Nepotism or Networking?

 After the very long road time, Candy parks at Windu Acres and strolls into the house.

Candy: Anybody home?!  We're gonna raid the fridge!

Rose-Grace (from the kitchen): You'll do nothing of the kind!  I've sent Tanner to pick up a couple of giant pizzas.

Maisie:  Nice place.  Oh, look, babies!  (plops onto the floor with Orlando and Samara)

Rose-Grace:  Group hug!  That way neither of you can say I'm playing favorites! 

Candy: You've seen me more recently than Dionne and Maisie.  They get dibs.

Dionne:  Maisie doesn't do hugs.  Besides, she's found those babies.  We're gonna drag her out kicking and screaming when it's time to go. 

Rose-Grace: I swear, Candy, every time you come back from an assignment, you look different.  

Candy: Well, you know us creative types,  We gotta keep you normies guessing.  (to Dionne)  I was going through a fitness and tanning phase last time I was in town. 

Dionne: All the family sends their love, Aunt Rose-Grace.  Where are Taylor and Nikki? Hell, where are any of the kids?  Besides the babies there, I can see them. 

Rose-Grace: My dad and Nikki are picking Taylor up.  She's interning with a local seamstress shop.  The boys are off with their respective girlfriends.  Pike's parents took Stacie and Fred for the night, trying not to overwhelm you.  They'll be here tomorrow. 

Taylor and Nikki run in and hug Dionne.  

Rose-Grace:  Dad! You told them! I wanted to see their faces when they saw her!

Mace:  Rosie, you know I can't keep secrets.  

Candy (laughing):  What am I, chopped liver? 

Mace: I'm Grandpa Mace.  You may have heard of me.  You're Maisie. 

Maisie: I have indeed heard of Grandpa Mace.  Nice to finally meet you. 

Mace: Can I have one of my grandbabies now?

Maisie: Oh, I don't know about that.  I'm pretty baby-crazy and I don't share well. 

Nikki:  I can't believe you've come to live in Barbieville!  I'm so excited!  Is anyone else coming? 

Dionne:  Right now, it's just me and Maisie.  Your mom's finally found a place for my group home.  

Taylor: Cool.  Where's it at?  Or is that top secret mayor stuff? 

Candy: Zenobia and Boudicca donated the manor.  

Taylor: You mean Zenobia did.  Boo don't come out of her textbooks any more than Maisie does - I bet they'll be study buddies! You are transferring here, right, Maisie?

*******

Monday morning, bright and early, at the mayor's office.  They settle at a conference table after introductions are made. 

Zenobia:  I'll send you PDFs of the floor plans.  We are keeping a few acres, which are a tad removed from the manor itself.  No problem there that a fence won't solve.  

Dionne (looking at the tablet):  This is fantastic.  How many bedrooms? 

Boudicca: Ten, officially.  But there's also two home offices that could be converted.   Each of them with a private bath.  Any of those first-floor rooms could be your office, but I suggest the one marked Library.  It's centrally located.   

Rose-Grace:  This red line?  Is that the fence you mentioned? 

Boudicca:  Yes.  The guesthouse has more than enough room for the four of us to live there, but we were not about to give up the pool.  We'll admit to being that spoiled.  

Dionne:  You could probably donate some of this land to the county parks.  A group home won't need that much acreage.  

Zenobia: Not a bad idea.  It does abut the nature preserve.