Skipping Stones Episode 4 “Turkeys and Proposals Pt. 2”

Hello friends! Happy Black Friday!

What are your plans like for the day? Shopping? Eating leftovers? Decorating for Christmas? Or…perhaps you’ve been anxiously awaiting the continuation of Skipping Stones? spoiler, Bella says NO. Or…does she?

Anyway, um…I’ll be decorating for Christmas. But for now, it’s time for today’s episode of Skipping Stones!

(previously on Skipping Stones)

“So…I’m going to propose today!”

“Isn’t it funny how you said dinner was at twelve and no one is here yet?”

“That’s family for you,” Peri sighs. “But it’s a good thing too because the turkey isn’t quite done yet.”

“Which is why I want to ask you a question. Bella, I know we’ve only been dating since September, but I already have gotten to know you and I don’t want to waste any time. I love you. I love Mischief and Sparkles and your whole extended family too. I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

He drops to his knee and pulls out the ring. Family members gasp.

“Bella Caramel, will you marry me?”

Bella gasps as tears come to her eyes.

“I-I,”

Bella throws her arms around Andy.

“Of course I’ll marry you!”

Cheers erupt from the spectating family. Even Mischief begins to clap.

“It’s not that I like weddings or romance or any of that crap,”

“What? I don’t! But my mom does. And I want her to be happy.”

“Congrats!” Peri eyes Bella’s new ring. “It’s lovely.”

Bella blushes. “It is. How did you know it’s my dream ring, Andy?”

Starburst smirks. “I may have helped with that.”

“You knew!?” 

“I asked Starburst what Bella’s favorite type of ring was about two weeks after we started dating. I just never knew when the perfect moment would come.”

“I guess the one good thing out of this is that I don’t have to say what I’m thankful for…”

 “Okay, I’m not really sure how to follow that, but I’ll go next,” Periwinkle says.

Mischief frowns as she speaks.

“I’m also grateful for family. I never really knew what my life would be like when I had kids until I had them. Being a mother is simply indescribable.”

After a roll of his eyes, Mischief spoke up next. “I’m thankful for…bananas. Yummy on the inside, and they come with slippery peels in which to trip people.”

“The lists are out!”

“On December 3rd,”

“What in the gingerbread?”

“Join brothers Jack and Nick as they experience a truly unforgettable Christmas. Naughty and Nice, coming to a theater near you.”

Slowly but surely, everyone takes their turn and says what they are thankful for. Most are predictable, like family and friends, and some are a little more unique, like money and matching plates. Everyone can feel the Thanksgiving spirit.

“Beep! Beep! Beep!”

Smoke fills the room as a shrill alarm pierces eardrums.

“I…may have forgotten to check on the turkey…”

Peri leaps up from her seat and rushes into the kitchen. She returns with a charred turkey.

“I’m sorry guys,” she sighs. “I guess I ruined Thanksgiving…”

Shockingly, Mischief is the one to aid her. Instead of taking the opportunity to create more chaos, as the small bear was born to do, he softly says, “Thanksgiving isn’t about turkey.”

This earns him glares from the other children. They’ve been anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving since March.

“Thanksgiving is about family. It’s about love and recognizing the good things in your life. You can have Thanksgiving without a turkey.”

A thoughtful silence fills the room. Mischief had spoken the truth and everyone knows it.

“What? I, I…it had to be said.”

The bears begin to eat the feast(sans turkey) that was prepared by Periwinkle. Perhaps by a Thanksgiving miracle, no one is left hungry. 

“Brush, brush, brush!”

“This is your daily reminder to brush yo’ teeth!”

“If you don’t, they will rot out in your mouth.”

“If you miss even ONE day!”

“Brush those teeth!”

“Okay, so I know we had that whole thing about how turkey doesn’t make it Thanksgiving. I agree,” Chip says. “But football? It wouldn’t be Thanksgiving without football! So we have to play one game.”

“Indoor football?” Sandy crosses her arms. “This will go over about as well as the turkey.”

“It’s cold outside! We can’t be expected to play football in this weather.”

“I still don’t understand this…football,” Gisselle sighs in her thick French accent.

“Go long!” 

Chip tosses the ball and all the bears who understand football run after it.

Gisselle simply stands there and watches the chaos unfold.

“Oh là là,”

Both Rudy and Cherry grasp onto the ball. They tug on it for a while before Cherry lets go, inadvertently launching the football and Rudy towards the TV.

“I didn’t think that would happen.”

“Oh no!” the others scream.

Candy looks away. She can’t bear seeing her precious TV break.

“My baby!”

“This is not normal for football, correct?” Gisselle asks.

Chip nods. “Maybe we should have chosen teams first.”

“And you should have gone outside,” a new firm voice says.

The kids look up to find that the owner of this new voice is none other than Periwinkle.

Chip gulps.

“I mean…you should count yourself lucky. This gives you an excuse to buy a new TV. And, it’s rather perfect timing. Black Friday deals, am I right?”

Peri doesn’t look impressed. She taps her foot.

“You should be glad Black Friday is coming up because this is coming out of your allowance. I think about…three years should do the trick.”

Chip merely nods. “Sounds good to me.”

Well, did you enjoy that? I hope so! I hope it made up for that cliffhanger…

See you all tomorrow for a fun story where the bears decorate for Christmas!