It was a calm fourth of September late afternoon in Hillwood. Within Hillwood's brownstone neighborhood was a huge marble house in the middle with the inscription "Shortman" on the golden door plate. Inside the dining hall was a couple consisting of a tall, well-built, blond-haired man with a football-shaped head, his short blond hair above the collar, a teal collared shirt, a red necktie, blue dress pants, and black leather shoes and a short, petite, black-haired woman with sky-blue-framed eyeglasses, neck-length black hair straightened and primped, a navy-blue blazer, a sky-blue dress shirt, a navy-blue office skirt, and midnight blue flat heel shoes. They were 36 going on 37-year-old Arnold Shortman and his 36-year-old wife Phoebe Heyerdahl Shortman.
Arnold was a high-profile attorney and licensed psychologist renowned for his sharp conscientiousness and formidable sense of justice. He oversaw cases with unrelenting awareness of each situation and assessed them with analytical depth, thus not resting until justice was served. His strong desire for justice and high mental intellect aside, Arnold was also a deeply compassionate person who cared for and understood people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds and/or those who had to endure abuse at home, at school, and/or at work. He even ensured that disadvantaged people had a second chance in education and in employment because he always believed that diligence and productivity were the attributes worth aspiring for. His compassion also extended to people who were victims of domestic abuse, sexual harassment, and extreme school bullying, for he never trivialized their situations and did everything he could to let justice prevail by giving victims room to speak as truthfully as possible. Additionally, his position as an attorney and psychologist meant that he also placed children at the highest priority, for they needed to be protected, loved, and well-educated. There was no shadow of a doubt that Arnold's mental, emotional, and social intellect had made him a model citizen for all of Hillwood to emulate.
Phoebe was a professor focusing on Mathematics and Physics at the University of Hillwood famed for her peerless eloquence and precise method of making the most challenging and complex of topics in her field concise and simple to understand for her students, fellow professors, and superiors. Her unwavering passion for the STEM subjects had always been evident ever since she was a young girl, and it remained as strong as ever in her adult years. As a result, Phoebe made it her sole mission to share her passion for mathematics and science with her students young and old as well as the entire Hillwood community. There was no greater joy, let alone more enlightened purpose, than seeing young minds glow and grow with confidence when being fully engaged in problem-solving and responsible experimenting. As a Mathematics and Physics university professor, she made it her main desire to see her students succeed in the fields they had chosen and gave them the necessary tools to thrive in real-world situations. Extending to her interest in teaching young adult to adult students, Phoebe was also heavily invested in children's and teenagers' well-being in terms of their potential in whatever talents they had and/or their directions in life. Therefore, she had her students' best interest at heart to aid them in carving paths for themselves in education and in employment.
Arnold's and Phoebe's shared passions for education, enfranchisement, justice, and acts of genuine human kindness, especially for disadvantaged people, were what brought them together as a couple and what gave them the gumption to have seven bright, intelligent, sensitive children of their own. Their professions may have bolstered young people's ambition to make something better of themselves and find consolation when they encountered issues at home, at the office, or at school, but their inseparable fidelity as husband and wife also propelled their seven children to do great deeds for themselves, their parents, and their community at large. Everybody in Arnold's and Phoebe's family made sure that they gave back to the community and never took their talents, their skills, and their life choices for granted.
As it was the fourth of September, it could only mean that their children started the new school year. Arnold's and Phoebe's annual ritual was preparing a welcome back to school dinner at home to celebrate their children's first day of starting the new school year off well. Arnold prepared roasted salmon and grilled venison, while Phoebe prepared spinach, cherry tomato, and Romaine lettuce salad; potatoes au gratin with bacon bits, and Brussels sprouts roasted in garlic and olive oil. For dessert, there was blueberry, strawberry, and raspberry frozen yogurt parfait served in a bowl. As Phoebe poured water in each of their glasses and Phoebe lit the candles on their grand circular table, the grandfather clock struck six in the evening, which could only mean one thing.
"Our children have returned." Phoebe said.
"And just in the nick of time." Arnold chimed in.
The main door opened to reveal Arnold's and Phoebe's seven children excitedly rushing for their welcome back to school dinner to tell their parents how their new school year went.
15-year-old ninth grader Philipp Jason Shortman was the split image of his father in terms of his blond hair and football-shaped head and was decked in a teal baseball cap, a red t-shirt, navy-blue track pants, and black sneakers. He was a self-confident and charismatic athlete who had a penchant for baseball, basketball, football, and cricket. Out of all the sports he partook in at school, he was the most passionate about baseball. When he was in pre-school, his parents always told him stories about Mickey Kaline and how he was one of the finest baseball players that Hillwood had to offer. From that moment on, he partook in Hillwood's little league baseball team and played as pitcher, catcher, and batter, thus showing incredible range. Skills in baseball aside, Philipp also possessed heaps of team spirit that assisted his fellow baseball players win several games and saw him participate well in team exercises.
14-year-old eighth grader Russell Harris Shortman was also the split image of his father but also his mother, thus combining his father's blond hair and his mother's small yet sympathetic eyes, and donned a red t-shirt, navy-blue track shorts, and silver sneakers. He was an enthusiastic and avid track-and-field star with huge aspirations to compete in the Olympics, especially in long jump, javelin-throwing, and pole-vaulting. As a toddler, he read the stories of great track stars such as Jesse Owens and Usain Bolt and wanted to run as fast as they did. Throughout his kindergarten to grade school years, he trained with his Physical Education teachers to beat his personal records in track and field. Then came Middle School where he thrived as one of his school's finest young track stars to run the hundred-meter dash in barely fifty seconds. His infectious enthusiasm also made him have several great friends and was popular among young girls, thanks to his track-star talents.
13-year-old seventh graders Stella Agatha Shortman and Marie Elizabeth Shortman were smartly dressed young ladies, with their shoulder-length black hair in pigtails, bearing small eyes, and sporting midnight-blue cardigans, sky-blue blouses, navy-blue plaited skirts, plain white socks, and black Mary-Jane shoes. Both twin sisters were keenly intellectual and sharply witty in their favorite school subjects such as Mathematics, English, Geography, History, Science, and Music. In terms of music, Stella and Marie were technically proficient violinists who enjoyed a wide repertoire from classical pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach to the spirituals and gospel music that Harvey the mailman would sing with his family and friends in church. As musicians, they refused to be one-trick ponies and loved to experiment with various music genres to expand their repertoire and to blend well with their fellow violinists. In fact, Stella and Marie were also members of their school's orchestra program where their music teacher would host semestral music recitals and have Stella and Marie perform duets composed by Alessandro Scarlatti, Ludwig van Beethoven, Dietrich Buxtehude, and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart among various composers. They even aspired to attend Juilliard in New York or the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia to become concert violinists and teach violin to young students, so long as they excelled well in school and partook in as many concerts as possible.
12-year-old sixth grader Craig Aaron Shortman had a football-shaped head like his father, but he also had black hair and donned sky-blue-framed eyeglasses like his mother and wore a predominantly blue ensemble consisting of a sky-blue collared shirt, blue denim jeans, and midnight-blue sneakers. He was an eloquent and compassionate pacifist who did his best to see the best in other people and was always open to making new friends. Just because he was a kind-hearted pre-teen did not mean that he was a pushover. Whenever something wrong occurs, he would not hesitate to solve the problem. Should stupid bullies test his patience, he would call them out on their shallow insecurity to leave him alone. Moreover, he enjoyed partaking in martial arts classes such as Karate and Taekwondo because his father's grandmother used to train him in those martial arts ever since he was a child. Since then, Craig made it his duty to use his skills in Shotokan Karate, Wado-Ryu Karate, American Kenpo, and Taekwondo to consistently build his self-confidence, protect his loved ones from harm, and set an example to younger children by inspiring them to learn martial arts. He also aspired to compete in Shotokan Karate tournaments in Hillwood and to work his way up to becoming a sixth-degree Black Belt.
11-year-old fifth graders Michaela Hilary Shortman and Kelly Jane Shortman were blond-haired, blue-eyed young lasses who were a combination of their father's diplomacy and their mother's intellect who were decked in sky-blue blouses, turquoise cardigans, light teal skirts, knee-length white socks, and midnight-blue Mary-Jane shoes. The youngest twin girls were known for being prim, proper, poetic, and pristine in their conduct and academic performances, especially in their favorite subjects being English, Spanish, History, Theater, and Music. Just like their older sisters, Stella and Marie, Michaela and Kelly also played musical instruments, with them being accomplished flautists. They enjoyed playing works by Antonio Vivaldi, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina, and Giovanni Battista Pergolesi, but they also delved into jazz, R&B, folk music, gospel music, and spirituals. Both Michaela and Kelly were also members of their school's orchestra and found themselves playing alongside Stella and Marie whenever wind instruments were needed. Moreover, Michaela and Kelly would love to be professional flautists for venues such as the Carnegie Hall in New York and the Royal Alber Hall in London, thus working toward their goals regardless of all the challenges they faced.
Philipp, Russell, Stella, Marie, Craig, Michaela, and Hilary all rushed in to give Arnold and Phoebe hugs and kisses full of joy and delight.
"Welcome home, kids." Arnold laughed.
"How was your first day of school?" Phoebe beamed.
"We could talk a whole lot about it, mom and dad." Philipp smiled.
"But right now..." Russell grinned.
"Let's eat!" Stella, Marie, Craig, Michaela, and Kelly chimed in.
The entire Shortman family gathered at the round table, with Arnold at the head, Phoebe at his right side, Philipp and Russell sitting next to each other on the right side of the table; Stella, Marie, and Craig sitting at the end, and Michaela and Kelly sitting at the left side of their father. They all made the signs of the cross and joined hands in prayer, with Craig saying the prayer before the meal.
"Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for this wonderful meal that our parents prepared for us to celebrate our first day of the new school year. We also thank you for an exciting start to the new school year full of interesting lessons and great challenges ahead of us. Please keep us all safe, strong, and open-minded to everything that comes at us. In your name, we pray. Amen."
The Shortman family made the sign of the cross, Arnold served a slice of salmon and a slice of grilled venison on each plate, and Phoebe served the salad, potatoes au gratin, and roasted Brussels sprouts as well. With their plates filled with food, they readied their knives and forks, and began to eat.
"So, Phil, how was your first round of baseball practice today?" Arnold inquired Philipp.
"Dad, it was phenomenal. We had some new members in our team who also started high school with us, and they were just as great. Some of them had awesome pitching arms, some could hit home runs, but there were others who were still getting used to playing baseball. Other than, our coach could see potential in all of us members of the Hillwood Hurricanes for our first big game this November on Veterans' Day against the Raleigh Roundhouses!"
"The Raleigh Roundhouses? Do you mean the team in nearly every high school baseball game?" Phoebe chimed in.
"Yes, Mom, that's the one. It's going to be an exciting but difficult challenge to break their record because they're unbeatable! But we have a reliable coach on our side and very cooperative teammates, so, we can't afford to lose." Philipp then slices and dices his venison before devouring it.
"Well, I wish you and your team all the best." Arnold beamed, as he savored his salmon, venison, salad, potatoes au gratin, and Brussels sprouts. "What about you, Russell, any tryouts for track-and-field today?"
"I have some good news, and I made the track team. It felt so great feeling the wind running on my face for tryouts. And when I reached the finish line, I knew I was gonna make it! My track coach said that my running time was great, but he also wants to make sure that my agility is just as strong as my speed when running." After finishing his tale, Russell gobbled on some salmon and potatoes au gratin.
Phoebe was also delighted to hear her second son succeed in his chosen passion, as she munched on her Brussels sprouts, "That is truly amazing news. By the way, Craig, how has your martial arts training gone today?"
"My Karate, Kenpo, and Taekwondo classes went well today. There were some new faces too. Some who were great in their form in kata and sparring moves in kumite, and some who were slowly getting the hang of it. I also signed up for Jujitsu and Judo in my school because I figure they would help me become a complete martial artist. Besides, one style does not dominate the others, and they must work together in harmony." Craig finished his Brussels sprouts, potatoes au gratin, and salad before heading to his salmon and venison.
"I agree, Craig. It's great that you're expanding your martial arts expertise, and I encourage you to keep on doing so. You'll never know when you'll need to use your skills in the real world unless the situation depends on your life." Arnold said, as he tucked into some salmon and venison. "And, girls, any news of your orchestra rehearsals?"
Stella started, "This coming October, we and our school orchestra are going to perform a Halloween program."
Marie continued, "And it's going to have compositions by Grieg, Saint-Saens, von Weber, Wagner, Rachmaninov, and Gounod."
Michaela proceeded, "Therefore, our rehearsal periods have been very productive."
Kelly went on, "Our conductor even made sure that we had to practice habitually if we all want to make a great show on Halloween."
Stella went further, "After Halloween, we are also going to do a Christmas program in December."
Marie completed, "And we'll also be playing traditional and modern Christmas carols."
Michaela and Kelly ended, "It's a full program!"
Stella, Marie, Michaela, and Kelly then finished their salmon, venison, salad, potatoes au gratin, and Brussels sprouts.
"Goodness me, children, you all seemed to be kicking off your new school year well." Phoebe stated, as she finished her meal and prepared dessert in a smaller bowl.
"Yeah. We got a lot on our plate." Philipp said.
"But the best part is we are all enjoying it." Russell continued.
"It's going to be more exciting." Stella and Marie chimed in.
"And there's gonna be nothing boring." Craig proceeded.
"Because we're going to stay as productive as possible in our studies and in our extracurricular activities." Michaela and Kelly finished.
"That's amazing to hear." Arnold responded.
The Shortman family managed to finish their main courses and desserts. With all plates clear, this left Philipp, Russell, Stella, Marie, Craig, Michaela, and Kelly to gather the dirty dishes and glasses, head to the kitchen, and wash them until they were all spick-and-span. After everything was cleaned and washed well, all seven children bade their parents a goodnight, prepared to go to bed, and were excited for the next few days ahead of them.
Arnold and Phoebe were now alone in the dining hall again.
"Ah, Pheebs, our children are going to make something amazing of themselves." Arnold stated, as he caressed his wife.
"Indeed, Arnold. They grow up so fast. It almost seems like yesterday that they were just so young. And here they are enjoying their first new days of school with a lot of activities ahead of them." Phoebe responded, kissing Arnold on the lips.
After the kiss, Arnold proceeded to retrieve a champagne bottle, two champagne glasses, and played a record on the stereo. As the record played, he poured a little champagne on the two glasses.
"Do you recognize this song, Phoebe?" Arnold asked.
"It played on our wedding. Franz Liszt's Liebestraum, I love it!" Phoebe ecstatically responded.
Arnold and Phoebe raised their champagne glasses.
"To our children's success in life and to our happiness after sixteen years of marriage."
Their champagne glasses clinked, they took a sip of champagne, and they waltzed the night away as Liszt's Liebestraum played on record.
The End.