Fishing

Cricket stretched his arms above his head, letting out a tired yawn as he slunk into the living room. Another, nice, peaceful-

"Chip! You've been in there for fifteen minutes already, let me in!" Gloria demanded as she banged her fist against the bathroom door.

"Too bad. First come first served you think I just wake up looking this good!" Chip yelled, his voice muffled by the door.

Gloria groaned. "You mean you try to look like a carrot that's had its roots dyed?"

"Oh wow real original." Chip called back sarcastically. "And at least I don't look like a depressed blueberry!"

Gloria's eyes flared with a wicked temper. "You take that back right now or I'll-"

Cricket didn't get to hear the rest as he quickly scurried into the kitchen in hopes of escaping the brewing battleground.

"Tilly! Fetch me the milk!" Gramma called out over Gloria and Chip's shouting as she stirred a pan of eggs.

"What?!" Tilly shouted back equally as loud. "I don't think we have any silk!"

"Not silk, milk!"

"Hilk?!"

"That's not even a word!"

Cricket felt his eye twitch and hurried to the counter,pouring himself a bowl full of Bagios. Maybe he should just eat breakfast in his room…

The boy had just taken one step out of the kitchen though when he tripped over his father.

"Good morning every-" Dad cut off his pleasant greeting as Cricket's cereal spilled onto the floor. Simultaneously Gloria kicked the bathroom door open and wrestled Chip to the ground as the blonde tried to fight her off with an electric toothbrush.

"Oh whoops, sorry son-"

"That's it!" Cricket suddenly seethed, hopping to his feet and bolting for the front door. "I gotta get out of here!"

He needed some peace and quiet, yesterday!

Cricket sighed as he sat back against the apple tree. Tree climbing was so therapeutic.

"Heeeey son." Cricket perked up as Dad came out to sit across from him. "You doing okay?"

Cricket sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Just got overwhelmed there for a sec."

His father nodded as he crossed his legs. "Heh, I know what you mean. Lot more noise around the house lately huh?"

"Tell me about it." Cricket sighed again. "Just wish we had one day of peace and quiet…wait what's with that look on your face dad?"

Dad blushed mischievously, he never did have a very good poker face. "Weeelll, it's funny that you say that cause, I may or may not have rescheduled planting day for tomorrow so you and I can go fishing."

"Really!?" Cricket chirped as he sprung to his feet.

Dad nodded. "Yep, to tell you the truth I could use some peace and quiet myself."

Cricket barely stayed put long enough to hear him, already sprinting into the garage to find his fishing pole.

"Okay, Tilly I'm leaving you in charge." Bill told his daughter as he kneeled down on the porch steps and tried to ignore Cricket's horn honking. "Make sure Gloria and Chip don't kill eachother, and tell your mother to be careful around Gramma today." Ma was still a bit testy about having to reset the booby traps in her room thanks to Chip.

Tilly saluted as Bill pressed his hat atop her square head. It slid down over her eyes. "You can count on me papa."

Bill smiled, kissing her forehead. "I know I can. Wish us luck out there!"

"May your fish be as bountiful as your wisdom father."

"Love you sweetie!" Bill laughed, waving Tilly goodbye one last time as he hopped into the Kludge.

"Let's go Pops!" Cricket cheered as he seated himself in his father's lap making grabby hands for the wheel as Bill cranked the truck in drive.

"Cricket! No jerking the wheel!"

The boat rocked back and forth with the tide as Cricket folded his arms beneath his head. "This is the life."

Bill chuckled, cracking open a soda. "You sure you didn't want to invite Remy?"

Cricket shook his head. "Nah, my competitive nature would just get riled up again like last time and I'd be too obsessed with catching something to relax."

Bill had to agree there and it wasn't like Cricket's competitive side wasn't get riled up enough as it was at home. The farmer had to shudder as he imagined if Chip were here right now. The whole lake would probably end up in their boat.

"It is nice to just take a load off." Bill nodded. "I do appreciate the efforts you've made at home son. I know alot's happened this past week."

"Tch, you think?" Cricket sighed. "Our house is more packed then a hen house. I'm just happy to get away from it for a day."

Bill hummed. "Maybe we'll go fishing a bit more often then. We could go every three months maybe?"

Cricket smiled. "Make it every two months and you've got yourself a deal."

Bill laughed, lowering his hand to ruffle Cricket's hair. "Alright then."

"Sooooo," The farmer paused to search for a conversation topic. "How's that girlfriend of yours?"

"Daaaaaaad." Cricket whined, flipping himself over so he was facing the boat's bow.

"What? I'm just curious." Dad defended clichely. Cricket huffed, crossing his arms. "Gabbie's fine….she's just..been kinda busy with school lately."

Dad frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, son." That was of the disadvantages of homeschooling, you were almost never as busy as your friends.

Cricket shrugged as he opened another can of Splish and went to sit on the edge of the boat so he could dip his toes beneath the water. "Like I said, it's fine. I just… you know I just hope she don't get too busy."

His father nodded with a sigh. "I know what you mean boy. Back when you're mom and I first started going out we barely had time to so much as have dinner together."

"Really?" Cricket looked over his shoulder. Dad rarely talked about him and mom back when they were still together.

Dad nodded. "Oh yeah, one time we were so busy we had to settle for a couple slices of cheese and a thirty second hug."

Cricket snorted.

"But, you know that's just what you gotta do." Pops continued. "You gotta make time for each other despite the difficulties."

Cricket hummed, flopping himself over the edge of the boat to trace his finger along the water's surface.

"In fact, what's she doing tonight? Maybe we can have her over for dinner?" Dad suggested.

Cricket laughed. "You're joking right? Inviting her into that chaos?"

Dad pursed his lips. "Ok maybe we'll just take her out to burger clown. Just the three of us I promise."

Cricket hummed, scratching the bottom of his chin in fake contemplation. "I don't know…you promise not to act weird like last time."

Dad blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh yeah, I promise none of that."

Cricket perked up as he scrambled around to fish Dad's phone out of his pocket. "Alright let's call her up then!"

"Cricket wait, not so close to the water!"

The ten year old waved his dad off nonchalantly as he dialed Gabbie's number.

"Hey dad," Bill hummed looking down at his son as they pulled into their driveway. "I had fun today. Thanks."

The farmer tilted his head with a smile as he turned the Kludge off. "No problem son."

The good thing about coming in late was that the house was surely all settled down by no-

Bill's eyes widened as he looked over the living room.

"Left hand on red." Tilly sang as she sat atop the couch with Saxon in her lap. On the floor a mesh of tangled limbs Bill vaguely recognized as Chip,Ma,Gloria, and Nancy stood sprawled out in a game of Twister.

"You've gotta be kidding me!" Chip yelled as he moved his hand over Gramma's neck and beneath Gloria's ankle to the red dot.

"Watch it, woodpecker!"

"Ok who's hand is that?!"

"We've been over this, it's still your own hand Chip. " Gloria sniped.

"Oh hi Papa!" Tilly called as she caught sight of the both of them.

"Hey honey." Bill said as he and Cricket slowly walked around the controlled chaos. "Watcha doing?"

"Hmm? Oh this, well you did say to keep everyone from killing each other and this seemed like the best method."

"You mean you guys started a game of Twister without limber little me!" Cricket cried.

Tilly shrugged. "We could always start over."

"Not a chance!" Gramma barked. "I'm about to beat these chumps!"

"In your dreams you old-"

Chip cut himself off as they all tumbled to the floor in a tangled heap. Nancy was the first to get to her feet. "Yeah pumpkin, why don't you take my place, not as flexible as I remember."

"Awesome!" Cricket cheered as he jumped onto the mat. "Y'all are going down!"

Bill sighed with a little laugh as he sat down between Nancy and Tilly, rubbing his daughter's head as she spun the arrow.

"We did good today sweetie, we did good."