There were so many little details to worry about, invitations, wedding favors, bridal parties, roles for the families of the bride and groom, and the list went on. She was finding herself completely overwhelmed.

At times like these she wished she had a female friend to confide in. She'd never had a mother or sisters and she'd always been kind of a loner. She wondered if it was normal to not be into this kind of thing or if she was feeling uncertain about marriage itself. Her only serious relationships had been with Blaine and Simon. Making a commitment like this for the first time in her life was a big step. She hoped she was truly ready for this.