Family News

Sunday was for Eriic’s and Amanda’s wedding brunch, which began at eleven. It was also for catching up on more family news around a buffet of fruit, vegetables, little chicken salad, ham, and turkey sandwiches, breakfast casserole, and bottles of root beer.
Puck and Liselotte were busy playing together for the first time since both had learned how to walk, in the back green common ground. Liselotte ran over to Puck and gave him a big hug. He was uncertain how to react, but began to follow her around the lawn. He thought he might show off his strength and walked up to a tree trunk.
“Ooooh! Ooooh!” he grunted, pushing all of his strength against the trunk.
Then Liselotte joined him and did the same. Then they climbed the stairs together and squished their faces between the rungs of the banisters, laughing as Lilli tickled their legs. Before they left, they splashed together in a puddle in the backyard.
And so Eriic and Amanda were returning to D.C. to pack and organize wedding gifts. Then their flight left Wednesday for Greece.
Jashub was working at his church and teaching at their Christian school.
Fernando had just been hired at a firm and Polly was two weeks into her five year PhD program in Medieval Christianity.
Blessing was preparing to look for a new job after teaching for two years.
Uncle Clarence and Aunt Galena’s house had sold in four days, which meant that they had begun to break ground on their new French country home in South Carolina, surrounded by great pine trees.
Travis was selling new cars at a dealership and was doing very well at it.
And, of course, Nerissa was due to have the twins the following day.
Everyone else just seemed to be doing much of the same.
Collette left the brunch, as she had the wedding, thinking much the same thoughts as she usually did after the family
get-togethers. She wished that she had grown up knowing her cousins better, and hoped that they would still continue to spend celebrations and holidays together when they were old and gray.