May 25th 2023

Chapter 145
We Collect Our Mama

It didn't matter what kept them apart, good things or bad ones. Being away from her husband and daughters, for one night or more, was just not something she ever wanted, and the sooner it was over, the better. It wasn't as though she was so dependent of them that she couldn't enjoy herself out on her own, not at all. But the relief she would feel when she'd know that she was about to be reunited with them… It was almost palpable. She was feeling it now, as the plane touched down, having returned her to Texas.

Oh, she'd had a wonderful time with the quiz teams out in California, truly, she had. Every time she would go off for one of these team events, across the years either of them had existed, it reminded her why she was such a supporter of the entire project. There were all those great things that they did at the school, the sort of network they'd had going between them, across the grades, but it felt really good to step away from that and be reminded of what they were beyond that. And what they were was a top notch quiz team… and now there were two of those teams residing in their school.

They'd certainly made people take notice of that fact, as they'd come away at the end of the meet being the top two teams, with Born Curious just barely edging out the Critically Bookish for the win. Some of the other teams had not taken it well, and they'd made enough of a fuss that it had been requested for them to offer up a single team in the future. It could be comprised of players from each team, but there would only be one entry for their school. The students didn't protest. They saw it as a badge of honor that they were considered that much of a threat.

After celebrating their big win – big wins, the way they saw it – the night before, they'd turned in early, finished packing in the morning, and said their farewells to Los Angeles. They'd had a great time, and they would miss being out in this other world together, but now everyone was looking forward to being home again. Once they'd landed, everyone had their things gathered in no time, the better to go off and find their people.

"Hey, keep it together already!" Rochelle called after the kids as they rushed on.

"We've got them," Bodhi smiled to his former teacher. "You go and find yours." Maya tapped him on the arm, and he went after the rest of the group, leaving her to advance by the power of her heart's excitement. She was buoyant.

She didn't know exactly what she'd find once she got out there, but she knew enough to have ideas. She could look forward to seeing Lucas, her good Huckleberry of a husband, and after having been away from him for days on end, she could already feel her knees weakening at the thought of seeing him again. He had that effect on her, twenty-some years into their relationship, when they had only been apart for the space of a workday, so this? Half a week? She'd have no chance.

If that wasn't enough… the girls… their baby girls… Distance from them hit differently than anything else, and was there even any wonder why? She knew they would have experienced their parting differently, too, in a way she would have done just about anything to spare them. They'd be out there now, near to bursting with anticipation, and she felt it, too, waiting to see them again, waiting to hold their little selves in her arms, to kiss their faces, to feel their love and show them her own. And she expected a sign… They were a sign family, always had been, always would be.

Everyone's names were on it, she'd take note, when she actually stopped and looked at it, though the words 'Welcome home Mommy' were that much larger than the rest, which told her that this had been the first thing they'd put down before thinking that maybe they needed to bring up the others, too, and so they had done their best not to make it look like an afterthought. She didn't notice any of this right away, no. How could she? The moment she saw them there, holding their sign, and they saw her back, there was exactly one thing any of them had in mind, and that was closing the gap between them all.

Even in a crowded airport, she could pick out their giddy voices, and she knew that they had all been told not to run off, knew that they all understood this enough to say they would do as told… but she also knew that they had zero idea of what they would feel like in the moment, so she had best do her part before their anchors lifted and they sailed right off to rush at her. If not for her siblings being there to assist, if not for Ella, and Taylor, if not for… Alright, Mr. Huckleberry, wow… If not for all of them and him… there would have been a force seven strong, ready to bowl her over. Right about now, with how happy she was to see them, she kind of wished they would. It took nothing away from what she got instead. They were all 'released' in time, when it felt safe, and it gave Maya the impression of the 'holders' aiming the little love rockets at her.

They all found some way of grabbing hold of her, any available space would do, and she only wished she had as many hands available as she had daughters holding on to her. It would have made things so much easier, but then she was still alright. She'd been mother to all these girls long enough for her arms to know just how to make sure no one got left behind.

"Did you all get taller?" she asked as she crouched to look at them all. Most of them had pulled back - not too far, she had been gone a while - though Aubrey and Mackenzie kept a good hold around her neck, which eventually left her to kneel. Lucy was reaching up now, touching her face to scoop away the happy tears on her cheeks and creating more in the process. "I swear you were so much smaller, the last time I saw you."

"I eat all my vegetables, Mommy," Mackenzie nodded against her cheek, unmoved. Maya laughed and did her best to kiss her without breaking contact with Aubrey.

"That must be it," she told her second youngest, who received this notion with pride.

"Can we go home now?" Kacey asked, Remy echoing her barely half a second later.

They had the eager mobility that Maya recognized as coming with delayed anticipation. Coming from them, in a situation like this, it could mean one of a few things. A party? Or simply stories? They would have so much they'd want to tell her, but they had probably been told to wait until they left the airport. They would give it their best, but their patience would only know to last so long. Of her six daughters and one granddaughter who stood so close to her now, only the eldest two looked least likely to break, but even they would only last so long.

"We gotta get your things first," Tori nodded, and Maya smiled.

"We can go with them for that," Marianne chimed in, indicating her big sister and the others, leaving only her father and mother uncounted. It was a hard sell for some, so much that Aubrey was left behind in the end, but then the promise of seeing the bags go round and round did the trick, and pretty soon Maya was standing, Aubrey still glued to her hip, with Lucas stepping forward to greet her at last.

"Hey, did you get taller?" Maya grinned.

"I also ate all of my vegetables," Lucas declared, which made her laugh even as he leaned to kiss her. Aubrey was right there, stuck like glue to her mother, so he tipped down to plant a kiss on her cheek at the same time, which made her smile without budging an inch from her grip. "Welcome back," Lucas told his wife as they briefly basked in their reunion.

"Thank you, good to be back, and speaking of... back... How's yours?" she asked, and even if Aubrey had been looking at her mother's face - instead of at her necklace, with which she was playing - she would likely have missed the underlying suggestion in her mother's words. Her father didn't miss any of it, enough so that he had to momentarily remind himself where he was.

"My back is excellent, but feel free to see for yourself later," he tipped his head to her, and her smile was a delight.

"I'll do that... I've been looking forward to it," she told him.

"Daddy, do you have the pains again?" Aubrey chirped up, reaching her hand out to touch him, which got both her parents back to focus on their time, place, and present company.

"No, none of that, Lucky," he promised, leaning to kiss her cheek again. "Actually, I haven't felt this good in a long time," he told her, and he meant it.

The bags had been retrieved, and soon the group headed out for the last stretch of Maya's return home. As was to be expected, once they were all back in this familiar setting together, the floodgates opened, one girl and then another thinking of something they wanted to tell their mother. It wasn't as though they hadn't spoken to her at all in the time she'd been away, but whether or not they'd shared their stories before - and some of them they had - there was something about getting to tell them in person... The same went for getting to hear them, too.

Once they got home, where Maya discovered more decorations for her return that were definitely for her alone, there were some reunions that finally got to happen in earnest, having been paused in favor of the younger girls. Marianne was almost as stuck to her mother's side as her baby sister had been back at the airport, as was Tori. They both agreed to take a pause, if only to give Ella a chance, and Maya as well, the better to share any updates on the pregnancy and the baby's progress. And then, once he had been returned from his grandparents' house across the road, Finneas was given his seat of honor in his aunt's lap, there to make her smile, seeing his energy. She couldn't wait to see the video of his first wobbly, assisted steps, even more so to see him do it where she could see him with her own eyes.

The videos that Lucas and the others had collected over the last few days had been assembled for easier viewing, a wonderful surprise for Maya's return. Between this and the ongoing exchange of stories, it reminded them all that, as much as they hated being apart, the coming back together part made it all worth it. Everything felt new and bright because they had been without it for days, whether it was a hug, or sitting to dinner, bath time, or fixing an ouch because a funny little Macaroni had taken a short fall from one step and was in dire need of her Mommy.

"Now about that back of yours..." Maya whispered, that night, as she and Lucas finally found themselves alone in their room. He grinned, and his eyes told her plainly that all was well and, to their future pleasure, cleared to proceed.

"I think you'll be impressed by how well it's going," he told her, sweeping her in his arms, which made her snicker. They kissed, slowly, with rising passion. It had been far too long.

"Lucas..." she spoke, as they moved together to reach the bed.

"Yeah?" he replied, eyes on fire.

"Think it's time to try again?" she asked, lost in those eyes. The words lifted him into a smile.

"I think so, yeah. You?" She smiled back, heart thrilling.

"Oh, definitely."

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners