Beautiful
"Mom, this project is so stupid," twelve-year old Tyler moaned as him and Sam sat at the kitchen table in front of her laptop. "Why do I have to write six whole pages about a war that happened a billion years ago?"
"World War One didn't happen a billion years ago, Tyler," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "And look, I know it seems dumb, but you've just got to do this."
"Why?"
"Because," Sam said simply. "You just have to. Alright, let me see what you got so far."
"I wrote about how the war got started because some guy from Antarctica got assassinated. Is that right?"
"Um…I think so," Sam said. "Um, maybe you should check with your dad."
"Mom?" Emma called, coming into the kitchen.
"What's up?" Sam asked.
"Can I have some money?"
"How much money?" Sam said, raising an eyebrow.
"I don't know, maybe a hundred bucks," Emma shrugged.
"A hundred-no!" Sam exclaimed. "You can't just have a hundred bucks! Are you insane? What do you even need a hundred bucks for anyway?"
"A dress!" Emma said.
"You hate dresses," Sam frowned. "Why would you spend a hundred bucks on one?"
"Because I need something nice for my one-year anniversary with Quincy this weekend," Emma replied.
"Gross," Tyler cringed.
"Shut it!" Emma hissed, hitting the back of his head.
"Mom!" Tyler cried at once.
"Emma…" Sam sighed. "Don't hit your brother."
"He had it coming," Emma mumbled. "So can I have the money or not?"
"Em, you and Quincy have been together for a year," Sam said. "He obviously cares about you a lot. Do you really think you need an expensive dress to make the night special?"
"I wanted to look nice," Emma said, looking down at her feet.
"Pfft, that's a lost cause," Tyler smirked.
"You little-!"
"Alright, Tyler, go take a study break," Sam said, quickly grabbing Emma and holding her back from hitting her younger brother.
"Sweet!" Tyler grinned, running out of the room.
Sam turned back to Emma. "If you want, you and me can go to the mall after dinner to look around for something. I'm sure we can find something nice that you can wear. Something that doesn't cost a hundred bucks."
"Alright," Emma agreed.
"So," Sam said. "You excited for this weekend? Your first anniversary is a pretty important date. Do you know what you're doing?"
"We're going to go to dinner and then to see that cool acrobatics show that's in town," Emma replied.
"Wow, nice," Sam grinned.
Just then the back door opened and Freddie walked into the house.
"Hey," he said cheerfully. "What are you two up to?"
"Just talking about Emma and Quincy's big one-year anniversary date," Sam replied, giving her husband a quick peck.
"Oh," Freddie said, his cheerful tone dropping.
"What?" Emma said.
"Ignore him," Sam said. "He just doesn't like to be reminded that you've been dating a boy for a whole year."
"But you like Quincy, daddy," Emma said.
"Course I do, he's a great kid," Freddie said. "But that doesn't mean I'm crazy about him flirting it up with you."
"You know he's taking her to that cool acrobatics show in town," Sam told him. "Pretty nice, right? A lot better than what we did on our one-year anniversary."
"You told me you had a great time!" Freddie exclaimed. "We went to the aquarium. I got us in to watch them feed the sharks!"
"No, that was for our two year anniversary," Sam corrected. "For our first anniversary you took me to that lame jelly tasting."
"Oh yeah…" Freddie said. "Huh…don't know what I was thinking with that."
"A jelly tasting?" Emma repeated.
"That's right," Sam nodded. She stood up and patted Freddie's back. "Aw, but don't worry baby. We did still have fun after the jelly tasting when we went back to my place…"
"Ugh!" Emma gagged.
"We played Meat Golf!" Freddie exclaimed quickly. "That's what she meant! We went back to her house and played Meat Golf! That's all we did!"
"And that better be all you and Quincy do too," Sam warned.
"Gross, are you really going to give me the sex talk again?" Emma groaned.
"Yes she is!" Freddie said at once. "Sam, take it away! I'm going upstairs to reminisce on the good old days when the girls thought boys had cooties."
…..
"I don't really like this new Galaxy Wars mini series," Gibby commented few days later as him and Freddie sat in the middle of the Benson's living room, watching T.V.
"Why not?" Freddie asked.
"The actors look different than how they did in the original movies," Gibby said.
"Yeah, because they're different actors," Freddie said. "The original movies came out almost forty years ago. The original actors are all super old now."
"There's make-up and stuff to make you look less old," Gibby said. "Speaking of which, you should maybe try to find some."
"Hey!" Freddie exclaimed indignantly just as Sam opened the front door and walked in with Emma and Ashton.
"Ugh, I come back from a whole day at the mall to find this lump on my couch?" Sam moaned, looking over at Gibby as the twins ran upstairs.
"Is she talking to me or you?" Gibby whispered to Freddie.
"You!" Freddie snapped as Sam leaned down to give Freddie a quick kiss. "Why were you at the mall all day, Sam?"
"Eh, Emma's still freaking out over finding something nice to wear for her and Quincy's anniversary," Sam said.
"Their anniversary for what?" Gibby asked.
"They've been dating a whole year," Freddie said, rolling his eyes. "Don't you keep up with your son's life?"
"Hey, I have three kids!" Gibby said. "You try keeping up with three kids!"
"You do know that we have four kids, right?" Sam frowned.
"And we keep up with all of them," Freddie nodded. "Anyway, you better make sure your son treats my daughter right on their date. I don't want any funny business happening."
"Funny business?" Sam grinned. "God, you sound like such an old man."
"Hey, I was just telling him he looked like an old man!" Gibby said.
"Alright!" Freddie snapped. "Can we stop mocking my oldness please?"
"Sometimes it's too easy," Sam said. "But hey, baby, I was thinking, why don't we go out on Saturday?"
"Like one a date?" Freddie asked.
"No, Freddie, I want to go out and do our taxes, yes on a date!" Sam said, swatting his shoulder. "Seeing Emma all excited about her anniversary is making me feel all gushy and sentimental. We should go see that monster truck rally!"
"Yeah, because nothing screams sentimental like watching giant trucks crush smaller cars," Freddie chuckled. "But sure, let's go out! It's been ages since we've done anything just the two of us."
"Hey, can I come with you?" Gibby asked.
"Absolutely not," Sam said at once.
"Why?" Gibby frowned.
"Because we just said it was a date!" Freddie replied. "You know, as in just me and Sam?"
"So what am I supposed to do?"
"Well you got a wife against all odds, so why don't you do something with her?" Sam said.
"I guess," Gibby sighed.
…..
"That was a really fun date, if I do say so myself," Freddie said Saturday night as he drove back to his and Sam's home.
"Yeah, monster trucks, chili dogs, and funnel cakes…just what the doctor ordered," Sam nodded happily, kicking her feet up on the dashboard.
"I can already feel the heartburn," Freddie chuckled as he turned onto their street. "Hey, is that Quincy's car in our driveway?"
"Oh yeah," Sam nodded. "Well, it is almost midnight. The acrobatics show probably ended a few hours ago. I guess they came back here after; Emma must've realized they'd have the place to themselves."
"What?" Freddie exclaimed. "Where's Ashton and Tyler?"
"You dropped Tyler off at Gibby's to hang out with Kirby and Huey this afternoon, remember?" Sam said. "He texted me while we were out and asked if he could spend the night there. And Ashton's sleeping over at Clarissa's. Come on, let's give them a little while longer together and go out for ice cream or something."
"You want our daughter to be alone with her boyfriend?" Freddie frowned. "Are you insane?"
"Relax, I'm sure they're just down in the living room watching T.V. or something," Sam said.
"Sam, it was their one-year anniversary," Freddie said. "Remember what we did after our one-year anniversary? After the Meat Golf?"
"Oh…" Sam said slowly. "Well…look, I talked to Emma and she told me that her and Quincy aren't there yet in their relationship. She's not going to rush into anything she's not ready for."
"Of course she told you that," Freddie scoffed. "And you call me gullible."
"Do you not trust our daughter?"
"I trust her, it's the boy I don't trust," Freddie said.
"It's Quincy," Sam said, rolling her eyes. "You changed his diapers!"
"I'm going in to check on them," Freddie said firmly, pulling into the driveway.
"What? Baby-"
"I'm just going to sneak in," Freddie said quickly. "I'll go in the back. If they are just hanging out downstairs like you naïvely believe, I'll sneak right back out before they even realize I'm there."
"You're unbelievable," Sam sighed as Freddie parked the car.
"Be right back," Freddie said, hopping out of the car, ignoring his wife's comment.
He quietly snuck around the back of the house and slowly unlocked the kitchen door. He heard voices coming from the living room, so he ducked down by the fridge and strained his ears to hear what they were saying.
"-are you sure we should be doing this down here?" he heard Quincy say.
"Yeah, it's fine, I don't think my parents will be back for another hour," Emma said. "Come on, it will be fun."
I knew it! Freddie thought to himself.
"But what if they come back while we're in the middle of it?" Quincy asked.
"I've seen my parents doing this a hundred times, they won't care," Emma said.
Okay what? Freddie thought to himself, nearly toppling over. He stood up and carefully peered out into the living room. Emma was pushing the coffee table out of the way and Freddie was pulling something out of his bag.
"So it's just like golf then?" Quincy asked as Emma grabbed two golf clubs from behind the couch.
"Yeah, but with meat," Emma nodded. "I've never played before, but my parents play it all the time together. You, um, know they played it after their first anniversary together? That's where I got the idea."
"Cool," Quincy grinned. "Hey, you wanna go first?"
"Are you trying to be a gentleman?" Emma chuckled.
"Do you want to go first or not?"
"Yes," Emma nodded, giving Quincy a quick kiss on the lips. "Alright, let's see what's the big deal about this game…"
Freddie couldn't help but smile as silently turned around and snuck back out the door and to the car.
"Well you're not hyperventilating, so I'm guessing I was right about them not doing anything?" Sam said as Freddie climbed back in.
"Yeah, you were right," Freddie nodded. "Want to hear the cutest thing ever?"
"What?"
"They're playing Meat Golf in there," Freddie told her.
"Seriously?" Sam laughed.
"Emma said she got the idea from us."
"Of course she did, where else would she get it from?" Sam said. "That's sweet…guess we set a good example of a healthy relationship then."
"Yup, can't go wrong with Meat Golf," Freddie nodded.
"So you're fine leaving them alone then?" Sam asked.
"I guess…" Freddie conceded. "But only for a little while longer. Like I said, remember what we did after the Meat Golf?"
"Oh yeah, we're not letting that happen," Sam nodded quickly. "Not till she's thirty."
"You read my mind, baby," Freddie grinned.
