<div class="floatleft">(http://elliquiy.com/elluiki/images/0/07/Charmed_helen_b.png)</div><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: georgia;"><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">H</span><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">ELEN</span> <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">B</span><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">RIANNE</span> <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 18pt;">M</span><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 14pt;">ITCHELL</span> <span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 7pt;"><br/>          it is in you to carry on      |      it is in you to lay down fears that hold      |     it is in you to find your way home          </span></span><br/><br/><span class="bbc_font" style="font-family: arial;"><em>waking up to food &amp; family in the halliwell manor</em><br/><span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt;">   » wyatt . melinda </span></span><br/><hr/><br/><strong>"I'm just surprised I could make it. Usually, I'm the one who's canceling on everyone,"</strong>Brie said lightly.<br/><br/>She smiled as Wyatt looked contentedly all around the room, and let her eyes linger on the familiar room, and the familiar faces. Family wasn't perfect, but it was nice getting all of the cousins together, and catching up. She had to miss every one out of three family dinners, usually because of a performance or because she was putting in extra time at the studio, practicing or working on fixing it up. Being able to see everyone without having to make an appointment was just icing on the cake.<br/><br/>Wyatt being happy was normal, of course, and Melinda always seemed upbeat, except when she talked about work. It was nothing new that she wanted to work at another library; Brie just wished that it could happen faster for her. Once Tray and Paisley finished chiming in, Brie took a deep breath.<br/><br/><strong>"Joanne and I have been spending all of our free time on the studio, when we're not teaching at the Center. I ended up moving into one of the offices so I could save myself the bother of paying rent to a place that I barely spend time in. That was about... five weeks ago? It makes finding food harder, but I've been saving over a thousand dollars a month, so it's hard to complain."</strong>The second roll she'd stuffed into her mouth made the last few words just this side of incomprehensible, but Brie knew Tray, at least, would figure it out.<br/><br/>Having the Parkmerced studio had been nice - the gyms and studios there were<em>amazing</em>, and the full-length mirrors and hardwood floors weren't something that were easy to find in many apartment buildings - but even without the cost of a car, she'd been sinking almost fifteen hundred a month into the place in bills and rent alone. Granted, it was nice to have a bed to go into, but with all the late nights and the performances this year, she'd been spending more nights crashing on her friends' couches than<em>in</em>that nice bed. No, this way was definitely better. Plus, if the futon wasn't enough, she could always crash here at the manor for a couple of nights; Wyatt had told them for years that they could come and go as they pleased.<br/><br/><strong>"Yesterday, we finished up our southern California tour with our last exhibition in Vegas, and all the girls insisted that we celebrate by going to a club, and partying, and drinking. We didn't get home until sometime in the morning, and then we had to go to the airport and fly back... I was so exhausted, I just asked the taxi driver to drop me off here. I hope it's not too much trouble if I stay here for a couple of days, Wyatt - I can help with food and stuff, but I wanted to sleep in a real bed for at least a few days, until my round of classes start back up again."</strong><br/><br/>When her stomach interrupted with an embarrassing growl, Brie flushed and laughed sheepishly before grabbing up her plate and serving herself a large portion of lasagne. She turned Wyatt's passing comment about a dream over in her head while she helped cut out and serve portions for everyone else, then joined everyone at the table to wait for Payton.<br/><br/><strong>"Want me to try the tarot cards for you again? Or the crystal? I've been trying to practice, but lately I've mostly been getting colorful blurs or nada on my readings. Mr. Chung down in Chinatown said it was the stress."</strong>Even without the stress, Brie's readings with her cards were lucky guesses at best, and as far as crystal gazing went, it was hard getting anything more than close-up images and colors.<strong>"And who knows, Wyatt - maybe your twice-blessed magical self will give a boost to my reading."</strong>