"Orlando is over five hours away from the resort in Panama City." Debbie grimaced. "I definitely wouldn't feel good about going that far away from the older kids."
Eden didn't envy Debbie having to entertain the three little ones in a hotel room, regardless of how nice the room may be.
Joy and Sheila continued to throw out ideas that weren't at all helpful.
"Might be best if you left them here," Alice finally said.
"I'd offer to tend them," Joy said, "but that's the week we're taking the kids to Disneyland."
Sheila wrinkled her nose. "We'll be out of town that week too, or I would offer as well."
"Leave them here with me," Alice said. "You and Austin go enjoy a little alone time while Savvy and the boys are with their mom. It may be the last chance you get before the baby comes."
"That sound fun, but I'd hate to leave William and the twins."
Joy and Sheila both scoffed.
"They'll be fine with Mom," Sheila said.
"Go, enjoy it while you can," Joy added.
Just then, Savannah walked through the door to the garage, followed by all her younger siblings, and the noise in the kitchen intensified. Little dark-haired girls hugged their mom's legs as Savannah passed the baby off to Debbie. "Is it okay if I hang out with Rainey this afternoon?"
"Sure. Thank you for taking the kids to the park. Will you stick around long enough to help get the kids lunch first?"
Savannah nodded and headed to the refrigerator.
Work in the kitchen shifted as everyone chipped in to make sandwiches and cut up fruit.
Eden soon found herself sitting at the breakfast nook with Debbie, baby William, and the twins.
"So, Eden, how are you liking Providence?"
"I like it. It's definitely a change of pace."
A little slow sometimes, but at least she'd kept busy enough not to notice the lack of a nightlife.
"A change of pace. That's a good way to put it." Debbie laughed. "One thing I love about small towns is that everyone is so friendly."
"They are." Eden couldn't walk down the street without a dozen people waving at her.
One of the twins—Eden thought it was Lucia—reached out and wrapped a fist around a lock of Eden's hair. Then she held out a handful of her own and leaned closer to Eden.
In a family with so many redheads, the little girls probably felt like an anomaly with their black hair.
Eden leaned closer. "We match, don't we? Your hair is so pretty."
Mia watched Lucia and Eden.
Eden he touched the other girl's head. "I love your hair, too."
"Pretty." Lucia said, and Mia looked at her own hair before echoing her sister.
"I hope that hand wasn't sticky." Debbie grimaced when Lucia released her hair.
"It's okay. I don't mind." The words that came out of Eden's mouth surprised her, but they were true. She used to be the first to shy away from kids with sticky hands, but apparently, that had changed.
She and Debbie continued to talk while Debbie coaxed her little ones to eat. Then someone flipped an invisible switch.
