The Dusk
Paul Briggs awoke to sunshine bathing his face. He lay for several moments without moving, enjoying the feel of the sun's rays and the breakfast aromas wafting their way upstairs and under his bedroom door.
Everyone else must already have started the day.
His dreams had been so vivid and real through the night that he felt he had actually lived them, rather than experienced them.
Paul closed his eyes again and conjured up several of the vibrant scenes and images from his long night. Oh yes, he could envision Mikey Mike as his personal tagalong buddy at the office and John Boy as a first grade heart breaker. Dale definitely would have dually chafed and preened in response to his role as the oldest, while Paige would have reveled in her position as both the baby of the family and as the sole daughter. Then it was certainly conceivable that Charlie, his Charlie, would be such a wise and loving mother. As for his own fatherhood status, it appeared that he had embraced the role and done pretty well as a dad.
He mentally congratulated himself.
Finally Paul yawned and stretched himself into a sitting position, then into a standing one. He walked over to the window and scanned the beach to enjoy the motion of the waves as they slapped at the shoreline.
As he dressed he analyzed his exhaustion from the night before and his refusal to address the onslaught of demands thrust upon him by Mike, Paige, Johnny, and Dale before he crawled into bed.
Paul stretched leisurely before fastening his watch and heading downstairs. Halfway down he paused, though, and leaned on the banister to observe the others before they noticed him.
Johnny stood at the stove wielding a spatula as he spoke animatedly to Paige, busy across from him unloading the clean dishes from the dishwasher. Dale lay partially hidden underneath the sink, a couple of wrenches beside him on the floor's tile. Evidently the garbage disposal had belched itself to a stop again and he was repairing it.
Charlie stood with the refrigerator door open and a pad of paper in one hand. She tapped a pen against her chin with the other. Though a running grocery list always stayed posted to the front of the appliance, Chuck always double checked the pantry and refrigerator before hitting the grocery store.
Apparently someone had overturned the apple juice because a half empty jug sat in the middle of the floor where Mike was busily soaking up spilled liquid with several paper towels.
While enjoying the glimpse of Graceland's everyday life Paul indulged in imagining the four children of his night's dreams taking the place of the adults below him. He could envision the spectacle even now, and frankly, the entire dream could have been plausible.
He most assuredly could have embraced that dream family and lived that dream life.
Yes, perhaps parenthood involved more than just raising babies. Maybe successful parenthood emerged from forging and strengthening familial bonds.
Paul smiled and jogged down the stairs to join his family.