Chapter 11
By Samantha Jenkins

Mom pulled into the garage, with Jennifer pulling up right behind her in the driveway. Mom shut off the car and popped the trunk so that I could take my spoils to my room and hang them up. After I hung the dresses up and put my new panties and bras in the top drawer of my dresser. I looked around my room, well the room that was mine now. My old room was off limits until, well who knows when. I went back downstairs to where Jen and Katie were working in the kitchen making something for dinner.

“What are you guys making?’ I asked. looking into the casserole dish that was laying on the counter, empty. on the stove there was a pan of noodles that was boiling, and on the counter there was two cans of condensed cheddar cheese soup that were unopened as well as two cans of tuna. Looking at all of the ingredients and ignoring the cook book, I decided that they were making a batch of Tuna Noodle Casserole. I had helped mom make it before so I opened the cans of tuna and drained them, and then opened up the two cans of cheddar soup. Jen took the noodles and dumped them into the strainer that was in the sink, and fogged up the window in the process.

“Tuna Noodle Casserole.” Jen replied rinsing off the noodles. “But I think you have already figured that out.”

I smiled at her. Katie was busy opening up a can of corn and some green beans. and putting those into sauce pans so that we could get them warmed up so they would be ready when the casserole came out of the oven. I started mixing the flour and butter and cheddar cheese soup together and then added the tuna as Jen poured the noodles into the bowl that I had mixed the rest of the ingredients in. after every thing was mixed really well, we dumped it into the casserole dish and put it in the oven and then cleaned up the dishes that we had made a mess of while we were mixing every thing.

Katie set the table as we waited for the food to finish cooking.

Mom came in the back door. She must have gone out while I was putting all of my new clothes up. She was carrying what looked to be a cake. I couldn’t’ figure out why Mom would have a cake. She put the cake in the freezer and looked at the three of us.

“The cake is for after dinner, no one is allowed to look at it until then.” Mom said, closing the freezer. Jen, Katie and I looked at each other and shrugged. Katie started to get dishes out to set the table, and I grabbed the silverware, the three of us working in silence. Normally, silence would have made mom wonder, but the three of us were busy getting dinner ready so that Mom didn't have to cook dinner. I took the pot of coffee out to mom and poured her a cup of coffee. Mom looked up at me smiled, and then patted the cushion next to her. I sat down, smoothing my skirt as I did, Mom looked at me and smiled again. “So,” She started. “What are you going to wear tomorrow?” She asked.

“I’m not sure, I was thinking about asking Katie and Jen their ideas, or just finding something and putting it on after I take a shower in the morning.” Mom just smiled again, and that was kind of making me worry.

“Morgan, can I lay out two outfits for you to wear tomorrow, and then you pick one out to wear?” I looked at Mom, I trusted her judgment.

“If I don’t want to wear what you lay out can I pick out my own clothes?” Mom nodded at me.

“I trust your judgment, but I reserve the right to review your outfit before you leave the house.” She said with a smile.

“Yes, Mommy.” I said. We heard a ding come from the kitchen.

“Dinner is done.” I heard Jen shout from the kitchen. I stood up and offered Mom my hand to help her stand up. Mom took my hand and stood and we walked into the kitchen together. When we walked in, Jen was scooping out casserole onto the plates that Katie had sat on the table before I went into give Mom some coffee.

“Mom, Morgan, have a seat, we are serving dinner.” Mom and I glanced at each other and then sat at the table. Katie and Jen served the food and then sat at the table. We started to eat in silence, when Jennifer looked at me and smiled.

“So what are you going to wear to school tomorrow?” Jen asked, causing Katie to stop eating for a few minutes, mainly because she wanted to hear my answer. Mom looked at both of the girls from her place at the head of the table.

“I am laying out two outfits for Morgan to wear tomorrow, she will, more than likely, wear on of them.” Mom said, Jen and Katie looked at me and then at mom, and then at me. I nodded.

“It takes the pressure off me to find something to wear.” I said with a shrug. Katie looked at me and smiled.

“I think that mom wants to dress her daughter up for her first day of school.” Katie said. “Kind of like how even when I was in the 8th grade, my mom always got out my clothes for both the first day and picture day. It was kind of nice, actually not having to worry about picking out clothes” Mom smiled.

“Katie, are you staying tonight?” Mom asked, retaining her smile. Jen saw mom’s smile and frowned.

“What are you thinking, Mom?” Jen said, having a feeling where this was heading.

“Yes, I’m staying tonight, unless you want me to leave.” Katie said. Mom wouldn’t kick her out and had told her, more than once, that our house was her house.

“I’m thinking that I’m going to pick out all three of your guys’ clothes for tomorrow, and I don’t want any complaints. Morgan,” Mom said, I watched Jen roll her eyes, and then turned my attention to Mom.

“Yes,” I said, wondering why I was being singled out.

“I want you to pick what the three of you do with your hair tomorrow, and I’ll drive you and Jen to school, as you and I need to meet with the principal.” Mom smiled again. “Oh, I forgot your diaries out in the car, you can get them while Jen and Katie clean up the kitchen.” Mom said.

The rest of our meal was eaten in silence until I got up to go out to the car to get my diaries... When I came back into the house, I was glad that we were home for the night because it was rather cold outside. Katie and Jen, who had cleaned as they cooked, had already cleared the table, and were carrying a pot of coffee toward the living room. I followed and mom smiled when she saw me walk in behind the other two with my diaries in the bag. I sat down next to mom, and Katie and Jen sat in the two chairs that sat opposite of the couch.

“Mom, why are you picking out our clothes for tomorrow?” Jen asked. Mom sat back with a little grin on her face.

“You and Morgan have never been told this, and now seems like a good time to do it, so I’m going to tell you the story of what happened the night that Jennifer was born.” Jen and I traded looks. I watched as Katie poured coffee, and then sat back.

“We’ve never been told, what, mom?” Jen said. Mom took a cup of coffee off of the table and handed it to me.

“Thanks, mom” I said to her, sipping the coffee. She picked up another cup of coffee.

“You’re welcome Morgan, and Jen, you and your sister have never been told that you had a sister, and that Jen, you were actually a twin.” Jen’s mouth dropped, as did mine and Katie's. “There were complications, you came out head down, just like Morgan, but your sister came out with the umbilical wrapped around her neck, and she was very small. They later determined that she had spun around and gotten the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck some time between the check up in the 32nd week and the time you were born at the end of the 35th week. She had somehow kinked the umbilical when she wrapped it around her neck cutting off the blood and nutrient flow for long enough for her to be still born.” Mom wiped a tear from her cheek. “They were concerned for you for a while until you started to develop normally. We were going to name her Morgan, but when they asked for a name, we decided to name her Stephanie Marie. That is why when you were born, Morgan, we had the names Joshua Paul and Morgan Elizabeth.” we all reached up to wipe a tear from our cheeks. “The reason why I’m picking out what you girls wear tomorrow is because it’s one of those things that I’ve always wanted to do for my daughters, but have never been able to because I was blessed with a son and daughter, but now,” She took a breath, “I have my two daughters, so get used to it.” Mom looked at the clock that hung on the wall. “You girls need to figure out sleeping arrangements.”

Jen, Katie, and I looked at each other and then got up and started to move the furniture around to accommodate the air mattresses and the rest of the camping gear that we had set up the night before in the same room.