Finley James Hunt: 12-years-old

Oliver Blake Hunt: 8-years-old

Bronwyn Kate Hunt: 4-years-old

Ella Ray Hunt: 18-weeks-old

Gwendolyn Sarah Hunt: 16-weeks old

Chapter 56: An Unfortunate Saturday

Mid-May

After running a multi-injury trauma that began at midnight on Friday night, Owen was able to be home by 2:00 am on Saturday morning. He was happy to have arranged a Saturday morning off and was looking forward to spending the entire day with his family. When the babies began to stir, Owen brought them to Amelia and then headed to the kitchen to make some coffee. While it brewed, he prepared his own breakfast and put together something simple for Amelia and Ella.

Ella was just beginning to show an interest in solid food, while Gwendolyn remained indifferent to anything other than milk. Lately, the couple had been preparing just a little baby cereal for Ella and not rushing the shift to solid foods. In so many ways, breastfeeding was so much more portable and convenient. Nobody was in a hurry to change the nursing routines any quicker than necessary.

As Owen shuffled around the kitchen, the older kids came straggling down one by one with varying degrees of bedhead and sleepy eyes. Bronwyn drug herself down the stairs first with an armful of dolls in hand. She skipped over to Owen in exuberant joy when she spotted him.

"Daddy! I thoughted you were at the hops-pital," Bronwyn exclaimed. "But you're here!" She wrapped her arms around his legs before Owen kneeled down, kissed her, and picked her up. Then each dolly had to give Daddy multiple kisses on the cheek and tell him how thrilled they were to see him at home. This morning's choices of doll companions were the dolls from Christmas that represented each twin. Their names, of course, were Ella and Gwen.

Owen set Bronwyn up with some cereal as he stepped away and promised to return momentarily. As he walked upstairs, Owen ran into Oliver. Owen encouraged him to feed the dogs and then pour himself some cereal. While Owen was spreading out Amelia and Ella's morning treats, Finley found his way down to the kitchen and, as the oldest, appointed himself the manager of his siblings and their routines. Before long, his unwelcome instructions were met with Gwenie Ma-Lori being thrown at his face and with Oliver blowing a milky raspberry at his brother.

"Listen, you two," Finley instructed in his best attempt at maturity, "our day is busy and you need to stay focused. Oliver, clean up that mess, and, Bronwyn, you're not getting the doll back until you finish breakfast and apologize."

"I HATE you!" Bronwyn screamed as she reacted to her brother's bossiness. Owen, snuggling his babies and wife, overheard the drama. He and Amelia shared grimaces and sighs as Owen excused himself from his momentary bliss and entered into the morning chaos.

As he began his descent with Gwendolyn in his arms, Owen hollered firmly but calmly, "What's the problem, Hunt brood?" All three kids began screeching at once with their own version of the latest fight. Gwenie, as Owen had started calling Gwendolyn, laughed and watched her siblings with wonder. She moved her head back and forth in an attempt to capture their simultaneous voices. "One at a time!" Owen insisted as he held up a hand in the 'stop' position. "Finley, your take?"

"I was trying to make sure Oliver and Bronwyn were doing what they needed to do, and they treated me rotten. Oliver blew milk everywhere and stuck his tongue out at me. Bronwyn threw her doll at my face, so I told her she wouldn't get it back until she was done with breakfast and apologizes." Just to rub salt into Bronwyn's wounds, Finley smiled at Gwen and handed her Bronwyn's doll. "Here, Gwen, hold onto yourself until Bronwyn shapes up."

Owen nodded, holding back laughter as he imagined the reception to Finley's attempted authority. Bronwyn screamed, "That's mmmmyyyyyy dollllyyyyy! She's gonna chew on it and drool on it!"

Owen turned to Bronwyn with a stern look and requested, "You'll get it back in a minute, Bronwyn. What is your version? Were you out of line like Finley told me?"

"Well, Daddy…Dad… see… ummm… Daddy… you were here and ummm…. You gotted me cereal and I was… Daddy… I was just sitting here eating when Finley started bossing me around and he was bossy and bossing me and my doll didn't like it so she flew at him 'cause she was mad," Bronwyn explained with flying arms and dramatic non-verbals.

"Hm…. sounds like Gwenie needs a time out for not being nice to Finley, huh?" Owen grinned as he motioned his lips sideways.

"Nooooooooooo. You always listen to Finley and not me. And now Gwenie is pulling Gwenie hair. Daddy! Make her give it back!" Bronwyn whined.

Owen bent down and grabbed a random mulit-colored ball laying on the floor. He held it up to Gwen and raised his voice to shift her attention to it. She dropped the doll and grabbed the ball, immediately trying to chew on it. Bronwyn jumped out of her chair and ran toward the dropped doll, but reached the spot after Owen had already retrieved the doll and stood back up.

Looking at Bronwyn with a hint of disappointment, Owen stared down and asked, "Are you finished with your breakfast?"

"Yes, but…" Bronwyn began to protest.

"No buts… clear your dishes and head upstairs to your room. I'll bring your doll in a minute," Owen insisted. As Bronwyn opened her mouth to commentate, Owen shifted his chin to the side and warned, "Are you sure you want to engage in an argument, Miss Bronwyn?" Bronwyn hung her head and stomped up the stairs.

"Now, Oliver, what's your story?" Owen said, already wishing he was at the hospital rather than at home. He thought to himself, So much for an idyllic day with the family. What was I thinking?!

Oliver shrugged with indifference, "I dunno. I just kinda joined in Bronwyn's fun. I'm sorry, Finley."

Rolling his eyes, Finley reluctantly defended his brother, "He did already clean up the mess like I asked him to do, Dad."

Looking tired, Owen eskimo-kissed Gwen and then instructed, "Why don't you two clear your dishes, clean up the table and counter, then get dressed and go feed the dogs." Both boys, knowing they just scored a Get Out of Jail Free card, hopped up and began fulfilling Owen's requests.

Amelia had finished feeding Ella her cereal and hopped in the shower with her, figuring she could take care of getting herself and her daughter ready for the day with one event. As she dried herself and the baby off, she heard Bronwyn stomp upstairs and close her door. Behind the door, Bronwyn was talking to herself about how unfair and mean her brother and dad were. Amelia just smiled as she threw on her robe and carried Ella to the nursery to get her dressed.

Owen entered the nursery with Gwen who was still in her jammies and in need of a diaper change. "Can you take her? I need to go deal with Bronwyn," Owen explained to Amelia as Amelia finished snapping up Ella's outfit.

"I can, but I was hoping you'd shower with her before we left," Amelia explained.

"I will. Just take her for a sec and I'll come back after I've fulfilled my role as Big Mean Daddy," Owen promised. Amelia smiled and held her hands out so he could hand her the baby. She carried both twins into her bedroom and set them on a blanket on the floor next to one another while she chose her own clothes for the day.

Across the hall, Owen knocked softly on Bronwyn's door and opened it. "Hey," he began.

"Hey," Bronwyn pouted in response.

Owen nodded and observed, "You're pretty ticked, huh?"

"Daddy… umm… see… here's the thing, Daddy… Finley is always trying to get me in trouble," Bronwyn proclaimed.

"Did he throw your doll at himself?" Owen asked, realizing the ridiculousness of his words.

"No, but… ummmm… he was bossing me, and he does that…" Bronwyn stammered in a hope of offering up a defense. Her voice trailed off as Owen slowly walked over to her bed and sat down. His stare conveyed that his patience was running thin.

"Bronwyn, I don't want to hear about what Finley did wrong," Owen clarified, feeling as if he was having a heart-to-heart with a resident trying to blame their interns for something gone awry. "I want to know what you would do differently if you had a do-over."

"Ummm… I woulda… maybe… umm, well… I coulda ran up and founded you and said Finley was bossing or I coulda just did what he said, but I don't like…" Bronwyn stuttered.

"I know you don't like when he tells you what to do. However, who's the bigger kid?" Owen asked as he ran his hand through his hair.

Bronwyn rolled her eyes and sighed dramatically, "But you didn't telled him to be our boss. He just didded it."

"I know," Owen agreed without further detail. He caught Bronwyn's gaze and held it silently until she broke the silence.

"Ok… I know… throwing my dolly wasn't nice." Bronwyn admitted.

"Right," Owen assented, "So?"

"So I can go say sorry," she reluctantly suggested. "But, Daddy?"

"Yes?" Owen responded.

"Umm… Finley… he should have to say sorry too. He was bossing us," Bronwyn attempted. "And can I have Tori back?"

"Gwenie is going to spend some time in time out for now. But how about if we go see Finley together and you can tell him that you didn't like being bossed around? I'm not going to make him do or say anything, Bronwyn. You need to tell him how you felt, and we'll go from there," Owen offered as, once again, he wished he was at the hospital settling adult disputes or performing a surgery. Owen and Bronwyn walked downstairs and found Finley. For a 4-year-old, Bronwyn did an impressive job of sharing her feelings without flipping out on her brother. With his father looking at him with anticipation, Finley clued in that he could also apologize. Then, offering an olive branch, Finley asked Bronwyn if she wanted to play with, he and Oliver while they threw the ball for the dogs.

Owen patted Finley on the shoulder and affirmed, "Good job. Now keep a close eye on her – there's no adult making sure she and Ry stay clear of the beach and the water." Finley nodded and Owen ran upstairs to take a quick shower before the soccer game.

Amelia was drying her hair when Owen entered the bedroom. He picked Gwen up and told Amelia they were getting in the shower. He also mentioned that the kids were outside with the dogs. Amelia nodded as if she'd heard that detail even though she didn't. While Owen showered and cleaned Gwen up, Amelia finished her hair and makeup. When he emerged from the bathroom with a towel around his waist and a smiling baby wrapped in a big fuzzy towel, Amelia walked over to take Gwen off his hands and get her dressed.

"How are the kids doing?" Owen asked.

Amelia shrugged her shoulders, "No idea. I thought you said something about having them entertained."

"No…" Owen said in a measured voice attempting to be patient as he threw on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt, "I said they were outside with the dogs."

Gritting her teeth and opening her lips wide, Amelia uttered apologetically, "Oh… well, I haven't checked on them. Do you want me to?"

Owen breathed heavily out his nose and stared at Amelia before he responded, "I got it." He ran downstairs to check in with the kids. As he looked out the living room window, he saw Oliver throw a ball into the lake and laugh as the dogs splashed happily toward it. Bronwyn was knee deep in the water, looking at and picking up various rocks. Although Finley was nearby, Owen could not see him from the living room. Growling under his breath, Owen stormed out to the porch.

"Bronwyn Kate, Oliver Blake…Up. Here. Now," Owen commanded. "Where the hell is Finley?"

"I'm right here, Dad," Finley responded attempting to act far calmer than he was. Hearing Owen's tone of voice struck the fear of God into each of the three kids. Two playful and exuberant golden retrievers arrived beside Owen first, soaking wet and with balls in their mouths. Oliver and Bronwyn hesitantly headed toward their dad; fairly certain they were in loads of trouble.

"You…wait." Owen snapped at Finley, who was just hanging up his phone. "Oliver – where is it ok to throw the balls for the dogs?" Bronwyn stood next to Owen shivering as he ignored her.

Oliver looked down at the ground and kicked the bricks with his toe, "In the grass or on the trails or driveway."

"Where were you throwing the balls?" Owen grumbled.

"Into the water," Oliver confessed, then added, "But, Dad, they were having so much fun and …"

With no emotion, Owen responded, "Where do you need to go, Oliver?" The dogs continued to mill around Owen, occasionally barking to gain his attention so he would throw the balls for them.

"To my room," Oliver murmured with resignation. Owen nodded and Oliver wasted no time heading to his room and excusing himself from his angry father's presence. Nala woofed as her favorite playmate headed inside. She dropped her ball in front of Owen and growled playfully hoping he would throw the ball for her. Simba, his ball still in his mouth, attempted to bark while holding on to the ball. Owen ignored them both, but they continued to follow Owen around.

Bronwyn hopped from one foot to the other, both in an effort to keep warm and because she needed to pee. Owen kneeled down and stared at her without a word. Believing that a whisper might help her case, Bronwyn said softly, "Daddy, I really have to go potty. Honest. Really."

"Go and then go right to your room. I'll be there in a minute," Owen commanded. He turned to Finley and held out his hand for the phone. Finley lowered his shoulders and slowly handed his phone over. Sitting down next to Finley, Owen began to bring up the call history as he put his elbow on his knee and rested his weary head in his hand. "Do you realize that I'd really like to just throw this damn phone into the water right now?" Finley swallowed the lump in his throat but said nothing. Owen continued, "I asked you to keep an eye on your brother and sister. Instead you were talking to someone named Allie, huh?"

"I know I'm busted, Dad," Finley surrendered, knowing for certain that nothing would free him. "I screwed up big time."

"Yep. Yep, you did," Owen concurred. "Finley, I'll be honest. I'm not sure what to do. I thought I could trust you to keep an eye on Oliver and Bronwyn and you let me down. I guess you weren't ready for that responsibility." Pausing both for effect and out of disappointment, Owen waited a minute and added, "I need to talk with your mom before you and I sort all this out. I'm keeping the phone for now. Head up to your room and leave your electronics outside your door. It'll be awhile, but either Mom or I will be in to talk with you after we've dealt with Oliver and Bronwyn."

Finley hated that his voice cracked as he apologized, "I'm sorry."

Without looking at Finley, Owen faced the water and confirmed, "I know. Now go." Once Finley was inside, Owen threw the ball toward the driveway a few times for each of the dogs while he attempted to re-center and calm down. He really hated that he was having to play bad cop on the day he'd set aside as a family day. After throwing the balls one last time, Owen headed in the house as the dogs ran to retrieve.

"What's going on?" Amelia asked as Owen joined her in the kitchen. "I've just seen three levels of regret and tears mosey in here." The babies, both sitting in a high chair while Amelia packed a cooler and some snacks for the soccer game, reached up toward Owen hoping to be picked up. They babbled and tried out their latest noises, hoping to charm their beloved Daddy.

"If I pick up one of you, the other one is going to be mad at me," Owen sang in baby talk as he flirted with the babies. "I've got enough kids upset with me already, ladies. Yes, I do. I'm sorry. I'm not picking you up."

"Why are they upset?" Amelia inquired as she playfully spoke with a baby talk voice.

"They are upset because they were busted," Owen jabbered in a sing-songy voice. "Finley was supposed to be watching his siblings…yes, he was. Instead, he was on the phone with a girl. Ry was throwing balls into the water for the dogs and Bronwyn, she was up to her knees in the water finding rocks." He maintained a playful baby talk tone as he shared the information with Amelia and played with the babies.

"Oh…" Amelia voiced flatly. "Oh, boy. That's not good at all. Need my help?"

"Yes, I do," Owen smiled as he playfully placed his forefinger on Ella's nose and then on Gwen's as the girls laughed. "Do you have a bat so I can knock some sense into them?" he sang.

"Owen," Amelia groaned.

He stood up and walked over to Amelia, hugging her from behind. "I know what I'm doing with Bronwyn…you'll be pissed. Oliver…I'm on the fence with a couple options. Finley…I really need your help figuring that one out. I've got his phone at this point but that's not enough."

"And we need to leave for the soccer game in an hour," Amelia added.

"Right," Owen agreed as he kissed Amelia's neck. "Want to escape instead? Somebody will feed them all, right?"

Amelia snickered in response, then suggested, "Go do what you're going to do anyway with Bronwyn. Oliver? Hmmm… maybe he needs to wash the dogs and clean up the yard after his game and lose electronics this weekend. Finley…that one's tricky. Let's stall and let him squirm while we think about it."

Kissing her cheek, Owen offered, "Thank you. You're brilliant. I'll go lay down the law."

"You want my help? I can take one of the boys," Amelia offered.

"Why don't you talk to Finley. Oliver will charm you into giving him candy instead," Owen winked as he headed up to Bronwyn's room.

"You got it," Amelia agreed. "Have him come help me pack up for the game and I'll talk to him down here."

When Owen reached the top of the stairs, he hollered toward Finley's room, "Fin, go help Mom get ready for the game." Finley promptly did as he was told, trying to earn his way back into favor. Owen breathed out heavily as he opened Bronwyn's door. She was standing against the wall and looked up at him with her big blue eyes.

"Daddy, I know I made a bad choice. I promise never, ever, ever, ever to do it again. I'm never, ever, ever touching water until I'm a growned up. Not ever," she pleaded.

"Bronwyn," Owen stated as he knelt down in the middle of her room, "Come here, please."

Her bottom lip started quivering and crocodile tears began to fall from her eyes as she slowly shook her head and covered her back end with her hands. Owen looked at her seriously as he sat down on the floor and wrapped his arms around his bent legs. "Bronwyn… do you want to be in more trouble?"

"No," she cried as she sniffled and remained against the wall.

"What's going to happen if you stay over there?" Owen queried. "What do you suppose will happen if you don't come over here like I've already told you to do?"

Bronwyn slid down along the wall until she was sitting on the floor. She mumbled softly and sadly, "But I don't wanna be spanked."

"One…" Owen began calmly. Bronwyn continued crying, scared to move and scared not to move.

"Two…" Owen uttered slowly. Bronwyn crawled over to Owen, sitting down as quickly as possible when she reached him. "Shouldn't we just get this over with?" Owen asked her.

Bronwyn sniffled, then began to sob. Owen let her cry for a minute before asking her, "Bronwyn, what's going to happen and why?"

"You're… you… are… you're gonna…(sniff)…umm…(sniff) spank me (sniffle, sniffle) because I was dangerous being in the water," Bronwyn admitted.

"Yep," Owen agreed as every part of his being yearned to crawl into bed or at least flee to the hospital. The family dream day continued to spiral downward, falling behind any and all expectations. Gently, Owen grasped Bronwyn's arm and stood her up. She knew her fate was sealed and finally gave in as Owen snapped his hand on her back end at least 10 times. She began howling and shrieking as soon as the first blow landed, more out of regret and embarrassment than because of pain. Softly, he instructed, "Go lay down on your bed. Mommy or I will let you know when it's time to leave for Oliver's game." He stood up and headed down the hall to Oliver, who had overhead the commotion and wondered if the same was in store for him.

Before entering Oliver's room, Owen paced in the hallway back and forth a few times. Although he couldn't escape Bronwyn's full-fledged crying, he sought to work his way back to par before talking to Oliver.

When he entered Oliver's room, Oliver bravely but with tears just barely below the surface, asked, "Am I gonna be spanked too?"

Owen shook his head as he sat down in the middle of Oliver's room, "Nope. You weren't putting yourself in danger, but you did completely disobey our rules."

Oliver let out a gigantic sigh of relief as he sat down on the floor facing Owen. He hung his head and admitted quietly, "I was just playing with Barkley and Bogey, but I know not to do what I did."

"Mom and I talked Oliver, and we decided on two consequences. After the soccer game, you'll need to give the dogs baths and help me clean up the yard. Also, there won't be any electronics the rest of the weekend," Owen stopped as Bronwyn's sobbing continued in the background.

"Okay," Oliver concurred with acceptance.

"Why don't you get your gear on and get ready for the game? C'mon downstairs when you're ready. It's almost time to go," Owen suggested as he left the room. He walked into his own room and sat on the balcony for a few minutes before taking Bronwyn downstairs and helping load everyone up for Oliver's game.

Disclaimer: I do not condone spanking in any form whatsoever. What are your thoughts?