Epilogue
"Zoom!" Eric shouted as he ran, his arms out stretched like a plane passed his six-month-old siblings that laid on a blanket on the back porch playing with baby toys as far as he cared. "Watch out Adam!" Eric ran onto the blanket jumping over his brother and sister.
"Eric Lee." His mother snapped from the picnic table on the porch. She'd been sitting there talking to Auntie Francine for so long now he'd almost forgotten about her.
"Sorry Mommy." Eric bellowed as he continued his flight route. He made a quick glance toward Curtis. That baby had tried to play with him for a little bit, right up until Curtis had tried to take away his truck, he'd shown that baby who was boss. It'd been fine until Mommy had taken the truck away from him. Who did she think she was? It was his truck anyways! "When's Daddy gonna be home?" Eric stopped for a few seconds awaiting his answer.
"He'll be back soon. Why don't you go get the picture you drew to show to Auntie Francine." Amanda encouraged her son. He was a well-behaved, hell raising little brat, but she loved him dearly.
"Oh all right." Eric mumbled as he stomped his way toward the house. He didn't have a clue why Mommy always wanted people to see the picture. It wasn't a big deal. He'd just taken his blue crayon and written E-R-I-C and drew Daddy in the corner like Phillip had told him to. He was only three; he didn't want to be showing people things like this all the time. He wanted to play.
"There's my big boy!" Lee exclaimed as he put his arm in front of Eric's waist and lifted him in the air. "How we doing today?" Lee asked sitting Eric on his shoulder.
"Fine, Auntie Francine's here, and Mommy wants me to show her my picture." Eric wrapped his arm around his father's neck; he didn't want to fall from way up here.
"Here." Lee said as he pulled it off the refrigerator and handed it to his son. He then walked out the back door and saw Francine with Curtis on her lap; she was sitting next to Amanda at the picnic table, which was moved onto the porch during November when the first snow had come.
Lee set Eric on the ground and walked over to Amanda, kissing her on the cheek. "Good afternoon Francine." Lee said as he kneeled to speak with Curtis, whose only interest were his parents. Curtis shook his head when Lee asked if he'd like to go play with toys and increased his hold on his mother.
Lee shrugged and walked out to the blanket where Jennie was forging ahead on her effort to walk, she sort of stumbled now. And Adam tried to get the hang of crawling. Jennie had mastered that almost a month and a half ago now, and despite their hopes, Adam hadn't been close behind his sister. He was probably just soaking up his chances at being carried everywhere now.
Lifting Adam onto his shoulder he began to talk to his son. Hoping his words
would prod him into crawling. Jennie's tiny hands grabbed hold of his pant leg
and she pulled herself up. That was when he felt most complete. There she
stood, holding onto his leg for support, Adam rested his head on his father's
shoulder and Eric continued to run about the porch. As for his other two sons,
Lee knew that Jamie was at the photo club, and that Philip was inside on the
phone with his girlfriend. Life was perfect, he had total comfort.
