***
As it was getting closer to midnight, Cassie and Geri straightened up the kitchen and started washing the dishes. Marion thanked the girls, as she walked into the living room, closing the windowed doors behind her, before sitting down next to her husband.
“So, Geri, what do we do next?” Cassie asked.
“Well, we put on the TV and watch all the stuff that happened in the past year.”
“Like . . . what stuff?”
“Just stuff people did throughout the year. It can be funny at times, but most of its just boring. Come on, we have to get our boxes and get ready to burn our wishes.”
“Oh, yeah, can’t wait,” Chris broke in, as he straightened the chairs and took the cake toward the living room. “Hey, Geri, grab the dessert plates for me.”
“Okay, and I’ll get the rolling tray and bring in the ice cream, too.”
“Go ahead, Geri,” Cassie started, “I’ll finish up in here. It won’t take that long.”
Geri took off, pushing the tray down the hallway, singing “Happy New Year to You.”
Cassie laughed, thinking it was cute, when someone knocked at the kitchen door. She pulled the curtain aside and smiled. She looked around and then opened the door.
“Hey, darlin’, I thought they’d never leave.”
“Joshua, you’re going to get in trouble. I have to burn my wishes in a few minutes.”
Joshua laughed. “Yeah, I gotta get back home, before midnight, but I have to give you a New Year’s kiss. I’ll try really hard to not think about you kissing Chris.”
Cassie laughed. “You don’t have to worry about Chris. I’m wearing your ring, even though it’s on a chain.”
Joshua smiled, then he said, “Darlin’ you can’t trust anything here and there may be some embarrassing stuff on the TV tonight.”
“What . . .?” Cassie started, but Joshua pulled her to him and kissed her. He held onto her for a few minutes, and then started to walked away.
“Oh, Cassie, thanks for the electric bike. Wow, it’s perfect! Now I can get around a lot faster and definitely disappear, when I need to get away . . . like right now.”
“Well, that was my idea in the first place,” she laughed, then she quietly closed the door and made her way to the living room.