13. Happy Birthday Helen

 Happy Birthday Helen

12. PIE

"Who IS this child?"  he thinks.

the limes are cut, the ingredients and tools are ready,

and the oven is preheating.

the cat box has been scooped,

The place is in order, the bird and the dog have been fed,

When John comes back to help Helen finish up, he is awed.

"I'll clean the kitchen", says Helen.

( She's wearing her "key lime" sweater for good luck.)
"Have a beer and put your feet up for awhile."
(It's almost cocktail hour.)

First they have to clean up the other side of the kitchen.
 

John has his doubts, but as always,

he's game.

 Key lime, of course.

She can make layers now.

She hasn't made a pie yet.

She thinks she's ready.

 

 

 Her Grandma was a chef; she had three restaurants.

But mostly Daddy teaches her.
He takes  her picture every time she makes something.

  Grandma gave Helen her first cookbook...
it was Grandma's first cookbook when she was a little girl!
It's taped together and has splotches all over the pages.
"Vintage", grunts Grandma, 
"just like me".

 Crazy Fudge Cake was the first thing Helen ever made by herself.

  Everyone in Helen's family loves to cook.




***  PIE  ***

11. Marie's Cross to Bear

 It's John's favorite job.

 Then you do the maintenance.

 OK, says Marie.

 ... and to get lost in it.

( time to change to the "adult content" setting ...)

He loves to smell it, to hide in it...

 But,  John, just plain loves it.  Everything about it.

Helen  likes to smell  it.

  Abby likes to hide in it.

Isabel can get lost in it.

She calls it her "nightmare hair".  

There is a reason why Marie wears her hair braided tightly in a bun.

  ***  Marie's Cross to Bear  ***

10. HELEN'S HEAVEN (scroll down to begin story)

Forever and ever and ever.

And they will always stay together.

 They get to be together.

And they're still together! 

 The moment that she sees Olivia, she knows that this really, truly, is Isabella's twin sister.

Marie startles her from her trance.
"There's another box, Helen."

 She has a hair bow, and a ruffle down the back of her dress.

 Helen thinks that this is the best day of her life.

She has never seen a more beautiful doll.

Her little pantalettes have faggoting ~
(Helen knows this because of Grandma  ...all of Grandma's pillowcases have it.)

Oh, there's a little rosette under her ruffle!

.

 Her hair is so soft!

 Isabella has a mysterious little smile, and is saying her first hello to Helen.

She can only stare.

 She is so beautiful...

 It is Isabella.

 Helen holds her breath and slowly takes the lid off  the blue box on top.

 The thank you card is from Jan, the lady who makes the dolls.

 It says:

Dear Helen,

I wanted you to have Olivia, as well, because she is Isabella's twin sister.

I won't relist her, and I don't want her to stay in her box, in a drawer,

never to be seen again.

Just a little thank you,

Best wishes,

Jan

And a THANK YOU card.

 

There are TWO boxes inside!

And slowly opens the end.

Helen carefully removes the tape.

"Well, open it",  smiles Marie.

Helen stands quietly for a long minute, while Marie fetches the baby.

I love you Daddy.
It's Isabella!

 and Daddy comes to the rescue.

 It isn't really heavy...but it is really BIG!

 Isabel, as only Isabel can, sleeps through the excitement.

 Helen hoists the big box and yells for her parents.

It's Isabella!

It's a huge box!

As she turns into the yard, she sees it.

She slows her pace and hangs her head. 

Tomorrow is Sunday.  

No mail on Sunday.  

Not even if she pretends.

 But there is no parcel by the mailbox.

Her braids fly and her glasses flop as she runs towards the house.

As she rounds the corner, she sees the mail carrier just  walking away!

 She decides to walk around the block while Isabel snoozes.

On Saturday, she takes Izzy for a little walk while she waits for the mail carrier to come.

to see the mailbox under the street light.
She imagines what the package will look like.

Helen watches the mailbox. 
She even peeks out her bedroom window at night...

  ***  Helen's Heaven  ***

 

Dedicated to

Jan,

who is a doll artiste extraordinaire. 

Thank you!

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