I stop dead in my tracks as I walk in the family room seeing everyone. Everyone being Si, Liz, Molly, Mike, Des, Mason, Sadie, Kwest, Tommy, Zoë, and 2 surprise guests…
Faith and Tim. I swear I must have looked like a deer caught in the headlights.
Me: this isn't another one of your conspiracies is it?
Faith gets up and walks towards me and gives me a hug
I pull away after a bit: Hey what are you guys doing here?
Tim: well we have 2 days until we have to leave for Boston and your friend Mason was telling us about this ranch that your family owned and he gave us the phone number here so we called and your aunt invited us over and we have nothing better to do so…
Me: wow
Faith: yup
I notice Zoë sitting on Toms lap: Hey munchkin
Z: Hey Jude
Everyone winces and I just laugh… I mean she doesn't know better.
Me: come here
She runs over into my arms and I scoop her up into my arms.
Me: wanna go finish the movie that we were watching?
D: lemme guess Peter Pan
Z: hey weave Peter Pan awone.
Me: yeah
Liz: well you two have about an hour until dinner
Me: your cooking for everyone?
Faith: well I'm gonna help too
Me: wow this is just wow
We start to walk upstairs as Tom runs out of the living room.
Tommy: Jude!
I turn around: yes Quincy?
T: can we talk later?
Me: uh… sure
Z: lets go
Me: but first I gotta finish a movie with this one
T: ok
We walk upstairs and go into my room.
Z: wow I didn't notice all of this before
Me: yup its like my shrine to Tink
After a couple minutes of the movie Zoë looks up at me.
Z: whats a swine?
Me: well a swine… is another name for pig but I think you mean shrine right?
She nodded
Me: well a shrine is a kind of like a memorial… a tribute
Z: whats a tribute?
I laugh: a tribute is a worship
Z: Ohhh I still don't understand
Me: its ok lets finish the movie ok?
Z: ok
About 15 minutes later the door opens and I have my hands over Zoë's eyes and vice versa.
:Look at the two of you
Without turning to see the person I still know who it is: hey Quincy
T: hey Harrison
Me: wanna join?
T: sorry I don't have a Tink and peter pan obsession… and I'm not afraid of Captain Hook
I ignore him and I can sense him rolling his eyes as he sits on my bed on the other side of Zoë. I take my hands off of Zoë's and she does the same as we watch the movie. After a while the three of us fall asleep.
DOWNSTAIRS
Liz: Guys dinners gonna be ready in about 15 minutes can you get everyone together?
Molls: sure mom
Mike: where did tom go?
S: upstairs to see Jude and Zoë… it has been a while… I mean I haven't heard any screaming… or moaning
K: nothing would happen especially with Zoë in there
Mason: do you guys think she's still mad at me?
S: no she was just upset… its ok
Des: Maybe someone should go check on them
Si walks over: check on who?
D: Jude and Tommy
K: and Zoë… fine Sadie and I will go check on them
S: fine
UPSTAIRS
Kwest knocks on the door and there is no answer so they walk in and see Tommy, Jude, and Zoë all asleep and Jude and Tommy cuddling with Zoë sprawled out on the both of them.
S (whispering): Oh my god… I need to take a picture of this… give me your phone
Kwest hands her his phone and she takes a couple pictures from different angles. After taking some pictures Sadie gives Kwest his phone back and walks over to Jude
So I'm getting the best sleep I've had in a long time… probably since my 17th birthday when I fell asleep with tom… oh huh I guess because I fell asleep with tom. Anyways I'm getting woken up by my sister. I wake up looking at my sleeping position: cuddling with Tom, my head on his chest his head on my head and a small body sprawled on top of both of ours.
Me: go away Sadie
S: dinner will be ready soon so why don't you get the rest of you family up
I glare at her as she and Kwest start to leave: Evil (I throw a teddy bear at the back of her head and she turns and glares at me as she leaves)
Me: Tommy wake up
T: No!
Me: yes
T: no five minutes
Me: and you call me stubborn
T: you are
Me: Zoë sweetie time to get up ok
Zoë shoots up: Time for dinner?
Me: yup now can you wake up your uncle because…
Before I can finish she is out of bed running downstairs
Me: such a help… Tommy wake up
T: I said no
I squirm my way out of his strong grip: I said wake up
T: but I was having the best sleep of my life
Me(mumbling): believe me I know
T: what?
Me: nothing come on we will eat and then you can go home and sleep
T: I don't wanna
Me: you know I think Zoë is more grown up than you
With that said I get out of my bed and go to my dresser and grab some clothes and walk into my bathroom and change since I'm still in the clothes from last night. I come out and see Tommy still in bed.
Me: Quincy you know you aren't helping yourself out
T: leave me alone
I walk over to him: you give me no choice
I start tickling his sides and he starts squirming
T: STOP!
Me: GET UP!
T: fine but I'm gonna get you back
I walk away from him: yeah whatever you say
I walk downstairs with a still sleepy Tommy behind me. As we walk into the dining room I feel several pairs of eyes on me.
S: well, well, well look who decided to please us with their presences
Me: shut up Sades
I notice the only two available seats were right next to each other. We sit down next to each other. Everyone is in their own little conversations. I'm sitting on the right next to Zoë and tom is on the left. Tom and I both reach for what we think is our glass of water so his hand is on top of mine. Once our hands touch we each pull our hands back. He is a little smoother when he pulls his hand away but I'm not so lucky. When I pull my hand away I hit my elbow on the table which causes the whole table to shake and everyone looks down at me as I scream in pain on the top of my lungs.
Me: OWWWWWWWWW! WHY DO THEY CALL IT YOUR FUNNY BONE! Its not funny or a bone.
T: I'd have to argue about the funny part
I stomp on his foot underneath the table
T: Jude THAT HURTS!
Me: now you can be in pain
Faith to Sadie: are they always this abusive to each other?
S: sometimes worse
Me: I heard that!
Tommy reaches for the water again and I notice
Me: Hey that's my water!
Molly: Now Jude don't you remember proper place settings?
S: yeah Jude the drink is on the right side at the top of the knife
T: so the water is mine
Me: shut up
L: language Jude
Me: sorry
Faith, Tim and Mike snicker since they don't really know me all that well
Tim: so how are all of you related?
Me: well Desmond and Molly are siblings, Sadie and I are sisters, the four of us are cousins, Mason is one of my best friends, Tom is my ex-producer since he left me… oh he's also Sadie's ex-boyfriend, Kwest is my ex-engineer and now my producer and Sadie's new boyfriend, Mike is Toms brother and Mollys new boyfriend, and this little one is Zoë mike and Toms niece.
Faith: wow that's confusing
D: that's not the end
Me: no its not. Uncle Simon, a.k.a. Si is my dad's brother and Aunt Liz is moms sister
Tim: so your double cousins
Tom: you never told me that
Me: so…?
We eat in silence for a while and every now and then my leg grazes toms and vice versa.
Faith: so your names wouldn't have anything to do with Beatles songs would they
The four of us hang our heads.
Si: hey my brother and I were big Beatles fans and still are so were their mothers
Me: oh and to make it worse our middle names are their first names
Tim: what do you mean?
Me: My middle name is Elizabeth after Liz. Des…
D: My middle name is Stuart after uncle Stu. Molls…
Molly: My middle name is Victoria after Vicky. (the three of us start to laugh) Sadie's is…
S: I'm not saying it
Me: Fine I will. Sadie's middle name is…