Since Danielle was pretty good at reading lips, she decided to try and read her guests' lips as they and her mother talked. Her mother began with a "Yes? May I help you?". Then the tallest boy spoke up about being neighbors and he pointed out their home. He said that he wanted to welcome Danielle's family to Tulsa. Danielle's mother said, "Oh, that's so thoughtful!!" and then didn't seem to know the boys' names. The taller and older-looking boy introduced himself as 'Isaac Hanson' and he introduced the two others as 'Zac and Taylor'. They were brothers. Then Mrs. Lemasters claimed that she had a daughter and that Danielle had run into them. She also said that the three looked like the guys on Danielle's magazine.
Danielle pulled her head back and, leaning against the kitchen wall, sank down until she was sitting on the floor. She was in shock. The boys DID look like the guys in her magazine. In fact, Danielle KNEW it was Hanson, the extremely famous pop group who were also brothers. I guess I was concentrating too much or something she thought. She was now completely in shock. Donna walked back into the kitchen, noticing her daughter sitting on the floor.
With a partially confused, partially amazed look upon her face, Mrs. Lemasters asked her daughter, "What are you doing sitting on the floor like that?!"
Reading her mother's lips, Danielle replied, without caring to use sign language to clarify her statement, "That was...Hanson."
"Hanson." Donna remembered that name from somewhere, "Are those the boys on your magazine?"
Danielle nodded and, after a pause, spoke through her hands, "From what I know, they're really nice people."
Her mother agreed, "Yes, they seemed very nice when I was talking to them at the front door."
Standing up, Danielle sighed and then spoke, "You told them about me?"
Mrs. Lemasters chuckled. Smiling, she replied, "Yeah, how could I not? Anyway, I think the tallest one likes you."
Mortified, Danielle covered her face with her hands, wondering what she should do. She thought, Isaac? She thinks ISAAC likes me? If only that was actually true…
Donna pried Danielle's hands from her face. "It's alright, dear," she said, in sign language, to her daughter. She added, "We'll get it straightened out later."
Confused, Danielle asked, "Why, what's happening later?"
"Well," her mother started, "those boys are coming over later with the rest of their family. Do you know how many siblings they have?"
Danielle said, "Yeah, of course, three others and one on the way...WAIT a minute, they're coming HERE later?!"
Reluctantly, Donna replied, "Yes, they are. You shouldn't be so upset, it'll work itself out. It wasn't too embarrassing for you, right? You'll probably end up befriending them and yakking the hours away."
Danielle dryly retorted, "I'm DEAF, Mom. I can't yak," and she walked upstairs to find her new bedroom.
Isaac blushed, "Nuh uh...I was just tired, I guess."
The three boys had just gotten back from their new neighbor's house. They stood in the living room inside their own house. Taylor said to Isaac, "Ike, we know you have a crush on her, bro," and then Zac cracked up.
Ike exclaimed, "Hey!!" and punched Zac back. Before they knew it, they'd gotten themselves into a small, playful fight.
Diana poked her head into the living room. She'd been hearing quite a ruckus coming from that room and suspected it was Jessie and Avery perhaps, but, instead, found three grown boys romping around. She couldn't help but giggle. Then, she yelled to her sons, "Hey, stop this. Don't you three have anything better to do? I'm trying to prepare a welcoming present for the Lemasters in the kitchen."
They stopped their rough housing and looked up. Zac asked her, "Whatcha making for them?"
His mother answered, "A tuna casserole. Do you guys think they'll like it?"
Zac nodded knowingly and Diana finally left them. Ike picked up a pillow and flung it at Taylor. Mrs. Hanson came back in and yelled, "Go upstairs!!"
The three trooped up to their room. Zac went to their huge, gray Lego table and started gathering Legos. They'd loved Legos for years, even Isaac would sometimes build something. Taylor went to his bunk and started reading the Steven King book. Ike sat in a chair and stared out of the window. He noticed, for the first time, that he could see the house where Danielle now lived. Their movers were just about halfway through unloading all the furniture and, unfortunately, Danielle was nowhere in sight.
10 minutes later, Diana got the family together to welcome the Lemasters to Tulsa. They were bringing a tuna casserole and a small assortment of flowers that Avery and Jessica had picked from their very tiny "indoor garden" that the Hanson family kept in the shed. They dressed casually, although Diana wanted to wear something a bit nicer.
They couldn't have gotten there at a better time. The Lemasters's movers were taking a break and so they wouldn't be moving any furniture for at least an hour. The whole Hanson family walked to Danielle's house. Mackenzie got to sit on his father's shoulders, so he was the only one not walking. Zac rang the doorbell and they all waited a bit. Then, Mrs. Lemasters opened the door and, smiling, invited them all inside.
Once inside, Mrs. Lemasters took everyone's coats and placed them on a chair that seemed out of place. She called for her husband and he was soon in the front hall as well. Everybody greeted each other. Donna and Ralph were pleased with the Hansons's gifts. They invited the Hansons into a half-empty room with furniture scattered about. This would soon serve as their living room.
The adults started talking with each other and the Hanson kids started talking amongst themselves. Taylor asked no one in particular, "Where's Danielle?"
Isaac replied, "I was just asking myself the same thing..."
They obviously didn't see the slim figure sitting at the top of the stairs, watching all the commotion.