Ruthie: good luck convincing Ryan to do anything but precisely what he wants
Mom: You know he’s very busy, Ruth
Gramma CeCe: let the boy live. He deserves some room to breathe. It’s bad enough the whole world is watching this courtship.
Chloe: I’m just waiting for him to decide to take us on another family vacation. We’ll get plenty of time with her then.
Amber: You mean another one of his holiday avoidance tactics? And yes, I’m waiting for that too
Claudia: fingers crossed for a nice, quiet cushion between games this Christmas
Ruthie: I’m praying for a bye week. I hate when he takes us all on vacation for the holidays but has to leave after a day or two
Claudia:
Amber: how do you find all these photos?
Claudia: I’m a dark web huntress
Mom: Claudia! Don’t joke about things like that!
Claudia: who said I’m joking?
Chloe: Ryan can’t bring Emme home because he’s too busy looking at her like he wants to unhinge his jaw and swallow her whole
Gramma CeCe: they’ll make beautiful babies
Claudia: Gram, can we not instigate this early in the morning? Please I’m begging
Mom: I’ve been waiting so long for a grandbaby!
Chloe: I have no more words
Claudia: …and look what we’ve started
Mom: I’m aware you have children, Chloe. I was there for all 39 hours of you laboring through the first delivery and 44 minutes for the second.
Chloe: then why do you keep talking about wanting a grandbaby? YOU HAVE 2
Mom: Good heavens. Don’t you know when your children are sad and unhappy, Chloe?
Chloe: Of course but I’m also aware that they exist, which is all I’m asking you to do
Mom: Then you understand how helpless you feel as a mother when those babies are unhappy.
Mom: Your brother has been unhappy for a terribly long time. He’s been so lonely. He has all of us but everything about family has been hard for him since we lost your father.
Chloe: Oh come on! That’s not true! He’s insanely rich and famous and before that, he was insanely popular. He has everything he could possibly need.
Mom: It might look that way but the money and fame can only fix so much.
Chloe: He doesn’t even participate in the family group chat!
Ruthie: Remind me again who set up hefty college funds for those kids of yours?
Gramma CeCe: Mind yourself, Ruth.
Mom: The only time he wasn’t lonely was when he was with Emme. A light would come on when he was with her and it would burn out when she left. I see these photos and the first thing I notice is that the shadows have finally cleared from his eyes. He looks like himself again and it’s been too long since he did.
