A/N: I am so sorry it's taken me so long. I've been spreading myself too thin writing-wise and that coupled with going on vacation and work being less than satisfactory… well, I'm sorry to those of you who are still out there.
Summer had flown by much too fast. The nights were getting colder, days shorter, and the kids had moved on from excitement over swimming and sprinklers to school supplies and new clothes. Colton was looking forward to being a fifth grader and going on more field trips while Ben was just excited to try out another grade to see if he liked it. Avery wanted to go to school with the boys but was content with preschool for one more year, and looking forward to starting gymnastics classes again. Everything seemed to be moving quickly as the kids grew out of their old clothes and found new hobbies, but for one day they were all going to slow down, take a few hours off and spend some time outside.
"Are we almost at the lake?" Colton asked for the fourth time. "And why couldn't I ride with Isa?"
"We'll be there in about five minutes, and you couldn't ride with Isa because they've been at the lake for three days already," Adam answered, glancing into the back seat. "Why didn't you want to ride with us?"
"Because me and Isa have a lot to talk about. I guess we will just talk at the lake. Hey Ben, what are you and Junior going to do?"
"I don't know! We might play the Three Amigos on account of Liam will be there and that makes three dudes! Or maybe something else with three. I don't know yet. Sissy?"
Avery was quiet as she looked out the window, concentrating on something other than the conversation in the car.
"Hey sissy, I asked you something."
"Oh. What?"
"What will you do at the lake?"
"I don't know," she sighed. "Sarah always plays with Coley an' Isa now, not me. But maybe Teagan will play with me instead. If she does not, I will just eat snacks or something."
"Are you sad, sissy?"
"Kind of. I am too little to be Sarah's best friend now. She is nine whole years old. I am only four. That is a lot of spaces."
"You can still be best friends, Aves. Me and Isa are different too. She's a girl and I'm a boy. We like lots of different things but she is still my best friend."
"Yeah, and me and Dunner don't got much in common 'cept we love each other a lot! You and Sarah like lots of the same stuff and you love each other! You can still be best friends."
"Her doesn't want me. Her is too old and I am too little. The end."
"Aves, did she tell you that?"
"No, I just knowed it. Sarah is most taller than me. I am just a little tiny girl an' she is a big girl. She does not play dolls much no more, and she don't like dress up neither."
"Maybe it's just a phase, Aves. I bet she still loves you. Sarah is good at loving people all the time."
Avery just shrugged.
"It is okay. Me and Teagan have lots of fun. She is not a lot bigger than me. She is only six an' she likes dolls still."
"I hope you don't feel too sad, sissy. I don't like when you are not smilin'."
"I will be smiling soon Ben. For mama said we get a snack at the lake."
"That is good! Daddy said maybe there is paddle boats what we could go on! I never seen a paddle boat before but it sounds cool."
"Hey Ben, if there are paddle boats, I will go on one with you okay?"
"Awesome! Thanks Cole!"
Avery suddenly let out a loud shriek, clapping her hands excitedly.
"Daddy, park the car! I seen Mac an' Jo over yonder!"
"Let me find a spot sweetie," Adam chuckled, navigating the car around the small parking lot.
"Oh I have missed mine Jo!" Avery said, staring out the window and waving. "I just love her so very, very most."
"I think we all do," Ben agreed, tossing his seatbelt off when the car came to a stop. "Yahoo! Our lake day is starting!"
The kids tumbled happily out of the car and ran for Mac and Jo, who set their things down so they could hug the kids.
"C'mon Mac, let's go swimming'," Ben said, taking his hand. "I ain't even scared of no lake monsters or slime!"
"You ain't?"
"That's the proper way of sayin' I'm not. Mama says it you know."
"I know."
"Let's go now. You can swim with me and Dunner."
Mac didn't protest any more as Ben drug him down to the lake. Colton and Avery helped to carry the stuff that Mac left behind, chattering excitedly as they got closer to the water.
"Hey Isa!" Colton shouted, spotting his friend at the waters edge.
"Colt! You guys got here early! Ma said you wouldn't be here until almost lunch time."
"Daddy and mama made us leave early."
"Sweet. Want to run?"
Colton nodded and the two of them took off down the beach, Sarah on their heels. Avery sighed to herself and sat down in the sand next to Jo's chair, stripping her shirt off to reveal her swimsuit, then tossing it to Lindsay who had finally made it to the beach, laden down with the days supplies.
"Mama, I need that lotion stuff on me so I don't get more red."
"I know. Let me find it."
"I'm cookin', mama."
Lindsay chuckled and found the spray can in the bag, applying it to Avery's skin and knowing she would probably need another coat in an hour.
"Alright sweetie, you're covered. Go play."
"I will build a sand castle," she decided. "It will be glorious."
She skipped away, closer to the water where the sand was wet, leaving Lindsay and Jo to chuckle at her antics.
"That girl has such a southern accent. Are you certain you haven't been teaching it to her?"
"She drawls all on her own," Adam said, setting the cooler down next to Lindsay's chair. "I'm going to go get Ben before he tires Mac out too much."
"With his zest for life or his constant chatter?"
"Both."
He left them for the water and Lindsay turned to Jo with a chuckle.
"Last night Avery was asking how you can be like her grandma if a grandma is a mom to a mom or a dad. I said that our family does things a little differently and she gives me the strangest look and says "Then how come you look like you's lots older'n Jo? You gots more crinkles on yours face!" I didn't know what to say so I told her you were magic."
"I am magic," Jo replied with a laugh. "That and good genes. Did you explain to her that crinkles are from laughing?"
"Yeah. She told me she needed to stop laughing so much so she didn't look thirty because that is "most old-ish." Talk about kicking me when I'm down."
"That child is the best thing that ever happened to the world."
"Then Ben piped in with an enthusiastic "I don't care how old you are mama! You still look pretty okay!" I asked him if he would tell me when I looked old and he said no because he needs to spare my feelings."
"They have so much Adam in them, it's frightening."
"Wouldn't trade them for anything," Lindsay said as Austin came over, plopping her chair down too.
"Trade who?"
"The kids."
"I'm with you now. Go on."
"There wasn't more than that, they're just weird."
"This morning when Daniel woke up he rolled out of his bed, crawled into the kitchen and licked my leg. I asked what in the world he was doing and he said he dreamed that he was a dog and just wanted to try it out for real. Then he told me my leg was prickly and I needed to fix it."
"Nothing like a well-intentioned child to put you in your place," Jo chuckled.
"I was just glad no one else was around or I would never have heard the end of it."
"Hey mama what do you think about this what I got?" Ben shrieked happily, running up the beach with a handful of lake sludge. "Pretty awesome, no?"
"No."
"It's got lots of cool smells and feels in it! Try it out!"
"No thanks buddy. You're dripping on me."
"Sorry 'bout that. I will go show this to someone what will 'preciate it. Hey sissy and Dunner lookit this nasty business what I scooped up!"
"You know, I think if our kids didn't have each other, they wouldn't have any friends at all."
"Hey now, you've got to admit, they're pretty darn cute sometimes."
"Sometimes, but I think you're not paying attention to the fact that your two angels are having a slap fight, Linds."
"How quickly the tide can turn."
"Hey Teagan," Avery started curiously, putting a pebble on the top of her sand castle. "How come you an' Liam is the same age of six?"
Teagan giggled.
"Because we were born at the same time."
"Oh, I see. So you don't got a big brother, nor a little brother, you just got a same brother."
"Yep!"
"Don't you think it would be 'citing if your mama haved another baby?"
"Nah, I like our family how it is. Babies cry. And poop."
"My baby Thomas, her does that too. Not the cry part, the other one. But I love her."
"I wish I had a dog all my own," Teagan confessed with a sigh. "My daddy says no dogs 'til we get older. And you got a cat too, huh?"
Avery nodded.
"Yep, hers called Floppers. She 'longs to the boys. Hey, do you wanna come over to my house and play with me sometimes?"
"Really? Yeah! I would like that a lot. I don't get to go to lots of people's homes and everyone else always has more fun toys. I played with mine too much and they are boring."
"I have great toys! I got lots of dolls and stuffies, and there is a clubhouse and even sometimes mama lets me do finger painting outside! We would have so much fun! You and me like the same kind of stuff too huh?"
"Yeah. What is your most favorite thing to play?"
"Oh boy that is a big question! I like playin' with Thomas of course and I love my kitchen and my dolls. What do you like to play?"
"My favorite thing is animal doctor. I get all my stuffies and I make them all better."
"That sounds fun! We could play that at my house!"
"Will Sarah come too?"
"No, she is too old for me. She doesn't like pretending games much anymore."
Avery fell quiet, staring down at the sand and sniffling while Teagan patted her shoulder.
"Know what Avery? Maybe I am not your best friend like Sarah and we kind of live far apart but you and me have been friends for a long time and I like you a lot. It's okay if you and Sarah grow apart from each other because you still have me as your friend."
"You mean that?"
"Yep! And maybe after a little while Sarah will miss being your best friend and she will play with you again."
"Maybe. But today you and I could play. What do you want to do now?"
"I don't know. Want to go see if there is any watermelon left?"
"Oh yes, so most! You got the bestest ideas Teagan!"
"Come on, my daddy knows I love watermelon and he can't say no to me. He says I look just like my mommy and pretty ladies won't be denied."
"I like that," Avery chuckled, standing up from the sand and dusting herself off. "Your daddy is very goofy, Teagan. Does he make you laugh and laugh all the time?"
"Yeah. He does really good funny voices when he reads to us and he tickles me and Liam very much."
"All us kids got really silly daddies. I think that is fun."
"Me too. Someday I will get married to a guy that is silly also."
"I like a silly man too but I will wait a long time until he is not gross, you know?"
"Oh yeah, I know. Daddy! You got any more watermelon for your favorite daughter?"
Flack chuckled and checked the picnic table, coming up with a small bowl of leftover fruit.
"Here you go. Are you going to share it?"
"Yeah, me and Avery are taking a snack break before we make the moat on our castle. And then we're going to fill the moat with water and put some goldfish crackers in it! Isn't that a great idea?"
"I think so," he laughed, watching as the girls sauntered off together.
"Hey girls, wanna play with us guys?" Junior asked, running up the beach to them. "We could think of something real awesome."
"I don't know. Avery, do you want to play with the boys?"
"Hmm. I dunno. You sure you got something real good?"
"Well, maybe if you help us think of something."
"Maybe we could give it a shot, huh Teagan?"
"Yeah, let's go for it."
"Alright boys we will play with you."
"Sweet! Hey Ben and Liam, they said they would play! Hurry up and help me bury them in the sand."
"I did not sign up for that, Dan-yo!" Avery scoffed, her hand on her hip.
"Don't worry Aves, it will be fun. I will even go first and show you."
"Oh fine. But I don't want no sand in my suit, okay?"
"It's a deal."
"You guys are gross."
Lindsay pulled her glance away from Adam and glared at Austin, wondering what had brought on such a statement.
"Huh?"
"That man has kissed you every single time he's walked by," Jess answered with a snicker. "And he's gone out of his way to walk by about twelve times."
"So?"
"Every single time."
"We had the biggest fight of our entire relationship last night and he's just trying to make sure I know there's no hard feelings."
"Your big fights usually last about two seconds and end with you both laughing about your impressions of each other."
"Well this one lasted more like four hours and there was name calling and throwing things, but it did end with us both laughing so I guess that's okay."
"What could you two have possibly fought about?"
"It started over something stupid and before I knew it we were screaming at each other about things that happened years ago, things neither of us cared about, and the fact that the other person's screaming was going to wake the kids up. It ended with both of us standing in the kitchen breathing like we'd just run a marathon, then bursting into laughter because I broke that ugly plaque his grandmother gave us for a wedding present and we've both hated it for years and… needless to say, we made up and went to bed and didn't discuss it anymore."
"I don't know if that's unhealthy or genius," Jess chuckled, watching her kids out of the corner of her eye.
"It works for now. He said something about the twelve year itch and maybe that was us getting over it but I'm wondering if the psychological studies of the world are going to throw a sixteen year itch at us next."
"I wish Danny and I fought like that. We stay mad for days."
"I always make sure Don apologizes first, even if I was wrong, which I am a lot. Keeps the magic alive a little."
Jo just shook her head at the three women. Mac was too passive to ever argue with her and she was too optimistic to ever argue something for very long. Clearly they all had different ways of interacting within their marriages but no one seemed to be doing a bad job of it.
"Daniel Messer, let Ben go!" Austin hollered, finding her son with an expert head-lock on his best friend.
"Aw ma, we're just wrestlin'!" he protested, letting Ben go anyway.
"Yeah Austin, just wrasslin'," Ben agreed with a nod. "It was my idea! I need to learn some new moves on account of I am almost a second grader."
"Yeah, Binyin said I could head-lock him."
"Sissy volunteered to sit on me but I didn't want to die today."
Austin snickered as the boys jogged up the beach to explain why they were wrestling and why Ben felt that wrestling with his brother just wasn't cutting it anymore.
"But why do you need to learn to wrestle?" Jo asked.
"Because that is what boys do. Girls play dolls together, boys wrestle and spit!"
"Yeah Jo. Besides, if you squint your eyes, it looks kinda like huggin'."
"You boys are something else."
"We know! Come on Binyin, let's go over there and maybe you could flip me over your shoulder."
"Woot!" Ben hollered, following Daniel back towards the water. "I bet I can't but it will be fun to give it a whirl."
"Ben Ross, the constant optimist," Jess noted with a chuckle. "If only we could all look at the bright side that much."
"He is pretty positive," Lindsay agreed. "But he has his moments of "distress and despondence" as he calls it. The other day I found him crying in his room and when I asked him what was wrong he said that he didn't have to justify himself to me. I haven't bugged him about it since."
"Linds, I think you should write a book about all the strange things your kids do. I would read it."
"I could write a whole chapter on the drama surrounding Avery's diary and Ben reading it."
"Avery can't write."
"I know. According to Ben it's just a book full of scribbles, except for a few names that she can write. According to Avery, it's all her most personal secrets and Ben shouldn't have read it. We had to have a very long talk about privacy. Which didn't really sink in, since they both busted in on me in the bathroom later that afternoon."
"That's parenthood," Jo commented. "I don't think I had a moment actually to myself until Ellie was ten."
"Marriage isn't any different. I went to take a bath last week, just to escape all the craziness and within ten minutes Danny was knocking on the door, asking me where the frying pan was, was the dishwasher ready to go, were the clothes in the washer clean or dirty, did I pay the electric bill and my favorite "You've been in there forever, I miss you!" I chalked it up to a loss after fifteen minutes and resigned myself to this life until he kicks the bucket."
"But then you have to move in with me because you promised," Lindsay reminded her with a grin.
"Yeah, once we're both widows we're going to party it up!"
"I just hope it doesn't happen for another hundred and forty years or so."
"True that."
A loud and excited holler went up from the kids who were grouped around their fathers all discussing something loudly. After a while they disbanded, heading towards the volleyball net that Mac had just set up. The kids stood on one side while Adam, Danny and Flack stood on the other, each team seemingly discussing strategy.
"Oh, this is going to be good," Jo chuckled. "I don't know which group is more inept."
"I'm placing my bets on the kids for the win," Jess decided, lowering her sunglasses to get a better look. "Only because I'm totally certain that Danny and Don are going to bicker the entire time, leaving poor Adam to actually try and play."
"And his coordination skills leave a lot to be desired," Austin agreed. "Sorry Linds, you married a klutz."
"But a cute klutz. He falls pretty well."
"Is Mac seriously being the referee? I think he's partial to the kids."
"He has a whistle. For the love of all things sports related, the man brought a whistle. Why isn't anyone recording this?"
"Because no one else would find it funny."
Avery ran up the beach towards them, crying for all she was worth and tripping halfway there because she was so distraught.
"Baby, what's the matter?" Lindsay asked, pulling the little girl into her lap.
"They said I are too short! I cannot play! I not like being the most little!"
She burst into fresh tears and buried her face in Lindsay's hair, mumbling her disappointment.
"Did you ask them to find a place for you to play too?"
"Yes! Coley said I can go be a ref'ree with Mac! I not wanna do that, I wanna play!"
"Do you want me to talk to your brother for you?"
"No! All them kids voted an' I got kicked out! Sarah said it is for they don't want me to get hurt. But I want to play anyway!"
"I know you're frustrated honey, but there is a good chance you'll get hurt out there. If you are okay with taking that risk then I want you to march over there and tell the kids that you have just as much right to play as they do."
"I are defeated, mama. I can want to play but they will not let me."
"Averylin Grace, since when did you stop standing up for yourself?"
"Since today!"
"Are you going to sit here and cry about this or are you going to do something?"
Avery sat up and wiped her eyes, sniffling for a moment before she made up her mind.
"I could use bad words when I talk to them kids?"
"No, you may not use bad words."
"Oh alright. I will go now an' tell them what I think."
She squared her shoulders and marched off with her hands on her hips, hollering at the kids when she reached them. An argument ensued between her and Colton, the latter of which finally conceded and let her join in under strict instructions to be very careful. Satisfied, she sat down in the sand and began to bury herself, impeding everyone else's fun.
"I guess I have to go over there," Lindsay sighed, standing up from her chair and heading over to Avery, crouching down to talk to her. "Baby, if you want to play with the kids then you need to get up and play the game. You can't just sit in the court like this."
"You said I could play!"
"Yes I did but I meant that you could play volleyball. If you want to play in the sand then come sit by me."
"I are not too little mama!"
"Alright, you need to come with me and have a snooze."
"I could take a nap?"
"Yes, of course."
"Oh good! I been fightin' my sleepy for most long! We will snuggle?"
"Absolutely."
"Okay! Bye kids! I get to go snuggle with mama!"
"What a long and happy day we had," Ben mused, taking his glasses off and setting then next to his bed.
"Yeah, it was a pretty long day," Colton yawned. "Only the weekend and then we go back to school."
"Yep! I'm gettin' excited for that. Are you too Cole?"
"Yeah, I like school."
"Me too! Mostly I like the part of having lots of friends and playing and stuff. I don't like the learning part so much because teachers don't like when I ask so many questions."
"Sometimes if you just wait they will answer the question before you ask it."
"Oh they will? Wow, that's nifty! I will remember that. Do you think that sissy will have fun at preschool? Sometimes I worry about her."
"Why do you worry Ben?"
"Oh because she doesn't have a best friend at school. It's just her by her own self. I just don't want her to feel bad. Mama says that sometimes if girls feel bad like they have no friends when they are little they will grow up and still feel sad. I don't want sissy to be sad."
Colton was quiet for a little while, pulling back the covers on his bed and climbing beneath them.
"Hey Ben, I should talk to you about something."
"What's that Cole?"
"Come over here and sit by me so I can talk quieter. I don't want anyone to hear."
Confused, Ben crossed the room and sat down next to his brother, concerned about that he was going to say.
"What's the matter?"
"When you were just little, mama was really sad for a while. I don't remember a whole lot of it but she didn't play with us much and sometimes she stayed in her bed all day. Daddy tried his best to help her and eventually she got happy again. But I heard her and daddy talking a while ago and mama says that she is worried that us kids will grow up and be sad like she was. She said she's especially worried about Aves. I think that you and me need to start protecting Aves feelings and her heart more. I don't do a good job of it because sometimes she drives me nuts, but you're really good at making sure she's happy. So I think we should team up together to make sure that even when Aves is lonely or if she feels bad about herself, we make her feel better. Isa told me that lots of girls she knows feel like they are ugly and stuff and I don't want Aves to feel like that because it would make her sad, right?"
"Girls sure go through a lot huh?"
"Yeah, they do. That's why Aves has us. Because we will always love her no matter how she feels right? So we need to make sure she knows that."
"How do we do that?"
"I think we just tell her we love her. Make sure we do that every day. Also I think that we should listen to her and ask her how she feels a lot. Just to make sure."
"I could do that. Me and sissy have a great rapport, except on the days when we are fighting."
"Sometimes it is normal to fight but make sure you always tell her that you love her afterwards."
"Okay! I think we should go in her room and hug her right now!"
Grinning they both went into Avery's room where she was sitting on her bed brushing Thomas.
"Oh, hello boys. I'm just gettin' Thomas ready for bed. What is up?"
"We just came to hug ya, sissy!"
"Well okay then! C'mere and squeeze me most big!"
They joined her on the bed, one brother on either side, and hugged her tightly until she giggled.
"Wow, it's a Avery sandwich! I wonder what it tastes like!" she laughed. "I like when you hug me like this. You are the most best brothers."
"And you're the best sissy! Us two will love you forever. Will you 'member that?"
"Okay Ben, I will. I will love you boys too. Even when we get mad at each other."
"Yeah, we have to remember to stick together like the Three Amigos," Colton said with a smile. "And Aves if you ever need me or Ben or if you feel sad about something will you come tell us?"
"Okay. I will also write it in my diary."
Ben stopped himself from saying it was a book of scribbles and nodded his head instead.
"You always got us, sissy. We will be your brothers for life."
"Daddy told me that brothers and sisters are built in best friends. I know you and Sarah aren't seeing eye to eye right now, but you got me and Ben."
Avery's lower lip quivered and she sniffled just a little.
"Thanks Coley."
"And if you want me to, I will talk to Sarah and tell her that your feelings are hurt."
"Maybe someday. Today I are just real glad I gots you brothers."
"We're glad we got you too sissy. I feel like we need to go downstairs and all hug mama and daddy. I don't want them to feel left out from all this lovin'."
Colton and Avery agreed and the trio trooped down the stairs, finding Adam and Lindsay cuddled up on the couch.
"You kids ready to be tucked in?"
"We's comin' down so you an' mama could share in all the lovin'," Avery reported, climbing up on the couch between them. "This way you don't feel leaved out."
"Aw, thanks Tink."
"Daddy, mama, I would like to take this moment to say thank you for making us such a great family to have," Ben declared seriously. "It musta been some hard work you two put in."
"It was worth it, buddy. Mama and I would do anything to make you kids safe and happy."
"We is happy, daddy," Avery explained. "Gots each other for always. It is the most greatest thing."