//------------------------------// // 05 - The First Sleepover // Story: Through the Looking Glass and into Wonderland // by Babroniedad //------------------------------// Sunset woke, excitedly hugging her sister awake. “Aiko, wake up! It’s Friday! Today’s the sleepover!” she exclaimed excitedly. “Come on! I can’t wait to get to school!” “Hey Sunny, good morning,” yawned Aiko with a smile. She rolled over, flopping out of bed and heading for the bathroom. Grinning and bouncing happily, Sunset followed behind her. They performed their morning ablutions, then washed up and headed into the kitchen to join Fae for breakfast. Fae was in her nightgown just placing three plates of french toast on the table, already slathered with butter and syrup. “Have a seat girls! Breakfast is ready,” she smiled. As they sat, Ailene’s little unit rolled out from the cupboard, glasses of juice and plated servings of fruit once again on her tray, same as every morning. Placing the juice and servings of fruit at their places, the little unit once again placed a tray with three coffee mugs and a service on the table next to Fae’s spot. Fae brought the carafe of decaf coffee and filled the three coffee cups, adding cream and honey to their drinks then giving the girls theirs as she sat and sipped her own. “So are you excited for your first sleepover?” she asked them. “Heck yes!” both girls exclaimed excitedly, syrup dripping down their chins. Sunset wiped her face with her napkin. “And for going to the beach! Shimmer’s dad invited us to join them on Saturday for a day at the beach! It’s going to be awesome!” she added. “So I’ve been told,” grinned Fae, finishing off her french toast and daintily wiping her lips. The girls both grinned madly, finishing their breakfast. They adjourned to the bathroom to clean up then went to their rooms to get dressed. Fae joined them in their room as they finished up. “Okay girls, because you are going straight to the sleepover from school, we need to pack up for the weekend before you head out. Just put them in your bags at the bottom, then you will have it when you leave for the weekend,” Fae explained. She helped them pick out nightgowns, spare panties, fun clothes for Saturday, as well as their swimsuits. They returned to the bathroom to gather their brushes, and toothbrushes, then together headed down to the lobby to meet their ride to school. The limo was waiting for them, the driver as courteous as always. Fae waved to the happy girls as they excitedly drove off, heading for school and their friends. At school they were quickly joined by Shimmer and Orange, talking excitedly among themselves as they headed into the school and to their classroom. They saw Miss Cadenza working at her desk as they entered. She looked up smiling as they took their seats. “So girls! Have anything fun planned for the weekend?” she asked pleasantly. “Heck yes!” agreed Sunset. “We’re going to have a sleepover at Shimmer’s house! And then tomorrow they are taking us on an outing to the beach all day! It’s going to be awesome!” The girls all nodded, grinning like loons. “That sounds like fun! I hope you have a great time!” smiled Miss Cadenza, returning to her work. A few minutes later, all her students had filed in, and she began class. “Okay class! You know the drill. Call out here when I call your name, then we will begin our first lesson,” she said pleasantly, and the last day of the girls first week of school began. The girls were gathered excitedly, waiting for their ride to start their sleepover. A limo drove up, the driver opening the door and calling out to them. “Miss Sunset, Miss Aiko, Miss Shimmer, and Miss Orange I presume? I am here to take you to the Shimmer residence for the evening. Are you ready to leave?” he asked. Sunset looked at him in confusion. “I thought Mrs. Shimmer was coming to pick us up?” she asked. “Ah. Apparently it was decided to let us bring you to them. If you don’t mind, please get in and I will take you to them,” the driver replied. Sunset shrugged, entering the back of the limo. Her sisters joined her, taking their seats in the back of the limo as the driver shut the door behind them, returning to his seat. He pulled out of the driveway, taking them to the Shimmer residence. Once there, he dropped them off, watching as they went to the door and entered, waving back at him. Mrs. Shimmer waved as well, greeting the girls at the door. The driver waved then and got back into his car, driving off. “So girls,” greeted Mrs. Shimmer with a smile. “Ready for your sleepover and our beach trip tomorrow?” “Yeah!” the girls called out happily. “Alright! Go put your bags in Shimmer’s room, then come join us for snacks,” smiled Mrs. Shimmer. The girls all gleefully raced to Shimmer’s room, dropping their bags on the bed then racing back to the kitchen, where Mrs. Shimmer had placed out chips, dips and juice for the girls. “Thank you Mrs. Shimmer!” they called out, diving into the snacks while they talked excitedly about what they wanted to do for their sleepover. “You’re more than welcome, girls,” smiled Mrs. Shimmer, delighted to see her daughter and her friends, her sisters - that phrase of theirs still brought a smile to her face, as they happily snacked and chatted. “Call me if you need anything,” she told them as she returned to preparing their dinner. Finished with their chips and drinks, the girls put the dip away and cleaned up their dishes, then went to the living room where they gathered several of Shimmer’s favorite board games which they had decided to start their evening by playing. Back in her room, they cleared off the bed, moving the backpacks to the floor so they could spread out on the bed around the first of the board games Shimmer had picked for them, Chutes and Ladders. “This one is my absolute favorite!” said Shimmer as she gave them their pieces and explained how to play. The rules were simple enough it took no time at all, then they rolled for the first turn, won by Aiko, and went clockwise around the bed from there. While it wasn’t the funnest thing Sunset had ever done, playing it with her sisters made it a delight, and in about fifteen minutes or so when it was over, they cleaned up the pieces and moved onto the next game. Three games later, Mrs. Shimmer came into the room, calling them down to dinner. They set the game aside to play later, then stopped by the bathroom to wash their hands before heading down to eat. Entering the dining room, they found Mrs. Shimmer had already set the table for them and placed the dinner out ready to serve. Mr. Shimmer was sitting in his spot, next to Mirs. Shimmer, when she finally sat down after brining in a pitcher of iced tea and pouring a serving for the girls, Mr. Shimmer and herself. Seated, they held hands and bowed their heads as Mr. Shimmer said some words thanking the Maker for their meal, then Mrs. Shimmer started serving the dinner, vegetable lasagna, onto each of the girls plates. She also had a small bowl of salad to go with the dinner. “Wow, I didn’t know you did that too?” asked Sunset. “Did what, dear?” asked Mrs. Shimmer as she cut off a portion of lasagna for herself, taking a bite. “That you thanked the Maker before eating. I thought that was something only Father John and Sister Mary did. We never see anyone do it at school, so we thought it was just them,” responded Sunset. Mrs. Shimmer laughed. “No dear, many people do it. Not usually at lunch or breakfast, but sometimes then too. But many people do it for dinner. It’s just something we have always done, even growing up.” Sunset nodded. “I guess that makes sense. I wondered why Father John and Sister Mary were the only ones that did it.” She thought for a moment. “I guess we should do it too then, Aiko. We can do it when we eat at home,” she mused. Aiko nodded. “Sounds good to me.” After dinner, Mrs. Shimmer served them all a serving of key lime pie. Neither Sunset nor Aiko had ever had it before, and were delighted with the treat. Desert over, the girls thanked Mrs.Shimmer for dinner, then cleared their settings and returned to their room for the rest of their evening. “We should get dressed in our nightgowns,” noted Shimmer. “Then we can just go to sleep when we get too tired.” It was agreed that was an excellent plan, so they changed into them then resumed their board game. Two hours and another snack run later, this time for soda and popcorn, and one adorable movie later, the girls' eyes were all having trouble staying open. “I don’t want to go to sleep yet,” complained Aiko, “But I can’t keep my eyes open. I just keep nodding off.” “Let’s go clean up, then we can lay in bed and tell stories!” suggested Shimmer. So they took their bowls to the kitchen then cleaned up and brushed their teeth. They crawled back up onto the bed, and Shimmer pulled back the covers. Orange went to the far side, Sunset next to her, then Aiko and finally Shimmer. Pulling the covers up over them, Shimmer grinned at her friends. “Who wants to go first?” she asked. “Go ahead,” answered Sunset. “I’m so tired I’m not sure I could tell a story. What about you, Orange?” she asked the girl snuggled up next to her. Not getting an answer, she pulled her into a hug, seeing her friend was already completely sound asleep. Sunset laughed. “Orange is out.” Aiko grinned. “Fine, I’ll go first,” she laughed. She started into a story about a magical fox that was stealing a farmer's chickens and got caught. Sunset smiled, having heard it a few times before, gently dozing off holding her friend Orange. Soon the sound of both of them gently snoring came from their side of the bed. Shimmer laughed. “Good job, Aiko, you put them to sleep,” she teased. “Those two were going to sleep no matter what story I told,” Aiko laughed back. “What about you? Are you going to tell a story?” “Nah, I think I’m about to fall asleep too. And I don’t want to be super tired tomorrow. I want to have lots of energy so I can have fun all day at the beach with you and not be all cranky,” answered Shimmer, yawning. She snuggled up to Aiko. “Nice story, Aiko. Goodnight.” Within moments she too was gently snoring. Laughing, Aiko snuggled up to her friend. “Goodnight, Shimmer,” she said, shutting her eyes and resting her head against her friends. A few moments later, all four girls were asleep for the night. They woke the next morning to a gentle knocking on the bedroom door, Mrs. Shimmer smiling at them from the open doorway. “Rise and shine girls,” she called out gently. “Time to get ready for the beach! Don’t forget your bathing suits, and come downstairs when you are ready and dressed. We have breakfast waiting. We want to get an early start so we can find a nice parking spot before the beach fills up. Rise and shine!” Smiling at the girls as they sat up from under the covers, she left them to get ready heading back downstairs to the kitchen. “Yay! Finally time to go to the beach!” Sunset said, yawning. She looked over at Orange, just waking up and looking around. Sunset took her hand. “Good morning, Orange.” Orange looked over and smiled, sitting up then taking Sunset’s hand again. “Good morning, Sunset,” she smiled back. “Ready for a day at the beach?” Sunset asked. “Heck yeah! I’ve been looking forward to this all week!” smiled Aiko at the two of them. Giving Shimmer a quick hug, she dropped down off the bed and went to her backpack, pulling out her bathing suit and sundress then heading for the bathroom. “Aiko’s got the right idea,” said Shimmer, pulling her Sundress and bathing suit from her drawers and running after Aiko. Sunset turned to Orange. “We should join them before they get done and eat all the breakfast,” she teased, pulling Orange along after her. They gathered their dresses and suits, following their friends to the bathroom. Dressed and ready for the day, the girls headed downstairs joining Mr. and Mrs. Shimmer in the kitchen. There was another woman there with a younger girl, both clearly as Japanese as Aiko. “Aunt Hana! Cousin Deijī! What are you doing here?” asked Shimmer happily, giving them both hugs. “We’re joining your family outing!” smiled her aunt. “We didn’t think you would mind.” She grinned, hugging her niece back. Shimmer happily shook her head, hugging her aunt tightly. “Not a bit!” she agreed. They all sat at the table while Mr. Shimmer served them eggs and toast. Mrs. Shimmer passed out glasses of Orange juice and put honey and jam on the table. She then returned with coffee’s for Mr. Shimmer and Aunt Hana. “Can we have coffee too?” asked Aiko, hopefully. “I don’t really think coffee is a great idea for little girls your age,” replied Mrs.Shimmer as she sipped her coffee. “But we have it all the time at home,” Aiko insisted. “Sorry, no. No coffee for little girls in our house,” insisted Mrs. Shimmer. Aiko harrumphed, then returned to eating her eggs and toast. Aunt Hana grinned. When they finished, the girls placed their dishes on the counter, then ran upstairs to brush their teeth. When they were done, they ran back down the stairs, ready for their outing. Mrs. Shimmer was finishing up packing a large picnic basket while Mr. Shimmer filled up several large thermoses with lemonade. Finished, he placed them on the counter next to the basket, leaving for a moment. He returned with a large cloth bag filled with towels and two large blankets, as well as several sand toys. Gathering them all up, Aunt Hana, Mr. Shimmer and Mrs. Shimmer headed into the garage, loading them all in the back of the Shimmer family van. The girls and cousin Deijī followed after them, climbing into the back of the car while the adults took the front row and seats, Deijī sitting next to her mother with Aiko as she tried to speak Japonies to Deijī who smiled bewildered. Aunt Hana replied, so Aiko and her spoke Japanese while everyone else grinned and Sunset explained to Shimmer and Orange what they were talking about. With everyone settled and buckled in, Mr. Shimmer slid the door shut and got into the driver’s seat. Hitting a button on the remote attached to his visor, the garage door slowly opened, and he drove out onto the street, pressing the button again to shut the door behind them. The sun was still low in the morning sky, and they were off to the beach for a day of fun. About twenty minutes later, they arrived at the beach, parking still plentiful due to the early hour. Parking next to the beach, they got out, the adults taking the bag, basket and thermoses as they picked out a spot on the sand to claim for the day, close to the surf but not so close they would have to deal with the high tide. The girls and Deijī were running around playing as the adults set up the blankets and put the bag, basket and thermoses down to hold them in place from the occasional gusts of wind. They sat on the blankets talking and joking among themselves as they watched the girls play together. “Do you want to go in the water now?” asked Shimmer, racing over to the waves gently rolling in and letting them rollover her bare feet. She kept the hem of her sundress in her hand to keep it from dropping down into the waves and getting wet. “Nah, not yet. Let’s let it warm up a bit first,” said Sunset, joining her friend in watching the waves roll over her feet, her toes scrunched into the sand as she copied her friend in keeping her dress from the waves. The other girls joined them, laughing and kicking water at each other as they ran through the surf. After several minutes of this they noticed the beautiful shells being uncovered by the lapping waves and started collecting them, comparing them among themselves to see who could find the most interesting or beautiful shell. Aiko found a crab, and they laughed and shouted as they followed it along the beach until it hid itself back among the waves. Birds were landing up and down the beach, looking for their own breakfast. The girls laughed and called to them, running among them and sending them scattering until the next thing took their attention. The adults watched them play as they chatted, smiling at their simple joy and abundant energies. As they played, more people arrived, eventually filling the beach to the point the girls could no longer run freely across the sand without watching where they were going. Aunt Hana got up, and went over to the girls, offering them a treat if they joined her on a little adventure. The girls happily agreed, so taking them hand in hand, she led them down the beach and to the pier, where she bought them all popsicles to eat as they slowly headed back. After they got back and finished their treats,they agreed it was warm enough, so they decided to play in the surf completely. Pulling off their dresses and tossing them on the blanket, they were about to run down to the beach when they noticed the adults had all stopped talking. “Miss Shimmer! What do you think you are wearing!” called out Mr. Shimmer to his daughter, as he got up. “Get back over here right now and answer me!” The girls all returned, Shimmer looking upset and confused. “I’m wearing my swimsuit,” she answered standing before her irate father. “That is not your swimsuit,” he answered her firmly. “That is your old swimsuit from last year that we instructed you to put into the donation basket after we gave you your new one. Where is your swimsuit, Miss Shimmer?” he asked her crossly. ‘Still in my drawer at home,” she answered meekly. Mr. Shimmer grabbed a towel. “Wrap this around you. You cannot parade around like that. No daughter of mine is going to wander around dressed like that. You will sit here while the others play.” “Why did you not wear your new suit?” asked her mother. “I just like this one. It’s my favorite. I don’t like the new suit,” she answered honestly, sitting down at her father’s feet. The girls all returned to the blanket, sitting around her. “I don’t want to play if Shimmer can’t play with us,” said Sunset. The other girls nodded in solidarity. Mr. Shimmer groaned in frustration. Mrs. Shimmer came over, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “I got this honey. I just need the car keys.” He reached into his pocket, handing them over. She kissed him on the cheek. “Thank you dear.” Taking Shimmer’s hand, she scooped up her purse and headed back towards the car. “Where are you going?” called out Sunset in concern. “To fix my daughter’s mistake and have a little talk with her. We’ll be back in a bit, then she can join you. Go ahead and play, she’ll be back in a bit,” answered Mrs. Shimmer as they left. They got into the car and drove off, another car almost immediately filling the spot. “So much for our primo parking spot,” grumbled Mr. Shimmer. About an hour later, Shimmer and her mom returned, Shimmer now wearing a much more modest suit, no longer two sizes too small that didn’t cover what her parents wished to cover. “So where did you end up parking?” Mr. Shimmer asked as she handed him back the keys. “I lucked out a bit, there was an opening in a lot across the street and I grabbed that,” she answered with a grin. “Thank the Maker for small favors,” smiled back her husband. Shimmer slid off her shoes, leaving them by the blanket as she ran down the beach to join her friends and cousin already playing in the water. They called out happily to her when they saw her, and together they splashed and played in the waves. “I had a little chat with her, and explained why we were angry. She didn’t understand the idea of something not fitting correctly or propriety, so I used this as a teachable moment. I think she gets it, she’s a smart girl. I took the suit and put it where it belongs in the donation basket, so that’s done with,” Mrs. Shimmer explained, smiling as she watched them play. “I’m glad you did that,” her husband agreed, placing his arm around her as they watched their daughter, niece and friends. “Me too. Seeing her friends join her in such solidarity, not wanting to play if she didn’t join them? That really touched my heart. I had to fix it so they didn’t lose the joy they had hoped for today,” she sighed, leaning up against him. “You have a good heart, dear,” he agreed, pulling her into a hug. A while later it was time for lunch. Aunt Hana went to fetch them. They all laid on towels over the blanket to dry as they waited for Mrs. Shimmer to pass out lunch. Opening the basket, Mrs. Shimmer passed out sandwiches, which the girls hungrily ate, as well as cups of lemonade and fruit snacks. When they finished eating and passed back the cups, Mrs. Shimmer had them wait for a bit for the food to settle so they wouldn’t have to worry about cramps while they were playing in the surf. They laughed and joked while they waited, then twenty minutes later Mrs. Shimmer told them they had waited long enough and they all happily ran back out to the surf, splashing, playing and diving into the waves. Smiling, Aunt Hana pulled her dress off, tossing it onto the blanket as well revealing the modest bikini she was wearing underneath. “Going to join them?” asked Mrs. Shimmer with a grin as Aunt Hana picked up her purse. “You’ll see!” she teased, heading back to the pier. A few minutes later she returned, an oversized paddle board under one arm and a medium sized life jacket with her purse in the other. “You spoil them, you know that right?” laughed Mrs. Shimmer as she put her purse back on the blanket. “That’s what aunts do,” agreed Aunt Hana with a grin, heading down to the beach, board still under one arm with the life jacket swinging back and forth in the other. The girls saw her coming, and ran from the surf to surround her, dancing happily around her. “What’s that, Aunt Hana?” asked Shimmer excitedly as they followed her back out into the surf. “This is a little treat for you girls,” answered Aunt Hana with a grin. “You were having so much fun splashing around in the waves, I thought I would give you all a chance to come with me out to the big waves so we could take turns riding them. Who wants a turn?” she asked, laughing. All the girls excitedly raised their hands. Grabbing the girl closest to her, she put Orange up on the board, securing the life jacket around her then sitting on the board herself. “Okay girls! Watch us have some fun on the big waves, then I will come and take the next one of you out. Everyone will get a turn! I promise.” Laying down on the board as Orange sat holding tightly to the sides in delighted panic, she paddled them past the small breakers and out to the larger breaking waves. Orange got washed off by the first wave they crashed through, but Aunt Hana caught her and put her back on the board, paddling out past the breaking waves where they sat on the board together, riding the rippling swells before they broke as they neared the beach. They could see Orange, eyes as big as saucers and grin wider than a Cheshire cat as she held onto the board laying down like Aunt Hana, watching the surf pass beneath them to break and crash as they neared the shore. After several minutes of that, Aunt Hana said something to Orange and she nodded excitedly. Aunt Hana angled the board towards the shore, paddling to keep them abreast of the current swell as it headed inward. As the wave broke, Aunt Hana gave a few quick strokes, pushing them out before it. They were swept up in the trough of the wave, riding it almost all the way back to the girls. Aunt Hana paddled them over to where the girls were waiting, smiles plastered on everyone’s faces. “Orange, were you scared? That looked awesome!” called out Sunset, hugging her friend as she slid off the board. “It was pretty scary, yeah,” admitted Orange. “But it was so fun I didn’t care!” Sunset squeezed her friend tight in happiness. “Can I go next?” asked Aiko, trying to pull herself up onto the board. “Sure, why not?” agreed Aunt Hana. She helped Orange take off the life jacket, putting it on Aiko as she sat squirming happily on the board. “You know, this is actually easier if you hold still,” teased Aunt Hana. Aiko tried her hardest not to fidget, and the jacket was quickly secured and adjusted. Laying down on the board before Aunt Hana like she had seen Orange do, Aunt Hana paddled them out past the breakers and into the swells. Because she was laying down, Aiko was not swept off the board when they breached the waves heading out to large swells. “I am definitely laying down too,” observed Shimmer as Sunset nodded in agreement. “I don’t want to be swept off the board.” “Yeah, mom takes me out all the time, and that’s definitely the best way to do it,” agreed Deijī. “If you are sitting up too much, you catch the wave and it will sweep you off. But if you lay down it just rolls over the top of you and you come out the other side,” she explained. “That makes sense. So your mom takes you to the beach all the time and you get to do this with her?” asked Sunset. “Mostly during the summer, but yeah,” agreed Deijī. “My mom rocks.” Shimmer, Sunset, and Orange just nodded in agreement. Aunt Hana took them all out several times each all through the afternoon. Eventually, as the sun fell in the sky and the wind picked up making things a bit colder, they decided to head back into shore and play on the beach again. Aunt Hana took the life jacket and paddle board back to the shop on the pier she had rented it from, then returned to join them as Mr. Shimmer started a fire in the fire ring with some wood he had purchased from a vendor down the beach. Once the fire was going, Mrs. Shimmer took out several thin long wooden rods and a package of vegan wieners from the basket. She pushed the stick through the wieners and passed them out to the girls so they could have fun cooking their dinners. When they were cooked, she helped the girls make them into hotdogs, loading up the condiments each one chose, and their plates with beans and chips. Giving each girl a napkin and utensil with their plates, she joined the adults in taking their turn grilling their own dinners. The hungry girls took a few turns each after, cooking a few more hotdogs for themselves until they had eaten enough., Once everyone finished with their dinner. Aunt Hana brought out a bag of marshmallows and introduced the girls to the wonderful world of Smor’s. Watching the sunset as they ate their smor’s and sipped their lemonade, Sunset smiled as her friends laughed and joked with each other, making a chocolatey marshmallow mess as they enjoyed their treats. After the Smor’s they took turns singing around the fire, leading each other in songs that seemed perfect for the mood. Sunset was surprised to see all three of the adults were quite good at singing, able to carry a tune and keep the group immersed in the songs and the moments. Others around them were packing it in, leaving the beach and heading home as the darkness grew, the night beginning. Eventually they were nearly the only one’s left on the beach, only a handful of stragglers still sitting around their own fires, or just enjoying the night breeze on their blankets. “Well girls, that was certainly a wonderful day,” smiled Mrs. Shimmer at them as she rose and began gathering their things. “But I think it's time to get home. We wouldn't want your parents to be worried because we kept you out too late,” she said. Mr. Shimmer got up and used a small shovel to pour sand over the embers to kill the fire. The girls rose gathering up their dresses and towels as they prepared to leave. While they finished packing, Mr. Shimmer left, bringing the car back to the spots next to the beach. When he pulled up, they gathered up everything, the girls helping them carry it all, and headed back to the van. Loading everything up in the back, they took their seats again, ready for the ride home. When everyone was buckled in, Mr. Shimmer drove out of the lot and back to their home. The girls helped unload the car, then gathered their dresses, putting them back on over their now very dry swimsuits and packing up their bags. Together with Orange, Aiko and Sunset said goodbye to the Shimmers and their Aunt and cousin with hugs and smiles, thanking them for the wonderful day. Outside a limo was waiting for them, as Mrs. Shimmer had called Sister Mary to let her know they were done for the weekend. Waving goodbye to their friend and new friend, they entered the limo, settling down in the back for the ride home. The limo stopped at Orange’s apartment first where they hugged their friend goodbye as a very happy Mrs. Orange looked on. Giving her a kiss on the cheek Sunset hugged her one more time. “Don’t forget to call me tomorrow! And see you Monday!” she smiled, giving her one last hug. Orange happily hugged her back, then taking her bag joined her mom by their apartment door. Sunset and Aiko waved as the limo driver shut the door, then sat in the driver's seat and drove them home. When they got to the Towers, they found Fae waiting for them with a big smile. They swung their bags over their shoulders and she took them by the hand, leading them back up to their apartment as their ride drove away behind them. Entering the apartment, she led them to their room to drop off their bags then took them into the bathroom, getting them into the tub and washing away all the salt and sand of the wonderful day they had just had. Once they were completely clean she let them play in the tub for a bit, laughing with them as they related all the fun things they had done on their sleepover. Eventually Fae let the water out of the tub, rinsing them one last time before drying them off and helping them get ready for bed. They brushed their teeth and did what was needed then snuggled up in bed, watching the city lights as they talked about how much fun they had. Within a few minutes there were no sounds other than the gentle snoring of two very happy, very tired girls as they replayed the happy memories of the day in their dreams. The next morning, Fae woke them, then they enjoyed the breakfast she and Ailene had made for them. Getting dressed for the day, they left the apartment, heading down to the lobby for their ride to the mission where they were to spend the day. Together, Aiko, Sunset, and Fae helped out wherever needed, preparing meals with Sister Mary, moving their tables out and chairs around for Father John’s service, or just enjoying quiet time reading or talking with Orange and Shimmer on their phones while Sister Mary and Father John took care of mission business. After dinner, they said goodbye to Father John and Sister Mary. Entering the waiting limo, they returned to their apartment to prepare for bed and sleep, ready to greet the next day.