Millie Comes to Visit - Part 2

Hello Friday Fiction Fans!
After an absolutely beautiful week with sunshine and temperatures in the 60s and 70s, we get a cloudy, rainy spring-like day. :) I don't know about you, but I like rainy spring days. They always remind me of my childhood when one of my favorite things to do was sit in a dim or dark room, listen to "Your Story Hour" or another audio, and play with silly puddy. The glow in the dark kind was the best for those dark rainy days. :)

Here's an update on TCR-5:
I wasn't able to write last night due to babysitting the kiddos until late, but I have started part 15 and hope to finish it today. That will mean I'm a quarter of the way done with this book!!!! How did that happen? It hasn't even been two weeks! Oh, and I talked with my illustrator and she's looking forward to working on the illustrations as soon as I'm ready. Here's a thought, if anyone of my TCR readers has a family member that you think fits one of my characters, and they are willing to be a model, send me a picture of them. I'm trying to find some models for the different characters so it's easier for my illustrator. (That would also mean she could work faster, which would mean the books would get published quicker, which would mean you could read them sooner! :) )

I'm hoping to order my proof copy of "Gift from the Storm" this weekend! :) I am looking forward to getting this book out for my faithful readers who are longing to know what happens.

But here is the next part of Ria and the Gang. Enjoy!

Millie Comes to Visit

Part 2

    When the train, its breaks hissing and whistle blowing, finally pulled to a stop before the little station, Ria was the first person every passenger saw. She stood by herself far in front on the platform, giving a skip now and then, her head turned quickly about, bright eyes scanning the windows and those climbing from the cars, until, at last, with a cry she rushed forward to throw her arms about a girl with chestnut hair. All was confusion after that. Emma and Carrie greeted each other with affection, for they had always been close. The men grabbed the luggage and then somehow everyone managed to leave the station platform.
    Ria’s exuberance was almost unmanageable and, but for the two girls who clung to her hands, she might have done anything. As it was she swung their hands and chattered like a magpie.
    “She’s liable to talk their ears off before we reach the house,” Mitch remarked as he swung two suitcases into the trunk of the car.
    His brother-in-law laughed. “If my girls don’t talk hers off first. All we’ve heard about the entire way out here is Ria and the gang. Speaking of the gang,” Roy looked about him, “where are they? I haven’t seen a single boy since I’ve arrived and I expected a whole troop of them.”
    “One of Ria’s plans,” Mitch grinned, “was the pleasure of girls, with no boys along for once.” Both fathers laughed.
    The girls chattered non stop all the short way to the Mitchell home where Ria, with excited bounces and skips, proudly led everyone on a grand tour of all the rooms, saving her own for the very end. At last her father interrupted her chatter.
    “All right, Ria, we have to head out to the farm now. You can talk later.”
    With a long sigh, Ria turned to her cousins, “The gang is at the farm. At least that is where they were going. When we get there it will all be boys, everywhere. More than you ever saw at one time before! And they’ll all be your cousins.”
    Millie was eager to meet all these cousins she had heard so much about, and her eyes sparkled though she clung to Ria’s hand. Allie, who was almost seven, asked, “Aren’t there any girls?”
    Ria shook her head. “Nope. Dory and Lily are the oldest girls after us and they are only three! We’ll have to stick together for protection.”
    All three girls giggled and then skipped down the stairs after their parents.

    Arriving at the farm later, Millie discovered that Ria was right. Never had she seen so many boys and young men. To her astonished eyes they seemed everywhere and, after having been introduced by Ria to half a dozen and seeing more approaching, she whispered, “Ria, how many more are there?”
    Ria shrugged. “I didn’t keep count.”
    “I’ll never be able to keep them straight,” Millie despaired, “and I’m afraid to go anywhere because there are boys every place I look.”
    At that Ria laughed. “I told you there were a lot. But tonight it will only be Ed, Jimmy, Johnny, and Chris. And they aren’t allowed in my room, so it will be only girls!” She gave a bounce of excitement and tugged at her cousin’s hand. “Come on,” she urged, “let’s go meet the rest of the gang and be done with it. Where’s Allie?”
    “With Mama, I think.” Millie looked around but saw no sign of her younger sister.

    The only light in the room was from the nearly full moon which cast a soft glow across the bed where the three girls lay whispering.
    “I thought surely there were hundreds of boys out at Grandma and Grandpa’s farm this afternoon,” Millie whispered. “They seemed to be everywhere!”
    “If you thought they were everywhere at the farm, you ought to see this house when the gang meets here!” Ria exclaimed!
    “Do they really all come here, Ria?” Millie whispered.
    “Uh huh.”
    For a moment the two cousins fell as silent as Alice who had already fallen asleep. Then, with a yawn, Millie whispered once more, “I’m glad I’m finally here, Ria.”
    “Me too,” Ria agreed. “At last I have a girl to do girl things with. What should we do first, tomorrow?”
    There was no answer. Millie, tired out from the excitement of the trip and meeting all her cousins, had fallen fast asleep.

    When Ria awoke, the morning light filtering in through her curtains fell on the brown heads beside her. In a rush, the excited delight of at last having two girl cousins to play with returned and woke her quickly. Slipping from her bed, she tiptoed over and opened the curtains to look at the sky. The light clouds scattered across the sky seemed to promise a lovely day and Ria could hardly wait to get started.
    “Millie,” she whispered. She didn’t want to wake Allie, but if only Millie would wake up, they could plan what they were going to do. “Millie!” This time she shook her cousin gently. “Wake up!”
    The brown head moved and Ria heard a sigh.
    “Millie! Come on, wake up!” she pleaded, giving another shake to the arm flung up on the pillow.
    With a yawn, Millie opened her eyes a little. “Hmm,” she mumbled. “What time is it?”
    “Almost seven,” Ria whispered. “Let’s get dressed.”
    It took Millie a little longer to wake up than it had Ria, but at last she was up, and the two girls hurried into their clothes, trying to be quiet so Allie could sleep. But before they could slip from the room, a sleepy voice asked, “What are you doing?”
    Millie turned. “Good morning, Allie. We didn’t mean to wake you. Ria and I are going to go downstairs. You don’t have to get up if you don’t want to.”
    “But I do!” And Allie bounced out of bed. “Wait for me, please.”

Have you ever experienced a cousin visiting?

Were you as eager for them to wake up?

Will you be back?

Do you know anyone who might be a TCR character?