Spencer and Teddy: 42 -) Braeden: 18 Cassandra: 16 Caralynn: 12 Clarissa: 8
Brendan and Amanda: 23
PJ: 43 Skylar 42 -) Juliana: 17 Merick: 15 Aubrey: 11
Gabe and Melanie : 38 -) Jaxon: 9 Hannah: 6 Wyatt: 4
Charlie and Gavin: 29 -) Mila: 3
Toby and Ariana: 26 -) Ryder: 1
Desiree and Josh: 42 -) Bradley: 12 Kinsley: 10 Evelyn: 7 Miles: 5
Linda and Paul: 66
August 2038
"Mom, go away. I don't need your help!" Braeden shouted. He was packing his clothes since he's getting ready to leave for college. He is going San Diego.
"Fine, don't ask for my help later on." I placed the boxes I had carried up on his bedroom floor and left. I walked down the stairs and sighed as I sat down on the couch. I could hear Cassandra and Caralynn fighting again.
"What are you making for dinner?" Spencer asked as he walked into the room.
"I was hoping for a little piece and quiet." I said. "Please remind me again why we had five kids."
"Well if I remember correctly, Brendan was a mistake, Braeden was a surprise, Cassandra was planned, Caralynn was a mistake, and Clarissa was an unwanted surprise."
"Well I think we could have done better with three less kids. I love them, I really do, but they are driving me crazy with the constant fighting and Braeden counting down the days until he moves to San Diego. He just can't wait to be independent and have nothing to do with us."
"I'm paying for him to attend college. He's going to have to want something to do with us or I won't pay." Spencer said. "But they are teenagers. I'm sure this is exactly how our parents felt about us at this age."
"I wish my dad was here so I could apologize to him."
"You just got karma with having five kids yourself." Spencer laughed.
"What time is Brendan and Amanda supposed to come?"
"Uh, six I think."
"I better start dinner then. What should I even make? We have scallops, should I make scallops?"
"Scallops sound good."
I got up off the couch. "Please find out why Cassandra and Cara are fighting again and get them to shut up. They are giving me a headache."
"Of course." Spencer said. He ran up the stairs. "Girls, shut up. You are giving mom a headache!" Spencer shouted.
I sighed again and headed into the kitchen.
An hour later, Brendan and his girlfriend, Amanda, showed up. Brendan and Amanda have been together for about four years now and he recently proposed to her which means we have a wedding in the near future. I still can't believe he's getting married. I feel like he was just a baby but on the other hand I am now forty-two. Where did the time go?
"Do you need any help?" Amanda asked as she walked into the kitchen.
"No, I'm fine." I carried eight plates and glasses to the dining room table. "How's the wedding planning going?"
"It's so stressful. Was it stressful for you?"
"Hmm… a little but you should enjoy it. Planning can be so much fun but I will admit, my husband did make it hard on me because he wouldn't help me with a thing but with the guest lists, food menu, and of course cake tasting."
"I can relate. Brendan has no interest with helping me plan it but I don't care. I'll make it my dream wedding and he has no right to complain."
I laughed. "That's how it is when you marry a Walsh boy. You have to do your own thing and if they complain, so what. They didn't want to help you in the first place and now they have to deal with the result from it." I placed the silverware next to each plate. "I hope you two won't make me a grandmother anytime soon."
She shook her head. "I don't want kids right this second, neither does he. I've just started my career and Brendan also. Plus we're still young. I mean we're twenty-three. We still have our whole lives ahead of us."
I smiled. "Good to hear."
"Mom!" Cassandra shouted. "Mom! Mom!"
I sighed. "Amanda, listen to me, honey. Don't have five kids. They will ruin your life. Have one or two and you won't go crazy." I finished setting the table and went to see what my daughter needed. After discovering she didn't want anything important, I went back down to check on the food.
"I have a question." Amanda said. "When you said, five kids will ruin your life, what did you mean by that? Did they ruin yours? Would you go back in time if you could and not have that many if you could?"
"I love all my kids but honestly, I think Spencer and I should have had two or three less. You know Cassandra was the only one planned out of all five of my kids."
"But if you could go back in time, would you, to stop yourself from having so many?"
"No. I believe everything happens for a reason and me having five kids happened for a reason. I had five kids for a reason but I still don't know what that reason is."
I brought the food into the living room and called everyone down to eat. Everyone gathered into the dining room and made themselves a plate.
"It's really nice having all my kids home together for once." I said. "Don't you think, Spencer?"
"Mom you act like I'm living on the other side of the country." Brendan said. "I'm just in Studio City."
"Hey, dad, how do you feel about being the only man in the house once I leave?" Braeden asked. "You'll be stuck with four girls."
"I'm just looking forward to you being out of my hands." Spencer smiled. "I'm still shocked you're going to college, especially a good college."
"Spencer, stop it." I said. "We'll both miss you, Braeden."
"Ugh, Oh My Gosh!" Cassandra shouted. "Dad, you have to unground me tonight!"
"And why should I do that?" Spencer asked.
"Dad, everyone is at this party that I need to go to! Troy is at that party and my so call friend is freaking trying to hook up with him. I'm supposed to be the one hooking up with him."
"I hope hooking up has a new meaning from when we were teenagers." I said. "You are too young to be hooking up with boys. Now Spencer, why did you ground her? I wasn't aware she was."
"It was something I promised I wouldn't tell you about." Spencer said. "But I took care of it."
"What did she do?" I whispered.
"She got drunk, mom." Braeden said laughing.
"Braeden, shut up!" Cassandra exclaimed.
"What! Spencer, is that true?" I asked.
"We'll talk about it later and you are still grounded."
"Ugh! I hate you, dad!"
"Love you too, sweetheart."
A few hours later, Brendan and Amanda left. I cleaned up the kitchen and then headed up to my and Spencer's room. I got ready for bed and got into bed next to him.
"So what did Cassandra do?" I asked.
"She went to a party and got drunk. One of her friends called me to pick her up."
"So what Braeden said was true. When did that happen?"
"That weekend you were away for your mother's funeral but don't worry. I took care of everything. I told her she's grounded for a year and I took her car away."
"How about until she graduates college?" I suggested. "I just feel like she's going to go downhill with her life. I mean she's starting to right now."
"She's just a teenager. All teenagers do these types of things."
"I didn't and neither did you."
"Well we grew up in a different environment then she is."
"I feel like I failed as a mother when she does these types of things."
"You did not fail of as a mother. We just have teenagers who grew up to be spoiled brats."
I laughed. "That is so true. What happened to that pack we made about not spoiling them?"
"Yeah, babe, what happened to that pack?" Spencer laughed.
I rolled my eyes. "I blame you for how our kids turn out."
"Why me only? As far as I know, you help raise them too."
"But you buy them everything they want. I'm going to sleep."
Brendan's POV
"You still want in with this marriage? You know exactly what you are getting into after tonight."
Amanda laughed. "Of course, Brendan, I love you and I love your family. Your siblings though… they are just…"
"Teenagers." I said. "They just take everything for granted."
"Exactly but they won't scare me away. I'm all in."
I smiled. "I love you."
Amanda looked up and gave me a kiss. "I love you too."
New story! This is the last story to the Life is Full of Surprises most likely. Okay, so you can leave suggestions down in the reviews if you would like something specific to happen and I will consider. Also, I'm sorry for all you Amy lovers but she is now out of the story, I killed her :p Please forgive me. So I hope you liked this first chapter and remember to review, and favorite!