It was a shame they had to hurry down the pacific Coast Highway. Sara saw various spots, she would have love to see a little bit longer, take a few pictures or sit on the beach for a few moments. Paradise was close to them, why did they never take the time to see the wonders, which were close by? Other people managed to get away for a couple days, they worked hard too, why couldn't they?
"Sara?"
"Yes Darling?" She looked into the mirror to see Eric.
"Thirsty."
"I get you something." Sofia got a bottle with cooled water and gave it to the boy.
"Ta."
"You're welcome. Can you share your water with Jorja?"
"Yeah." He drank a little bit and gave the bottle to his sister.
"You're a great brother. Do the two of you want a lolly?"
"Yeah."
"There you go." The blonde gave each of them a lolly.
"When home?" Jorja asked.
"Oh it will take a little while, Honey. We're only halfway there."
"Boring."
"I know. But you know what I have found in my bag?" She pulled out a CD with an audio book out and showed it to the children. "Do you want to listen to it?"
"Yeah!"
"Okay, clean your ears, here it comes." She put on the CD. A few seconds later the voices of happily singing children filled the car and Jorja and Eric started singing with them.
"Now they're occupied for a while." Sofia sighed with relief. An hour ago Eric and Jorja had been very bored and everybody, who went on vacation with children knew, what it meant to have bored children in the back. Not only the question: "Are we yet there?" or the hint: "I'm sooo bored" could drive you crazy. Also fights between siblings, who had nothing better to do than pulling each other's hair, shirts or slapping each other. Better to start a fight than be bored. As much as they loved Eric and Jorja, they were ordinary kids, no angels, and did all these things.
"I'm sure Susan and Louise are not much better."
"No, they'll do the same things, they're kids. When we flew to Ireland I was very bored in the plane and felt like doing something to distract me. Things, the people around me wouldn't have liked."
"You had an entertainment program in front of you."
"I know, it was boring anyway. Sitting on this narrow seat for hours, not being able to walk around, stretch. Without you I'd have gone insane."
"We keep each other sane and happy." Sara took Sofia's hand. "Are you okay? With the sun shinning on you directly."
"I feel warm, which isn't a bad feeling. The twins kick me sometimes, they must be in some kind of competition. Like: who can kick mommy most. I'm really glad when they move out and into the room next to ours."
"Me too. Although it will mean a lot of work for us. Two babies and a toddler."
"Greg and Jules have been through almost the same, they made, we can make it too. We have a lot of support. Other women have to deal with this kind of situation alone, without a partner or family."
"I know. We're complaining on a high level."
"Yes, we're wimps. Ouch."
"Or a punching ball."
"According to my mother I kicked a lot too. Surely she wished me a couple of times babies like me, now I've got them. My mom cursed me."
"Her curses make us happy."
"Most times." The blonde made a grimace. "I know we're right in the middle of nowhere and it's too early, but when the contractions would start now, some parts of me wouldn't be too unhappy about it."
"You want to have our babies on the beach?"
"Why not? It's a lovely place, they can little mermaids…there are male mermaids, right?"
"If they were real, there'd be male mermaids too. Otherwise they can't reproduce themselves."
"Right. Two little male mermaids. The next time we have two more babies…how do organize the trip then?"
"Babies to us, twins to Steve, Susan and Louise to Greg. Dogs to Steve too, luggage into the other two cars and on each car a roof luggage rack."
"That's something we should buy soon."
"I put it on our list - the very long shopping list." The brunette threw a view to the right, to the ocean. Deep blue ocean, her favorite spot on earth; right after being in her wife's arms.
They skipped Triple Burgers and drove straight back to Silver Lake. As dinner they called their favorite pizza delivery man and arrived at their house the same time the delivery man did.
"What a wonderful timing." Sofia got out of the car and greeted the man.
"Looks like you need some good food."
"We do, have been on the road for over twelve hours."
"In this case, you deserve the extra dessert too. The boss put in a tiramisu for you."
"He's great, say thanks to him." She gave him the money and a tip. "The luggage can wait until tomorrow, let's get into the house, have pizza."
"I'm starving." Greg had Susan on his arms. "This little angel wants her bed, I get her upstairs. Shall we all eat there?"
"Yes. Is Louise awake?"
"No, she sleeps too." Jules had her daughter in her arms. "I get her into bed too."
"Welcome home." Don stepped out of the building. "How was your trip?"
"Exhausting. Your daughter needs her bed." Greg said. "You carry my little daughter, I carry yours."
"Deal."
"I carry the pizza." Sara took the pizzas out of Sofia's hands. "You can carry yourself."
"That's heavy enough." They got into the house, let the dogs into the garden and walked upstairs. There waited Tanya, who had prepared drinks for them.
"Hello family, nice to have you back. Have a seat, we have drinks prepared, chips and chocolate. Jorja, there is pizza, don't you want to start with that before you go to chocolate?" Tanya asked her goddaughter. "Look, here's a nice…" Tanya opened the box. "Salami pizza. Have a slice."
"Kay." Jorja took a slice of pizza and sat down.
"How was the trip?" Don came back with Greg, got two beers out of the fridge and gave one to Greg.
"Great. I lived in a villa with three beautiful women. I'm such a lucky man."
"You had some great kids with you too. Two of them aren't that small anymore."
"Teenagers." Steve came out of his bedroom, Jenny in his arms. "Look who I found in my bedroom. A beautiful teenager, I love a lot." He kissed her. "Why didn't you wait for me downstairs?"
"Then I had to carry your luggage. It's nicer to wait on your bed."
"You can stay there the whole night."
"I planned to do that."
"Where is Lea?"
"I took her right to her parent's place, they didn't want her to stay here tonight."
"Oh."
"Yes, oh. Not as cool as my parents."
"Your moms are the best."
"Thanks." Sofia dropped on the couch. "I loved Tahoe, being back home is not too bad neither. Our pizza guy is the best. What have you guys been up to? Did you miss us?"
"I missed my daughter, it was a long week without her. And her mothers."
"We missed you too." Sofia kissed Don. "And Susan missed her daddy too."
"Good to know."
"The second part of Team Pregnant says hello to you."
"Is everything wrapped up?"
"Yes. It was a good idea to involve them. Well done, Honey."
"Thanks. So, what have you been up to? Did you buy presents for your daughter because you missed her so much?"
"No, I bought something for Steve."
"For me?"
"Yes, something nice."
"I'd say a trip I can take with your girlfriend, but the….ouch!" He held his side. Jenny had slammed her arm into his kidneys. "…then my girlfriend would be mad. So, what did you get me? Please, nothing that has anything to do with school."
"Well, it has…in a certain way…"
"Wow."
"Have a look, it's still downstairs. In Sofia's garage."
"It's impolite to stay here?"
"Yes." Sara said.
"Okay." He sighed and got up. "Honey, I'll be right back."
"I join you, want to see your face." Jenny grinned.
"The way you grin it must be really…great."
"It is." They went downstairs.
"What did you buy him?" Sara asked.
"Oh, he'll tell you when he's back."
"Do you know what he bought?" Sara looked at Tanya. "I do. So does Jules."
"You do?" Sara looked at her friend.
"Yes. No, I won't tell you." Jules kissed Sara's cheek. "You'll know in a few moments. Oh, and the answer to your question is: no."
"I haven't asked a question."
"You were about to. Ask me if Greg, the kids and I don't want to stay over tonight. No, we go home, but we love you."
"Every time I ask this you break my heart."
"We stayed with you the whole last week. And will stay with you over Christmas when we all get the days off."
"True. I want Christmas now! And oh, Donald, how about you asked your boss to get Christmas and New Years Eve off? Come with us to Lake Tahoe? A huge villa, hot tub, sauna, gym, billiard, table tennis, a screen that is a wall so you have movie feeling all the time. Live like a movie star for a week, go skiing."
"I'll ask right away tomorrow morning."
"Great. Tanya, are you coming with us?"
"Of course. He doesn't go there without me because he'd miss me too much. Right, Honey?"
"Sure."
"Now that you mentioned it." Greg added and laughed. "Eric, you have half of you pizza on your face. Go to your godmother and let her clean you."
"Sara." Happily Eric came with the rest of his pizza to her, offered her the pizza and showed his face, covered in red spots of tomato sauce.
"Hey Sweetheart, let's have you cleaned." She got a tissue and cleaned his face. "Why not use your mouth for the pizza? Aren't you hungry anymore?"
"Chips."
"Okay, give me your spinach pizza and go to your chips."
"Ta." He kissed her and went to his sister, whose hand was already deep into the bowl with the chips.
"Cute little boy."
"Soon you'll have two cute little boys of your own."
"Yes, they'll look like Sofia; deep blue eyes and dyed hair."
"Not funny." Sofia bopped her wife. "They might look like me. Or like their daddy. One way or the other, they'll have stunning blue eyes. Dusty's time as the favorite blue eyed creature in Silver Lake is over."
"We'll see."
"They're our sons, of course they'll have wonderful blue eyes. Like Susan has wonderful brown eyes…and looks so much like her mother. Every day more. I think I have a crush on my own daughter, which sounds so wrong."
"Yes, it does."
"You are the best!" Steve came upstairs, ran directly at Don and hugged him. "The best! The best! The best of all!"
"Wow, what's this about?" Sofia asked amused.
"Do you know what he bought me?"
"No. Nobody cared to tell us."
"Before you get too excited, you have to pay for it, it's not a gift."
"How much?"
"Five thousand."
"You're the best!"
"You bought him a gift, he has to pay for?"
"Yes."
"Moms, he bought me a car. A Mustang!"
"You bought Steve a Ford Mustang?" Sara looked puzzled at Don. That was a surprise for her too.
"Yes. He was looking for a car since his birthday. I came along the very nice Mustang last week, it was in impound, I used some connections and got the Mustang for five thousand and five hundred dollar. It's in a great condition. a 1993 Mustang, red, a Cobra. The sexiest car we had in impound for a long time. I had to get it for Steve because I knew, it's the kind of car he wants. Just after a Ferrari, a Porsche, a Mercedes or a BMW."
"I love it. Let's drive it around the block. The town, The country."
"You won't be able to sleep if you don't that, right?"
"Right."
"Okay." Don pulled the keys out of his pocket. "It's all yours."
"Yeah. Thanks. Jenny, what do you think about a little tour around Silver Lake?"
"Sure."
"See you guys later. I have to take my baby out. And my girlfriend."
"What about your mothers?" Sofia asked.
"Not cool!" He left before Sofia could protest.
"We are not cool? How dares he? Honey, say something."
"He has only two seats in the car, can't take his siblings with him. How handy. A car only to impress and take the girl out. One. And the car is in a good condition? After all, it's twenty-one years old."
"Yes, I let it check, it's a great car. Usually worth a lot more in this condition, that's why I had to pull a few strings to get it. I know his limit and yes, for the same money, he could have gotten a younger car, but not a Mustang. It's a boy's dream."
"Did you have one when you were younger?"
"Of course. Impressed the ladies."
"Men are all the same."
"Did you not pay more attention to the boy with the cool car than the one, who rode his bike to school?"
"That depended on how the guys looked. Riding a bike does give you a nice ass and nice legs, but most times, I preferred the boys on motorbikes. They were cooler than the ones with the car."
"See, I knew. Imagine is everything and your son's imagine got cooler with the car."
"He doesn't have to impress the girls anymore, he has a girlfriend, who loved him without a car."
"Every boy doesn't mind when there are more than one girl, who drools over him."
"Jenny will kick his ass when he overdoes it." Sara smiled. She had no doubt that the girlfriend of her son knew how to stop Steve, in case the car got into his head.
"First she'll enjoy the fact her boyfriend can take her out now. They can go to the beach whenever they feel like it. Their new freedom." Sofia remember how it was for her when she got her first car. A lot of new possibilities opened up and felt like now she could conquer the world.
