| Subject: Priority Mail 163 |
Author:
Nikita507
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Date Posted: Tuesday, February 08, 10:35:55pm
In reply to:
Nikita507
's message, "Priority Mail 156+" on Friday, February 04, 07:27:24pm
Nikita exhaled slowly as she looked at the door. She wasn’t sure who was out there and she peeked out carefully and then opened it to find Nat and Rhoda standing there. For the guests who were coming, Nikita did not think that they would be among the first. Nikita did not count Jason and Daisy who arrived just a bit after lunch. Daisy was bubbly and cheerful. She had helped Adam make the table pretty and had kept Walter laughing in the kitchen while he cooked.
Nikita forced a smile as she looked at Nat and Rhoda. Things were odd and it was clear looking at them that both had debated about coming today. Nikita stepped back and waited for them to enter. Rhoda extended her hands and Nikita looked at the dish. “What?”
“I made some Jell-O salad,” Rhoda explained and Nat lifted his hand. “And I brought some red wine.”
“For?” Nikita asked.
Nat looked at Rhoda and then back to Nikita. “As an enhancement to dinner. My parents taught me never to go anywhere with my hands empty.”
Nikita closed the door and nodded her head. “Ah… I guess that needs in the refrigerator.”
Rhoda nodded her head as she almost expected Nikita to take the dish. Instead, Nikita stood there, twisting her hands and appearing to be absolutely lost. Rhoda moved closer to Nikita. “Do you think Walter has room in the refrigerator?”
Nikita barely moved her head up and down, wishing that Michael would come down from his shower that he decided to take way too late. Suddenly, her head clicked and she realized what she needed to do. She took the dish and sighed. “Sorry… my mind…”
“It was somewhere else,” Rhoda finished as she shook her hands as if it was nothing. “It happens to all of us.”
Nikita was starting towards the kitchen when the doorbell rang. She was caught and she stood in the hallway as the doorbell rang again. Then everyone shouted out that they were busy and Nikita didn’t know which way to go. She looked around for somewhere to place the dish down so she could go to the door, but everything was decorated, blazing with some sort of fall-scented candle, or just too small to handle the glass dish. Finally Rhoda took the dish out of Nikita’s hands. “Why don’t we take these things to the kitchen and you can get the door?”
Nikita rubbed her hand along her neck and she opened the door. “Popsicle!”
Nikita took the hug from Mick as he wrapped his arms around her. He then leaned back and shook his head. “I’m disappointed…”
“Disappointed?” Nikita questioned with a blink of her eyes. She had just opened the door so she wasn’t sure what Mick could be upset with.
“You aren’t wearing a snazzy-dazzy turkey a-blazin’ sweatshirt like I have on,” Mick opened up his coat and showed the very elaborate sweater. Nikita was stunned and she even laughed. Mick joined in and nodded his head. “Years ago I would have never been caught dead in this.”
“I’m surprised that now…” Nikita started and drifted off. She could think of the quip but she just couldn’t say it all the way right now.
Mick entered and chuckled. “Oh, Popsicle…. Last year I was near Plymouth for the holiday and the children there made this for me. I didn’t wear it that day because of course I got it on Thanksgiving and I had to wear it at least once… But I don’t think Adam is going to like it.”
“Daisy might,” Nikita spoke as she closed the door. She waited as Mick pulled off his coat and she realized the back even had turkeys on it. She heard Mick clear his throat. “Forgetting to take something more important?”
Nikita turned and saw the bottle in Mick’s hand. “Oh… Nat brought some red…”
“This is Champagne to go with dessert,” Mick corrected as he moved forward and showed it to Nikita. “It is Ca’Del Bosco. It is very expensive and difficult to find around here. It has a flavor that is akin to vanilla to spring flowers… to apples and pears… At least that’s what I’ve heard.”
Nikita chuckled as she took the bottle. She walked towards the kitchen and was pleased to find that Nat and Rhoda were in there and appeared to be helping Walter. Mick stood forwarded and modeled his sweatshirt for everyone.
It was not long later that the doorbell rang and Nikita hoped that it was for the last time. She looked out and stepped back as she saw Davenport’s hand on the small of Ellie’s back. “Davenport… you look rested.”
“I am,” Davenport nodded his head up and down. “And my men are thankful for the day off.”
“It’s a holiday,” Nikita replied back but did not indicate that she was done needing to be watched. She looked at Ellie and tilted her head slightly. “Hi Dr. Hlad.”
“Oh no…” Ellie shook her head. “Call me Ellie, Nikita.”
Nikita nodded her head as she waited for them to enter. She closed the door and found another tray being thrusted towards her. “I brought some crudités… something to munch on while the food is finishing up.”
“You didn’t need to…” Nikita spoke and Ellie chuckled. “I had too… my parents taught me…”
“Don’t go anywhere with empty hands,” Nikita interrupted as she headed towards the kitchen. Ellie pushed off Davenports hand but Nikita had stopped to face them. “So… are you two together?”
“We came together,” Davenport dodged the question. Nikita clicked the top of her mouth with her tongue and went back to the process of moving to the kitchen. She entered and the kitchen only seemed to get louder as she introduced Ellie to Mick and Nat.
“Where is Michael?” Rhoda asked as she could see Nikita standing closer to the doorway as if she was ready to run. Rhoda had fought with Nat that this day would be too much for Nikita and that they shouldn’t come over. Nat had been on the opposite side, believing that Nikita would take it really hard if they did not come.
“Finishing up a shower,” Nikita answered as she looked at all of the movement as everyone seemed to know what to do to help Walter. It didn’t seem to make sense to her. “He lost at some touch football with Adam and had to take the last shower…”
“With less hot water,” Nat chuckled as he nodded his head up and down. “Same thing happened around with my uncles and my father… I would do whatever it took be on the winning team.”
“It wasn’t about winning,” Michael’s voice joined the crowd as he came up alongside Nikita. Nikita leaned over and kissed Michael gently. She whispered something and Michael nodded his head as she slipped away.
As Nikita exited, Ellie and Rhoda both strode towards Michael and said basically the same thing.
“She is overwhelmed, Michael,” Rhoda said.
“This is too much for Nikita,” Ellie said. Both women looked at each other and frowned while placing their hands on their hips to face Michael.
“She ran upstairs to put in her earrings which were in the bathroom with me,” Michael explained as he loved how protective these two were. Michael looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I think we are going to be fine… because, I saw her with Adam earlier.”
“I haven’t even seen him,” Rhoda looked around and Michael shook his head slightly. “This morning… during the end of the parade… I walked in to find that Nikita was snuggling with Adam on the couch… sharing a blanket… Walter told me that they chatted and giggled almost through the entire parade until they took a nap…”
Ellie blinked her eyes and Rhoda shrugged her shoulders. “My son doesn’t snuggle anymore… he hasn’t done that in a long time…”
“So?” Rhoda huffed as she didn’t get it.
“Nikita fears that she isn’t a good mother because of the way that she had to give up our daughter…. Yet, she was being the perfect mother to my son this morning… it tells me that she is getting better and that makes me think that this holiday meal is only going to help her more,” Michael spoke as everyone could hear the footfalls of Nikita coming back down the stairs. Michael looked at Ellie. “We have no medicine in this house.”
Ellie forced a smile and watched as Nikita walked back into the kitchen. She wrapped her hands around Michael’s waist and looked at the crowded kitchen. “We have enough chairs, right?”
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