Chapter 72: Camping, Part Two
As the evening went on, Owen and Derek continued to unveil their inner camp counselor aspirations and abilities. Simply because their behavior was so entertaining, Amelia couldn't bring herself to leave. Clarisse, who had stepped off the deck a step too late and twisted her ankle, had headed up to the house. She offered to take the twins with her so they could go to bed in a warm and cozy space. Relishing the opportunity to have some Mommy Time, Clarisse and Meredith found that indoor camping complete with a bevy of fine wines was an ideal end to the adventures of the day. The two stayed awake talking and laughing. Occasionally, Meredith would peak out the windows to provide a vague update.
Back at the campsite, Derek went into his tent to grab the glow in the dark bubbles he'd purchased for the kids and discovered a wide slash in his airbed. When he asked Bailey about it, Bailey very honestly admitted that the hole had occurred as he was jumping on the mattress while playing with his superheroes earlier. With a resigned sigh, Derek pondered whether or not he would sleep on the ground later that night.
Determined to continue to have the best camping experience ever, Derek decided not to say a word about his now-useless bed. Instead, he took the bubbles out to the fire and showed the kids the magic. Purple, blue, orange, and yellow bubbles soon filled the campsite as the kids jumped and attempted to pop the straying bubbles lost to the wind. Finley and Naomi picked up the smaller kids to help them reach the bubbles as they floated upward. Derek, Amelia and Owen found themselves in hysterics as they watched the kids giggle and run.
After the novelty of the bubbles began to wear off, Owen suggested the gang go on a flashlight walk. He pulled out glow in the dark face paint and explained that they'd need their camouflage before the adventure. Slapping on the paint as if they were preparing for an Army ambush, the kids failed to realize that the paint was actually a way for Owen, Derek, and Amelia to keep track of them rather than to have the kids blend into the woods.
Each hiker had his or her own flashlight as Major Hunt led them deep into the darkness sharing kid-safe versions of his Army stories along the way. Every now and then, Owen would offer some stunning surprise in his stories and would turn around quickly or raise his voice in surprise. The boys tended to laugh or jump slightly, while the girls responded with screams of terror that quickly turned into giggles.
Derek and Amelia brought up the rear and walked in a brotherly-sisterly arm-in-arm position as they chatted and laughed at the sites in front of them. Flashlights pointed nearly every direction except onto the trail and the kids continually found themselves bumping into one another as they gazed toward the tops of trees.
As Amelia rested her head on Derek's shoulder, Derek asked, "Do you remember camping with Dad?"
Amelia shook her head clearly and responded, "We went camping when we were little? I don't remember that at all."
"We did. I think it was the only vacation Mom and Dad could afford. They'd load us all up – without worrying about seatbelts or car seats, of course – and head into the woods. Many times, you'd sleep with one of our sisters in the back of the station wagon because the last thing Dad wanted was for his little Amy to be uncomfortable or cold." Derek chuckled as he recalled the memories. Derek continued, "We usually roughed it because, as Dad declared, 'campgrounds cost money and were too full of people.'"
Amelia looked at her brother with a bittersweet smile and slightly glassy eyes, musing, "I'm so glad you told me about that. I wonder if Mom has any pictures." Derek squeezed his arm a bit tighter around his sister's shoulders and leaned his head upon hers as they continued to walk.
"Are you two coming?" Owen hollered to his nostalgic assistants who had fallen away from the group. "We're about to look at the stars so the lights are going to turn off."
"We're coming, Owen. Deep breath," Amelia teased. She and Derek promptly reached Owen and the kids. There was a clearing and Owen had arranged the kids on the ground, so they were gazing up toward the sky. While they waited for Derek and Amelia, the kids played flashlight tag attempting to 'catch' one another's beams of light. "I think they'll all have sore throats tomorrow from all the laughing," Amelia offered with a grin.
Owen approached Amelia and put his arm around her, pulling her away from her brother and encouraging, "Come sit with me. I'm going to point out constellations to the kids." Like a love-struck teenaged boy, Owen began to snuggle his wife into his side and to grin at her with giddy expressions. "I'm so glad you stayed out here tonight," Owen whispered as he kissed her.
One kiss led to another until Oliver spotted them. "Ewwwww….Dad! C'mon. We're guy camping. Roughing it, remember?! No kissy face stuff," Oliver declared with dismay.
"Sorry, Ollie," Owen offered with a chuckle as he began to point out various constellations and share stories about them.
After about ten minutes of astronomy lessons, Derek interrupted and queried, "Has anyone seen the dogs?" Everyone sat up and shook their heads without comment. Owen whistled loudly and called out for them. The dogs came bounding over. Before they arrived or were seen in the darkness, they could be smelled.
Amelia's eyes watered as her face took on a look as if she'd just bit into a lime. She remarked, "Lovely. I'm pretty sure they found a new skunk friend." Nala ran up to Amelia and jumped up so that her paws were on Amelia's chest.
As Owen ordered the dog to get down, the couple was overwhelmed with the scent. Owen suggested, "I'm not sure it was a new friend. More like a threatened, angry enemy." The kids plugged their noses and complained about the smell begging Owen to dismiss the dogs from their midst. Teasing them all, Owen offered, "But I was thinking Simba could sleep in the boys' tent and Nala in the girls'."
"Noooooo!" the kids yelled to varying degrees of volume.
Bronwyn approached her Daddy and playfully pushed his belly, "No way, no how, Mister!"
"Really?" Owen guffawed as he heard his common declaration repeated by his daughter.
"Yep, really. No way, no how," Bronwyn repeated with a wide smile. "Now, can you carry me, Daddy? My legs is getting super tired from all this fun."
Owen happily scooped up his girl as Zola ran to Derek looking to do the same. On the way back to the tents and the campfire, Derek started to tell ghost stories. As a big brother is known to do, he kept pushing the limits to discover how far he could go before he started scaring his audience. It didn't take long before Zola and Bronwyn declared an end to the ghost story portion of the evening, but Derek promised the older kids he'd tell more after the girls fell asleep.
When they returned to the trailer and campsite, it was time for s'mores. The grownups gave each of the kids a stick, warning them not to use them as toys nor to point them toward one another. The Dads pushed marshmallows onto the ends of the sticks. The Shepherd-Hunt kids were experts at roasting marshmallows, having done so regularly in their suburban firepit at home. Zola and Derek had roasted marshmallows before at some point, but Naomi had no idea what to do. Owen lovingly displayed how to hold the stick and roast the treats, explaining that some people liked the marshmallows lightly toasted while others loved them burnt.
Everyone devoured their way through a s'more before begging for another marshmallow. While some of the kids couldn't wait to have another treat, others were now ready to play. Predictably, Oliver's marshmallow was the first to light on fire and was immediately held up as a torch and declared, "Hey! I'm in charge. I'm holding the torch of light!"
"Ollie, put it down and blow it out, please," Owen instructed calmly.
Rather than bringing the stick down slowly, Oliver flicked it quickly, causing the flaming marshmallow to soar into the air. As if it was moving in slow motion, everyone froze and watched it fly toward Amelia. Unable to move quickly enough to avoid its sting, the marshmallow landed on her cheek and produced a lovely red circle near her jaw. By the time it landed on her, the marshmallow was simply hot and not flaming. It quickly fell to the ground as Oliver ran over at full speed apologizing profusely to his mom and attempting to effectively tend her.
"Mommy….I'm sooooo sorry. Oh, man. I wanna help, Mom. What can I do?" Oliver offered in a panic.
Owen raised an eyebrow and mouthed his question, are you ok? Amelia nodded to confirm she was fine. Derek, ever the caretaker, ran to the cooler and wet a dishtowel. He took it over to his sister and attempted to examine her camping evidence as best he could in the dark.
Oliver, nearly ready to cry as he was overcome with regret, offered to hold the towel on her cheek. "Thanks, buddy," Amelia smiled. She assured him, "It's ok. It was an accident. Stuff happens, right?" Oliver nodded slowly and with guilt as his mom ran her hand over his filthy, dirt-infested hair. She hugged him close to her and repeated that she was not upset and that she knew he hadn't meant to do it.
Just as the blazing marshmallow flickered out all the jovial fun, drops of rain began to fall. First, just one fell on Owen's head. Then another near Derek. Amelia's burning face was relieved by a few more drops before a deluge commenced. Reminiscent of their first date, Owen hustled past Amelia with his hands full of food and supplies. He laughed with a coy grin, "Haven't we done this before?"
"I hope you have a pair of scrubs in that trailer still," Amelia called out as she gathered the kids and led them toward the trailer. Get them under a roof first, then come up with a more comprehensive plan, she thought to herself.
Derek's phone buzzed as he ran back and forth with Owen from the trailer and the campsite attempting to gather or protect anything not meant to be out in the rain. As he leaned into the trailer where Amelia was laughing with the kids and drying them off with towels that had been left behind over the years, Derek threw the phone to his sister and asked her to see if the text was anything urgent.
Grabbing the phone, Amelia opened the text from Meredith which read, Reason 107 why I don't camp. Rain.
Amelia roared and answered as if she were her brother, Not here. No rain in sight. It's raining at the house?
You have got to be kidding me, Meredith responded.
Amelia began to type a response as Owen and Derek, dripping wet from head to toe, stepped into the trailer and closed the door. "Are you speaking on my behalf, you little sneak?" Derek asked as he grabbed his phone and read the exchange. Amelia provided her best little sister grin, complete with her tongue barely sticking out on one side of her mouth. Derek laughed at her response and professed, "Perfect answer, Amy. Absolutely perfect!"
Then Derek typed, No joke, Mer. XXOO. But we're on our way up for hot chocolate.
Already heating the water, adventure man, Meredith responded.
Derek explained the plan to the wet and shivering group. As if he was attempting to be helpful and assessing the situation, Owen suggested, "How about if we help you get the kids up to the house and we'll crash out here? There aren't enough beds in the house for all of us anyway."
Derek, clueless, congratulated his brother-in-law, "That's brilliant. You sure you don't mind?"
Shaking her head and puffing out her lower lip just a touch, Amelia added, "No problem at all. As long as you don't mind dealing with Bron. The boys can take care of themselves, but she might need a little help brushing teeth and putting on jams." Grinning with relief, Derek assured his sister that would be no problem at all.
After two trips in Meredith's SUV, the bags of kids' clothes and the kids themselves were in the house brushing their teeth and changing into warm PJs. Derek had brought the bags and supplies up first so that Mer could throw the PJs in the dryer before the kids invaded. As the kids changed, Derek and Meredith created a blanket tent over the dining room table for the now indoor campers who almost instantly fell asleep snuggled together like a litter of kittens.
Meanwhile, Amelia and Owen relived the passion and lovemaking of their first date. Laughing and reminiscing, Amelia gazed at her husband as she stroked his wet hair and whispered the line she'd spoken nearly two years earlier, "You're my knight in dripping wet armor."