‹ Prequel: My 'Cool' Grandpa
My Cool Family
Mike's Big Plan
*Rosie’s POV*
As we had so many people coming over, I decided to be lazy and Jack and I ordered a mish-mash of food; pizza, Indian, Chinese and, we had gone and bought Ben and Jerry’s.
Emma was sitting on the floor, playing with Frankie and Jimmy. Well, I say playing, more like plotting. God only knows what they were getting up to.
Jakob and Ellie were sitting in the living room with a glass of wine each, with Jack as I went to answer the door.
“So,” said Billie as he and Adie walked in. “I heard you’ve decided to make it a party!”
“What?” I gasped. “Not at all! You knew Jake, Ellie and Emma were coming, then Mike asked to come so I decided I couldn’t be bothered to cook.”
“Hey, relax! I’m not having a go at you, just making an enquiry!”
“Well, enough with the inquisition,” grinned Adrienne. She hugged me and then we went through to the living room, where Jake, Ellie, Emma, Jack and the twins promptly hugged her.
“Whoa! Hello there,” she smiled.
I smiled watching them. Four generations of the Armstrong family in one room; mother, son, granddaughter and great-grandchildren.
I shook myself out of the daze and went to answer the door and let Mike in. I opened the door and hugged him.
“Hey,” I smiled. “So, what’s this idea of yours?”
“Shh!” He said, looking around. “Later, when Billie and Adie are busy.”
“Well, sorry, Mr 007!”
“That’s me, all enigma!” he grinned, clapping me on the shoulder in the absurd fashion men seem to consider the height of affection.
I wandered through to the living room. Jack had begun to hand out food and everyone was chatting, and occasionally laughing.
Frankie, Jimmy and Emma had started to do an absurd dance, holding hands, twisting and turning and ending up in a tangled mess on the floor, giggling wildly.
Eventually, we all caught the giggles and we were all laughing together. As I was laughing, I wished we could video it, for Adrienne, for Billie, for the kids, and grandkids and great-grandkids, so Adie could have a happy memory, same for Billie, so the grandkids and great-grandkids would remember her and Billie after he had gone.
The giggling slowed down and stopped, and we all just sat back and smiled. Well, apart from Frankie, Jimmy and Emma, who ran upstairs.
“God knows what they’re up to,” grinned Jake.
“Hey, what’s this?” called Jack from the kitchen, holding up a piece of paper.
“How are we meant to know what it is? We can’t even see it!” smiled Adrienne.
He walked through, looking intently at the piece of paper. He passed it to Adrienne. Her eyes filled with tears as she continued to smile and passed it along to Billie. He reacted the same way as Adrienne. After Jake and Ellie saw it, it reached me.
I recognized it as the picture Jimmy had been working on earlier. I was shocked that he had used his stencil set to spell out “Jimmy and Frankie”. Then I saw the drawing. It started with Billie and Adie holding hands, then Tré, holding hands with Mr Whirly, then Frankie and Jimmy, all holding hands under a sun with a smiling face.
I passed it back to Adrienne. “It’s for you, see,” I pointed to the corner where he had written “80” with his stencil set.
Adrienne put it in her pocket and wiped her tears away.
“Ahem,” we all turned round to see Emma, Frankie and Jimmy dressed up in the most absurd costumes ever. “This play is for Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Hey,” frowned Jakob. “Why can’t we all see it?”
Jimmy sighed and crossed his arms. “You not Ganma….”
“Or Ganpa,” Frankie finished.
“Fine,” Jake and Ellie walked out behind Mike, hesitating, I followed them as Jack held the door open.
Mike, Ellie, Jake, Jack and I went to sit in the rec room.
“Wow, I feel so loved,” said Jake, sitting next to Ellie on the couch grumpily.
Jack dropped himself onto a bean-bag, as did I. Mike closed the door and walked in.
“OK, there is no play, I just needed to talk to you guys,” Mike said, sitting on a recliner.
“What’s with the secrecy, Sherlock?” frowned Ellie, leaning forwards.
“Well, before we found out about Adrienne, Billie Joe was saying he wanted them to renew their vows, but that thought went down the drain pipe when he found out and I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten, so, what if we arrange for them to renew their vows in my back yard?”
There was silence. We could hear Jimmy, Frankie and Emma singing something in the next room, and Billie and Adie laughing.
“Uncle Mike, that is….” Jake was struggling. “That’s brilliant.”
“That’s so sweet,” Ellie agreed, nodding.
“Is everyone onboard?” He said, glancing at Jack and me.
We nodded, smiling.
“OK! Joey and Sarah are flying home next week, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” Jake nodded.
“So, we’ll tell them then, and start planning. Billie liked the idea of them renewing their vows on their anniversary, but he couldn’t get anyone this year and…..”
Mike trailed off, blushing slightly at what he had almost said.
“Well, today is July 19th, so it’ll take a couple of months to plan,” Ellie said, ever the practical one.
“How about Christmas Day?” Jake said. “I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but Mom told me that when she and Dad got back together when he showed up on Christmas Day and convinced her to leave the other Billy, so it’ll still be a type of anniversary for them.”
“Jake, you’re a genius!” Mike cried. “I’d forgotten about that. I’m sure they’d love that.”
Jack smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember Dad telling me about that. It’s a great idea.”
Jake smiled. “Mom’s going to love it. I even saw her trying on her old wedding dress the other day and it fitted, so we could try and recreate their original wedding!”
“Oh my God, I can’t wait til Christmas Day!” Mike grinned. “They’re gonna be so thrilled.”
Emma ran in. “We’ve run out of ideas! Are you done?”
Mike smiled and hugged her. “Yeah. Thanks for diverting them, we’ll fill you in later.”
Emma pouted. “No fair.”
“OK, it’s going to happen on Christmas Day and we’re going to recreate the original,” Mike said.
“Recreate the original what?” We spun round and saw Billie behind us.
“We were thinking of recreating the Nativity for the kids.” I said, glancing at the others, who nodded quickly.
“OK, that’s completely up to you. I just want to be with family this Christmas.”
As we had so many people coming over, I decided to be lazy and Jack and I ordered a mish-mash of food; pizza, Indian, Chinese and, we had gone and bought Ben and Jerry’s.
Emma was sitting on the floor, playing with Frankie and Jimmy. Well, I say playing, more like plotting. God only knows what they were getting up to.
Jakob and Ellie were sitting in the living room with a glass of wine each, with Jack as I went to answer the door.
“So,” said Billie as he and Adie walked in. “I heard you’ve decided to make it a party!”
“What?” I gasped. “Not at all! You knew Jake, Ellie and Emma were coming, then Mike asked to come so I decided I couldn’t be bothered to cook.”
“Hey, relax! I’m not having a go at you, just making an enquiry!”
“Well, enough with the inquisition,” grinned Adrienne. She hugged me and then we went through to the living room, where Jake, Ellie, Emma, Jack and the twins promptly hugged her.
“Whoa! Hello there,” she smiled.
I smiled watching them. Four generations of the Armstrong family in one room; mother, son, granddaughter and great-grandchildren.
I shook myself out of the daze and went to answer the door and let Mike in. I opened the door and hugged him.
“Hey,” I smiled. “So, what’s this idea of yours?”
“Shh!” He said, looking around. “Later, when Billie and Adie are busy.”
“Well, sorry, Mr 007!”
“That’s me, all enigma!” he grinned, clapping me on the shoulder in the absurd fashion men seem to consider the height of affection.
I wandered through to the living room. Jack had begun to hand out food and everyone was chatting, and occasionally laughing.
Frankie, Jimmy and Emma had started to do an absurd dance, holding hands, twisting and turning and ending up in a tangled mess on the floor, giggling wildly.
Eventually, we all caught the giggles and we were all laughing together. As I was laughing, I wished we could video it, for Adrienne, for Billie, for the kids, and grandkids and great-grandkids, so Adie could have a happy memory, same for Billie, so the grandkids and great-grandkids would remember her and Billie after he had gone.
The giggling slowed down and stopped, and we all just sat back and smiled. Well, apart from Frankie, Jimmy and Emma, who ran upstairs.
“God knows what they’re up to,” grinned Jake.
“Hey, what’s this?” called Jack from the kitchen, holding up a piece of paper.
“How are we meant to know what it is? We can’t even see it!” smiled Adrienne.
He walked through, looking intently at the piece of paper. He passed it to Adrienne. Her eyes filled with tears as she continued to smile and passed it along to Billie. He reacted the same way as Adrienne. After Jake and Ellie saw it, it reached me.
I recognized it as the picture Jimmy had been working on earlier. I was shocked that he had used his stencil set to spell out “Jimmy and Frankie”. Then I saw the drawing. It started with Billie and Adie holding hands, then Tré, holding hands with Mr Whirly, then Frankie and Jimmy, all holding hands under a sun with a smiling face.
I passed it back to Adrienne. “It’s for you, see,” I pointed to the corner where he had written “80” with his stencil set.
Adrienne put it in her pocket and wiped her tears away.
“Ahem,” we all turned round to see Emma, Frankie and Jimmy dressed up in the most absurd costumes ever. “This play is for Grandma and Grandpa.”
“Hey,” frowned Jakob. “Why can’t we all see it?”
Jimmy sighed and crossed his arms. “You not Ganma….”
“Or Ganpa,” Frankie finished.
“Fine,” Jake and Ellie walked out behind Mike, hesitating, I followed them as Jack held the door open.
Mike, Ellie, Jake, Jack and I went to sit in the rec room.
“Wow, I feel so loved,” said Jake, sitting next to Ellie on the couch grumpily.
Jack dropped himself onto a bean-bag, as did I. Mike closed the door and walked in.
“OK, there is no play, I just needed to talk to you guys,” Mike said, sitting on a recliner.
“What’s with the secrecy, Sherlock?” frowned Ellie, leaning forwards.
“Well, before we found out about Adrienne, Billie Joe was saying he wanted them to renew their vows, but that thought went down the drain pipe when he found out and I’m pretty sure he’s forgotten, so, what if we arrange for them to renew their vows in my back yard?”
There was silence. We could hear Jimmy, Frankie and Emma singing something in the next room, and Billie and Adie laughing.
“Uncle Mike, that is….” Jake was struggling. “That’s brilliant.”
“That’s so sweet,” Ellie agreed, nodding.
“Is everyone onboard?” He said, glancing at Jack and me.
We nodded, smiling.
“OK! Joey and Sarah are flying home next week, aren’t they?”
“Yeah,” Jake nodded.
“So, we’ll tell them then, and start planning. Billie liked the idea of them renewing their vows on their anniversary, but he couldn’t get anyone this year and…..”
Mike trailed off, blushing slightly at what he had almost said.
“Well, today is July 19th, so it’ll take a couple of months to plan,” Ellie said, ever the practical one.
“How about Christmas Day?” Jake said. “I know it’s a bit of a cliché, but Mom told me that when she and Dad got back together when he showed up on Christmas Day and convinced her to leave the other Billy, so it’ll still be a type of anniversary for them.”
“Jake, you’re a genius!” Mike cried. “I’d forgotten about that. I’m sure they’d love that.”
Jack smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I remember Dad telling me about that. It’s a great idea.”
Jake smiled. “Mom’s going to love it. I even saw her trying on her old wedding dress the other day and it fitted, so we could try and recreate their original wedding!”
“Oh my God, I can’t wait til Christmas Day!” Mike grinned. “They’re gonna be so thrilled.”
Emma ran in. “We’ve run out of ideas! Are you done?”
Mike smiled and hugged her. “Yeah. Thanks for diverting them, we’ll fill you in later.”
Emma pouted. “No fair.”
“OK, it’s going to happen on Christmas Day and we’re going to recreate the original,” Mike said.
“Recreate the original what?” We spun round and saw Billie behind us.
“We were thinking of recreating the Nativity for the kids.” I said, glancing at the others, who nodded quickly.
“OK, that’s completely up to you. I just want to be with family this Christmas.”