Chapter 46

"When is she going to get here?"

"In a minute, Hannah. The plane is running a little behind."

"There she is, Hannah."

"Come on, Sarah." The girls go and mob Cathy.

As the girls are hugging her around her waist Christopher kisses her. Christopher takes her purse for a second so she can give each of the girls their due attention. As Cathy kneels down before them she says, "I heard you girls have been helping another little girl out."

"Yeah, Mary. You'll meet her tomorrow at the swim meet." says Hannah.

"I'm glad you are here, mom."

"Well thank you, Sarah. I'm glad I'm here, too."

The girls know the routine, so they go and wait for the luggage to come out. "I've missed you."

"I've missed you, too, very much, Christopher. I wish I could just stay for these next couple of weeks, but I have two new clients and we have a lot to do."

"I understand and the girls understand. Don't you girls?"

"Sure, mommy, we know you would be with us all the time if you could." says Sarah, with a sincere heart.

"We know you love us, mommy." adds Hannah.

Cathy tears up and has the girls come back over to her for another hug.

When they get home, Cathy pulls out three nightgowns that go almost all the way to the knees, depending on who is wearing them, since Sarah is a little taller. Cathy's rest about two-thirds of the way down her thighs. They are burnt orange and black. "These are made from the finest Chinese silk." In fact they are made in a Chinese design.

"They are the colors of Harley Davidson."

"Yes, these have a little silver and other highlight colors, but I noticed that too. I thought you'd like them."

"Do they have panties with them, mommy?"

"No, Hannah, these or so fine and soft that you don't want to wear anything with them, and you will feel really special."

The girls look at each other and start going upstairs to change. "Freeze."

The girls turn around and look at him, but it is Sarah who asks, "What, daddy?"

"We're going out to lunch in ten minutes. You can wear them tonight. In fact, Sarah, go check on Nana and ask her if she wants to come along."

It turns out she does, so Cathy, Sarah and Hannah sit in back and Nan sits up front. It is very possible that once Nan got in the back they'd never be able to get her out again. They have a pleasant lunch and the feeling of family permeates the air.

At long last the sun makes it's slow descent, and as Christopher is sitting on the couch making a whole bunch of new notes for his coming novel since his encounter with Helen and Mary, he turns to his right and there stand three goddesses in their new Chinese silk nightgowns.

Christopher holds out his arms to Hannah, and when she comes over to him he grabs her and while giving her a million little kisses he says, "You look amazing, girl." When he is done ravaging Hannah he turns to Sarah. "And you look absolutely beautiful, sweetheart."

"I do?"

Christopher holds out his arms to her and gives her a bear hug, but only a half million little kisses. "You are my princess."

"What about me, daddy. Am I your princess, too?"

"Of course, my Hannah is my princess too."

"How about me? How do I look? Aren't I your princess too?"

"You are my queen, and I will show you later tonight how you look." Cathy's mouth drops open.

As they settle in for family movie night Cathy is on his left, Sarah is in his lap leaning back against the armrest, and Hannah has decided she will sit on the back of the couch straddling Christopher while brushing his hair.

When Hannah gets bored and starts making her way down to sit in between Cathy and Christopher, Sarah says, "I want to brush mommy's hair." Christopher looks at her in surprise. "What?"

"As much as you brush your own hair I thought you didn't like brushing hair."

"I just don't like brushing my own hair."

The evening progresses with laughter, chatter and love.

Come morning time everybody is excited. They have to go to the next town over, as the quarterfinals are being held there. They pile everybody in, including Nan. They double-check to make sure the truck is still running so that Helen and Mary can make it to the meet.

Even though there are only four girls from each age group competing from each swim league, there are hundreds of little girls running around having fun. Even though most of the girls didn't make it to the quarterfinal they still came to cheer on their swim league sisters. For some reason it really makes Christopher proud to be an American.

At last comes the first heat with Sarah and the little red-haired girl in it. They of course finish one, two. The next heat has Hannah and Mary in it. Hannah finishes first and Mary finishes third. Another girl from a different swim league finished second and she is at the end of the age group of seven to ten and she looks powerful. Hannah barely won. Cathy can barely contain herself as she cheers the girls on.

Finally, when the second heat comes around from which their combined times will decide who wins this meet and what three from each swim league will advance to the semi finals, Cathy can no longer contain herself. She is standing, yelling and cheering worse than Christopher did the first couple of times. It makes him smile and it makes the girls beam.

At the end of the day Mary is sad not to get to move on to the semi-finals, but she is happy for Sarah and Hannah who have won first and second prize respectively. They receive trophies for this combined swim meet. Even though it is a precursor to deciding who moves on to the semis, it is also a real competition and no matter what happens, for now on they placed first and second at this combined meet and that can never be taken away.

They spend the rest of the day staring at their trophies. Cathy can't wipe the smile off her face and the pride out of her eyes. "See what they do to you?" Cathy nods with tears in her eyes.

As Christopher has papers scattered everywhere as he continues to make more notes and trying to figure out the structure for his next book, the girls are lying on the floor playing a board game with Cathy.

Later the girls again surround Christopher with love and laughter as they cuddle on the couch and watch a movie. It is turning into one of Christopher's favorite times of the day, week, year and life.

Unfortunately, the next day Cathy returns home, and then later Christopher takes Hannah home, or at least the home she is stuck living officially at for now.

"What the hell is taking you so long to decide about buying Hannah?"

"I'll let you know in two weeks after the finals." Mainly Christopher is concerned that Hannah gets to finish the season, because she has put so much work in she deserves it.

"I'm telling you if you want to see Hannah anymore you will give me my f•©king money."