My Mom and Sisters are my Nurses Ch. 04

"That was the original plan yes, but because of a cancelation she will be able to take care of it herself, something she wanted to do in the first place." Answered Vanessa. "Anyway, do you guys want something to drink? Steph is probably going to show you some examples first and discuss how the photos will be taken.

"Sure, that would be nice. Thanks for the warm welcome Vanessa!" Said Casey.

"No problem! I will be with you guys in a minute, remember, straight ahead to studio one and you will find Steph." Vanessa then walked off to get everyone drinks.

"Wow, this place looks amazing, and so professional." Said Debby as they walked towards the studio, looking their eyes out.

Casey started to giggle. "That's Stephanie for you, and the Stephanie that I remember. Once she had her sights set on something she would go for it one-hundred-and-ten percent, it has definitely paid off for her to continue in photography."

The sight was even more amazing when the three of them entered the studio, all kinds of high tech equipment and backdrops were spread all over the place, one particular wall was filled with photos from all kind of different themes which were shot by Vanessa and Stephanie.

"It's even more spectacular inside here!" Said Jake as he watched around. "I now understand why all those big names come to her place."

While the three of them looked their eyes out they didn't notice a familiar small red-headed girl walking up to them.

"Hi Jake! Can I be cowgirl again?" Said the little girl, making the three siblings turn their heads towards her.

Jake's face turned into a big smile when he saw who was talking to them. "Hey there Olivia! Of course you can be a cowgirl again! I promised you that after we met in the park, didn't I?"

Olivia started to giggle and nodded her head.

"Oh my god! She's soooo cute!" Yelped Debby as she focused her full attention on Olivia. "Hi! I'm Debby, Jake's sister." She said as she leaned forward, inviting Olivia over with a kind gesture.

"Do you play cowgirl with Jake too?" Asked Olivia innocently as she hopped over to Jake and Debby.

Debby felt her face turning red when Olivia mentioned the word cowgirl again, the activities with her brother last night were definitely in the same category, but of course she knew that Olivia did not meant it in that kind of way. "Uhhh... Yes, I guess I did when I was your age!" She said with a slightly nervous tone again.

Olivia looked up to her and smiled. "Okay! You can be cowgirl too, but I'm going first!" She then walked up to Jake and extended her arms.

Jake smiled again and lifted Olivia onto his lap. "Well, a promise is a promise so buckle up!"

"Have you two met before?" Asked Casey who was watching her brother and sister play with Olivia.

"Yeah when I was with Mom at the park. We crossed paths with Stephanie's mother who was walking with her grandchildren over there." Answered Jake.

Suddenly another voice came from the direction were Oliva was before. "Ah, I can see you already met my little devil!"

Casey quickly turned her head and was greeted with the sight of her best friend, their eyes met and both woman felt a shock of relief and happiness running through their bodies. After five long years they were finally reunited.

Stephanie walked up to Casey and let her eyes wonder over her body. "Wow Cass, you really have changed over these past years, finally let out your true self, ey?" She said with a smile. "You look amazing honey, cute as always but with the added sexiness of a mature woman."

Casey started to giggle. "And that's coming from you, 'mommy'. I can see that your relationship and having the kids you always talked about gave you an edge too. Sexy mom Stephanie in the house!" Teased Casey.

Stephanie started to laugh. "Not changed a bit... Come here sweetheart, I've missed you so much." She said as she embraced Casey.

Casey hugged her back tightly. "I've missed you too Steph, I'm glad to be back again here with you."

The emotional hug lasted for a while, both the girls felt a huge weight fall off their shoulders after finally coming together again.

"Mommy? Do you know that lady?" Asked Olivia as she observed her mother and Casey from Jake's lap.

The girls finished their hug and turned to Olivia.

"Yes darling, Casey is a very good friend of mommy, and what about you? Seems you know Casey's brother all too well." Responded Stephanie to her daughter.

"She came up to me out of nowhere when I was at the park with my mother. She mentioned that this wheelchair reminded her of her father's work and before we knew it she was talking up a storm. Then your mother Judith joined us for some time and that's when Miss Devil over here became a 'cowgirl'." Explained Jake.

Stephanie started to laugh. "Well that's certainly Olivia all right, she has her father's curiosity after all. By the way Jake, good seeing you again after all these years. Same goes for you Debby, can't believe how much you two have grown up."

Stephanie knew what happened to them and didn't want to bring it up, she knew from her own experience how sudden events could turn around your whole life in a split second.

"And I can't believe that you have such a cutie daughter! If you ever need a babysitter, then don't be afraid to hit me up." Said Debby as she was kneeling in front of Jake, observing Olivia.

"Fierce as always huh? God, I'm so glad that the three of you haven't changed a bit after all these years, apart from growing up further of course... So, how about we get ready for the shoot? Do you mind coming with me to my office for a bit Casey? I want to go over some things before we start." Asked Stephanie.

"Sure, I believe we can trust Olivia to my dear brother and sister over here." Answered Casey, watching Debby push Jake's wheelchair around while Olivia giggled on his lap.

Stephanie smiled as she too watched her daughter being entertained. "Remind me to ask Debby's number, I think she's the perfect candidate for watching over Olivia and Jeremy when we won't be able to do so."

They then proceeded to Stephanie's office while Jake and Debby stayed with Olivia in the studio.

"And here we are Cass, welcome to my little sanctuary. Let's take a seat on the sofa over there, shall we?" Said Stephanie.

Casey nodded and followed her best friend to the comfortable looking sofa.

"So, you wanted to take a picture of the three of you together as a gift for your mother. I was thinking about shooting it in different sizes, a few close-ups for smaller pictures and a few larger ones that could be hung somewhere around the house. I will take a couple of shots so that the three of you can show me your favorite ones at the end." Suggested Stephanie.

Casey nodded again. "That's what I personally had in mind too." She then opened her handbag and took out the old picture of her and her brother and sister to show it to Stephanie. "Take a look at this Steph, it's from way back but I want to make a new, grown-up version of this basically."

Stephanie took the picture and studied it for a bit. "This one is so cute Cass, I think we can work with this alright, your mother is going to love the new version of it for sure! You know, it's quite a coincidence that you want a picture in this style." Said Stephanie.

"Oh, how so?" Asked Casey surprised.

"Here, take a look at this." Stephanie stood up and picked up one of many picture frames from her bureau, she then gave it to Casey.

"I recently took that photo; it's become some sort of ritual for us to take one every year. After our father died we decided to take one in this style, the three of us have necklaces were we carry that picture around everywhere we go."

Casey observed the picture that Stephanie gave her. It showed her mother Judith in the middle and on each side of her one of her children, Stephanie to the left and her brother Matthew to the right. The resemblance was very clear; it was shot in the exact same style that their old picture was.

"Quite a coincidence indeed Steph, I would be grateful if you manage to shoot our pictures the same way like this, Mom will love it like this." Said Casey before returning the picture frame.

"It's settled then! I will make sure to capture the three of you in perfection." Replied Stephanie with a big smile.

Stephanie returned the photo and took a seat next to Casey again.

"Before we go back Cass... I know you probably heard this quite a lot in the last few months and I didn't want to bring it up with everyone in the studio but... I'm sorry for what happened to you and your family, I know how devastating things like these can get from my own experiences. I just want to say that I'm glad to see all of you happy again, you look better than ever Cass." Said Stephanie as she took Casey's hand in hers.

Casey smiled at her friend. "You are correct, heard that way too many times. But I appreciate it Steph, especially since its coming from you. We know everything is going to work in the end, the same way it worked for you and your family." She said as she gripped her best friend's hand tighter.

The two of them smiled at each other for a short period of time while holding hands before Stephanie broke the ice.

"Cass... I want to tell you something about... About me and my family, about Matthew and me. I... I know I can trust you with this..." Said Stephanie with a quiet voice.

Casey felt her hands tighten even harder, she already noticed that there was something more going on with her best friend after they had met face to face again. They had always told each other's secrets and what not, but this one was going to be something big, something that Stephanie had not shared with anyone before.

"I... I know Steph, you can tell me everything you want." Responded Casey as she prepared for what her best friend would share with her.

*****

"And here they are! A few smaller ones for you all to keep close and this larger one for somewhere inside the house. Vanessa already framed it for you, I hope that you like the frame she picked out for it." Said Stephanie as she came back into the studio with the freshly made pictures from the photoshoot.

Casey, Jake and Debby's faces lit up with happiness when Stephanie presented them the final results.

"Oh my gosh! Mom is totally gonna fall in love with these!" Said Debby overly excited while holding Olivia who had dozed off on her lap.

"Wow Stephanie! All the compliments in the world from me to you and Vanessa, they are perfect and I dare to say even better than the old ones." Said Jake as he looked at the final products.

"Thank you kindly everyone!" Responded Stephanie with a blush on her face. She gave the frame and the loose pictures to Jake who went over them further.

Casey stood up and gave her best friend another hug from the side. "Thank you Steph, for doing this for us."

Stephanie embraced her hug and whispered back. "And thank you for listening to me Cass, you truly are my bestie... And remember, be honest to him, it will work out for you too."

"Say, do you want me to pack them for you guys since it has to be a present?" Came from a voice behind them.

"Yes, please do Vanessa, we don't want Mom's eagle eyes to catch a glimpse of them right away." Said Jake.

All of the ongoing ruckus caused Olivia to slowly wake up from her slumber on Debby's lap.

"Look Jake, our 'cowgirl' is finally coming back to the world of the living again." Said Debby as she carefully held Olivia on her lap, preventing her from falling off.

"Does she now? Guess she finally had relaxed long enough, 'mommy Debby'." Responded Jake.

"Wait, did she call you 'mommy' too, Debby?" Asked Stephanie as she watched her daughter waking up.

"Yes, after we played for a while she started to call me that, it's so cute!" Answered Debby.

"Well, that is rare for her to do, the only other woman she often calls 'mommy' is my mother when I'm not around. She seems to be very fond of you." Said Stephanie before remembering her offer.

"Say Debby, would you be up for it to babysit her and her little brother once in a while? I have a few events coming up where I can't take the kids with me and seeing that she is totally comfortable with you makes you the perfect candidate in my eyes." Asked Stephanie.

Debby's eyes lit up from the offer. "Really? Of course I would like to babysit them! How can someone say no to them?"

"Can Jake come to? We cowgirls need a horse." Said a freshly woken up Olivia out of nowhere.

They all started to laugh at her question, Olivia scanned the room and started to giggle with them, not sure why all the adults started to laugh.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind coming over with Debby once in a while sweetie. Say, Daddy is coming to pick you up in a bit, could you be a dear and collect your toys for me?" Asked Stephanie.

"Yay! Daddy!" Shouted Olivia as she dashed off to take care of her mother's request.

Casey picked up her handbag and turned to her brother and sister. "How about we get moving on too? Stephanie has more clients to take care of and we have been here for a while now."

Both Debby and Jake nodded to their older sister's request.

"Oh, before you go." Interrupted Stephanie as scribbled something down on a piece of paper. "Here's my number Debby, feel free to call me so we can set up the babysitting. And Casey, give me a call too so we discuss the work we will be going over, okay?"

"You are going to work together with Stephanie Sis?" Asked Debby as she took the piece of paper.

"Yup, we had a good talk and we both agreed to become partners. If all goes well, which we have no doubt about, I will probably be working together with Steph and Vanessa here fulltime." Answered Casey with a big smile.

"Congratulations Sis!" Said both Debby and Jake in sync.

"Good to hear that 'colleague'!" Came from behind them again.

"Here are the pictures, all wrapped up tight and nice so that mom can't see a thing!" Said Vanessa with a smile as she handed over the wrapped packages.

After taking the packages and saying their goodbyes they finally went back to their house with the gifts for their mother.

*****

"Alright Deb, remember to go through the backdoor, okay? I didn't lock it in the morning so you still should be able to enter the house that way, take the presents to your room and leave them somewhere where Mom can't find them." Said Casey as she parked her car in front of their house.

"No problemo! I'll make sure Mom won't find them." Responded Debby, taking the packages over from Jake.

Just before she wanted to leave the car she turned back and gave a quick kiss on both her brother and sister's cheeks. "Have fun you two!" She added with a giggle before leaving the car.

Jake turned his head to his older sister with a confused look on his face. "Have fun? What is she talking about Casey?"

His sister simply smiled at him, she then honked the horn from the car. After a few seconds the front door opened and Cynthia came out with a small suitcase. She walked up to the car trunk and knocked on the back window.

Casey pulled the trunk handle and the trunk flipped open.

"Anyone care to explain what's going on, please?" Asked Jake again as he was still confused.

Cynthia closed the trunk after putting the suitcase inside and walked up to the passenger's window, with a flick of a button Casey opened it up.

"I have put everything in it that you requested darling, plus I added that summer dress of mine that you liked so much." Said Cynthia to her daughter, ignoring Jake.

"Uh Mom? Explanation... Please?" He asked one more time.

Cynthia started to giggle and gave him a kiss on his cheek just like Debby did before. "Ask your sister sweetie, she's the true mastermind behind this. Be careful and have fun you two!" She said before turning around and walking back to the house.

"Remember my message on your phone yesterday? Well this is the surprise I talked about." Said Casey as she closed the window and started the car again.

"So, we are going somewhere? Just the two of us?" Asked Jake again.

"Yup, Mom came with the idea after our night together yesterday. She has spent a full day with you and so did Debby, so she suggested me to go somewhere with you so we could spend some time together too." Answered Casey.

"Well, it does sound fair when you mention it like that... Any hints on where we are going, or what we are going to do?"

Casey smiled as she drove the car. "Mhmmm... I can give you hint, it's something nostalgic for both of us."

Jake started to laugh. "Nostalgic huh? Well we did a lot of stuff together when we were younger. Come on, not a bigger hint for your confused brother?"

"Nope! But I'm sure you will get it once we get closer and closer to it. It's something that we both loved as kids, and it's where you got something... Very dear to me." Answered Casey amused.

"Mhm... Well, that narrows it down but it still could be anywhere, I got you a lot of things that were dear to you." Said Jake. "But, I will let your surprise 'surprise' me I guess."

Now Casey started to laugh. "You do that little brother, but I'm sure that once we reach the place you will remember it in no time!"

They drove for a short hour before they closed in on their destination, an old but popular town that their parents loved to visit when they were younger. If not for their father, they would have been raised there since Cynthia loved the place and its surrounding nature.

"Old Hendrickson?" Said Jake as he recognized the familiar buildings and landscapes from his youth. "We always used to go to-"

"The fair." Interrupted Casey as her brother finally found out where they were going. "Open the glove box." She asked.

Jake did as she told and was greeted with a pamphlet. He took a good look at it, a big smile crept onto his face after seeing it. "Fair week! You weren't kidding when you meant nostalgic Sis! I should have known this one, it's where I won Mr. Teddy for you, wasn't it?"

Casey started to blush. "Yes it is... So, do you like my surprise?" She asked.

"Of course! We had so much fun here together before and I'm sure it won't be any different this time!" Responded Jake excited.

"I have no doubt about that, that's why me and Mom came up with this idea." Said Casey before pulling up the car to a parking place. "And this is where we will be staying for the night."

"Ambrose Hotel... Wasn't this very small all those years ago? I vaguely remember the name." Said Jake as he looked at the now impressive building.

"Yes, you are right again. It's the same hotel we spend a few days in all those years ago. So because this trip is nostalgic and all I decided to book us a room in it. It's pretty close to the fairgrounds so it's a win-win situation for us." Answered Casey. "Shall we check in and put our baggage inside of our room? After that we can go to the fair." Said Casey excited.

"Lead the way Sis, I can't wait for us to walk..." Jake stopped mid-sentence and looked at his legs. "Well, to see the fair again!"

Casey nodded and smiled at him, though it also saddened her knowing that it wouldn't be the same as it was before. But she knew that this day together with him would be a special one, and she would do everything in her power for it to be so.

*****

"And here you go Ms. Wilson, the keys to room 2A on the second floor, the elevator is further down the hall to your left and your room will be on the right when you exit the elevator on the second floor. Do you need any further assistance at all?" Asked the hotel's receptionist.

"No thank you, we know our way around the hotel, although it has really changed since the last time we visited it." Said Casey with a smile.

The receptionist smiled back at her. "Nice to see old clients return, anyway, I hope you and your husband will enjoy your stay here tonight. If you need anything just use the phone inside of your room."