by Joannie Kay
"Open it, Uncle Michael! I want to see!" one of the nieces said with a giggle, making everyone laugh, and then she added, "You forgot to wrap the present, Grandpa!" The laughter grew even louder as Michael opened the flap and took out a gift certificate to one of the local building suppliers.
Michael showed it to Molly, his eyes full of surprise and shock. "This is too much, Pop!"
"No it isn't!" Aunt Jenny said firmly. "You deserve every penny of that, young man. We are all very proud of you."
"Thanks, Aunt Jenny," he said emotionally, giving Molly's hand a squeeze. "Thank you, everyone. I am stunned."
"Your brothers and I expect to help you install a new kitchen, son. You should be able to make it real nice with that gift certificate."
"It should be the show kitchen in the family!" Michael stated with a whistle. "Thank you all. When it is all done, I'll have you all over for a party to celebrate!" he promised. There were lots of nods and comments, and then Seamus invited them to say the blessing together.
They did, and Seamus invited everyone to eat, telling Michael to lead the way since the dinner was in his honor.
"Pop, let the little ones go first. They're starving," Michael suggested, having overheard a couple of his nephews begging to eat. "I feel honored just having my family here with me today."
"You heard the man; kids first. Parents, you help them," Seamus bossed with love, and wasn't surprised when Mary and his single children went to help the parents. It always seemed like a mass scene of chaos, but in relatively short time, everyone had made a trip through the dining room and helped themselves to food from the heavily laden dining room table. The desserts were on the buffet, and the drinks were on a table he'd placed in the corner of the dining room that very morning. Mary had covered its surface with a pretty cloth, and everything in the room looked wonderful. Tables and chairs were set up everywhere, including several kid sized tables that Seamus turned out in his workshop. He and Mary always filled their plates last, and he was not a bit surprised that Michael and Molly waited for everyone else to be served before they got in line. Michael was a lot like his Ma, and like him, too. He was unselfish like Mary, and he took care of others, like Seamus was used to doing. It was a good feeling, and of all his children, Michael chose the career in which he could be of the most help to the community as a whole. The others were good, too, and made a difference in many ways, but he felt Michael's career was the most difficult. He put his hand on his son's shoulder and when Michael turned to smile at him, he smiled back.
Michael was pleased that Molly seemed to be having a good time. He had watched as most of his siblings approached her and spent a couple of minutes getting to know her better... all except Kathleen. His sister looked like she was a stick of dynamite waiting to explode. Michael didn't think that Lloyd looked upset in any way, so he doubted that he and Kathleen had a fight just before they came. In fact, Lloyd seemed unaware of his wife's simmering anger, which was unusual.
The only two seats available in the living room were with Kathleen and Lloyd and against his better judgment, Michael led Molly over to their table and they sat down. "Thanks for saving us a seat, Kathleen," he said with a grin. When she shot him a look that would singe hair, he asked, "What is your problem today, honey?"
"I don't have a problem," she immediately replied, giving him a meaningful look.
Lloyd immediately gave his wife a stern look and said, "Kathleen, have you tried the ham? It's delicious; I think Mother Mary made it."
"Everything Mama makes is delicious, Lloyd," she said with exaggerated patience.
"Kathleen, Michael told me you helped him landscape the yard at his house. It is beautiful; you are very talented," Molly hoped a compliment would ease the tension at the table. Kathleen was the one who gave her a hate-filled look when they were introduced earlier. She honestly didn't know why Kathleen took such a dislike to her, but it did not feel good, and Molly could see that Michael was puzzled, too.
"I was happy to do it for my brother; I love him."
"Of course you do," Molly agreed, and then asked, "Just what is your problem with me, Kathleen? As far as I know, today is the first time we have met? You haven't been a client in the law firm I work for, have you?" Molly asked, deciding to face the problem at once.
"I don't even know where you work... or that you even have a job. What I object to is that Michael met you on the job and then brought you into my parents' home! You are some kind of criminal, or--"
Michael cut his sister off. "That is enough, Kathleen," he said quietly but firmly. "Molly is in no trouble at all. I rescued her from a roommate who was using Molly's situation to lie to her father and get money from him. Molly had nowhere to go and no family except her Grandmother, who has Alzheimer's and is in a care facility. You might as well know right now that I recognized Molly, and I won't tolerate your rudeness towards her." Michael knew that some of his other siblings and their spouses were listening to his words. "Do you honestly think I would endanger the folks or the kids?" he demanded.
"Kathleen, you will apologize right now, and we will be discussing this further when we get home today," Lloyd said quietly, and Molly immediately knew what he meant, as did everyone else sitting close enough to hear.
"No!" she spoke directly to Lloyd. "In Kathleen's place I am sure I would feel the same way!" She looked at Kathleen and stated, "I promise I am no threat to your family or to Michael. I have no way to prove that to you except through time. If not for Michael I would literally be on the street right now," she whispered.
"Why? If you have a job in a law firm, you should be able to afford housing," Kathleen was persistent in her dislike of Molly and the situation.
"I support my Grandmother. Gram raised me, supported me, and now I do the same for her. Her care is very expensive."
Something melted within Kathleen and she said, "I am so sorry, Molly. I had no idea."
"If you had been home on time like you promised, you would have been able to call your Mother and she would have told you all of this," Lloyd stated with a frown. "Instead, you made assumptions that were not true and embarrassed yourself by making a fool of yourself."
"I love Michael, Lloyd!" she retorted, her temper flaring again.
"He is a grown man, Kat. Now eat your food before it grows cold." She gave him an angry look, which he pointedly ignored in favor of telling Michael, "I am sure Kathleen will apologize tomorrow, Michael. Please accept my apologies in the meantime. Molly, Kat's biggest fault is her temper and her tendency to jump to conclusions that are not always true. She will soon grow to love you and see you as the beautiful young woman you are; I am truly sorry your first impression of Kat is this one."
"I--" Michael cut her off by placing a finger on her lips and going shhhh.
"This is a time to change the subject, Red." He smiled then and said, "Ma's ham is the best, don't you think so?"
Molly took a bite and agreed. The rest of the meal passed pleasantly enough, but Kathleen had very little to say. Like at most get-togethers, the women ended up in the kitchen, dealing with the leftover food and the dirty dishes that needed washing. Molly found herself working with Kathleen and Bridget as they tackled the dishes. The dishwasher was put to use, as well, but the good dishes had to be washed by hand, and Molly was doing it for the second time. She was glad to have something useful to do, and in a stationary place. Kathleen still wasn't saying much, and in her place, Molly knew she would be embarrassed to know the entire family knew she was to be spanked! Molly still had a problem accepting that spanking was a normal part of this family... They considered it an act of love... a firm expression of loving disapproval. Even so, she didn't like that she was the cause of Kathleen's present distress. She wanted to cry and tell the woman she was very sorry, but was pretty sure that Kathleen wouldn't believe her for one second.
Bridget kept them entertained with stories of her friends, and how they thought she was weird for wanting to be a Chef, but at the same time were a
lways asking her to bake something for them to snack on. Kathleen told her to stick to her dreams and her passion, and to be her own woman. She also asked if Bridget had been looking at any schools in particular. Molly noticed that Mary turned to listen to her youngest child's answer and seemed surprised to learn that Molly had already started investigating different schools and had a mental list of pros and cons ready to share with her eldest sister.
"Honey, you are only a freshman this year. I want you to keep an open mind and concentrate on getting good grades."
"I know it is important, Mama. Culinary colleges check out grades and attendance, and all of the things that liberal arts colleges do. Community service is very important, and activities and clubs. I want to get in a great school, so I'm going to work my butt off now so I can get accepted when the time comes to apply."
"You have it all planned out already?" Rachel asked in disbelief.
"You are a junior, sister, dear. What are your plans?" Bridget demanded.
"Well, finally, someone asks me!" she retorted, letting the rest of them know she did not like being ignored. "I am planning to go to college right here in town, so I can keep my job at the preschool and live at home to keep my expenses down. I'm going to study early childhood education."
"That sounds wonderful, Rachel," Kathleen said with sincerity. "Has the preschool you work at offered you a job once you get your degree?"
"Yes. They are even going to pay for some of my classes," she said proudly.
"And when did you intend to share this with your father and I, young lady?" Mary asked, totally surprised.
"When you got around to asking if I had thought of my future," Rachel said with a grin and a shrug. "Admit it, Mama... You are shocked. You didn't think I cared at all, did you?"
"Honey, that is not true. I wasn't sure that you realized yet what you wanted to do. Your father and I will sit down with you and discuss all of this later tonight. I am so proud of you!" Mary added, giving Rachel a hug. "Goodness, all of my babies are growing up so fast that I am overwhelmed."
"I know what you mean, Mary," Jenny said tearfully, putting her arm around her sister and hugging her. "We have raised wonderful children, haven't we, dear?"
"Yes, we have," Mary agreed, smiling through her own tears.
"Don't cry, Mama. Rachel and I didn't mean to upset you," Bridget offered, stepping forward to hug her mother.
"I'm not upset, honey. I'm so proud I could burst!" Mary assured her, and then said, "Let's get this work done. I'm in the mood to play a long game of Monopoly."
"I would like that, too," Kathleen agreed, only to have Lloyd come into the kitchen not one minute later and ask her how much longer she would be. "We are planning a game of Monopoly, Lloyd," she answered.
He shook his head 'no'. "We will be leaving as soon as you are finished helping your Mother."
"Go on, dear," Mary said firmly. "We are almost finished."
Kathleen obviously did not wish to go, but she knew better than make a scene. Molly's eyes met hers in sympathy but Kathleen seemed to think the younger woman was mocking her. She stomped out of the kitchen without so much as saying goodbye to any of them.
"And what was that all about?" Jenny asked of Mary, who also appeared confused.
"Kathleen was rude to Molly," Linda spoke up. "Lloyd is going to punish her, and she darn well has it coming."
"Oh... Molly, I am so sorry! I hope Kathleen didn't upset you...?" Mary demanded at once. "That girl has a terrible temper, which I fear she got from her mother!"
"Don't worry, Mary. She knew nothing of me or my circumstances and she feared for you all and for Michael. Michael told her everything, and I wish Lloyd wasn't upset with her. I feel terrible about that."
"Don't you waste one second feeling guilty," Jenny advised. "Lloyd has been dealing with Kathleen's temper for years now. He knows when to let something slide and when to deal with it more forcefully. Kathleen is a nice girl, truly."
"She's a hothead, like I used to be," Mary stated calmly. "Dear, none of this is your fault. We are all used to Kathleen's temper and its sting. Lloyd will take a hairbrush to her bottom and she'll be fine the next time you see her."
It was evening before everyone left. The food had been reheated and served on paper plates the second time around. Michael made sure he spent time with every last person, but Molly could see he was relieved when the last of the guests finally walked out the door. "Thanks for the dinner, Ma and Pop. It was real nice."
"Everyone is proud of you, Michael," Mary said with one of her smiles as she stood on tiptoe and pulled him down for a kiss and a hug.
"Pop, Ma, I would like to have a private word with the two of you," Daniel interrupted the conversation to say.
"Molly and I are going out for a while, but I'll have her back before too late," Michael said, taking her hand in his. "Do you need your purse or a jacket? It's cool tonight," he added.
"I'll get my things," she said, wondering where Michael wanted to take her, and noticing that the others who lived at home were either going out or up to their rooms. She knew it was to give Daniel the privacy he requested.
She and Michael walked out of the house and he opened the car door for her before walking around to get in behind the steering wheel. "Where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"To meet your Gramma," he answered.
* * *
"I cannot see why we had to leave my parents' house so early today, Lloyd. You knew the children would be up all afternoon and evening! You were just being mean to me!" Kathleen heatedly accused. Her anger with her husband had been building since he insisted they leave Michael's dinner. The children were very unhappy, too, since they were having a lot of fun with their cousins.
"I removed you from your family because you upset them, Kathleen. You were rude to Molly, and you embarrassed Michael on his special day. How do you think he feels about you right now? How do you think Molly feels about you? You and Michael have always been very close. Of all your siblings, he is the one you favor most, and don't you dare deny it. I've watched you for years. You favor Michael and Bridget. You love the others, too, but those two are your kindred spirits. How are you going to handle it if you alienate Molly and she ends up married to Michael? What if she puts her foot down and refuses to have you in her home? What will you do if she denies you Michael's company?"
"She damn well wouldn't dare do that!" Kathleen was enraged at the very idea.
"Michael told you he recognized her. Doesn't that tell you something?" He wanted Kat to think. "You take yourself over to the corner and stand there and think how you would feel if the situation were reversed... and one of your siblings attacked me the way you attacked Molly today."
"You know I hate standing in the corner, Lloyd!" she wailed. "You know how it makes me feel! I don't want to do that!"
"Do it right now, and because of your tantrum and whining, you can push down your sleep pants and pull up your t-shirt so your bare butt is showing."
"Lloyd! Noooo!" He grabbed her arm, turned her around, and gave her several hard spanks over the flannel sleep pants. He then marched her to the corner, and spanked her several more times.
"Push down the pants, Kat!" She complied, sniffling. He reached out and pushed them a bit lower and then pushed up her cotton t-shirt. "You are going to stand her twice as long as I planned, young lady. It seems I have neglected you lady if you are able to argue with me when you are facing a punishment spanking." He walked away, changing into his own sleep pants and putting away his clothing. He padded barefoot down the hallway, looking in on their kids and making sure they were all in bed, and sleeping. The last thing he wanted was for one of them to overhear their Mommy being spanked, and she was going to be soundly spanked, and not just for the disgraceful way she treated Molly.
Kat was a workaholic, and too often she made excuses to put in twelve to sixteen hour days. Every so often he had to remind her that she was a wife and a mother, too. Their children deserved mor
e time and attention from Kat, and he was going to impress that on her pretty backside with her hairbrush.
Chapter Six
Molly was stunned when Michael told her they were going to go and visit her Grandmother. She normally did go to visit on the weekends, but this weekend had been hectic, and she'd decided to wait until after work the next day to pay her visit. Gram wouldn't care, and probably wouldn't miss her at all. She rarely recognized Molly these days. Once in a while there was a glimmer of recognition, but the last time was over two months ago now. "Gram probably won't recognize me, Michael," she shared.
"I remember your telling me that, Molly, but we will know we went, and I do want to meet her. It's a matter of showing respect."
Molly was warmly greeted by the nurses who cared for her Gram, but they informed her that her Grandmother was not very responsive that day. Molly felt sad, but she put a smile on her face and led the way to Gram's room. She introduced Michael, and was surprised when her Gram smiled. They did not stay long, but Molly promised she would come back soon for another visit, and then she kissed her goodbye. Michael held her hand for a moment and promised he would come back with Molly. Gram did not respond.
* * *
Kathleen hated standing in the corner. She was a very active person and standing still, facing the corner, with nothing to do but think, made her crazy! Lloyd knew this, but for some damned reason, he was torturing her. Why couldn't he just get the spanking over with and let her go on to bed? She had to be at work as soon as she got the kids off to school and daycare. She did not have time to stand around looking at the walls, which needed to be painted!
"Are you ready to discuss your behavior yet, Kat?" Lloyd asked, sensing she was about to explode for the second time that day.