The Avalon Ladies Scrapbooking Society Read Online Free Page A

Jason. Too smart for his own good, Reed often says, and always the center of attention. But Jason must be doing something right, because he’s living in an expensive apartment in Los Angeles, an entertainment lawyer to the stars.
    “Mom, Brady won’t let me play with the airplane.
My
airplane, the one I got for Christmas.” Noah folds his arms across his chest and looks cross.
    Frances puts away the dry packages of spaghetti. “Can you give him something else to play with? What about his fire truck?” She starts clearing the table, readying it for breakfast instead.
    “He hates that fire truck. He wants my airplane, but it’s mine. I’m going to hit him.”
    “Noah.” Frances frowns. “We do
not
hit in this family. Got it?”
    Noah isn’t fazed. “Then I’ll lock him in the closet.”
    Frances is glad there’s nobody here to witness this, especially any of the caseworkers who did the home study for the adoption.
    “Noah, you’re a big boy. Find something else to play with.”
    Noah huffs, “Mom!” but turns and stomps back to his room. Frances listens for a yell from Brady, but it doesn’t come. In a few minutes they have to go pick up Nick from a friend’s house, so they’ll have to stop playing anyway.
    When the spaghetti sauce is transferred to a container to cool and everything else is washed and put away, Frances grabs her keys and calls to the boys. “Time to get Nick. Everybody in the car!”
    When there’s no answer, Frances walks down to the boys’ room. At some point they’ll outgrow this house but for now, Frances likes how cozy it is. All three boys share a room and she likes knowing that at night, they’re all tucked in and together. She’s an only child and she always longed for a sibling, always wished she had a brother or a sister to share a room with, to grow up with. Maybe that’s why Mei Ling feels so right, so perfect for their family. The boys have one another just like Reed has Jason, but Frances knows that having a little girl is going to change everything for them, and for the better.
    Reed teases her that it’s all about the fluffy pink dresses and frilly hairbows, but they both know it’s much more than that. It’s about thesoftness that comes with having a girl in the home. For Frances, this sweet angel is her long-held wish, her secret hope from the day she married Reed. She always knew she’d have a daughter, and it always surprised her whenever she found out she was having a boy. She wouldn’t trade her sons for anything, of course, but always there was the waiting, the expectation. Now it can be put to rest. The daughter she has been waiting for is finally coming.
    Frances turns into the boys’ room and gasps. Noah and Brady are standing around the remains of a toy airplane, which Noah is proceeding to smash to bits with a plastic baseball bat. Brady is laughing as pieces fly everywhere.
    “Noah Tyler Latham! You stop that right now!” Frances hurries forward as Noah takes another swing at the airplane.
    “Can’t, Mom,” Noah says. “Airplane crash.”
    “Airplane crash!” Brady repeats, delighted. He’s three. He claps as a plastic shard flies across the room. “Boom!”
    “Boom!” Noah roars, and brings the bat down as Frances tries to grab it. He nails her in the foot and she tumbles toward the beds. “Oh! Sorry, Mom.”
    Frances catches herself, then gives her foot a shake. It stings, but she knows nothing is broken.
    “I thought you liked this airplane,” she says grabbing the bat as Noah readies for another swing.
    “Nah,” Noah says with a shrug. “We’re over it. Right, Brady?”
    Brady beams. “Right!” He scoops up an armful of parts and tosses them in the air before Frances can stop him.
    “Stop! Boys, get in the car
now
.” She pushes them toward the door. “And then you’re cleaning this up when we get home.” She gives Noah a firm look.
    “It was Brady’s idea,” Noah starts to protest. “Make him do it.”
    “Brady