Chapter 6: Home is Where the Heart Is
"My baby!" Clara Reed announced as she opened the door to a smiling Max and Gemma. She immediately pulled them both into a big hug before pulling back with a beaming smile.
Gemma sank into her mother's arms gratefully, happy to be receiving a warm welcome. Most people said that Gemma was her mother's twin - they had the same red hair and green eyes. The big difference was that Gemma was tall and slender while her mother was short and curvy.
"Gerald!" Clara called into the house. "The kids are here!"
Gemma snickered as she heard something clatter in the kitchen, followed by the sound of her father yelping.
"Coming honey!" Gerald called back.
Gemma's eyes ran down her mother's paint-splattered jeans and oversized men's button-up. She smiled slightly before grabbing her mother's hands and examining them intently before chuckling.
"Someone was painting before dinner," Gemma said teasingly as Clara moved back into the warm house, giving them room to enter.