Surprise Offer 2 - Chapter 24 of 45

	Surprise Offer 2: is a direct continuation of the story about Lily and her ‘brother’ Lance. Can she find acceptance and her place in the world as Lily instead of Lance? Emotions run high as Lily’s new best friend and ‘adoptive’ family members move things forward at lightning speed. Can she handle it all? How will a surprise just before Thanksgiving change everything? Lily and Sammie are back, ready to take on the world with pigtails and dancing, in a way only ten-year-old little girls can do.

Tuesday morning, Lily walked into the Berger's house dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt. She went upstairs to Samantha’s room.

“Lily Ann Vanderbilt, you go straight back home and put your tutu on. We are spending most of the day having a dress rehearsal.”

“Yes, Mommie Samantha!”

“That’s better, Baby Girl.”

Shaking her head, Lily ran back home to put her tutu on.

“Back so soon, Princess,” Mrs. Vanderbilt stated as Lily entered the house.

“Samantha sent me home to put my ballet costume on. Can you help with my bun and hair accessories?”

“I can.”

With the tutu sticking out of yellow sweats, Lily stood in front of her Mommie as her hair was put into a bun with a bow.

“I think you look nice with all this extra hair, Princess,” Mommie mumbled with bobby pins in her mouth.

“I'm back,” Lily said as she entered the room.

Julie was smiling at the short girl.

“Okay, I'm done, Julie,” Samantha said.

Taskmaster Samantha instructed, “Ballet shoes on, both of you. I think I know who our guests are. If I’m right, someone needs to impress them.”

“Wait… you know?” Juliette asked.

Samantha paused… “I’m not saying. Come on, practice time. I’m hoping you’ll memorize your dance.”

“Girls, it's time for lunch,” came sailing from the kitchen.

Lily sat at the edge of her chair and enjoyed her grilled cheese sandwich. She was tired and really glad to have a break.

“I’ve been hearing a lot of dancing in the den,” Mrs. Berger said as she sat down at the table. “I do hope you are giving Juliette breaks as well.”

“She gets breaks while Lily and I practice our recital.”

“Yes, Mrs. Berger,” Julie said between bites. “She’s been pretty strict with everyone… even herself.”

“OK, girls, I think practice is over,” Mommie Vanderbilt said as she came into the room and saw Juliette and Sammie practicing while Lily was asleep on the couch. “Samantha, it appears you wore my little princess out. Right now, I need you to go to your mom and get your makeup done. Juliette, come to me. I’ll work on you while Sleeping Beauty is waking up.”

Mommie bent over and kissed Lily’s forehead. When she didn’t wake up, Mrs. Vanderbilt turned to Julie, “Oh well, I guess only a prince can wake a sleeping princess with a kiss.”

Juliette giggled as Mommie gave Lily a gentle shake, “Wake up, Princess, it's time to get ready for your performance.”

Mommie put some makeup on Julie while Lily finished waking up. Then Lily stood still as Mommie put powder on her cheeks and lipstick on her lips. For the finishing touch, Susan told her daughter to close her eyes for some mascara.

When all three girls were done, Heather instructed, “Go entertain yourselves in Samantha’s bedroom. About five minutes after the doorbell rings, go wait in the stairwell. Do not come into the dining room until your name’s called.”

Mommie continued, “And no peeking until then.”

“Be ready to dance in the living room when you’re called.” Heather told the girls, “Samantha, does Juliette need a barre?”

“No, she doesn't. But Julie might need to go after me.”

Y-yes, please, Mrs. Berger… c-can I go after Samantha?”

The girls were talking softly in Samantha’s room when they heard the doorbell ring.

Like they were told, after five minutes, Lily led the other two girls to the bottom of the stairs.

Lily heard from the living room, “First up is Lily Vanderbilt performing her Christmas recital.”

With that cue, Lily bourréed from the stairwell. She froze when she realized the guests were Julie’s parents… the Bowens. When Daddie restarted the recital music, Lily snapped back into her dance. When the dance was over, she bourréed to the side.

All three sets of parents clapped at the girl in the red candy cane tutu.

Mrs. Berger said loudly, “Now we have Samantha performing the recital she did at Pratt Children's Hospital.”

Sammie bourréed to the front of the audience with a big ‘I knew it’ smile on her face before doing her piece. She bourréed over to where Lily was standing when she was done.

After the applause, Heather Berger said, “Finally, we have Juliette Bowen performing a sampling of her ballet knowledge.”

With that cue, Julie bourréed out into the living room … and froze.

“Bourrée!” Samantha said, snapping her out of it.

The girl in the pink ballet outfit continued her dance just like Sammie had taught her. After she was done, she bourréed to where Samantha and Lily were standing. The room filled with applause.

“Come here, my ballerina,” Mrs. Bowen said, patting her lap.

Julie sat down on her Mommie’s lap. Lily moved toward her own Mommie’s open arms.

Lily glanced over at Juliette and her parents speaking quietly. She couldn’t quite hear what was being said, but something about it felt off. She tensed when Mr. Bowen suddenly exclaimed, “Wait!” then relaxed as his voice softened again.

“I know you have lots of questions for your daughter, Larry, and Bree, but the food will get cold,” Heather told the group. “Lily, Samantha, and Juliette, I put a dress for each of you in Lily and Juliette's room.”

Lily walked into her bedroom in the Bergers’ house and found a silver-and-red Christmas dress in her size laid out on the pillow. The three girls helped each other get out of the tutus and into their dresses.

The short preteen started toward the door, but was stopped by, “Bestie, we need to change our hairstyles.”

After fixing their hair, the girls headed downstairs.

As they walked into the dining room, Lily caught someone saying, “They were Rachel’s, but they are now Juliette’s,” and slowed just a little.

Lily was instructed to sit next to her parents. She watched Sammie and Julie sit beside their own.

Julie, who had been speaking quietly with her parents, suddenly exclaimed, “You found my p-p-pictures! W-which means you found my st-stash.”

Lily watched carefully as Julie was calmed down by her mom.

“To be honest here,” Heather Berger mentioned, “I think that Juliette and Samantha have little crushes on each other.”

“Mommie!” … “M-Mrs. B Berger!” responded Sammie and Julie while Lily doubled over, clutching her stomach with laughter.

“Is that so, my ballerina?” Mrs. Bowen asked.

Lily peeked over at Juliette, still grinning. Juliette didn’t say anything… her face had gone bright red, and she was staring down at her hands like she wished she could disappear.

Lily sat quietly, swinging her feet a little as she watched the grown-ups talk.

“It's probably time you took your daughter home,” Heather Berger said in her nice, proper voice to the Bowens. “Samantha really gave her a workout today.”

Lily glanced at Julie. She did look tired… but also kind of happy.

“I'll go put my jeans and sweatshirt on. S-Samantha c-can you help me t-take this w-wig off,” Julie expressed.

Samantha went to get up and found that her mother was preventing that. Looking over to Julie, she saw her mother was also holding her from leaving.

Lily blinked. ‘That felt planned.’

“Princess,” Mrs. Bowen said to her daughter. “You are wearing that borrowed dress home, and Juliette will look silly with short hair.”

Lily pressed her lips together, trying not to giggle.

“Besides,” Mrs. Bowen added, “what'll my daughter wear on Christmas Eve if you leave the dress here?”

Lily’s eyes got a little bigger. ‘Ohhh… they were keeping her dressed up.’

Juliette expressed concerns about wearing the dress on Christmas Eve before following her parents into the cold in her coat.

Lily watched as Julie followed her parents outside into the cold. Still wearing the dress.

After the Bowens have gone home, Mommie turns to the two best friends, “You two may have a face painting job in February.”

“Wait! The two of us?!?” Samantha exclaimed nervously.

Lily asked, “What is it, Mommie?”

“We will discuss it tomorrow. It’s bedtime for you two,” Mommie replied.

“Aww, Mommie Two, how am I supposed to sleep now?!” Samantha complained.

Lily’s Mommie said firmly, “Sorry, Samantha, it's your bedtime.”

“Can I sleep over, Mommie? Mommie Berger?”

Samantha whined, “Yeeesss, pleeeaaase, Mommies.”

Heather Berger rolled her eyes. “Will you actually sleep?”

Susan Vanderbilt was in deep thought. “It'll probably be good for you two. After Girl Scouts tomorrow, you'll both be a bit busy.”

“Busy?” the two girls asked together.

“Lily, we have the Mooses on the 24th. Granny Gilbert wants our presence on Christmas Day, and you'll be in North Carolina from the 26th to the 30th.”

“Samantha, we’re going to Grandma Berger’s on the 24th. Grandma Landis wants us in Clearwater on Christmas Day. But rest assured, we are having a combined Vanderbilt and Berger Christmas and New Year’s Eve party on the 31st,” Heather Berger told the girls.

“We’re in the double digits now. Can we stay up till midnight this year?” Sammie looked between the two Mommies.

Heather and Susan looked at each other and then at their two baby girls, trying to grow up so fast. Susan broke the silence, “I don’t have a problem if Lily wants to try.

Heather considered for a minute, “I guess my big girls can try.”

The two girls jumped up and down, squealing.

Susan Vanderbilt shook her head. “Now get ready for bed, you two, before we change our minds about the sleepover.”

Sammie grabbed Lily’s hand. “Yes, it's time to get my baby girl ready for bed.”

Lily stared at her bestie as she was called a baby girl. How do you play dress-up and ‘baby’ while getting ready for bed? Lily shrugged as she let out a huge yawn.

They went into Lily’s bedroom. Samantha started going through the drawers of the dresser and pulled out a pink outfit. Lily assumed it was some sort of pajamas.

Lily was led to the bathroom, where Samantha helped her remove the dress. Samantha patted the toilet. Once Lily sat down, Mommie Sammie helped her out of her tights and panties. Lily quickly covered her crotch, her face heating up.

“I’ve seen that before,” Samantha said lightly. “And as much as I think baby girls should be in diapers at bedtime, we don’t have any.”

Lily turned even more red but said nothing.

“I'll go get you clean panties while you use the toilet.”

Lily was still red with embarrassment when Samantha returned with a pair of pink panties in her size. The ‘baby’ girl assumed Mommie Sammie had gotten them from the guest bedroom.

“Feet out, baby girl.”

After the underwear was on, Samantha dressed her in the pink outfit, a footed sleeper.

Her Mommie Sammie turned to the cabinet, then the sink. Samantha returned and asked her baby girl to open her mouth. When Lily did, Sammie brushed the baby's teeth.

“Mommie needs to wash your makeup off. Baby girl has been playing in Mommie’s makeup.”

“Are you two girls ready for bed yet?” Heather Berger called up the stairs.

“I'm just washing her face.”

“Can't Lily do it herself?”

“We’re playing house, and Lily's my baby girl,” Samantha yelled back.

Heather shook her head. “Well, hurry up.”

“You heard Grandma. We have to hurry and get you into bed.”

“I think she means you, too, Mommie Sammie.”

Lily was quickly ushered out of the bathroom to Sammie’s room. She glanced at the mirror and saw that the blanket sleeper had Minnie Mouse on it, dressed in a Christmas outfit.

Sammie patted the bed, and Lily lay down. She watched Sammie get into a nightie before walking out of the room. About five minutes later, ‘Grandma Berger’ and ‘Mommie Sammie’ entered the room.

Heather Berger said, “In bed with you. I’m not sure about this. If I hear any talking, Lily is going to her bedroom.”

“Yes, Mommie.”

“I understand, Mommie Two.”

Grandma Berger didn't have to worry. Lily was sound asleep as soon as Samantha hugged her.

✣ Please see the story ‘Juliette's Recital - Juliette 3’ Chapter 2 for another viewpoint.