accept...but except

Ellie loaded up the Christmas presents for her nephews in the back seat of Amanda's car. Snow had just fallen, and it looked as if it would stick for good this time.

"Thanks again, really, I mean it," Ellie told her while getting in. "Its not like my sister was going to put Jonah and Noah in a car and drive anywhere. I don't think she really likes being alone with them. Its kind of funny but sad." She thought of her sister fussing with them. She made more noise than they did. It didn't help that her husband was already in Texas waiting for them to get there. Her mother was going to drive them all down tomorrow.

"I would be so scared around a baby," Amanda said as she drove on toward Lisa's.

"Well, they are cute. I guess." Ellie remembered seeing them when they were a couple of days old. They really did look like tiny old men. "She's really getting the hang of it. I think. Its hard to tell with my sister, sometimes."

"What do you mean, you're not close?" Amanda made a left at the light. They were going on base to the new housing area.

"Not really, I think I'm closer to my brother," Ellie nodded. "I just met him this summer, but I really feel close to him."

"Yeah, I feel like I'm Derrick's mother half the time. Dan, I never know what he's up to and he could care less about us."

"I don't know if I've met Dan, but I think I've seen Derrick. Bet he's got the girlfriends."

"God, I hope not. Not sure if could stand him. He thinks he's hot stuff."

"Sounds like my boss at work," Ellie rolled her eyes. "Well, he's not really my boss, but when I'm there he usually supervises which I guess he does OK, I just think he sleeps with some of the girls I work with."

"I would hate that. You know, be around someone like that. I wouldn't dare go out with someone I work with," Amanda told her. "Not that I've had a job, but if I did I would stay away from a guy like that."

"Absolutely," Ellie agreed. Only Elliot wasn't exactly taking no for an answer, but then she'd seen him around other girls too and she knew how he was, and she wanted to hate him so much.

"So you and Eric are OK, now?"

Ellie looked at Amanda and wondered how she knew about that. Kyle, she thought. She so wanted to say something bad about him, but she didn't. He was Amanda's boyfriend. She'd accepted that. She could live with that. She would be friends with Amanda. After all, she was going to help her crochet a 'booty doll' for Kyle.

"Just fine. Really." Ellie bit her bottom lip. Finally, they'd gotten to her sister's. Hopefully, her sister would be happy to see them, but Ellie started to doubt that. She'd accepted the fact her sister wasn't the happiest person in the world.