Chapter 14- Reflection
During the middle of the night the night after the get together, Renton once again had flashbacks of what happened to him during that fateful week. He then carefully got up as not to wake up his wife or kids. Little did he know though, his oldest daughter had heard the small commotion.
"Oh, hey Maeter. What are you doing up?" Renton asked as he searched for a snack in the kitchen.
"I heard you wake up. Is something wrong, dad?"
"I'm sorry. Did I wake you kiddo?"
"No. I couldn't sleep either. What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing Maeter. Just thinking."
"What about?"
"What happened to me."
"Still bothering you, huh? I can't blame you."
"Yeah, it is. I don't know why though. She didn't really treat me bad, but yet it still bugs me. I couldn't expect you to understand though. Besides, you're only thirteen with your first boyfriend. Hey, you hungry?"
"A little bit." she replied as she sat at their dining room table. "Dad, you and I know what she did was wrong, and being kidnapped without being hurt can be tough, but don't let people like her get to you."
"I try not to Maeter, believe me." he replied as he prepared two bowls of warm cereal for them. "It's been hard not to though."
"Then you got to keep trying. If you let her get to you, she wins."
"Wow. since when did you get so smart on me Maeter?"
"After everything we've ever been through as a family, you learn a lot, I guess..."
"I suppose so." he replied as he handed her the bowl of cereal. "We have been through a lot as a family haven't we?"
"Yeah we have," she said as she took a bite from the cereal. "But we've always gotten through everything, haven't we?"
"That we have. I can still remember what I think is the scariest moment we've had as a family."
"What was that?"
"That accident we had in the Nirvash during that battle with a rebel KLF. You should remember that day."
"Oh yeah. I remember." She took another bite and looked at him, seeing just how tired he was and just how much he seemed at the end of his rope.
"Good. That day was one to remember. Your mom was only a month pregnant with Felicity when we got hit. If he had hit any harder or faster we probably wouldn't have made it out alive."
"I was so scared..."
"So was I, believe me. Especially when I first woke up. I didn't know if Eureka or Felicity were ok. I almost flipped at that moment. Thank god Talho was there."
"We got through that moment, didn't we? And we can get through this just like anything else."
"That we can. Listen, I'm going to ask you a serious question ok?"
"Ok."
"How do you really feel about Justin?"
"I love him, Dad."
"How much though? Is it as deep of a love as me and your mother have for each other? Or is it as much as Maurice and Avriana?"
"Just as much as you and Mom."
"Well then, that's good. I'm sure you two will work out just fine. He has a long road ahead of him though to get back to the way he was, so always be sure to back him up when he needs it Maeter. He'll be counting on you when those times come. He's come from a long hard past."
"I know he'll get back on track, Dad. I'll see to it myself."
"Well, don't do all the work yourself Maeter. He does have Hilda and Matthieu watching over him too. You're still young so don't push yourself."
"I won't. I love you Dad."
"I love you too kiddo. Now get back to bed. I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight. Remember, don't let people like Sarah get to you."
"I'll try not too. I have you kids and your mother behind me, so I'm sure it'll be fine."
"We'll get through it dad, Just like we do everything else." She then gave him a warm smile before heading back to bed for the night.
"You're growing up too fast Maeter." Renton said to himself after she left. "But one thing is for sure, I'm proud of what you've become."
"Mrs. Novak, what are you doing here?" asked Katie on Monday morning. "I thought Renton and Eureka were going to be here?"
"Me and Diane will be running things for a bit. Renton and Eureka are taking a little vacation time for themselves."
"I see. Well, they deserve it. They don't get that very often."
"No they don't. I'm hoping Renton takes them all out of town, but we'll see."
"I hope he does." Michelle replied. "They never go anywhere other than here in town."
"Well keep your fingers crossed that they do. Is everything handled here then?"
"Yes it is Talho." said Katie. "Running as smooth as…"
"What's wrong?"
"God darn it. Joe and Dustin are arguing again. Those two, I tell you."
"I'll take care of them. You girls just keep busy up here."
"Oh, well, ok." said Michelle. "I hope you can handle them."
"I've got a stubborn husband Michelle. These two will be a piece of cake."
"Good luck." Katie said as Talho left the office. "Well, looks like the next couple of weeks should be interesting."
"Looks that way." Michelle giggled. "Those two won't know what hit them when Talho gets her hands on them."
"Let's go kids!" said Eureka. "Our plane will be leaving soon!"
"Coming mom!" they all replied as they put their luggage on the luggage drop off.
"Renton, are you sure about this?"
"Yes I am dear. It's a nice little beach front resort. I got us a three bedroom condo rental for two weeks. It should be nice and hot when we get there, so if you kids want to go swimming the beach is right out the back door."
"Sounds totally cool dad!" said Maeter. "It should be really fun."
"I hope so. I could use it kiddo."
"We all could hon." Eureka replied with a sense of new hope in her heart that her husband was finally on the road to recovery. "We've never gone out of town before on a vacation. It's always been at home."
"New Renton, new rules sweetie."
"Attention passengers. Flight for Kahlua city now boarding. I repeat, flight for Kahlua city now boarding."
"That's us. Come on love, you're going to love this place. It's going to be wonderful."
"I sure hope so dear. Geez, I'm all excited now."
"I will be too when you see the present I got you."
"What'd you do this time?"
"I'm not telling hon. Now let's go before we miss our flight."
"That's weird, they're not answering their phone." said Avriana that afternoon. "And I wanted to check and see why Maurice wasn't in school today."
"That is strange dear." Nadia replied. "Have they left a note with anyone?"
"Not that I've heard of. I wonder…"
"Bellforest Military Base, John Johansen speaking."
"Hey bro, it's Nadia."
"Hey sis. What can I do you for?"
"Have you heard from Renton or Eureka at all? No one has seen them and the kids weren't in school."
"That's strange. Have you talked to Diane or Axel at all?"
"No, not yet."
"Give one of them a call then. I'm sure one of the two know what's going on. If you don't hear anything, let me know. I'll alert my forces right away afterwards."
"I hope it doesn't come down to that, believe me."
"You aren't the only one. Just call me when you figure out what's going on."
"I will John. I call you in a bit."
"Hey Nadia, how can I help you this evening?" asked Axel after he answered the phone.
"Have you heard from Renton and Eureka at all? We can't seem to find them anywhere."
"You mean they didn't tell anyone?"
"Tell anyone what?"
"They went on vacation out of town. Their flight left this morning."
"Oh they did, did they? Where'd they go?"
"Kahlua City. It's a small beach front community. They rented a small beach house for a couple of weeks."
"Oh thank god. We couldn't find them anywhere and we were beginning to get worried."
"Sorry about that Nadia. I thought they had told everyone. It was kind of a last minute thing."
"Well they deserve it. Thanks for letting me know Axel. When will they arrive then?"
"Anytime now. It's about a eight to nine hour flight."
"Ok. Are they calling you at all when they arrive?"
"They said they would. I'll let everyone know when they do."
"Ok, thanks Axel."
"No problem Nadia. Talk to you later."
"Well, here we are." said Renton as he and his family entered their vacation home. "Two weeks of peace and quiet."
"Looks nice dear. Go unpack your things kids."
"Ok Mom." they replied.
"Maeter, I'd hate to say it, but you might have to share your bedroom with the little ones."
"Aww, but can't they sleep with you?"
"We'll take Timothy." said Renton. "I know Felicity usually sleeps all night, so it should be ok for her to stay with you."
"Ok, thanks dad. Come on Felicity!"
"Ok sis!" Felicity said happily as she followed Maeter to their room.
"Boys, your room is next to theirs." said Eureka. "You can put your things in there."
"Ok mom." Maurice replied.
"Well this is a nice place, but where is this view you're talking about hon?"
"You'll see." he replied with a sly grin on his face as he took their luggage into their master suite.
"What do you have planned now?" she asked as she helped unpack.
"Come on and I'll show you." he replied as he took her hand and pulled her into the living room.
"What do you want to show me?"
"This!" he said as he pulled open the patio door blinds, exposing the beach and the sunset view outside.
"Renton…it's…beautiful." Eureka replied, almost speechless. "It almost reminds me of our honeymoon."
"That's why I had you bring that lavender dress your mom bought you and some of your spring dresses. They were perfect for this location."
"This is too cool!" yelled Maeter as she and Felicity entered the living room. "Can we go outside for a bit?"
"Sure, go for it." Renton replied as he opened the door, instantly letting in the smell of the air and water around them. "Ahh, now THAT'S a relaxing smell."
"Yes it is." said Eureka softly as she rested her head on his shoulders. "I'm glad you thought of this. We've never done anything like this as a family before." and as the two watched the kids play outside, Eureka just cuddled closer to her husband and sighed comfortably at the scene before her.
The next morning as the kids were out swimming in the vast lake that lined their small community, Renton got anxious and said "Come on dear, let's go have some fun ourselves with the kids!"
"S...Sure, hon." Eureka said somewhat hesitantly.
"What's wrong Eureka?"
"It's just...well…nothing."
"What? Tell me! The kids are waiting out there for us!"
"I don't have anything to wear." she replied nervously as she scratched her head slightly.
"What, you mean a swimsuit?"
"Well...yeah."
"Well luckily I thought ahead of that problem."
"What do you mean, Renton?" she asked curiously.
"Follow me." he said as he took her hand and gently pulled her to their bedroom. "I remember the last time we went swimming together. It was on our honeymoon and we both didn't have anything to wear."
"Yeah…, I remember." She giggled nervously.
"Anyways, I know we can't do that here, so I got you something." Eureka's eyes widened with curiosity as he went into the closet looking for something. She then began to realize what it was...
"Ahh, here we go." he said as he came out of the closet with a two piece suit. "Nothing small, but just the right size."
"Oh Renton..." and as she looked at it, she noticed it was the same color as her eyes and that it had the same thin straps that held the top on that she always liked on her spring dresses.
"Well, what do you think dear?"
"It's wonderful dear."
"Good, I'm glad you like it. Just don't let the other men around here hit on you." he chuckled.
"I certainly will not. Besides, I have you here to stop them..." she said raising an eyebrow.
"I'll be stopping you before they do anything." he replied after he laid her down on the bed, giving her a passionate kiss.
"Renton..." she giggled. "C'mon! The kids are waiting...!"
"I know, but I can't help it if I love you."
"Just as I can't help loving you..." she said as she returned his kiss happily.
"Well get changed now. I'll meet you in the water with the kids."
"Ok, love. Bet I'll be in the water before you..."
"I seriously doubt it dear. All I have to do is lose my shirt and I'm ready to go." He chuckled as he watched her change. Eureka then quickly took off her shirt, shorts, and undergarments and changed into her swimsuit before racing out of the bedroom. "Try to catch me if you can darling!"
"Right behind you!" he yelled as he took off his shirt. "You can't get rid of me that easily!"
"Try me..." She giggled as she sped ahead of him racing towards the patio door in the living room.
"You won't lose me that easily love!" he laughed as he chased after her. She then quickly grabbed the patio door handle and smiled slyly at him. "Sorry, Thurston. Better luck next time."
"What, aren't you going to let us outside?"
"Of course I'm going to. But kiss me first, you darling fool."
"No need to ask that again." he said before he kissed her. As he did, he once again began to run his hands along her sides, front and back, caressing them.
"Oh Renton..."
"Hey, I can't help it that you look good in a bikini."
"Thank you, dear. But you can look at me all you want outside. Now let's go, the kids are waiting."
"You like ruining my fun, don't you Mrs. Thurston?"
"It's not that, Mr. Thurston. I love you too much to stop teasing you."
"Oh really? We'll see about that!" he laughed as he opened the patio door and raced ahead of her to the beach and kids.
"Oh you think you can escape me? We'll see about that!" She yelled as she ran after him, running towards the beach where Renton and the kids were waiting.
"I can escape you anytime hon!" he laughed just before he dove into the water.
"There is still much you have left to understand!" she giggled as she dove in after him, playfully tackling him under the water. And as she did, Renton gently and quickly took her into another hug and gave her yet another passionate kiss. They then soon surfaced, laughing and gasping for air at the same time, smiles on their faces, joyful in the pleasant knowledge they were together with their family.
"Aww, mom, dad, you're going to make me puke!" Maeter laughed as she splashed them.
"Well now you know how we feel when it comes to you and Justin kiddo!" Renton laughed as he splashed her back.
"Or Maurice and Avriana," Eureka replied as she joined in, splashing everyone in her peripheral vision.
"Gotcha mom!" Maurice laughed as he grabbed her from behind and pulled her back down into the water.
"Oh no you didn't!" Eureka laughed as she tackled with him playfully under the water.
"Get mom!" yelled Linck happily as the others went after her playfully.
"Someone save me! Someone please save me!" Eureka said laughing as they all started ganging up on her.
"Coming dear!" Renton laughed as he came to her rescue.Renton soon broke everyone up and freed Eureka from a joyous fate at the hands of their children.
"We having fun yet?" he asked after he rescued her from the happy soldiers that were their kids.
"More fun than I could hope for," she said kissing him. "Then again, every day is a fun day, with you, Renton."
"That's good to hear dear." he chuckled as he kissed her back. And as the family spent their time playing and swimming in the water, memories of what had happened to them in their past finally began to melt away.
"Geez, they've been gone only two days Avriana." Nadia giggled. "No need to be upset about it."
"He still should've told me."
"What for? It's not like Maurice is going to be gone for good you know. It's only a vacation."
"Still mom."
"Geez, do you miss him that much?" asked Hap.
"Yes I do dad. I just feel so lonely without him around."
"Well you do have all of your other friends. Why don't you just go hang out with them?"
"I have been. I love being with them, don't get me wrong, but doing the same thing all the time is starting to get boring."
"Boring? Did I just hear that out of you?" asked Nadia. "I can't believe my ears."
"Funny mom. I've felt like this before, but never this bad. Why does it hurt so bad when I'm not with him?"
"It's your first love dear. It's going to hurt when you know you're far apart from each other."
"But why though?"
"Just a natural thing with love dear. Don't worry though, he'll be back soon."
"Yeah, with a nice tan and all." Hap chuckled. "I'm sure you can see him now. Shirt off, wearing his swimming trunks as he lays relaxed on the beach…"
"Hap, knock it off." Nadia yelled as she threw a sofa pillow at him.
"Yes, please dad." Avriana replied. "You're embarrassing me."
"I can tell." Hap laughed. "I've never seen your face so red before."
"Hap Anderson!"
"Yes dear?"
"SHUT UP!" both Nadia and Avriana yelled as they chucked their sofa cushions at him.
"Hey, Renton dear?"
"Yes hon?" Renton replied as he and Eureka layed on the beach during the sunset, still in their swimsuits from swimming with the kids all day.
"Why did you have us come out here?"
"Why do you ask?"
"Well, I was wondering if it was because of what happened to you." Renton chuckled ever so slightly and said "Yeah, that's one of the reasons."
"Just one of them?"
"Yes. After all we've been through, we needed something like this. Besides, I've been thinking though."
"About what sweetie?"
"Well, I've been reflecting on our past, how we've always made it through all these odds and still lived to tell about it. In a way, it really amazes me."
"It does me too Renton, believe me. The thing is, there are days where I'm still scared."
"Of what?"
"Everything. Us, our kids, our home, our lives, everything. And now with us having to try to go back to earth, those fears are even greater now."
"I feel the same way Eureka, believe me. I don't even want our kids going with us, but I know they will anyways whether we like it or not."
"That's because they don't want to lose us hon. Where we go, they go."
"That is true. Where are our kids anyways?"
"All sleeping already. This day really wore them out. I'm glad though. I've never seen them enjoy theirselves so much before today."
"Neither have I dear. They all deserved it."
"Yes they did. Thank you for a wonderful day hon."
"You're welcome. I'm glad I bought that suit for you. You wouldn't have been able to have fun with us without it."
"Yes I know. It felt weird wearing it at first, but the more I did, the more excited I felt. It was like I wanted to have fun and enjoy myself. I've never felt so free before."
"And you looked beautiful doing it hon."
"Oh really?" she said seductively as she all of a sudden rolled over on top of him.
"Eureka, dear, what are you doing?" he laughed gently after she kissed him. "We're out here in the public you know. People might see us."
"I don't care. We're on vacation. If people can't see how much we love each other, then that's their problem."
"Oh really? He chuckled as he put his arms around her. "What put you in that mood?"
"No particular reason."
"Ok, if you say so." he laughed after they kissed again. "If you're going to be like this, we're going to have to go on vacations more often."
"Yes we will." she replied as she rested her head on his chest. The warmth, feel, and smell of his bare skin was relaxing to her. And as she got comfortable in his gentle embrace, she could feel his hands going over every inch of her body, gently exploring, tickling, arousing, and overall relaxing her more than what she was. Renton knew exactly what he was doing when it came to her. What he did was just enough to keep her awake and aroused, but not enough to where they would make love, even though he would admit that a few times it did, but it all depended on her reaction. He could tell that she was relaxed and comfortable, and that was the way he wanted to keep it this time. As she rolled off of him, she kept her head rested on his shoulder, but pointed towards the sun as they watched it set over the lakes horizon, the end to the second day of their vacation. As she sighed gently, Renton wrapped his left arm around her, holding her tight against him as the sun finally set, leaving a calming hue of reds, yellows, oranges, and blues in the sky. The end of a perfect day.
"Renton dear, we should go inside now. It is getting dark."
"Ok hon." he replied as they got up. What he did next surprised her though. He quickly scooped her up in his arms and started carrying her inside himself. Eureka just smiled, wrapped her arms around his neck, and relaxed as she was carried in his gentle embrace. As they were walking towards their rented retreat though, she could feel him carefully untie the strings that held on her bikini top, letting it fall into his hands. Renton just smiled back at her warmly and carried her to their room, closed the door, and made love to his wife for the remainder of the evening.
Later on as the two slept, their naked bodies both held close to each other, the memories that Renton had tried to put in the back of his mind once again came racing forth all at once. The battles, the accidents, the injuries they occurred during the years, and finally the one he hated the most: Sarah. Seeing her face, being tied to a bed that they had to share, making the difficult decision to have to kiss another woman. "I had to kiss another woman…" Renton thought to himself. Then the dream he hated the most came…
"Renton, I'm home!"
"Huh, what? Who's home?"
"Silly, it's me!"
"Who are you?" he asked himself as he tried to focus on the blurred out figure in front of him.
"What do you mean who am I? I'm your wife!"
"My…wife?"
"Of course! Are you out of it today or something?"
"I…guess so. Are those, children?"
"Yes. They're our kids dear. All three of them."
"Three of them?"
"Yes. We had them pretty quick after we were married. I never knew you were that much of a tiger in bed." the figure giggled. "Now, will you get out of bed! We've got groceries to put away!"
"Groceries?"
"Yes, now come on!" she laughed as the figure came closer. When it finally got close enough, he could see the clothes, but that was it. It wasn't until she was face to face with him that he could see who it was. "Let's go sweetie! By the way, we're pregnant again. You really are a champ in bed." and when he finally saw her face, it was Sarah. All he could do was scream before everything went black.
"Renton! Renton! calm down!" yelled Eureka. "It's ok, I'm here hon."
"Who? What? Who's there?"
"Sweetie, it's me!"
"Eureka?"
"Yes dear, it's me. What's wrong?" All Renton could do was quickly grab his wife and hold her naked body close to his as he tried to calm down and catch his breath. "Oh love, it's ok. I'm here."
"It was her again. Why does she keep coming back?"
"I'm not sure hon. What was your dream about this time?"
"It was weird, but not in a bad way. This figure kept talking to me, but I couldn't tell who it was at first. As it got closer, it kept saying we were married. She said we had three children right after we were married and that we had a fourth on the way. I didn't see who it was until she got face to face with me. All I could do was scream before everything went black."
"Was that all there was?"
"No. Memories of our past kept coming to me too. Our battles, the accident we got into with Felicity, everything bad that has happened to us just came rushing forward. It was almost insane."
"Well it's alright now, I'm here. Just relax." and as the two layed back down, Eureka let Renton rest his head on her chest and let him fall asleep in her caring embrace. But she remained awake though, upset over what Sarah did to him. All she could think to herself was "I'll get you back Sarah. You'll pay for doing this to my husband. I promise this until my dying days. This is something you cannot walk away from. I'll be watching you from this time forward…"
"Good morning everyone." said Talho as she walked into the shop a few days later.
"Hey Talho." said Mack. "Looking good today."
"Watch it Mack, I'm a married woman you know."
"Just sending you a compliment ma'am."
"Well thank you."
"You're welcome. By the way, what did you do to Joe and Dustin? Those two have been getting along better than ever lately."
"Let's just say I did a little 'attitude adjustment' on them. I don't think they'll be arguing like that again."
"I hear that. Remind me never to get on your bad side then." he laughed. "I'd hate to see what you'd do to me."
"Behave yourself and you won't." she giggled. "Have Katie or Michelle shown up yet?"
"Not yet. They should be here shortly."
"That's fine. How much work needs to be done?"
"Not too much today. There's just enough to keep us busy."
"Ok. Keep at it then. I'll be in the office if you need anything."
"Yes ma'am. You'll be the first one I look up."
"You do that." she laughed. "See you later."
"BORED, BORED, BORED!!" Avriana yelled in her room. "Geez Maurice, why'd you have to leave like that?"
"That's enough Avriana." said Nadia. "If you're going to use your energy like that, I'd rather you use it to clean your room. It's a disaster."
"Yes mom." she replied as she sat up on her bed. "I hate this. I know it shouldn't be a problem, but it totally annoys me."
"Well get over it and clean your room. Geez, you teenagers are wacky you know that?"
"We are not mom. Just love sick." she giggled.
"Oh brother." Nadia laughed. "That's the lamest excuse I've heard yet. And I thought they were bad when I was your age."
"What excuses did you guys use?" Avriana asked as she began to pick up her room.
"Oh geez, where do I start?"
"Oh come on mom, you guys couldn't have that many excuses."
"Well, there's the old 'I'm going out with the girls. Be back later.' routine."
"I've used that one before." Avriana giggled. "Many times."
"How about 'I'm going to the library?'"
"No way! That's a lame one!"
"Yeah but it worked when I was your age."
"What about the 'I'm on the phone!' route when you were supposed to be doing homework?"
"Done it a million times. And our parents always wondered why their phone bill was so high."
"Mom was a bad girl? NO WAY!"
"Oh yes. I even snuck out plenty of times to go to parties, hang out with the girls, necking a few times…"
"Necking?"
"Another way of saying making out with boys."
"WHOA MOM!"
"BUT, don't you even DARE try that young lady. You'd be grounded for life if you did."
"Point well taken." Avriana giggled. "Do you have any more stories?"
"Where do I begin?" Nadia smiled. And as the afternoon dragged on, Nadia and Avriana had what they considered was the most fun and entertaining conversation in their lives.
"How's dad mom?" asked Maeter that evening.
"Still rough hon. I know we're on vacation, but I think he's going to need real help."
"But we still have about a weeks worth of vacation yet."
"I know dear. We'll stay, don't worry. Just make sure you give your father plenty of love and support right now."
"I will mom. I'll go sit next to him right now and watch TV with him."
"Alright Maeter." and as she did, Renton just smiled and put his arm around his daughter in a hug as she cuddled close to him, letting him know she was there to console and relax him. As Eureka watched, all she could do was smile. Maeter had grown up into a wonderful young lady over the years, and probably had gone through more than any normal kid would. But she got through everything gracefully with little difficulty. She was wonderful with Felicity and Timothy and now had her first boyfriend, who reminded her of Hap more than Renton since he was so laid back, but he was an otherwise wonderful kid. "Hey, mom?"
"Yes Maeter dear?"
"Do we have any popcorn?"
"I'm not sure. Why?"
"There's a good movie on and we got hungry for a snack."
"I'll check. Hold on."
"Ok mom." Several minutes later Eureka said "Sorry dear, but we don't have any. But we do have some ice cream and fudge topping."
"Works for me. It's hot anyways." Renton replied. "I guess this part of the world stays pretty hot this time of year."
"I guess so." she giggled back. "I guess that's why I'm always wandering around in my bikini top and shorts."
"It is pretty tropical, isn't it?" Maeter replied as her mom came out with the sundaes. "Maybe I should be doing the same thing as you."
"Now don't go showing off for the boys here Maeter." Renton chuckled. "You don't need to be the center of attention here."
"I'm already getting whistles and the look here and there from all the boys around here dad."
"And so it begins."
"Of course."
"That's my girl." Eureka giggled. "Boys, Felicity, want a sundae?"
"Sure mom, be right out!" Linck yelled from their room.
"Yay, ice cream!" Felicity yelled as she came out of her and Maeter's room.
"She's got your sweet tooth hon." Renton chuckled.
"Yes she does. Here you go Felicity. Go eat at the table now."
"Ok momma."
"Linck, Maurice, here you go."
"Thanks mom." Linck replied as he and Maurice sat at the kitchens breakfast bar.
"You're welcome. Timothy sure is quiet."
"He's sleeping mom." Maurice replied. "He fell asleep about fifteen minutes ago."
"Thanks for checking on him Maurice."
"No problem mom."
"So, are you boys enjoying your vacation?"
"It's been fun!" Linck replied happily. "We never get to have this much fun in Bellforest."
"No you don't." said Renton as he and Maeter ate their sundaes. "I never knew you kids were so big into swimming. You've been in the water everyday we've been here."
"Well the schools don't have pools, and neither do any of our friends." Maeter replied. "So our swimming chances are pretty, well, nil."
"So all we have are the parks, the arcades, the mall, and whatever else we can find to do." said Maurice. "It's almost the same routine on a daily basis."
"Well you do go reffing every now and then." Eureka as she sat next to Felicity. "Plus you do have your photograpy also."
"I know mom, but doing the same things all the time becomes, well, repetitive."
"More like boring." said Linck. "At least you and Maeter have boyfriends and girlfriends to hang out with."
"That's pretty amazing coming out of you." Maeter laughed. "You're too young for that kind of stuff yet."
"Well, not really." said Renton. "He is going on twelve, so girls are going to become more of an interest to him."
"Well let's see, Lincks birthday is in a month, Maurice is in two, which means two parties already."
"Avriana's is in about three weeks too."
"Really Maurice? Wow, you kids are growing up fast. What happened to my seven year old?"
"He grew up mom, and in more ways than one."
"All of you did. I guess I just started realizing that. It's a good thing we still have Felicity and and Timothy to watch over."
"Hey mom, can I ask you a question?" asked Maeter.
"Sure dear."
"Are you and dad planning on having any more kids?"
"Well, ahh…"
"Mom?"
"We haven't decided Maeter." Renton chimed in. "We've got five of you already, so there's no more room for any more kids."
"And besides, we don't want any of you to get jealous." Eureka continued.
"Why would you we get jealous?" asked Maurice. "Timothy wasn't planned and we were fine with him."
"But look at your first reactions back when we got pregnant with Felicity."
"Ahh…"
"Listen guys, no more kids for a while. Maybe after a couple of you have moved out and gone on your own."
"We have room for one or two more." Maeter chimed in. "Felicity is almost old enough to stay with me. I have a pretty large room to myself with tons of room. We'll just split it in half with a divider and I'll take the back half."
"Whoa, slow down Maeter." Eureka giggled. "We just had Timothy after three years of no children. Let's take our time first."
"Aww, but I want another sister. Make it even with the boys."
"Talk about competition." Renton laughed. "Since when does sibling rivalry come down to us having babies?"
"Well I'm not changing things. No more children for a while." said Eureka sternly. "That's why I watch my cycles like Nadia taught me. It helps avoid that problem."
"Point well taken hon. You heard her kids, no more babies for a while."
"Oh, ok." Maeter giggled. "We tried."
"And failed." Maurice laughed. "I guess five kids at twenty one is a little much eh dad?"
"Not really actually. Since you and Maeter are always helping along with my sister, it's pretty easy."
"I knew there was a catch."
"And you just found it." Renton laughed. "I also want to thank you guys for helping me out. I'm sure it's been rough on all of you."
"We do it because we love you dad." said Maeter as she hugged her father. "We wouldn't do it otherwise."
"Thanks kiddo. Well, we had better all get to bed. We still have a weeks worth of vacation left and I want to use every minute of it."
"Holland, the kids are home from vacation!" Talho yelled from the kitchen a week later. "They just walked in the door!"
"Great! How'd their vacation go?"
"Renton had a couple more relapses, but everything went fine otherwise from what she tells me."
"Is he ok?"
"He's fine. She and the kids helped him through everything."
"Are they coming down to visit?"
"No. They have errands to run. Maurice wants to see Avriana, Maeter wants to see Justin, groceries, etcetera. You know the routine."
"Yeah I do other than the teenage dating." he chuckled.
"You'll find out about that soon enough."
"Don't remind me. Listen, I have to run to the base really quick. They developed some new weapons for the KLF units that I'm required to check out. I should be back in a couple of hours."
"Ok hon. Just be back before supper."
"I will, I promise."
"You had better. I'd beat you if you didn't."
"Yes dear." he laughed as he kissed her.
"Maurice Thurston!" Avriana yelled as she tackled him in her living room, kissing him. "You have no idea how much I missed you!"
"I missed you too." he laughed. "Now can I get up please?"
"Boy, why don't you do that ever?" Hap asked Nadia.
"Because you're never gone. I live with you."
"Point well taken." Hap chuckled. "So Maurice, how'd the vacation go?"
"It was cool. Beach front condo, expansive lake views, hot temperatures, it really was the best."
"How's your dad?" asked Nadia.
"He had a couple more episodes, but he's fine otherwise. He still refuses to see a professional about it."
"Stubborn as always. Alright, I'll be giving him a call later and checking on him myself. I may or may not have him go on meds. I'll have to talk to the hospitals psychologist."
"Ok Nadia. I do have some good news by the way."
"Oh, and what's that sweetie?"
"WELL Avriana, before we left this morning, mom and dad were thinking of possibly buying one of the condos where we were at. There was one for sale right next to the one we were staying at."
"So you might be moving?" Avriana asked sadly.
"No. It'd just be a vacation home we'd use from time to time."
"Can we go with you sometime?"
"We'll see." Maurice chuckled. "It's not one hundred percent yet that they'll do it. They were just talking about it."
"Well I hope they do. I'd like to see something like that."
"I brought some photo's with me that I took. I'll show you." he said as he pulled them out. And for the rest of the evening Maurice sat with his loved one and her family going over the family vacation photos from Khalua city.
"Well well, what if it isn't Maeter Thurston." said Justin with a mischievous grin.
"Nice to see you too." Maeter giggled. "Hey Hilda, hey Matthieu."
"Hey Maeter, how was the vacation?" asked Hilda.
"Hot but totally cool."
"I see. Did you have fun?"
"Oh yeah, tons. All we mainly did was swim everyday of the week. We would've done more, but that's all we wanted to do. It was hard not to when you've got a lake right outside of your living room."
"But why did you say hot?" asked Matthieu.
"Because the temps there were almost scorching. Luckily it was a dry heat, so it wasn't too uncomfortable."
"Ok, why does it feel like I'm being ignored here?" asked Justin.
"Oh, you mean this?" she said as she tackled him onto their sofa, kissing him passionately.
"Yeah, I mean that." he laughed.
"Ok, now it's getting hot in here." Matthieu chuckled.
"What can I say, I brought home some heat of my own." Maeter giggled.
"Just don't make me break out the hose." Hilda laughed.
"You may have to. That was the hottest kiss Maeter ever gave me. It even got me a little hot under the collar."
"And I've got more from where that came from, believe me."
"Ok you two, knock it off. It's suppertime. Would you like to join us Maeter?"
"Sure Hilda. I'd love to."
"So, what kind of place did you guys stay in?" asked Matthieu as they all sat down to eat.
"It was a three bedroom condo. The boys had one room, me and Felicity another, and Timothy stayed with mom and dad or out in the living room."
"I see. At least you guys had fun."
"That we did. Me and mom just wore bikini tops and shorts everyday to keep cool. It was that warm down there."
"I'd like to see a picture of that." Justin snickered.
"Behave yourself Justin." Hilda replied sternly. "That was a little inappropriate."
"Sorry Hilda."
"That's better."
"It was alright Hilda, I didn't mind. I actually found it kind of cute."
"Sorry Maeter, but not here. He shouldn't be thinking things like that, especially at the table."
"Oh, yeah, that's true. Mom and dad would say the same thing if he did it there also."
"I'm sure they would, believe me. Especially knowing your parents."
"You're right." Maeter giggled.
"So, how is Renton doing?"
"Pretty rough Matthieu. He had a couple of episodes while we were gone. He still doesn't want any help though. To tell you the truth, it scares me a bit."
"Don't worry Maeter dear, we'll get him through it together ok?"
"Yeah, I know we will. Thanks Hilda."
"No problem sweetie."
"Hey Justin, can we go for a walk after we're done eating?"
"That's fine. Is it ok with you Hilda?"
"Sure Justin. Just don't stay out too late."
"We won't."
A little bit later on after supper, Maeter and Justin went to the park bench that Maurice and Avriana showed them and sat there as they watched the sun set over the city. When the sun was gone and the skies turned dark, Maeter just sighed as the city lights came alive and the stars came out.
"Maeter are you alright dear?" asked Justin worryingly. All Maeter could do was dive into his arms and cry. "Maeter, what wrong?"
"I'm scared Justin." she sobbed.
"Of what?"
"My dad."
"Why would you be scared of him?"
"Because I don't know what to do for him. I don't know how to help him anymore."
"It's alright Maeter. You're stronger than this. I know you can help him Maeter."
"No I can't Justin."
"Maeter, love, look at me." and as she did, his soft green eyes caught her soft blue ones in a way she never felt before. "The girl I grew to love and know would never say that. She's a lot stronger than that. If you let things like this get to you now, they'll get to you in the future also."
"Justin…"
"Be strong Maeter. I'm here to support you anytime you need me. I'm always just a phone call away. So if you need me, please, let me know. I'm not going anywhere without you."
"Justin…you, won't leave me?"
"Never Maeter. That's my promise to you. I love you too much to just let you go. Especially in a time of need like this."
"T-thank you…Justin." she said softly as she tried to wipe the tears from her eyes. "I love you too, with all my heart. I promise to try to be stronger for my dad."
"That's all I ask Maeter. I'm sure that's all your dad would ask out of you too." and as he kissed and held her softly, Maeter could feel the love he had for her, and that how, in a special way, it would never falter. After the two released their hold on each other, Maeter just cuddled close up to his side and watched the moon with her parents names on it rise, bathing the city in a soft peaceful glow.