by Bella Knight
Callie grinned. “I’ve got my babies looked after. And, they are exhausting, plus four very active girls. The problem with two babies is…”
“They wake each other up,” said Lily. “All the damn time.”
“Absolutely,” said Inola.
“And all the diapers!” said Bella.
“They hit and tease each other,” said Callie.
“They defend each other against me,” said Lily. “All the damn time.”
Callie laughed. “That; they do.”
Bao nodded. “If Hu gets in trouble, Jie will take the punishment with her, like no television. Grace is beginning to do the same thing.”
Ivy looked over at Bao. “Really? That’s new. And amazing.” She grinned. “Only, it can’t go the other way. Grace is losing a lot less points, but she’s doing better with her video game life.”
“Her what?” asked Xenia.
“She has this game where if she completes a task, like folding the laundry, she gets weapons for her avatar. When she does enough, she can be in a crew, then, eventually fight in battles,” said Ivy. “Bao and the Wolfpack created it. I’ve read glowing reviews from autism and ADHD websites. The parents love it.”
“Makin’ the money,” Lily sang. “Their colleges and trade schools and stuff are all funded. And they’re gonna fund new kids coming in, and even expand the farm.”
Inola groaned. “Just what we need, another addition to the barn. Already got it planned out, permits filed and everything. Tito starts next week. More hammering, saws, sawdust…”
“And four new Wolfpack,” said Ivy.
“No; eight. Four new bedrooms, two top, two bottom.” Inola crossed her eyes, and the other women laughed.
“More babysitters, housecleaners, project-doers around the house,” said Bella. “Haven’t had a drippy faucet or loose floorboard in years.”
“More businesses,” said Lily. “Do you know that they decided the Montana pack should make dog stuff? Sweaters and sweatshirts, leashes, and other cool stuff like that. Apparently, they sell well in Billings, Missoula, Butte, Bozeman, and Great Falls. Lots of movie stars (and the like) have moved there. Alo is helping them design healthy dog treats, too. The dogs in the area are mostly working dogs, but they are more parts of the family in the cities.”
“Oh, cool,” said Lily. “I’ll order their stuff myself once they get it worked on.” She grinned. “My puppies deserve the best.”
“Mine too,” said Ivy. “Daisy puts up with five kids. I’m surprised she hasn’t had a nervous breakdown.”
“I’m surprised I haven’t had a nervous breakdown,” said Callie. They all laughed.
Ace came up and passed around lemon waters and sodas. “Ladies, you need anything, just holler.” He grinned, kissed his wife, and left her gasping, and walked away, dripping water. The boys circled his board, and he jogged over to give lessons. The girls joined, and they all lined up in the sand to learn how to lay down, then hop up, with legs apart, onto the board.
“That man is a cool drink of water,” said Bao.
Lily glared at her. “That’s my husband you’re talking about.” She grinned and looked over to where Nico was kicking a soccer ball around with a bunch of guys. “And your husband Nico is no slouch.”
“He worships the ground I walk on,” said Bao, proudly.
“Ivy doesn’t worship the ground I walk on,” said Callie, sadly.
Ivy glared at her. “Do too. But, we’ve got five fucking kids, and I have a bar to run. I love you more than breathing, but I gotta sleep sometime!” She sighed. “Six, now. Love Jie, by the way. A really good kid.”
“Tell me about it,” said Bao. “I thought she’d have more problems adjusting, but Hu and I speak Mandarin to her, and Nico and Grace are catching up fast.”
“Grace is mad that her brain won’t let her learn more words per day,” said Callie. “I told her to let them percolate, that they would pop up when she least expected them. Does for me. My Mandarin is getting better too.”
“Not I,” said Ivy. “Ni hao for hello, and xie xie for thank you. That’s it.” She grinned. “I have enough trouble remembering song lyrics.”
“Don’t say that to Grace,” warned Callie. “She’ll try teaching you with Chinese songs about flowers.”
“And you don’t need to talk about flowers,” said Bao. “Except to my mother.”
“How is it going with her?” asked Callie, popping the top on a Coke.
“Better,” said Bao. “She’s in love with Hu and Jie, and treats Grace much better now.”
“If she says one word to my face,” said Ivy, with gritted teeth.
“Or to me,” said Callie.
“Or to any of us,” said Inola. “Grace is trying really hard. She’s a lot better with Damia. She cleans tack with her in the barn in order to participate in her life.”
“Really?” asked Ivy. “That’s why she goes to the barn in the mornings.” Her eyes teared up. “Thank the Universe. I was getting worried about those two.”
“There’s no crying on vacation!” said Nico. He came up, sweating, kissed his wife, stole a cherry water from the nearby cooler, and ran back toward the game-players, who were now setting up for beach volleyball.
“Volleyball,” said Ivy. “Love it, but I can’t move.”
“Tomorrow,” said Callie, stroking her hand. “Or tonight.”
“I can’t go anywhere for dinner,” said Bella. “I can’t move. Must… sleep.”
“Close your eyes, dumbass,” said Inola. “You guys talk, I’ll snuggle with my hunny bunny.” She moved her chair a little closer, finished off her drink, dunked the can in the recycling bag, and slid down.
Ivy looked at Callie, kissed her, and slid down too. “Must… sleep,” she said. Callie slid down as well, and they held hands.
“They’re dropping like flies,” said Bao. Xenia and Lily giggled. “Let’s do the same.” They all slid down, and slept in the basking sunlight.
They were awakened by shouting. Ace was in the water, and paddling hard. The women counted noses, and Ivy said, “Where’s Josh?” Henry ran past the confused onlookers with a line tied around his waist, and he jumped in the water and began swimming with powerful strokes.
Ace was fast, but a guy in a wetsuit was almost there. The guy grabbed something, and Ace was there in a flash. He pulled “the something” up on the board. Josh laid there, half in and out of the water, just gasping. The surfer in the wetsuit helped Ace get the board around, and he paddled fast. Henry threw him the rope, and swam back with the surfer helping to pull, as well. Nantan and Chayton were in the water, where they could stand. David stood on the shore, a pile of towels at his feet, his phone in his hands.
Henry swam up, stood, and they all pulled in the surfboard. An EMT ran up with oxygen in hand. Henry hauled the boy off the board, and held him around the waist, letting him cough out water into the surf. They got him out. Chayton thanked the surfer multiple times, and hugged him. The guy, a classic surfer with bleached-blonde hair, waved him off, then helped to unwrap Henry.
Nantan grabbed Nick and helped him stand, and Chayton took the other side. Ace hauled out the board, David put a towel on it, and they laid the boy down on his side. The EMT checked him over. “He’s fine,” he said. Everyone gasped in relief.
Nick knelt beside his brother, crying, Tam and Little Nico crying on the other side. Henry and David knelt in the sand, and rubbed the boys’ backs. Nantan stroked his son’s head as he coughed up water, and Chayton had both hands on his feet. Nantan sang, and Chayton did too, their voices blending.
Ivy, Callie, and Bao ran up and held the girls, who were shivering and crying. “What happened?” asked Jie in Chinese.
“Undertow,” said Bao, in Mandarin. She then said the word in English so Grace would understand. “Josh got caught in water that pulled him out.”
“Henry taught us what to do,” said Grace. “Don’t panic. Remember that you float. Flow with the water. Call for h
elp.”
“He must have done those things,” said Ivy, grimly. “Or he wouldn’t be alive.”
“New rule,” said Callie. “No going in the water above where you can stand up.”
Bao nodded, and repeated the directive in Mandarin. All the girls nodded. “I’ll tell the boys,” said Grace. She ran over, and David picked her up and held her. She told him the new rule, and he nodded. He put her down, and Henry and David sang. Damia came over and sang, too. Inola came over, and sang as well. Josh stood, and fell into Nantan and Chayton’s arms, holding them. They finished the song, and everyone clapped with relief. Ace gave back his rented board.
They got the kids together in the middle, and then they surrounded them. The guitar and pipes came out, and they sang on the beach, a celebration because Josh was still alive. Tears ran down many of their faces, but they wiped their tears away. They sang songs and told stories; funny ones too, and sang silly songs. The kids went into The Song That Never Ends, making the adults groan.
Bags of tacos, buckets of fried chicken, and pizzas showed up, as if by magic, along with liters of sodas and water. They passed around the food, as Josh slipped into sleep in Nantan’s arms. Then, his brothers piled on him like football players taking down a player, their feet on Chayton.
The sun went down, and everyone lined up to watch the sky go from blue to indigo, to a picture-perfect cream and gold, then to orange and a brilliant red. Inola sang down the sun, and the Valkyries did a Norse prayer to Odin.
They made bonfires for the Nighthawks, Iron Knights, and Valkyries. They sang, danced, and pitched tents. The Valkyries sang the best songs, their wild voices going out into the night. They set out bags on the beach, the kids in the tents, and they fell asleep, one by one, counting stars.
They listened to The Doors’ Roll, Baby, Roll, the Eagles’ Take It Easy, Tom Petty’s Running Down a Dream, and Highway to Hell by AC/DC on the way down to San Diego. They took the kids to see the Wild Animal Park, and they camped north of San Diego on a state beach. They rented boards for the kids, but stayed where they could stand up, with two of the adults on boards watching them like hawks.
They walked up and down the beach. The Valkyries fought the Nighthawks and the Iron Knights, in skirmishes using fists, hands, feet, elbows, and knees. Grace, Jie, and Hu watched carefully, and copied some of the moves in-between catching tiny waves. Laughter rippled across the waves as the skirmishes sent people flying across the sand. Cheers and shouts followed genius moves, and groans followed people flying into the sand.
The police showed up, having been told of a group of bikers engaging in fighting on a public beach. They watched, and talked to Gregory. They were beach bike cops, in black, with yellow reflective vests. They were adorned with the triangle shape of swimmers, huge shoulders, long arms, flat abs, and strong legs. One was named Montoya, with bottle-brushed hair and a clean-shaven, olive face. Ripa had blonde hair and blue eyes; startling in his sun-darkened skin. They made arrangements to come back after their shift, and headed out.
After a time, they all headed back out, bikes roaring, for dinner, taking up the huge outdoor patio of a Mexican restaurant. They started with nachos and chili rellenos, then they went on to enchiladas, burritos, taquitos for the kids, and bowls of gazpacho (a cold soup). They ended up taking over an ice cream shop, and its gelato cousin down the street, and they finished their ice creams, walking around Encinitas. They shopped for silver jewelry, friendship bracelets for the kids, and little carvings.
They headed to the San Elijo Lagoon State Marine Park, and took Annie’s Canyon Trail. The boys were complaining that they were “…starving to death,” so they had a huge barbecue dinner at a restaurant, once again taking over all the patio seating. They talked, laughed, and were joined by the off-duty cops, who had brought some of their friends.
They headed back to the campgrounds. The families of the cops showed up and a rather wild game of tag/soccer/beach volleyball (that seemed to rotate without any rhyme or reason) ensued.
Inola sang the sun down, and Henry joined her, their voices carrying all the way down the beach from the wind coming off the water. They set up the bonfires, and wandered back and forth among one another, sharing stories, and hugging and teasing people. The guitars and pipes came out, and so did the songs. The newcomers had Mexican songs as well, and many of the Iron Knights and Nighthawks knew them. They sang well into the night, the exhausted kids long asleep. They slept on the sand or in their tents, and the cops and their families headed home.
They had a huge breakfast at two pancake houses on opposite corners. They ate pancakes, waffles, eggs, bacon, and syrup. Then, they crossed into Tijuana. Everyone now had passports, including the kids. They were passed through with no problems, and headed to Ensenada for some shopping and a meal at a huge restaurant located inside a former warehouse. They dined on oysters, clams, grilled trout, fresh bread, cheeses, and olives.
They kept down Highway 1, and went over the stunning Sierra San Pedro Martir Mountains. They headed to Guerrero Negro for some gray whale-watching. Inola and David sang, and they found a whale willing to blow and breach nearby. Then, they headed to the Isla De Patos to see the birds, a deserted island loud with bird calls. On the way back, a pod of dolphins surrounded the boats, making the Valkyries sing a song of joy.
They landed, wet and happy, and headed for the Great Sand Dunes. The kids collected seashells and put them in plastic jars. They then went for lunch, eating fabulous seafood, caught that very morning. The kids would not stop talking about the whales, birds, dolphins, and shells.
They rode toward the Protected Area of the Valley of Los Cirios, and stopped off for some hiking in the Sierra San Francisco Mountains. There, they could see the 7000-year-old rock paintings. Inola, David, and Henry were deeply moved. They stopped off in Las Paz, and headed to the promenade to see the sunset. Inola sang the sun down. They took rooms in three separate inns. In the morning, they headed toward Cabo San Lucas, and attended a barbecue on the beach with singing, dancing, and margaritas.
They reversed their ride, heading back up the peninsula. They stopped for windsurfing in La Ventana. They ate lunch on the beach from four separate restaurants, and headed north in the afternoon. They spend the night on the beach in tents, then they headed back across the border.
On Laguna Beach, Bella and Inola held hands, watching the waves crash in, the surfers ride the waves, with Ace out there with them. “If I mention having another baby, kill me,” said Bella. “I’m still exhausted.”
“Tarak has made both us and Nantan and Chayton happy,” said Inola. “He’s a lovely baby.”
“Loud,” said Bella, “really, really loud.” They watched Nantan kick a ball halfway across the beach to Josh, who passed it to Little Nico, who passed it to Chayton, who passed it to Nick.
Inola followed her eyes. “If we had lost Josh…”
“In a split second,” said Bella. “We’ve had that happen so damn often in the last couple of years. Life… we cling to life. It’s like an oyster hanging on a rock. We’re all attached to each other so no one falls off.”
Wraith worked with the girls on the Yang Short Form, and then they sped it up. Damia joined in. Ivy, holding Callie’s hand just a bit away, gasped. “She’s… participating,” she said.
“Clearly,” said Callie. “Go over there and do it with them.” Ivy kissed Callie, stroked her hair, and jogged over the sand, narrowly missing Nick flying past her, chasing the ball, his mouth pursed with concentration. She stood in front of Bao, who showed her the form, and then they joined Wraith and the girls.
Inola reached out and grabbed Callie’s hand. “Move over here, girlfriend,” said Inola. Callie stood and moved over her chair.
They all sucked on frozen lime drinks from Sonic, and they put their feet on a red cooler borrowed from a local Iron Knight, an ex-soldier out surfing with Ace. They moved their feet from time to time as the runners, fighters, volleyball players, surfers, and soccer enthusias
ts went hunting for water, cola, or sports drinks, or for an Iron Knight named Tank and his tiny Valkyrie wife (Hildr), who kept coming by and filling it back up with drinks and ice.
Bao came over, ruthlessly stole Ivy’s chair, and they all moved their feet over for her. She laid with her head back, her braided hair swinging down to nearly brush the sand. “I can’t do anything anymore,” she said. “Speak Mandarin, speak English, record stories, keep my illustrator in China working, fill thousands of orders for books for mainland China and Taiwan.” She moved everyone’s feet, and fished out a cherry water. They all put their feet up again.
“Sounds like you need a vacation,” said Callie. “Luckily, we’re actually on a vacation.”
“I want to go to someplace that isn’t China or Taiwan,” said Bao, and sipped deeply from her drink.
“Italy, dumbbutt,” said Bella. “Nico would love it. His mother would love it. Send the kids out on a horseback riding, night-swimming camp, stick your mother-in-law in one villa, and take another.”
Bao shuddered. “I took Honored Mother on another trip to China on my last business trip.” She shuddered again. “She tries to keep from saying denigrating things. I can tell because she tightens her lips, sometimes her whole face.”
“You can read the inscrutable,” said Bella.
“She is trying,” said Inola.
“She is,” said Bao. “And Stella Picado is nothing like my mother. At all. She would melt, seeing the great sculptors’ work, like David, by Michelangelo. We can send her on a sculpture vacation, pay for her to sculpt with masters there. She’d love it, and she sure as hell deserves it. Nico has been overthinking it with his busy brain to give her something. He’s already been paying for her warehouse space, despite her having the money to cover it herself. The woman does more than alright for herself.”