Okay, people. Here we go! And don't forget to review!
"Hey there" – speech
Hey there – thoughts
Chapter 1: Catching Up With the Bakers
After yet another long day of looking after their remaining children, who were wholeheartedly embracing the beginning of their summer vacation, Kate Baker gratefully sank into the mattress of her and Tom's king sized bed and sighed with relief.
"Having three kids out of the house definitely does not make this job any easier." She chuckled, closing her eyes wearily.
Her husband hummed distractedly in reply while continuing to wash his face in the sink of their en suit bathroom. Kate opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him through the doorway. Tom had be quite a bit more subdued rather than his normal exuberant self but she couldn't for the life of her work out why.
Kate furrowed her brows in concern, "What's the matter Tom? You're not usually this quiet. Have Kyle and Nigel been asking you awkward questions again? I knew I should have allowed them to help Kim and Jessica finish their Sex Ed poster -"
Tom blinked owlishly, his lips twitching into a hint of a grin, before he cut his wife off as she began to go into a rant.
"No, no. It's nothing like that. I'm fine, really."
Kate fixed her husband with a look as he crawled into bed beside her.
"I have been married to you for almost three decades, have brought up twelve children with you, three of whom are now adults, the eldest of who has her own husband and child and is now heavily pregnant with her second." She said dryly, "I think I have enough experience to know that you are not fine."
Tom chuckled, turning onto his side to face his wife.
"Well, you know… It's just – I was just thinking… the kids – they all seem to be growing up so quickly now. It feels as though it were just yesterday that they were all needing diapers and sippy cups… Now Nora's got her own family, Charlie and Lorraine are both in college, Jake's bringing home a new girlfriend every other week and Sarah spends most of the year at boarding school…"
Kate watched as her husband trailed off and reached out to gently stroke the side of his face. In all honesty she could clearly see where he was going with this. She, herself, dreaded the day when their home would be devoid of any of their quickly growing children. They may already have grandchildren in the form of their eldest daughter, Nora, and her husband, Bud McNulty's, son Tommy McNulty and his unborn sibling but it just wouldn't be quite the same.
Kate smiled sadly at her thoughts, "They all have to grow up some time, you know."
"I know. It just feels like – like we're slowly drifting apart as a family. I just want to bring back some of that closeness somehow."
"How do you propose we do that?"
Tom paused in thought before carrying on, "Well, it's summer vacation… How about a vacation? Yeah, a family vacation! Bud, Nora and little Tommy can all come too since Bud's promotion means he gets earlier and long summer vacations from his work now!"
Kate watched the smile on Tom's face widen into an excited grin as his eyes lit up with ideas, crazy ones no doubt but ideas none the less.
"We'll go back to Lake Winnetka!"
Yep, definitely crazy, Kate thought as she attempted to quieten her husband's excited voice.
"Me and Charlie have been fixing the cabin up these last few summers. Trust me Kate; it looks so good that even Lorraine wouldn't mind staying in it for a couple of weeks!"
Kate raised an eyebrow, So that's what they've been doing during their 'manly bonding sessions'.
"Charlie and Lorraine both have their own cars which will make the journeys there and back so much easier! Bud and Nora have their own car-!"
Kate quickly put her hand over her husband's mouth to prevent any more words from spewing out uncontrollably, her lips twitching in mirth.
"Alright, I admit that this sounds like a good idea and should be fun." She smirked, laying back down into her pillows, "You get to convince the kids though."
Tom simultaneously paled and pouted at her (a curious expression for a man of age indeed) before smiling and kissing the corner of her mouth tenderly. He twisted to turn off the still lit lamp on his bedside table before lying back down and resting his arm on his wife's waist.
"I love you, Mrs Kate Thomas Bake," he whispered into the darkness.
"I love you too, Mr Thomas Baker," came the ever tender reply.
(Two days later)
Sarah Baker rested her head against the backseat of her second eldest sister's car as she listened to said second sister bicker with Charlie over which radio station to listen to. Charlie wanted to choose since he was the one who was actually driving (his own truck being put into the, thankfully, sensible driving hands of Henry) whereas Lorraine argued that it was "her car" and therefore "she gets to choose the goddamn station!"
It's as if we've never been away from each other, Sarah thought while grinning a little and looking around the interior of the vehicle.
Lorraine's suitcases predictably took up the rest of the backseat and most of the trunk and, though you would never be able to tell, Sarah and Charlie's suitcases were somewhere under that lot as well. The majority of the rest of the Baker's luggage was in the back of Charlie's truck. Now, the reason behind Charlie not driving the pride and joy that is his old, beat up truck is that Lorraine point blank refused to have Jake in the car with. The teen had been ranting non-stop to anyone who would listen (as well as those who wouldn't) about the latest argument he had gotten into with his latest girlfriend. Though Lorraine didn't want to have to drive the whole journey there, she also refused to trust Henry with her "baby" (despite the fact he was already a better driver than her) which is how we came to this situation; Henry would drive Charlie's truck, skilfully ignoring the ravings of his younger brother, who was to strictly be a passenger, and Charlie would drive Lorraine's car with Lorraine and Sarah as passengers.
Sarah stifled a snort at the thought of the dynamics of her family. Despite her going to boarding school for the last three years and only coming back for the major holidays, she was still super close with Jake and Mike. However, even she couldn't handle another complaint from Jakes mouth. Absently twisting the silver ring around her thumb, Sarah looked out of the window next to her watching the scenery blur by.
Having finally settled on a station they could both listen to, Lorraine turned from Charlie and leaned back into her seat, cracking open the window to let some fresh air circulate the stuffy interior on the car.
Ugh, I hate outdoors-y stuff. There better not be any bugs or I am so out of there! Crazy Dad and his crazy ideas for 'family bonding', Lorraine sighed and let her eyes wander to the rear-view mirror of her car, resting her gaze upon the reflection of her younger sister. So much of her seemed to had changed since she started going to that boarding school. Yet at the same time, so much hadn't changed at all.
What was that place called?, Lorraine furrowed her brows in thought, It sounded super rich and church-like. Royal something. Royal Trio? Royal Divinity? Something posh.
Ever the modern, fashion conscious girl (or woman really), Lorraine slowly perused her sister's attire. Blue lace up vans and tan, cuffed chino shorts which went to about an inch below her knees. Lorraine knew from that morning that Sarah had on a long white tank-top with the name and logo of another one of those rock bands she and Charlie seemed to like so much recently.
Sleeping With Sirens, I think. Jeez, these bands of theirs have such weird names, Lorraine thought with a slight shake of her head before continuing her inventory of Sarah's appearance.
The tank top was covered by a large navy blue hoodie, several sizes too big for Sarah, and was zipped up half way with what Lorraine thought to be Sarah's school's crest peeking out from behind the open collar. The number "12" was stitched, in white cloth, onto the shoulders of the sleeves as well as the back of the hoodie, though in a much bigger size. All in all it seemed to be quite a manly hoodie, even for her tomboyish sister who had now finished lazily twisting her somewhat longer deep brown hair into a plait over her shoulder.
I could have sworn the name on the back said 'EL'. Two letters? Maybe they're initials. They definitely don't relate to Butch in any way… ooh! Maybe a secret boyfriend? Hah! That would be the day, though it was definitely some guy's hoodie…
Lorraine quietly snickered in her seats, earning a weird look from Charlie. She paid him no mind however as the unmistakeable glint of jewellery coming from her sister's hand caught her eye.
Lorraine smirked, "What's that on your hand, Butch? Did a boy actually work up the guts to give you a promise ring? Maybe a proposal?"
At these words, Charlie's looked up sharply, kicking himself into "Over-Protective-Big-Brother Mode", even for the sister who swore off boys at the tender age of three.
Sarah paid him no mind however, easily recognising the teasing tone of Lorraine's voice and fully prepared to give back just as good as she got.
"Chill, Princess." Sarah smirked right back, "We don't all live in that glittery, pink fairy tale world of yours. This is just a school ring."
Sarah held up her right hand to let the silver band on her thumb be clearly seen. Lorraine's expression quickly changed to that of curiosity as she turned in her seat to get a better look.
"You mean like a class ring?"
"Sort of, I guess, but every student gets one when they start at Royal Trinity–"
That was the name!
" – no matter when they begin or leave. It kind of links us together as a sort of family, I suppose. Even the teachers have one. After your last year, Upper Sixth Form, you get given another ring but this is more like a proper, crest ring with the whole coat of arms instead of just the crest. That one is supposed to go on the ring finger of your right hand." Sarah pulled off the ring and handed to her sister for closer inspection.
"What? So this one's actually supposed to go on your thumb?" Charlie interjected, also curious.
Sarah shrugged, "Apparently. No idea why."
Lorraine looked at the ring. It wasn't very thick or heavy but it was quite wide, apparently to allow for the detailing of the crest in coloured enamel. The shield was taken up predominantly by a white bishops hat with a diagonal golden stripe running behind it from the top left of the crest down to the right. The remaining sections of the crest were navy blue, the same blue as Sarah's hoodie Lorraine noted, and had a small, fierce, golden lion in each of the two sections. The was also some italicised writing on the inside of the ring.
Lorraine raised a perfectly shaped eyebrow, Nos simul pugnare pro magnificentia? What in the name of Tyra Banks' legs does that mean?
"Hey, Butch, what's this writing on the inside?"
"Oh, that's just the school motto. It means 'Together we shall strive for greatness'."
Lorraine's other eyebrow rose to match its mate as she continued looking at the ring. Charlie gave Sarah a teasing half-smile from the rear-view mirror.
"No offense, Sarah, but this school of yours is sounding pretty damn posh."
Sarah grinned back at her brother in amusement, "Not gonna lie to you, Charlie, it IS pretty damn posh. You should hear some of the rich kids: My daddy does this and my allowance is this much and my pencil case was this fucking ridiculous in price."
Both Lorraine and Charlie laughed at Sarah's mocking, though crude, imitation of these spoiled brats. Charlie then locked his gaze with his little sister in the mirror.
"You're happy though, right? You're happy at this place?"
Lorraine handed the ring back to Sarah before looking at her, also needing to hear the girl's reply. She knew that the relationship between her and Sarah stood out due their polar opposite personalities and their never-ending clashes of wit and will. Lorraine still loved her though. Sarah was her sister, her family. That means unconditional love and caring.
Sarah looked up at her siblings and smiled. It was small but so tender and genuine that it almost broke their hearts; sometimes they forgot that their little sister was very much human with all the normal sensitive emotions instead of the cold, unbreakable, prankster.
"Yeah," Sarah rested her head back against the window beside her, "Yeah, I'm happy. I miss you guys but I love it there. It's fun. I feel free. I've met some really great people there… "
Sarah trailed off and started playing with her school ring again, that small smile still on her lips. Tearing their eyes from their sister's content form, Lorraine and Charlie glanced at one another. They were both surprised at the depth of emotion in Sarah's soft words. After a moment they turned back around to concentrate on completing the rest of their journey to the lake. The radio continued to buzz on tunefully, softly in the background.
And there we go! Chapter 1 is complete and has over 2000 words. So tell me what you guys like, don't like and what you want to see in the coming chapters through your reviews! You know you wanna press that button ;)
Sentarstage, out!