Go Baby Grow

Chapter 26 – Bedtime

Saturday, May 30th

1:30 a.m.

After the limo driver dropped Ryder's friends and their dates off at the prearranged locations, Julie asked him to take Ryder home first. Ryder was asleep with his head in Julie's lap. He had a smile on his face as he dreamed about the night. When the limo pulled up to the Lake House, Julie explained to the driver she would be back in few minutes.

"Ryder," Julie whispered as she nudged her friend. "You're home."

"I'm good here," he grinned.

"No, you're not," Julie declared. "Do you need help getting upstairs?"

"Will you put your arm around me?" he winked.

"Not if I don't have to," Julie responded flatly.

Ryder chuckled and walked to the front door with Julie by his side. Before he opened it, he turned to her and put his forefinger in front of his mouth, whispering and giggling simultaneously, "Shhh… Owen'll be pissed if he finds out I've been drinking."

"Good point," Julie grinned before shaking her head.

"I should get a snack before I go to bed," Ryder decided once they were inside.

"No, you should go to bed," Julie declared firmly. She walked upstairs with him, ensuring he didn't stumble into a wall. When they reached his bedroom, she closed the door and inquired, "Are you all good? Got it from here?"

"Can you help me with my shoes? They won't slide off," he lightly whined as he tried to push the shoes off at the heel.

"You owe me, Hunt," Julie grinned. She knelt down, untied his shoes, and slipped them off.

Ryder grinned and patted her head as if he was interacting with Barkley or Bogey. "You're so good, Julie."

Standing up, she suggested he take off his coat and helped him do so. The flask fell out and Ryder stifled a laugh, "Pick that up, k? I can't leave that there." To shut him up, Julie grabbed it and shoved it in her purse. Ryder nodded and praised her ingenuity.

Ryder started removing his shirt and tie and handed them to her. As he stood bare-chested, he began to loosen his slacks. Julie whispered, "I think you got it from here."

"Stay and tuck me in, JJ," Ryder whined.

"Then get under your blankets," she instructed as she covered her eyes. Thinking she was silly, Ryder threw his pants her way. Without uncovering her eyes, she grabbed them as they made contact before turning away and folding them.

"Don't worry, I won't throw my boxers at you," he assured her seriously.

"You'd better not," she quietly responded with a soft laugh.

Julie heard Ryder move into the bed. She turned around and tucked him in. He reached up and hugged her, offering, "You're the best best friend ever, JJ."

"Call me tomorrow," she whispered. "Sleep well."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

2:15am

The limo driver's last stop was the Caldwell house. He promised Julie he would wait to drive away until he knew she was safely inside. She thanked him and said goodnight. After slipping in the front door as quiet as a church mouse, she locked the door and kicked off her shoes.

Carrying the shoes in one hand and her purse in the other, Julie proceeded up the stairs hoping to not disturb Adam. Even though he had said she had no curfew, she hunched he wouldn't be wild about the time of her return.

Just as she was turning the corner at the landing, Adam's voice sounded, "How was the prom, Jules?" He was more curious than upset, but his surprising presence made Julie gasp and jump. Her shoes went tumbling down the stairs along with her purse.

"Dad, you scared me," Julie giggled.

"Sorry. Let me help," he offered. After passing her, he began collecting the strewn contents of her purse and asked, "You had fun?"

"It was a nice night," Julie grinned. She joined Adam further down the stairs and knelt down. Seeing the flask, she slipped it into the folds of her dress and kept placing items back into her purse.

When Adam stepped down a few stairs and collected the last of the items, he thundered, "Oh, for f #$s sake, Julia Claire," Adam was holding up a birth control compact and shaking it in the air.

Julie's eyes widened, and she shook her head, "Dad… it's not what you think."

"I don't need to think about this. I know exactly what it is, young lady," he bellowed even though he was only feet from her.

"Dad, honest, please hear me out," she begged. "It's so I won't have a period during Plebe Summer."

"Likely story," he growled. "Go upstairs, take off all the makeup and go to bed. I'll deal with you in the morning." When she sat frozen, looking at him, Adam ordered sternly, "Go. Now."

Julie turned and stood up, holding the flask in the folds of her skirt. As she walked with her back to Adam, she tightened her jaw. She was exhausted, overwrought from her interactions with Ryder, and terrified what Adam would do with his incorrect assumption. Stepping into the bathroom, she locked the door and started the shower.

A loud and rapid knock on the door made her jump. Adam commanded, "Shower in the morning. It's 0230. Wash your face and hit your rack."

After turning off the water, Julie leaned against the wall and breathed rapidly. "Yes, Sir," she responded. Knowing he'd be back if she didn't hurry, she washed her face, threw on her robe that was hanging on the back of the door, slipped the flask in the robe's pocket, and threw her dress over her arm.

As she walked down the hall, she noticed her bedroom light was on. When she stopped at the doorway, she saw Adam rummaging through her dresser drawers. She walked to her closet and hung her dress before inquiring respectfully, "Can I help you find something?" Her heart was pounding in her chest as she sat on her bed with the flask in her pocket. She watched him search for anything he considered inappropriate or not allowed. Fairly certain that he'd find nothing, Julie still dreaded him pawing through her possessions.

Adam glared at her, then moved to her desk drawers and began emptying them. Leaving her clothes from the dresser in a heap, he commanded, "Clean all that up.".

"Yes, Sir," she responded weakly. He was on a rampage and about to blow. She knew the best option was to quietly comply.

As he tore apart her space, Julie dutifully folded the clothes in her dresser according to Adam's expectations. Every item had a particular place and was expected to be folded a specific way. She didn't dare make eye contact nor react to his invasion.

"Why is this in here?" he yelled, holding up a hairbrush. He held it out and ordered, "Put it where it belongs." She walked out to the bathroom and put the brush in its drawer. When she returned to the room, Adam stood in the middle of the room with his arms folded.

As he began to leave, he snapped, "We're running at 0600. I expect this room to be inspection ready."

Too tired to worry about the scattered contents of her desk and the rest of the clothes that belonged in her dresser, Julie fell onto her bed and slept. Although rare, Adam's tirades exhausted her. She'd deal with having a messy room later.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'

7:30 am – The Lake House

"Pancakes! Pancakes! Can I have chocolate chips in mine? Please, please, please?" Lucas begged when he made his way to the kitchen in his PJs and discovered what Amelia and Owen were preparing for breakfast.

"No," Owen laughed. "Chocolate? That's a treat, Luke."

"Lissa makes them with chocolate chips. I like how she cooks," he smiled as he carried the milk to the table.

"We'll have to talk with her," Amelia giggled. She looked toward the stairs and saw the twins stumbling down. Olivia was behind them, yawning. "Hey darlings."

"Good morning, ladies," Owen greeted his daughters. One by one, they came over and hugged him around the waist. He kissed their heads and asked them to each take something to the table. Even Olivia was loving in the morning. Owen reasoned she hadn't yet fully awoken and had forgotten how to sneer.

"Mommy, can I have one of those pictures of all of us being silly last night?" Ria requested as she set the table.

Amelia nodded, "I'll make one for each of you. That was fun, huh?"

"I liked it, too," Anna smiled. Unlike most girls who began testing and displaying attitude as puberty emerged, Anna seemed to have soften and relax. Scientifically, the shift made no sense, yet Owen and Amelia welcomed it. As she thought about the picture session, Anna placed a bowl of chopped fruit on the table and returned to the kitchen. "Where is Ryder?"

"Still sleeping," Amelia answered as she handed Anna a plate of bacon. "That's not all yours, Bacon Girl," she smiled.

"I know," Anna giggled. "How many pieces?"

"Start with two and we'll see what's left," Owen declared. He flipped the last of the pancakes and mumbled to his wife, "Are we going to wake him up or let him sleep?"

"Did you hear him come in last night? I have no idea when he came home," Amelia commented.

"Didn't hear anything," Owen shared. "Even if he was home at a reasonable hour, he had a big night. I guess there's no harm in letting him sleep in a little."

Amelia and Owen sat down at the table and everyone filled their plates.

"Lucas…" Owen redirected, "More pancakes than syrup, Buddy."

"Right," Luke grinned. "How about fruit? More syrup than fruit?"

"Try again," Amelia laughed. "What's our game this morning?"

"The Quiet Game," Olivia groaned as she yawned. "Lucas, you lose."

"Why?" Luke protested.

"Because you can't keep your mouth closed…ever," Olivia grumbled.

With a mouthful of pancakes, Lucas mumbled with closed lips and jutted his chin out toward his sister. Owen and Amelia chuckled and soon the twins joined in. Owen shared, "Looks like he can, Livs."

Amelia grabbed her bump and let out a soft, "Oh!"

"Hmm?" Owen inquired with a mouthful of food.

"Come feel the baby, kiddos. It's really kicking hard," Amelia announced.

Owen put his hand next to hers and celebrated, "Sure enough." He leaned down and spoke to the baby, "Keep kicking for all your siblings, Baby."

Ria and Anna set their hands tentatively on Amelia's tummy and jumped when they felt the baby. They dissolved into giggles. Owen positioned Lucas' little hand and the baby complied with a hard kick. Lucas broke into eager hysterics. "I felt him!"

"Or her," Amelia gently suggested.

"Nope, it's a boy, Mama," Lucas nodded confidently.

"What if the baby's a girl?" she wondered.

"Mommy… that is way too many sisters for me. A boy needs brothers," Lucas explained.

"Hey," Ryder announced as he made his way down the steps and threw on a t-shirt simultaneously. He stopped in the kitchen and filled two large 32-ounce plastic tumblers with ice water before sitting down at the table. His hair was in its best bed-head form. Spotting the breakfast spread, he commented, "Awesome, I'm starving."

"Those aren't glasses for the table, Ryder," Anna pointed out.

"Anna, you're right," Ryder responded as he gulped down half the contents of one.

Leaning over, Ryder served himself, only to be reprimanded by Owen, "You can request something be passed your way, Son."

"Sorry," Ryder grinned as he sat down.

"How was the prom?" Amelia eagerly questioned.

"We had a great time," Ryder smiled. "It was a blast."

"What do you do at a prom?" Ria wondered aloud.

"Dance and talk and hang out," Ryder detailed. "Before the dance, we went to a fancy dinner."

"What'd you eat?" Lucas asked.

"You know… I don't remember," Ryder chuckled. Owen shot Amelia an inquiring glance and she subtly shook her head, trying to dissuade him from drawing any conclusions.

"I wanna see you dance," Ria giggled. "I bet you're a funny dancer."

"Funny?!" Ryder smiled. He leaned over and tickled his little sister, stating, "I'll show you funny, Missy."

"Ah…ah… not at the table," Owen corrected. The house phone rang and Ryder sprung up to answer it. Owen interrupted, "You eat. I've got it." He picked up the receiver and greeted, "Shepherd-Hunt Residence."

"Owen…" Adam responded. "We need to chat."

"Ok… we're eating breakfast. Can I call you back?" Owen offered.

"Sure. It's important," Adam emphasized. "Thirty minutes?"

"By 9 at the latest," Owen clarified. He returned to the table and resumed eating.

"Who was that?" Amelia inquired.

"Adam Caldwell," Owen disclosed as he gulped his coffee.

Amelia glanced at Ryder as she asked Owen, "Is there a problem?"

"I don't know, Mia," Owen responded curtly. "I told him I'd call him back." Owen looked up at Ryder and asked, "Anything I should know about before I call him, Ryder?"

"No," Ryder shook his head.

"More chance of amnesty if I hear it from you," Owen reminded his son.

"Dad, I have no idea why Captain Caldwell is calling you," Ryder slightly hissed.

Owen bore his eyes into Ryder's and pointed out, "No need to get tense."

"Yeah, sorry," Ryder offered as he ran his hand through his hair. "I think I'm gonna hop in the shower and go see what Nolan's doing. Can I be excused?"

"For now. Keep your phone handy in case I need to speak with you after my conversation with Adam," Owen agreed.

"Can I go to Nolan's too? I want to see the babies and play with Molly," Ria begged.

"We'll see, honey. Let's call over there and check first. Finish your breakfast," Amelia responded.

Breakfast wrapped up and everyone dressed. Lissa had no problem with Ria coming over, so Ryder and Ria headed next door.

"We skipped a game this morning at breakfast," she mentioned as she skipped and as Ryder walked.

"Yeah? I figured you'd already played before I came down," Ryder commented.

Ria looked up at her brother with admiration and asked, "Was going to the prom like being at a Princess dance?"

"I…" Ryder began then paused, "have never been to a Princess dance. What happens at those?"

"Like in the stories. Cinderella is all beautiful and she dances with the Prince. They look at each other while they dance and their eyes are all in love. Then it's midnight and she loses her glass slipper," Ria explained with wide hand motions and twirls.

"A prom is kind of like that. Everyone dresses up like you saw last night and we dance, but not all the dances are lovey dovey. They also play fast music," Ryder described.

"I want to go to a prom," she smiled.

"You can go when you're a senior. If any guy tries to take you to one before that, I kick his butt," Ryder chuckled.

"Why?" Ria asked.

"Because you don't need to date until you're almost grown up," Ryder declared.