by L. Ann Marie
He holds onto me with both arms, trying to catch his breath. “Morning, babe,” he says then kisses behind my ear. I just grunt, making him chuckle.
He gets us to the shower and I get it together once the water hits me. We go about our routine and I realize I’m smiling. I love that we’re back to normal. Before I walk out the door I stand in front of him and pull him down for a kiss. “I love you, my big Tiny.”
He bites my lower lip then straightens. “Love you too, Nance.”
I walk out with my smile. Today we’re going to the village to check out the shops. We have appointments for hair and nails. The women here are just like at home. I was happy to hear all the things the village has to offer. There wasn’t one negative comment all night.
Danny is in the kitchen with coffee already made and four kids have breakfast in front of them. “Hey, Nancy, I had some Little Brothers practicing with me today. You’ve got some early risers in your house too.”
“I do. They usually stay in their room but with all the kids here I’m glad they didn’t.” Billy and Diego are smiling at me. I kiss their heads as I walk by to the coffee maker.
“They’re doing good with the martial arts. CJ must have them on a fast track.” He turns the burners on and starts cooking more eggs and sausage.
“She’s been doing extra with them in her yard. She says they’re quick learners.” I sit at the counter with the boys. Diego gets up and starts making toast. Danny smiles at him, then looks at me.
Sandy and Devan run into the kitchen fully dressed. Sheila must be up. I lift Sandy and get my usual “Momma,” from her with a morning hug.
Danny slides plates onto the counter. More kids come down. Aaron and Billy clear their places, then help Danny get the plates up.
* * *
Tiny
I stop in the kids’ rooms and help them finish getting dressed and put toothpaste on their brushes. Sheila has the girls covered and everyone is downstairs, excited to get the day started.
Danny is cooking and joking around with his helpers just like he does at the Diner. The kids are eating and Nancy’s smiling. It’s a good morning all around. The kids start cleaning up as they finish eating. Danny slides the last two plates to the counter and sits on the side of me. “Cloud built this kitchen perfect. Everything is easy.”
I swallow my mouthful. “The whole house is easy. He spent some time thinking about each room. I can’t believe he built it before he had his family.”
He laughs. “He knew what he wanted that’s for sure. I’m glad he found it.”
Nancy finishes cleaning the stove and counters, then collects the girls. They make a line and do hugs and kisses. “Have fun, Little Sisters.” I tell them all as they walk out the door.
Once our plates are put up we all go to the basement and carry the archery gear out. Danny shows the little guys how to put on the guards and then takes them to one side while I take the older kids to the other. After an hour we start a tournament. We’re playing around, making them laugh and trying to distract them when it’s their turn. Victor and José are in the lead, but Danny cracks them up with ‘moose poopies’ and they both completely miss the target. The little guys have a sporting chance and rally for each other. Diego hits a bull’s eye and everyone cheers him on. They’re a great bunch of kids. Victor wins the tournament and challenges me and Danny. While we’re aiming, the kids start distracting us, making it more of a laugh-a-thon than a tournament. Danny beat the pants off me, but it’s a good time all the same.
I turn from my target and see José and Aaron practicing with Diego. Since they’re not done I sit under the oak with Hawk and watch. The kids start shooting again and I notice how careful they are. They wait until everyone is done before they walk to the targets. Good kids.
“They’re pretty good for kids,” Danny says. Jeremy hits close to the bull’s eye every time. After every shot he stops and looks at the arrow as if it will give him the answer of how to hit the center. Danny yells over to him, “It’s the wind, Jeremy.” He looks at Danny then the target. Pulling another arrow, he sets it and waits. When I think he’s not going to shoot it, he lets go and hits the bull’s eye. I laugh. He looks over and throws chin to Danny. Fuckin’ kids.
We pack all the gear and bring it back to the basement, then change for the lake. “Cloud has canoes and preservers down there.”
I nod and check my boys. “Towels, sunscreen, and smiles are all we take with us. You ready?” They yell, jumping up and down.
Eagle Feather delivers us lunch at the lake. Danny arranged it last night. They even sent food for Hawk, making Christian happy. “The restaurant loves when Cloud has visitors,” he tells us as he’s walking away.
Danny looks at me. “We do tend to bring a lot of mouths to feed.” I laugh. That’s an understatement.
With everyone fed we take turns, bringing them out on the canoes. I have a quiet ride with Devan, Jeremy, and Diego. They point and smile, but only Devan asks questions about the stuff I point out to them.
As we’re gliding back, I lean to one side, getting noise out of them. Jeremy laughs. The little shit knows what I’m going to do. He holds onto Diego and Devan just as I tip us out. The water is at my waist, but I come up sputtering. Their life jackets keep them up and they’re bobbing in a circle laughing. We have a splashing match as I pull the canoe to the shore, then all the boys join in, making seeing the shore hard. Danny grabs the canoe laughing, but leaves me to the splash attack from the Little Brothers. I start grabbing them and throwing them away from me. We play until I’m exhausted and barely make it to the chair that I’ve decided is my refuge.
“It seems like only yesterday I was trying to convince you of what a good dad you’d be. You’re a great fuckin’ dad, Brother,” Danny says as I’m trying to recuperate. I throw him chin and turn back to the boys.
They start jumping from a rock that goes over the water like a dock. It feels good to sit and watch them play like kids should play. They even get Hawk jumping in with them. Danny gets pictures of them in a line jumping together. I hope they come out good. I’d like that as a reminder of the fun we had. When they start getting daring on the rock we call them in and pack everyone up for the ride back to the house. Christian sits in the back with Hawk, the trash, and our wet towels. He wouldn’t let Hawk ride alone back there. He’s another good kid that is going to be a good Brother.
Chapter Twenty
Three days later...
Nancy
Tiny is in the water with Dave, the principal of the elementary school. They’re standing guard over the kids and it looks like they’re having a good chat. Rowan, Davis’ wife, and his sister, Steph, are between me and Tess on the deck chairs. Rich, Patches, and Cloud are with the bigger kids on the water slides and CJ has the babies with Joey and Sheila. Everyone is happy and having a blast.
I know Steph has had a hard time since her husband died, but she’s smiling today. Tess is talking to her about the Little Sisters. Rowan is really nice and we get to talking about the kids and the Little Brothers. They both like the programs and have the kids at the Center for the summer.
We spend the afternoon in and around the pool, chatting and playing. When it’s time to leave Rowan asks how we get the kids to listen and move so quickly. “Damned if I know,” I tell her. “It’s the Little Brothers. They get them to think of others before themselves. It’s just always been like that.”
“My kids are staying in it if this is the end result,” she mutters, making me laugh. We have all the kids today. It will take us four SUVs to get them all to Kate’s. Jeremy and Jacob hold Steph’s hand as we head out. I notice they ride with her too and wonder if they feel her getting anxious.
* * *
Tiny
The kids are running all over the beach. Security is following and they watch themselves mostly so no one’s too worried. The Brothers are gathered around the fire and the old ladies are up on the deck with the babies and toddlers. I’m waiting for some
one to tell me what’s going on with the boy that’s still being sold, but I don’t want to ask. Danny asks if Geek found any more information, but VP stops him with a nod toward Dave and the two regular Security following Jeremy and Aaron around the fire. I guess we won’t be hearing about it tonight.
A couple of houses down a few of the party goers start playing football. I notice they keep moving closer to us. When someone throws the ball our way I slap it away from hitting Aaron and tell them to move it back up to their area. One of the pussies starts yelling that it’s a free beach and they can play where they want to. I hear growling behind me and know the Brothers are all at my back. “Keep your fuckin’ ball and game away from the kids and you’re free to play wherever the fuck you want,” I yell at the asshole. He takes the ball, talking trash all the way back. I let him go, knowing this isn’t the end.
The kids start gathering around the fire, roasting marshmallows and hotdogs when the ball flies through again. Steve takes the ball and lobs it into the fire; we hear it hiss the air out before the pussies even make it to us.
“We need our ball,” the mouthy pussy says.
I smile at him. “You’re welcome to go get it from the middle of the fire,” Danny tells him. He runs toward Danny, but Steve has him on the ground before he gets close.
“Told you to keep it away,” he says to the pussy, pushing his face in the sand. “Not lettin’ you hit a kid ‘cause you’re special. Get the fuck out stay away from the kids.” He stands straight and steps back. The pussy gets up, swearing. Steve laughs at him, pissing him off. “You think you got what it takes, Sandman? Go for it.” The pussy looks back at his buddies that are not moving to help him out. He walks away from us. Brothers would have had his back; friends like that I’d keep my mouth shut and just move away from the kids. Not our pussy. He talks shit the whole way back, yelling like an idiot that wasn’t just eating sand.
We move back, talking and watching the kids when fireworks start going off. The kids get excited until they start falling around us. The fuckin’ pussy is aiming them down the beach. Steve points at Rich and Cloud. “Go around the east side.” He points at Danny and Bob. “The west.” He points at me and a regular Security, telling us go straight up the beach. We all move, wondering what he’s going to do to the mouthy bastard.
Once we’re away from the fire I lose sight of everyone but Security by my side. I don’t know this guy, but Steve had him out here, so he must be good. We make it to where the asshole is still shooting fireworks down our way and scare the hell out of him, walking into his circle of friends. Steve is behind him and pulls him into the shadows so fast I wonder if I really saw him. “Since you’re determined to fuck with us, we thought we’d make it easy on you. Now we’re here. We’ll take the fireworks you’re just dying to show us,” I tell one of the pussies.
He laughs. “You ain’t gonna take our shit.” He steps in front of the box of fireworks. My Security buddy picks up the fireworks they have set up and puts them in the box.
“Yeah, we are. You want a show, we’ll show you how it’s done without putting the fuckin’ kids in danger,” I tell him, moving him away from the box.
He lifts his arm and Danny leans in from behind him. “Wouldn’t do that if I were you. Your friends took off, leaving your ass swinging in the breeze all alone, pussy.”
I laugh. The pussy looks around and he’s surrounded by Brothers. The moron swings at Danny and is flat on his back before his arm comes around. Danny pulls the string from the pussy’s shorts and has his hands tied in seconds. “Hmmm, what to do, what to do...” I laugh and pick up the box. “Let’s let him watch the show so he knows how to be safe the next time they light fireworks. Safety first, that’s our new motto.” Rich walks the pussy down the beach, laughing. I look around but don’t see Steve with the loud mouth. I hope he didn’t fuckin’ kill him.
The kids are all excited we’re going to have our own show. Little Ben, Jessie, and Darren help set up the fireworks. They raid the garage and build mini blasting caps. They’re good at this. I think then wonder how the hell they learned it.
Cloud and Bob help me get an old gazebo frame set up in a foot of water where the soft sand is. Using wire ties and duct tape we get the pussy hung on to the frame and tape his mouth so he’ll stop yelling. He’s facing in so he can see the show.
We watch the boys and Rich get the fireworks set to go off in bursts then they start. The pussies have a good selection and get oohs and aaahs from the kids and old ladies. The pussy in the water is still making noises every time another one lights. I don’t know why, they look like they’re shooting at him, but the boys know better than to aim at a person. They’re missing him by at least five to ten feet.
Steve shows up when the show’s almost over. He doesn’t say anything about the pussy he took and no one asks. He looks at the gazebo frame and smiles. “Recyclin’, good for the environment.”
“I thought so too. I’m taking bets on if he’ll still be there in the morning. Patches thinks his buddies will save him,” Danny tells him.
Cloud shakes his head. “They aren’t coming down here. They ran when Tiny showed up. Locked themselves in the fuckin’ house like we were going to bang down the door or something.”
Pres walks over to us. “You teaching him the dangers of airborne explosives?” He smiles at Danny.
“Yeah, the bets whether his friends will save him tonight.”
“They won’t,” Bob says.
Pres shakes his head and walks back to the kids, watching the show. “They’re doing a good job with the timing,” Cloud says. The pussy jumps and mumbles every time more whistle’s going up.
Danny leans into Steve. “Where’s the other one?” I look around. No one is close.
Steve looks at him like he’s deciding whether he’ll answer. “In the front.”
We walk around the side of the house to the front. Coming down the hill I don’t see anything until Danny and Rich are doubled over laughing. I look up and see the guy hugging on the telephone pole like a koala bear. His legs are dangling through a hammock. My balls hurt just looking at him. The whole top of his body is gray duct tape. Even his head is duct taped to the pole. I look at Steve. “How the fuck did you get him up there?” He must be thirty feet in the air. He looks at me like he’s debating whether to tell me or not. “I might want to put a hammock up.” Everyone laughs. He doesn’t answer.
“You recycled too,” Rich says through his laughing. Fuckin’ LaPonte’s always laughing.
“Nah, cut it from the trees on the way.”
The pussy moves his leg and moans. “That’s gotta hurt. It’s like an atomic wedgie,” Cloud says.
We all wince. I walk away. Crazy ass Brothers. When the show ends we get the beach chairs and table back under the deck. Ricky helps the Little Brothers clean up the firework debris. Danny tells little Ben they need to explain firework safety to the pussy hanging in the water.
Dave and his family thank us a million times and head back to the hotel. The Security teams split up. Four go to the cottage Pres rented a few doors down. The other two get lost in the dark. They’ll stay outside tonight.
I help get the little boys ready for bed. The old ladies get the girls taken care of. Every Brother goes to the kids’ rooms to say goodnight. As I’m leaving the boys’ room Diego stands up to follow. “He can’t sleep there,” Jacob says. I rearrange the beds and settle him in.
I walk out to the deck where Rich, Cloud, Bob, Steve and the four older boys are sitting already. “Kids okay?” Steve asks.
“Yeah, had to switch kids around. They’re set now.”
“Diego?” Danny asks.
“Yeah, I put him by Ricky’s bed with Jeremy and Jacob near him.”
He nods. “Good. I didn’t think of it when I laid the extras out.” There’s no moon. It’s dark as hell out, so we sit and listen to the waves. “Did you teach our pussy safety?” he asks the boys.
Little Ben nods. “Yeah, we drew
it out as long as we could, but it’s pitch black out there. Darren couldn’t see us. It started getting boring, so we left him to think about it.” Rich laughs. Fuckin’ kids.
Jessie laughs. “I told him to watch the sand sharks and crabs.”
Steve looks at them. “He’s right. He bleeds, he’s done for.”
Danny, Rich, and Bob stand up and walk down to the beach. We hear them laughing on the way back. They’ve been down there about thirty minutes. They don’t say anything when they sit, so I guess they fixed it.
Chapter Twenty-One
Danny, me, Rich, and Bob split the kids up and head off to pick up breakfast. I got the Bakery run with four kids. Luckily I get the ones that don’t talk much and Joey. She cracks us up with a running commentary the whole way. When we get back I look up and the pussy is still there on the pole. Jeremy laughs but no one says anything, so we carry our boxes in without talking about it.
* * *
Nancy
The guys get the food out and everyone eats as they get up. It works well for the amount of people here. The women are always the last to eat. The guys decide to take the kids to go-kart and mini golf. The house is quiet as soon as they leave. We have the babies in the kitchen and coffee in front of us. “This is nice, calm and quiet,” CJ says.
Tess laughs. “Enjoy it while you can. It won’t be like that for long.”
“I’d go for a walk on the beach, but it feels good sitting and doing nothing for a while,” Jess says.
“We should take them all for a walk later. The little ones are trying to collect shells,” Kate says.
“Bob and Tiny are taking the older kids quahoging at low tide. They’re hoping for enough clams and quahogs to feed everyone,” I tell them so they plan around it.