Whitney and Simone came into the house. They went over to the couch.

“ Grandmere?”, Simone asked.

Madelaine woke up.

“ Grandmere, are you ok?”, Whitney asked.

Madelaine looked at the girls, who looked so worried.

” I’m fine, Children. Why would you ask?”

” Um, we’ve never seen you sleep on the couch anywhere?”, Simone replied.

” In the clothes from yesterday..”, Whitney chimed in.

” I’m sorry. But, since all of you were gone last night, I guess I was more tired than I thought.”

” Are you ok?”, Whitney asked.

” Fine.”

Simone, who had gone upstairs came back running. “ Mom and Dad aren’t here!”, Simone said, with a huge smile on her face. She and Whitney shared a high-five.

“ Grandmere, Whitney and I are going to fix breakfast for YOU! So, you go and clean up, and we’ll have breakfast underway by the time you get back.”

Madelaine looked at them.

” Grandmere, Simone and I can cook breakfast. We promise.”

Madelaine laughed. “ Ok, I’ll go take a shower.”

Madelaine went upstairs, and Simone turned to Whitney. “ Let’s go and show her what we can do.”

Whitney and Simone were in the middle of putting the scones into the oven when the back door opened.

“ Mom! Daddy!”, Whitney shouted. She ran over and gave her parents a kiss.

“ Hi girls. You fixing brunch? Where’s Mama?”, TC asked.

“ Upstairs getting ready.”

” Ok. So, what’s on the menu, Simone?”, Eve asked her daughter.

“ Scones, homemade granola with yogurt, fruit, cheeses, salad and a frittata for the main dish.”

” Simone, when did you learn to cook?”

“ Mom, the food channel!”

They laughed.

” So, sit down, and have some yogurt with granola. “

Whitney gave TC and Eve their coffee.

“ Sugarbear, this granola is wonderful.”

“ Thanks, Daddy.”

They were all eating, and the scones were just out of the oven when Madelaine came into the kitchen.

“ Hello, Mama.”

Madelaine came over and kissed TC and Eve. “ So good to have you two together.”

“ It’s good to be together, Madelaine."

Madelaine took a seat next to TC. “ Everything ok?”

“ Better than ever, Mama.”

” Whitney, give me some of that coffee. And a scone. Is that raspberry butter?”

They were all eating when the backdoor opened, and in walked Chad and Ethan.

” See man. I told you that this kitchen would have something better than the hotel.”

” Indeed you did, Chad.”

” Chad, Ethan. It’s good to see you.”, Eve said, confused even as Chad came over to kiss her.

” I went to spend the night at the Mansion, Doc. Ethan invited me over. He wanted to show me around. We had a great time. Wound up at the Penthouse at the Harmony Hotel. Doing guy stuff.”

TC snorted. “ Guy stuff.”

” Well, Ethan, you’re welcome here.” Simone offered, looking to her parents for assurance, which she got. “ So, eat up, you two.”

Everyone was eating down, enjoying the morning.

“ You know what would make this morning complete?”, Simone said, in between bites. “ Music!” Simone went over to the window and turned on the music, and soon there were 60’s tunes piping though the room.

They were all eating and enjoying the company when the music stopped, and the DJ came over the radio. “ Sorry folks, to interrupt the music, but we have news. Alistair Crane, patriarch of the Crane family, died this morning in Harmony. Details will be forthcoming.”

Everyone in the room looked at one another, stunned. Then, Eve spoke up.

“ I hope he’s gotten to Hell.” She looked at Ethan. “ Sorry, Ethan. I know you shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, BUT..”

” I understand, Dr. Russell. Well, I should be getting back to the Mansion. I’ll talk to you later, Chad.”

” Sure, man. Anytime.”

Ethan left the Russell house, and the family sat around eating in silence. Simone spoke up. “ I’m glad he’s dead.”

” Simone!”, Eve admonished.

” Sorry, Mom, but the man hurt you and my brother. If a third of the stories about him are true, he was an evil man.”

“ You got that right. I could see it when I met him last night.”

” YOU saw Alistair?”, Eve asked.

“ Yeah. He was there. Sitting in all his glory, in the Library.”

” Chad, tell me you didn’t say anything to him.”, Eve said, fear in her voice.

Chad took his mother’s hand.  “ Doc, I’m fine. I told him EXACTLY what I thought of him. And, I echo Simone’s sentiment. I’m glad he’s dead.”

“ Well, I don’t like anything Crane, so how about we get off this subject. I’ve been thinking about a gift for your christening, Chad.”, TC remarked. “ I finally figured out what I want to give you. And, since it involves the whole family, I might as well make my announcement. To welcome you to the family, I want to give us a trip.”

” A trip?”, Eve asked.

” Yes. To the happiest place on Earth.”

” You can’t mean…”, Eve said, shaking her head.

” DISNEYWORLD!”, Whitney and Simone exclaimed at the same time.

TC smiled. “ I was thinking the entire Disney World experience, along with a Disney Cruise to the Caribbean. As a family.”

“ Disney World? “ Chad shook his head.

” Chad, it will be terrific! It’s like non-stop fun. Between Disney, Epcot, the studios down there. The waterpark. I mean, FUN!”, Simone said excitedly.

“ When I was a kid, I’d watch the commercials for Disney World, and wonder what the families were like who went there. I never thought I’d be going one day.”

” Well, you are. We’re going as a family.”, TC said, barely getting the words out because Eve came over to him to kiss him.
Eve stroked his face. “ Do you know how much I love you, TC Russell?”

“ Almost as much as I love you.”

They kissed and ‘the kids’ nodded in agreement.

The Russells were eating their frittata when the doorbell rang.

” I’ll get it.”, Simone volunteered. Next thing they knew, Julian Crane was standing in the doorway to the Russell kitchen.

” Hello. I’m sorry to disturb you.” Julian looked at TC. “ I know I shouldn’t be here, but I thought I should stop by and give this to Eve. Before I got overly involved with the arrangements for Father. “

Eve got up and went over to Julian. “ Why don’t we talk in the living room?”

Julian followed Eve into the living room. “ I wanted to give you this.”, Julian handed her an envelope.

” What is  it?”

“ The DNA test results. It’s official. Chad is your son.”

Eve smiled. “ While I didn’t need these results, I appreciate it. “

” Everything is set for the baptism?”

“ Yes. It’s all organized. I suppose things are going to get more complicated now.”

” With Father’s death? Yes. We have to find out about the will.”

“ Alistair’s death will be a media circus, Julian. I don’t want Chad involved in it.”

” I understand that, Eve. But, he is a Crane. And, I would like for it to be his first family event. “

Eve nodded. “ I’m just so protective of him, Julian.”

” I’ll call Chad and feel him out. I didn’t mean to interrupt you with your family. “

“ Thank you for coming by. I’ll keep in touch with you through the usual channels.”

” Fine. Talk to you, soon.”

Julian left the house, and Eve joined her family in the kitchen.

” Doc, is something wrong?”, Chad asked.

” No. Julian just came by to give me something for your christening. He’ll be very involved with Alistair’s funeral and didn’t want this to get lost in the shuffle.”

“ He wants me to be involved, doesn’t he?”

Eve nodded. “ It is a Crane family event. “

” I hated the man, Doc.”

“ So will everyone who shows up at his funeral.”, TC replied.

” Chad, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to do.”

” Chad, if you need support, Whitney and I will go with you.”, Simone offered.

” You would?”

Whitney nodded. “ Simone’s right. We’ve got your back.”

Chad shook his head. “ I’m sorry.”, Chad said, getting emotional. “ I…I’m not used to family. “

” Well, you have one. And, we’ll ALL be there for you, Chad. “, TC said, pulling Chad into a hug.