Chapter 1 – A Birthday Morning
Adventures of the Melee
Nolan 16½, Ryder 12½, Olivia 9½
Annabelle 4 ½, Victoria 4½, Lucas 3
July 4
This is the first chapter of Adventures of the Melee, the third book in a series about Owen and Amelia's life together. Since the first book, Just Friends, Owen and Amelia's family has expanded to a total of six children. This book begins three years after the final chapter of book two, Just Family.
Amelia and Owen both wanted to wake Lucas up on his 3rd birthday. Neither parent could imagine missing the opportunity to greet the growing little boy on such a special day. As the youngest child, he was the apple of everyone's eye. Everything Lucas did was usually considered cute by at least a few members of the family and, often, Lucas was aware of the admiration. While he often provided entertainment simply by being Lucas, he also seemed to possess a small dose of natural humility that balanced all the attention and kept his personality endearing.
"Lucas…" Amelia whispered slowly as she and Owen entered his room.
Snuggled into his blanky/stuffed dog combo, affectionately known as Puppy, Lucas pretended to be asleep as he turned over to face his mama. Opening his eyes just enough to ensure she was watching him gave him away. Even so, both parents pretended not to notice the round, blue eyes peeking out from under Puppy.
Owen kneeled down in front of Lucas and put his hand on his boy's back tenderly. Owen offered quietly, "Happy Birthday, Luke."
Lucas sat up quickly with a beaming smile, "It's my birfday! Ebbyone has to be nice to me today."
"Lucas, everyone is pretty nice to you every day," Amelia coaxed with a playful tone.
"I'm da birfday pa-son and I get pwesents!" Lucas proclaimed with joy.
Breaking into hysterics at his own personal mini-me, Owen replied, "Presents? Uh..oh… Mama, did you buy Luke any presents?"
"Oops…no, I didn't. I thought you did, Daddy," Amelia kidded. "I hope Miss Lynne took care of it."
"Hey! Youz not funny, guys!" Lucas proclaimed as he stood up on his bed with his hands on his hips and a grin on his face. He fell into Owen's open arms and hugged him tightly before starting to wiggle his legs in a potty dance.
"Quick! Go potty, Luke. Run," Amelia encouraged with a light voice. Lucas jumped off the bed and ran into the bathroom where Olivia happened to be fixing her hair. The door was wide open, so Lucas went about his potty plan without regard to his sister's presence.
"Lucas! Ewww…I don't want to watch you pee!" Olivia proclaimed with drama.
The little brother shrugged and educated his sister as he washed his hands dutifully, "Din, don't yook."
Ryder, on his way to kick Olivia out of the bathroom so he could take a shower, cracked up and high fived his little brother. "Good one, Mr. Man," he congratulated.
Even though Lucas wasn't sure what Ryder found so admirable, receiving Ryder's praise was always a coveted prize. Lucas went back to his room to share the news, but discovered that both his parents had stepped away.
"Hey! Mama! Daddy!" he beckoned at full volume, "Where are you?"
Amelia popped her head through the Master Bedroom door and into the hallway. "Lucas," she whispered, "we're in here. The twins are sleeping. Let's not yell."
As he walked toward his mama, Lucas explained, "I not yell, Mama, I squweeming."
"Let's not scream either. The girls are still asleep," Amelia smirked as she messed up Lucas' hair.
"Where's Daddy?" Lucas inquired as he energetically surveyed the bedroom.
"He's in the shower," Amelia shared. Lucas ran into the bathroom, stripping as he sprinted and invited himself into Owen's shower.
"Heya, Daddy! I wanna get kween for my birfday, k?" a fully naked Lucas announced with a broad smile.
While the boys cleaned up, Amelia woke up the twins and prodded them out of bed. After dressing in matching outfits, the girls ran downstairs and nibbled on their breakfasts. After their shower, Lucas and Owen helped each other pick out clothes for the annual 4th of July party that the Shepherd-Hunts would host later that day. Then Owen, wearing navy shorts and a red polo, bounded down the stairs as Lucas ran actual circles around his daddy. The twins would have never been allowed to be so playful on the stairs. Lucas, however, was deemed darling rather than dangerous.
As they descended, Owen and Lucas saw the girls working each other's hair. Olivia brushed Victoria's hair, Victoria put colorful clips in Amelia's hair, and Amelia braided Anna's hair. Olivia had just handed down her twin dolls to the twins, so Anna tended to Anna Banana's yarn hair.
"Lucas, look at all that beauty!" Owen proclaimed. "The four most beautiful women in the world are right here in our living room." The girls all giggled and Amelia grinned. Owen walked over and kissed the beauties one by one.
"Zare zay ah," Lucas affirmed, "but it's my birfday."
"Happy Birthday, Lukas," Victoria joyfully shared as she bear hugged her baby brother. Anna and Olivia simultaneously followed Victoria and offered birthday greetings as well.
"Fank youz," Lucas acknowledged. "Where's my broffers, Mama?"
"Nolan is still asleep and Ryder, oh mercy, Owen, is he still in the shower?" Amelia responded.
"I go check on Why-der," Lucas exclaimed. "Can I wake up No-yan?"
"Please," Owen chuckled. Owen glanced at Amelia and stated, "Luke's probably the only one who can wake him up and get away with it."
Lucas burst into Ryder's room unannounced and discovered his brother partially dressed. Luckily, Ryder could care less who saw him naked. He simply greeted his little brother with a grin, "What's up, Mr. Man?"
"It's my birfday," Lucas responded.
Ryder grinned, "I know. You're like, what? Ten?"
"Noooo," Lucas twirled and giggled, "I free."
"Three's a good age, dude," Ryder offered. "It'll be a fun year."
"I gonna go wake up No-yan. Wanna come?" Lucas asked as he jumped up and down.
Ryder laughed, "I think it's better if the birthday boy does that alone. Go jump on him to wake him up. He loves that."
Giggling with enthusiasm, Lucas bee lined down the hall to Nolan's room. He flung the door open with vigor as he exclaimed, "No-yan! It's my birfday. Wake up!" Then, following Ryder's advice, Luke jumped on top of his big brother and lay on top of him. "Wakes up, wakes up!" he continued as he playfully pounded his fists into Nolan's back.
Nolan, who would have throttled his other siblings for doing the same thing, rolled from his stomach to his back and playfully crushed his youngest sibling underneath him, saying, "Did someone say something?"
"No-yan. I unda you," Lucas screamed with giggles as he tried to push him up.
"Wha? I think I heard something," Nolan teased as he stretched out.
Lucas slipped his fingers under Nolan's arm and began to tickle him. Nolan chuckled, flipped over again and attacked Lucas ferociously tickling him back. Between giggles, Lucas sputtered, "Wait! It's my birfday. No tickows, no tickows!"
Nolan stopped tickling and sat up with a grin, "That's what happens when you wake me up, Curly."
"I not Kwerly. I Woocus," Lucas pouted with a fully extended bottom lip.
"Ok, Woocus," Nolan agreed as he quickly grabbed his brother and carried him sideways against his hip. "Let's go eat. I'm hungry."
"Not Woocus…Woo-cuss! And Mama's gonna say you get dwessed fuhst," Lucas insisted.
"Yeah, whatever," Nolan dismissed as he grabbed his phone and began to head downstairs in his boxers with Lucas on his hip.
When the boys came around the corner, Lucas bellowed, "Wook who I find!"
"Turn around and get dressed, Nolan, or I swear I'll eat breakfast in my bra and panties," Amelia warned.
"You will not," Nolan smirked as he approached the table and sat down to pour some cereal.
Owen turned his chin to the side and raised his eyebrows, chuckling, "I'm not sure I'd test her resolve on that, Nole."
Amelia finished Anna's braid and began to unbutton her shirt as she approached her seat.
"Mom! Stop it!" Nolan yelled with a mixture of laughter and disgust.
Amelia raised one eyebrow as she unbuttoned another button. "I wonder if I put on a bra this morning…" she mused aloud as Owen sat back in his seat with a cat-ate-the-canary grin and a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh God, Mom! Ok, I'm going! Stop!" Nolan burst with embarrassment and shock as he ran upstairs.
Owen raised his eyebrows, glanced toward Amelia and winked, "You could leave the shirt as is, you know?"
With a flirty smirk, Amelia glimpsed back and then asked the birthday boy what he wanted to eat for breakfast. She offered the option of oatmeal or cereal.
"Umm…Fwens toas," Lucas popped up with anticipation.
"Oatmeal or cereal?" Amelia repeated with a smile.
"Pamcase?" Lucas attempted.
"Oatmeal or cereal?" Amelia repeated again.
Lucas sighed heavily, "See-wee-ul."
"Did you say 'seaweed'?" Ryder teased as he headed to the table and tousled Lucas' hair. He patted Owen's shoulder and kissed his Mom before sitting down.
"No! See-wee-ul!" Lucas insisted.
"Yup, sounds like seaweed," Ryder jested.
Olivia, sitting next to Ryder, elbowed him and then spoke to Lucas directly, "Ignore him, Lucas, he used to make fun of the way I sounded too. He's just bugging you." She blew him a kiss and winked at him.
Nolan headed back down the stairs, dressed and mumbling into the phone. Nobody in the family could understand what he was saying as he intermittently spoke and chuckled. Amelia, mid-bite, glanced over at Owen, who smirked knowingly.
"He needs to eat first," Amelia whispered.
"Mia…he's sixteen," Owen rolled his eyes.
"Dad – can I borrow the truck to go pick up Lissy?" Nolan asked. Although he'd acquired his drivers' license the week he turned 16, his parents refused to buy him a car of his own. With an SUV and a minivan that each fit the whole family, a truck, and their new Porsche, there were enough cars to go around. Besides, by not giving Nolan his own car, his parents continued to more easily supervise his comings and goings.
Owen reached into his pocket to grab the key as Amelia insisted, "After you eat."
Owen shot Amelia an exasperated frown and handed the keys to Nolan as he suggested, "Maybe you can grab something to eat on the way, huh?"
Nolan grabbed the keys and an apple, "Thanks. Be back soon."
"I wanna go!" Ria exclaimed.
"Then me too," Anna insisted.
"Nuh-uh. It's my birfday," Lucas reminded everyone.
Nolan stopped and turned around at the door to the garage, "Sorry, guys, I'm taking the truck. You're out of luck." He popped out the door and disappeared.
