Chapter 50-CONCLUSION
Despite their separate vocations, Paul and Sandy's marriage continued to blossom even after Sinead had been born. She had gone from a content and easy infant to a curious baby, but Sandy knew how to handle such situations. All it was to her was a repeat of how she had raised her son.
The summer after Sinead had been born, Tyler had graduated from high school. Sandy's family had once again come south for the big event, with Sandy and Marie arranging a graduation dinner at Buster's after the ceremony.
It had been mostly uneventful, with everyone reminiscing about Tyler's school years and childhood up to this moment; he had also requested a moment of silence to remember Mike, which Sandy had found especially touching. Yes, even as close as he and Paul were, Tyler's father still existed in the back of his mind. No doubt Mike would have been as proud of him as everyone else here had been.
All had been going well until Paul felt something warm and damp on his leg while holding Sinead in his lap.
"JESUS CHRIST!" he yelled, making Sandy nearly jump out of her skin.
"What is wrong with you?" she asked.
He held up the baby in mid air. "Your daughter just pissed on me!"
Tyler, Spanky and Andy began to howl with laughter.
"Been there, done that with Davey," Dave said, trying not to laugh with the others and failing miserably.
Edie smacked her husband on the side of his head before helping Marie find something to clean up the spot on Paul's slacks.
"This isn't funny. "Now I got to go home and boil these pants."
"It's baby piss," Andy said, snickering. "Nobody's died from it yet."
"Good, then you take her," Paul said, handing him Sinead.
"Forget it, man; she's your kid. I don't do babies."
"Pussies," Dave quipped.
"Damn, you are such a dork, dude," Spanky said, taking the baby. "Come on, jelly bean, this is a job for the Spankinator."
"Maybe you should have married him instead," Andy said to his sister as they watched Spanky take Sinead to the restroom to change her.
"Not a chance," Sandy shook her head. "He makes a great godfather, but a little too hyper for my taste. Besides, between both of them, I went for the lesser of the two evils."
"Gee thanks, San; I love you too," Paul said, giving her a look.
"Don't worry, that spot should be dry before we leave," she said.
"Doesn't mean I won't still be able to smell baby piss," he pouted. "I'll have to disinfect myself in the shower when we get home."
"Oh, honey, you have a lot to learn," Marie chucked. "Tom and I went through this and then some with the boys and Sandra."
"You think that's bad, Granny, you should have seen him around spiders," Tyler grinned.
"Tyler Michael!" Sandy cried.
"No, really, you all had to be there. This was a little before Mom had the baby. There was this spider in the bathroom and Paul let go this huge screech and jumped up on the toilet lid like a little old lady. Mom thought he was having a heart attack or something and was pissed when she went in there and saw him on the lid. Here she was, nine months pregnant, and whacked the thing with the toilet plunger." Tyler began to howl.
"See the shit I have to put up with?" Paul asked, a little embarrassed.
"You like it and you know it, dude," Tyler laughed.
"Don't worry, Paul," Edie smiled, "If it's any comfort, Dave screamed like a little girl when a black snake got into our house last summer. The dog ended up killing it."
"Edie! Christ!" Dave groaned.
"Big, strong he-man Dave?" Paul asked. Now it was his turn to laugh. "And he has the balls to call me a pussy?"
"Oh, you had to be there," Edie continued. "Dave saw something moving out of the corner of his eye and here was this little snake at about maybe four or five inches. Well, the way he carried on, one would think an anaconda got in the house. 'Edie, get Davey off the floor!' I was wondering what in the hell was happening and when I saw it, I couldn't help but laugh. 'Dave, it's a black snake; it won't eat much.' Five minutes later, Henry saw it moving and ripped it to pieces, making Big Bad Dave here even more squeamish. It was a mess to clean up, but we couldn't ask for a better hunting dog."
"Dave has issues when it comes to snakes," Andy added.
"And if you want to live another day, little brother, you'd shut your jaws right now," Dave said, then turned to Paul, who was still laughing. "Shut up, spider pussy."
"You boys and your phobias," Marie chuckled.
"Trust me, Mother," Sandy replied. "You wouldn't believe some of the things Edie and I go through with these men. Then again, you had Daddy for how many years."
Spanky had come back with Sinead, putting her in the high chair beside Sandy. "See? That wasn't so bad," he grinned, then looked around. "What's so funny?"
"Dave's snake phobia and Tyler telling us about Paul and the spider in the john that Sandy had to kill," Andy laughed.
"Oh,that," Spanky nodded. "Yeah, I could tell you stories. If I had a dollar for each of those fuckers I had to kill while me and PL here were shacking up, I'd be a millionaire by now."
"And it didn't help you let them crawl all over you either," Paul retorted.
"Ewww. Okay, that is even making my skin crawl," Tyler said. "And I don't even have a bug phobia."
The dinner continued for another hour before they all headed back to their respective places, Sandy trying to remember the last time she had laughed so hard. It was good to have her family back together again for another great milestone.
In bed that night, she couldn't help but think that wherever Mike may be, he had been watching over her and Tyler all these years. Perhaps that was why her life had taken such a direction for the better; nevertheless, she couldn't have been more thankful than for the man that was her second husband that now slept beside her, his quirkiness and all.
Everything happens for a reason, Sandy thought as she too drifted off to sleep in his arms.
