Chapter 11 Ripley
Ripley
Fairytale Gardens is alive with bustling energy as the evening crowds pour into the park. All the magic and splendor of the holidays, backdropped by a fairytale castle, has brought the people in droves. I hope this atmosphere also directs viewers to the show.
Is this typically how I would choose to spend my evening? No way. But Anna is coming with Molly, and I couldn’t miss a chance to see them.
I grab a box of popcorn from the stand as Mom and I head to the entrance to greet them. I’ve enjoyed this little treat the past few days, and I guess I can see why people might like theme parks. There really is a difference in the popcorn – or maybe there’s a secret FTG recipe.
‘Juliet, we start filming with Garrick and the girls tomorrow. I don’t have time to be out here,’ Mom says as I steer her from running into a couple taking a selfie. Her eyes are glued to her screen, so she doesn’t even notice.
Pushing her phone away, I offer her my salty treat. ‘Here.’
‘Thank you. I forgot to eat dinner.’ She pops a few kernels in her mouth, then adds, ‘Did you eat?’
She’s never forgotten to feed me intentionally, but I did have to remind her plenty of times. Still, as I’ve gotten older, it’s more like me being in charge of feeding her. ‘I did. There was pizza in the break room.’
‘I should probably ask if you had any vegetables.’ Despite her need to return to the office and micromanage, she’s happy. She believes this is all going to work out.
‘Do the green peppers on the pizza count?’ I smile.
She returns it as we reach the turnstiles that release guests into the park. ‘I suppose it’ll have to do. We’ll make sure you get some veg at Christmas.’
I’m honestly shocked she remembered it’s almost Christmas, but I won’t hold my breath on that big feast.
‘Aunt Ripley!’ Molly yells, running into my arms and disrupting my thoughts of the sad Christmas that awaits me. Her sparkling shoes shimmer in the lights as we spin before I place her back on the ground.
‘Close your eyes.’ I crouch to her height. She promptly does, and I withdraw a plastic crown from my pocket, arranging it in her curls. ‘Done. You’re officially a princess now.’
Her eyes burst open. ‘Take a picture. I wanna see.’
Snapping a shot, I turn the screen to show her. ‘Perfection.’
Molly grabs Mom’s hand and drags her away. ‘Daddy! Daddy, look!’ Molly runs to Mike, who’s scrolling on his phone a few paces behind Anna.
Anna helps me up and pulls me into a hug. ‘I never thought I’d see you participating in theme park culture, Rip.’
‘I’m not. It’s a plastic crown. I didn’t buy stock in the place.’ My eyes drift to Mike, and my cheerful mood sours. ‘I thought it was just going to be you and Molly?’
When Anna said she was coming, I agreed to hang out immediately, despite all the schoolwork and production stuff I should be doing. Would I have said no if I knew Mike was tagging along? OK, my answer would always be yes, but I could have mentally prepared myself to see his stupid, smug face.
He acts like he doesn’t just abandon them without warning all the time. He probably thinks he’s freaking father and husband of the year. How am I the only one seeing how terrible he is?
‘He just got back in town and wanted to see the Christmas markets.’ Anna rubs her belly, currently growing my newest favorite person. ‘Gosh, he’s doing somersaults tonight.’
‘I’m shocked Mike had the time to spare for you.’ I grip the edges of my sleeves.
‘Juliet, can you not?’ Anna looks so tired.
I squeeze Anna’s hand with a nod before calling to Molly. ‘Molls, what ride do you want to go on first?’
Molly jumps into Mike’s arms. ‘I think we should take her on the carousel,’ he answers for her. He’s always doing this for her and Anna.
I bite the inside of my cheek. ‘Well, Mike, last I checked, your name wasn’t Molly, so let’s see what she says.’
Molly’s little feet kick with glee. ‘The train.’
My grin widens. ‘The train it is.’
Pixie Forest is crowded with families, and the screams of delight from the roller coasters in the far corners echo around us. The rides more suited for younger kids are located in the heart of the land.
‘Anna said you don’t do rides,’ Mike comments as we reach the line for the Pixie Train.
‘I don’t, and I’m not going on the ride. But you and my mom can take Molly. Anna can’t ride because she’s pregnant – wouldn’t want the baby shook up. So, I’ll wait with her.’
Leaving the three of them, Anna and I head to a bench to wait where we can still watch.
‘Ugh, yes, I love this bench. It’s my new favorite place to be.’ Anna groans with relief as she sits. ‘So, how’s it been going here with Mom?’ She takes a handful of the popcorn I’m still holding.
‘Interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever spent this much consistent time with her.
It’s weird. But everything seems to be going off without a hitch.
We’ll just have to see what happens, now that all the contestants are here.
’ A lady selling light-up Christmas- and winter-themed balloons walks by, a trail of kids following behind her.
‘She said you’re doing really well, Rip.’ Anna eats the kernels one at a time. Once, when we were younger, she shoved a whole handful in her mouth and cracked a tooth on an unpopped piece. She’s more cautious now.
‘She said that?’
‘Yup. She’s sent me pictures from set. Garrick, is it? He’s a cutie, right?’
I frown. ‘Ew, Anna. He’s too young for you.’
She responds by taking my box away and holding the popcorn for herself. ‘I meant to someone his age. Such as you, little sister.’
‘I hadn’t noticed.’ I bury my face into the collar of my coat.
‘Why?’
I turn to see her staring at me. ‘Because I’ve been a little busy.’
‘It just seems like you two are always together in the pics I see, so I assumed you would’ve glanced over at some point and noticed.’
‘Nope. Maybe I’ll add it to my to-do list and see if I can work it in.’
Anna just shakes her head, laughing.
Opening my phone, I check if Nathan or Melika has messaged. I told them to let me know if there was an issue with the girls and that I’d come back. They’re shooting scenes with the contestants in the lounge tonight, getting their initial thoughts and excitement.
I spot a message to my dad from Thanksgiving. The response, an emoji of a turkey and a thumbs up. I didn’t even warrant a heart emoji too?
‘Did you see the pics of our little half brother with Santa?’ Anna asks when she spies me staring at the screen.
‘Who?’ I close my phone, shoving it into my pocket. ‘The only family members I recognize are you, Mom and Molly.’
Anna loops her arm through mine. ‘I love you, Rip. So does Dad. He just doesn’t know how to show it.’
I don’t think that either of those things is true. I’m saved from having to respond by a notification that Garrick posted a reel on Instagram. I open the app and Garrick’s mega-watt smile greets me. He’s wearing a Santa hat and standing in a kitchen I don’t recognize.
I click the volume up to hear him over the park noise. ‘It’s the day you’ve all been waiting for!’ Garrick does a little shimmy with his shoulders. ‘Well, tomorrow actually, but I’m building the suspense.’
‘Is that him?’ Anna asks. I nod. ‘See, he’s cute.’
‘Shh.’ I nudge her with my shoulder.
Garrick is still talking. ‘… for the next two weeks-ish, you’ll get a video every day celebrating the Twelve Days of Christmas Cookies Countdown.’ He pulls a string on a popper that releases confetti into the air. He is nothing if not committed.
‘That’s right, get ready for a whole bunch of mouthwatering cookies you will be able to wow and impress your loved ones with. These are a few family favorites that I’ve added my own twist to. Be sure to tag me and Fairytale Gardens if you make any at home!’ Garrick bows and the video stops.
‘I can see why you picked him as the star,’ Anna says when I slide my phone back into my pocket. ‘He’s very charming.’
‘He sure thinks so.’
‘Do you think you can score me some of those cookies?’ she asks as we watch Molly board the train, waving wildly to us.
‘I’ll see what I can do.’