May—Mother's Day
"GOOD MORNING, MOTHER!" Castle exclaimed, startling Martha from her sleep. She sat up, wide-eyed, turning to her son, who stood beside her bed, holding a tray with pancakes, bacon, eggs, toast, and what looked to be a mug of coffee and a glass of orange juice. She smiled at him and reached out to wipe some sort of powder off his cheek.
"Good morning, Richard," she said, smiling at him. "Is all this for me? Goodness! I don't think I could finish it all myself! Could you help me?" Castle nodded, pulling two forks out of his apron pocket.
"If you insist!" he said, grinning. Martha laughed, pulling him onto the bed with her as they dug in to their breakfast.
X_X
"Morning, Mom!" Kate greeted her mother as she emerged from her room that morning. "Dad and I made breakfast!"
Johanna turned to look at the kitchen counter, which was covered in flower, dirty napkins, and bowls. She sighed, shaking her head. "I see you have," she said, running her fingers through Kate's hair. Jim chuckled, catching the wary look she sent the kitchen and walked over to greet her with a kiss on her cheek.
"Don't you worry about the mess," he said, leading her to the table, which he and Kate had set up with her breakfast—a heaping pile of pancakes, sausage links, eggs, toast, and warm biscuits, coffee and a tall glass of orange juice—and a vase with a bouquet of daisies in the center. "Katie and I will clean up; you just enjoy your day." He kissed her forehead as she sat and pulled Kate into the kitchen, where they cleaned until everything shined, as Johanna ate her special breakfast, smiling at them from her spot.
X_X
"Mama!" Javier called out. "Wake up! Nita and I are takin' you to breakfast!"
Carmela Esposito groaned, turning over in her bed and sitting up to see her two children—12-year-old Javier and 6-year-old Anita—standing in the doorway, smiles on their faces. She smiled at them, warmly.
"You don't have to spend your money on me, Baby," she said, "I'll be fine just going to the park or hanging out with you two; I haven't seen you much since you got yourself a girlfriend."
Javi blushed, rolling his eyes. "Mo-om!" he moaned and Anita laughed.
"Javi's got a girlfriend! Javi's got a girlfriend!" she sing-songed. Javier glared down at her.
"Callete, monstruo," he growled and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Niños," Carmela warned, "behave." Javi did as he was told, receiving a nudge from Anita, which he swiftly returned. She glared at him and he stuck his tongue out at her. Carmela sighed, standing up. "On second thought," she said, "let's go out. Maybe then you'll behave."
X_X
"Go wake her," Molly whispered to Kevin, shoving him towards their mother's bed. Sinead Ryan let out a loud snore and turned over, startling Kevin and he fell back on his behind.
His mother was always the hardest to wake up in the morning. Maybe it came from years of dealing with four giggly little children or maybe she was just a heavy sleeper, but when she woke up…watch out. Kevin raced back to the door but his sisters had already closed it on him. He gulped.
"Mom…" he whispered, sneaking towards her bed. Sinead let out another snort and he jumped. "Mo-om," he called out, a bit louder, "wake up…happy Mother's Day…" Sinead let out one more snort and opened her eyes, blinking sleepily at her one and only son, who smiled nervously at her. She smiled softly at him.
"Good morning, Kevin," she said, her slight Irish accent making her voice sound warmer and less gravelly than it actually was at the moment. Kevin let out a sigh of relief, thankful that she was in a good mood. Molly and Darren wanna take us all out for brunch; their treat."
Sinead smiled. "That sounds nice…is Megan here?" Kevin nodded.
"Yes, Mom," he said, cautiously, "she's here."
"And I suppose she brought that friend of hers again?" Kevin nodded and Sinead sighed. He held his breath. "Tell them I'll be out in a moment. I just have to say a little Mother's Day prayer." Kevin sighed; he knew what that meant.
"Yes, Mother," he said, turning and walking towards the door. When he stepped out, he greeted his sisters, who all looked nervous. Megan was holding hands with her girlfriend, Lucy, whose own mother wished not to speak to her anymore.
"She's saying a prayer," he informed them, "but she said she'd be right out."
Molly, Megan, and Lindsey all breathed a sigh of relief and Lucy squeezed Molly's hand, the two sharing a smile before all five of them headed off to their respective rooms to get ready.
X_X
"Mama, hurry up!" Lanie called back to her mother, Amelia, who was taking her sweet time, pushing Lanie's little brother, Thomas, in his stroller. The toddler giggled as she went over a bump in the sidewalk.
"Hold your horses, Baby!" her father, Terrance, shouted back, his arm linked with his mother's. Lanie rolled her eyes.
"But our reservation was at one!" Lanie moaned. "We're gonna be late!"
"It won't be too much of a tragedy if we are," her grandmother said, "it's just lunch, Sweetheart. Lanie sighed but relented, slowing down enough so that her father caught up to her and Grammy Delaney, whom she was named for, was able to put her arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. Lanie smiled as she inhaled the sweet, flowery scent of her grandmother's perfume, basking in her closeness.
Maybe missing their reservations wouldn't be so bad…
It's not mother's day but I think everybody should take the time to appreciate your mothers and fathers and grandparents and siblings and thank God that you have them. Appreciate and love those you have now because they may not be there tomorrow.