Author's Note - Just wanted to give a little information on this short humorous story which includes all the members of the family including Eugene and Silas. In order to include all the family members Heath joined the family around the age of 4 so he could be involved in some of the hijinks of his siblings.
Victoria smiled as she watched her grandchildren play in the yard. She was a lucky woman; all her children were happily married and had given her seven grandchildren with three more on the way.
Eugene had recently graduated from medical school and was taking over Dr. Merar's practice. He had met Sally while in school and married soon after he graduated. Sally was expecting their first child in a few months. While they waited for the construction of their house to be finished they lived with Victoria.
Carl Wheeler finally asked Audra to marry him and she recently gave birth to Victoria's seventh grandchild; Victoria Lynn Wheeler. Audra was still working with the orphanage and now a member of the school board. She and Carl had built a house on his family's land which Victoria secretly thought was too far away from her.
Heath had just returned from his honeymoon with his new bride; Susan. Susan came to Stockton to work as the new school teacher and it was love at first sight for both of them. They were married less than three months later and they both could not wait to start their family.
Even though Heath was not her son, he was Tom's son, who came to live with the family at the age of four when his birth mother died. She loved the boy dearly and from the first day he arrived, she was Mother to him. How happy she was that he was able to grow up with his big brothers and younger siblings.
Nick had married Maggie Donovan seven years ago and they had two children; Tom and Madeline. Nick had built his family a house close to the main house but his family was at the main house constantly. Maggie was expecting their third child in less than one month and they couldn't have been happier. Nick and Maggie's children were balls of energy and looked up to their older cousins with a hero worship which got all the children in trouble on a daily basis.
Jarrod and Melanie had been married for eight years and they had four boys with Melanie expecting another baby in a few months. Jarrod built his family two houses; one in San Francisco and the other on Barkley land. Between Melanie's restaurant and Jarrod's law practices the growing family split time between San Francisco and Stockton; thus his decision to have two family homes as he didn't want to be separated from his wife or boys. Jarrod Jr or JT was seven, the twins Nicky and Lucas were five and Jackson was four.
Jarrod and Melanie arriving in the buggy brought Victoria from her thoughts. She smiled as she watched Jarrod fuss over Melanie much to her daughter-in-law's chagrin.
Jarrod helped Melanie sit down at one of the tables as he fixed her a glass of punch. He walked over to his mother and kissed her forehead. "Lovely lady. How were the boys last night?" Jarrod already knew the answer to that question but figured he would ask regardless.
Eugene answered for Victoria, "You got your hands full with those boys Jarrod." Eugene shook his head as Sally giggled.
Jarrod frowned at Eugene and said, "What happened?"
Nick laughed, "It's more like what didn't happen."
Jarrod rolled his eyes and said, "Do I even want to know?"
Silas was bringing a tray of snacks and answered, "They was just acting like their own papa used to when he was a boy." Victoria stifled a laugh as Jarrod shook his head.
"You know I believe you are right Silas; I do recall Jarrod and Nick getting into some rather peculiar situations."
Melanie and Maggie both laughed with Melanie asking, "Oh Victoria do you mean to tell me my husband was..." Melanie put her finger to her forehead as she thought, "I believe the word he uses to describe our boys is busy." Maggie and Melanie both started laughing again.
Victoria laughed and said, "I wish it were that simple." She shook her head as she laughed again.
Silas spoke up again, "We was at the doctor's office at least once a week with one or both of them boys."
Nick said, "Well now we weren't that bad."
Victoria and Silas exchanged a look and both started laughing again.
Jarrod rolled his eyes and sat down next to his wife.
Maggie asked Nick, "I knew you were a handful but I didn't realize you had a co-conspirator."
Jarrod tried to defend himself, "We were not that bad."
Nick added, "No we weren't." He sat down next to Maggie and folded his arms on his chest.
As Audra held Torie she said, "I remember father talking about how he and mother kept Dr. Merar in business because of Jarrod and Nick but he would never tell us the details."
Silas said, "Because he didn't want the rest of you youngins to get any ideas."
Heath said, "I do recall a few incidents when I first moved in, was told they were initiations." Heath glared at Jarrod and Nick.
Eugene laughed, "Yeah I remember a few of those too." Eugene shook his head laughing more.
Jarrod and Nick exchanged looks with Jarrod speaking, "Ah well, enough of walk down memory lane. I thought this was supposed to be a birthday celebration for Tom."
Audra laughed, "Not so fast big brother. Thanks to your boy's mother and Silas had to bake another cake this morning."
Melanie blew out a long breath and said, "Do we need to have a talk with them mother?"
"No the threat of the wooden spoon seemed to work."
Eugene added, "For a few minutes until they found something else to get into."
Before anyone could respond Jarrod's boys along with Nick's children came running into the yard. Jarrod looked at his son's and his heart sank when he saw what they had in their hands. He hoped they didn't do what he thought they may have done.
JT approached his grandmother with his hands behind his back. He was the oldest of Victoria's grandchildren and he was the spitting image of his father. He was also the ring leader of the rest of her grandchildren and sometimes with disastrous results. Nicky looked like his mother with brown curly hair and big brown eyes while Lucas was a combination of his parents with his father's blue eyes and his mother's brown hair.
Nicky and Lucas worshipped their oldest brother and would do everything he told them to do even after their mother and father had told him to quit listening to him. Jackson did what his older brothers told him to do every single time because he wanted to follow his brother's around. He had his father's raven hair although it was curly like his mother's but his blue eyes were piercing like his father's.
Tom was Nick's oldest son and was more like his mother, Maggie in every way. He had his mother's red hair and his father's hazel eyes. Tom was quiet and reserved until he got around his cousins and then all bets were off. Maddie was a daddy's girl and worshipped him always wanting to follow him regardless of where he went. She had her father's dark hair and her mother's green eyes. As hard as she tried she could not fit in with her older cousins since she was the only girl but the boys would put up with her only to get her into trouble with them.
"Gramma, we are sorry for messing up Tom's cake last night."
Victoria had a sinking feeling as she looked at her grandson. "Didn't I tell you boys to leave the cake alone?"
JT swallowed and said, "Yes ma'am. But it smelled so good."
Melanie saw what JT had behind his back and her heart sank. She looked at her husband who rolled his eyes as he knew what his son had done.
JT smiled widely and produced a hand full of roses to Victoria, "We're sorry Gramma."
Eugene started laughing and said, "JT where did you get those roses?"
Jarrod and Melanie fidgeted nervously knowing exactly where their son had gotten them. Jarrod thought wryly it would be awhile before his mother watched his son's again and he would be replanting yet another rose garden.
Nicky smiled and pointed to the other side of the house, "Over there Uncle Gene. They was growing real pretty and we figured Gramma would like 'em."
Jarrod hung his head as his brother's laughed loudly. Victoria glared at her son's as she knew their laughter was only making matters worse.
Victoria cleared her throat and accepted the roses JT offered her. She looked at the stems and her heart sank as it was apparent the children had ripped the roses out of the dirt. Well she thought wryly, looks like her eldest would be planting more rose bushes this weekend.
"Thank you JT," Victoria smiled weakly as she handed them to Silas.
Silas shook his head and mumbled, "Just like his papa," as he walked off.
Tom asked, "When can we open presents?" It was his birthday after all.
Nick looked at his eldest and smiled, "That is up to your grandmother son."
Tom smiled widely at his grandmother hoping his cousin's suggestion of giving her roses would make up for their antics last night. But JT was right the cake did smell so good and they were still hungry so the boys snuck downstairs after everyone had went to bed and decided to get something to eat. The cake was too tempting to pass up so the boys decided to take the entire cake outside to the barn and eat it; another one of JT's ideas. He told them they could all share the cake and hide the pan and his gramma and Silas would not know what happened.
The boys all thought that was a great idea since all of JT's ideas were good ones but they all ended up falling asleep in the barn and were awakened when Uncle Heath found them sprawled out in the barn with cake everywhere. JT thought he would be able to convince Uncle Heath not to tell on them since his papa was an attorney and he tried to copy his father but Uncle Heath was not listening to him.
Victoria smiled at Tom and said, "Since the cake is still cooling down we can open the presents now." All the grandchildren ran to the house like a herd of wild stallions.
Jarrod thundered, "BOYS!" His four sons stopped in their tracks and slowly turned to face their father. "It is not your birthday so you will walk me with me and your mother." He noticed all four faces fall but they stayed put while he helped Melanie get up.
As they walked to the white mansion Victoria joined Jarrod and Melanie and said, "Look's like you have plans this weekend son."
Melanie couldn't help but laugh as Jarrod sighed. "I will have plenty of help, won't I boys?" He stifled a laugh at the look his son's gave him but they all nodded their heads yes.