Chapter 12: Naley
The morning was always an interesting sporting event in this household, Haley James-Scott reflected as she walked down the hall. The house was full again, and there was always the pounding of small feet. She was the youngest of a large family, she would keep reminding herself. But now she was in her early fifties and was hoping when she saw LK off, she could retire. Haley shook her head, want to be certain the world would laugh at you, tell it your plans. In this case, it laughed then said: "Here, hold my beer."
Haley walked into the kitchen and looked over the room. Slowly she smiled as her baby, her only daughter, Lydia, aka LK, was sitting in her normal spot, poking at her typical breakfast. Like clockwork LK would be there, doing the same thing, no matter what day of the week. Haley smiled, but what would you expect from a girl that likes to solve advanced algebra problems for fun.
"Morning LK," Haley said and walked to the fridge.
LK looked down at her bowl, "Morning, Momma," LK said, her voice having its usual disconnected sound.
"You didn't have to get up early today," Haley said as she looked over the content of the fridge.
"It's always good to get a jump on the day," LK said.
"So, what does this bring for LK?" Haley asked, shifting a few things around the stuff in the fridge.
"I have homework, and I have RavenHussar streaming today," LK said.
"You've never been one for video games," Haley said, carrying out what she decided she was making for breakfast.
"It is good to support people," LK said, "Even though most of the vehicles in the game are factually wrong, they have a passion for it and one should support the arts."
Haley nodded, "I didn't know live-streaming a video game could be considered an art," she said.
"Loosely defined anything came to be art," LK said.
Haley nodded, "I guess you're right," she said and looked around; it was too quiet, "Have you seen your Dad or the horde?"
"It's when Dad normally jogs, as for the others I don't know where they are but they are quiet," LK said.
"Exactly that is what is scaring me, LK," Haley said.
"What would scare you about children being well behaved and not making noise?" LK asked.
"Not making noise might indicate that they are not well behaved," Haley said.
"That doesn't make sense," LK said, "The old idiom reports children should be seen but not heard, but you're saying the opposite."
"I never believed that," Haley said, "Anyways do you see them?"
"No," LK said.
"Exactly," Haley said.
"I still don't get it, Momma," LK said.
"Hopefully you will," Haley said, and then sighed, "Someday."
Haley put the stuff down on the stove. At that moment she looked toward the hall. Another heavy sigh followed, and she checked her wristwatch. Another few breaths passed she headed back out.
"Make sure no one takes anything," Haley said, walking past the breakfast bar, where LK sat.
"Okay Momma, but who would take it?" LK asked.
"Never mind who, just watch the stuff," Haley said, as she walked back into the hallway. Haley shook her head; she never expected to do another tour of duty as a parent, especially with little ones. Having LK later in life, her change of life baby, just really extended the tour, but she's now fifteen, so it was winding down. But now she had, some, thank god, not all of her grandchildren. Some blessings, that Wyatt lived in New York, Brett was seventeen and lived with her Mom and James, and James' others lived with them. It was just the horde she and Nathan had, the most undisciplined lot of them all.
They were Brian's kids with Gabi. The two most unfit parents Haley had ever seen. Thank god Trin got Wyatt as far as way from Brian as she could. She hated thinking about these things about her younger son, but he had never done anything to disprove her thoughts, with his actions. Of all her grandchildren, most of them, four that she knew of, where through Brian, and she and Nathan had custody of three of Brian's children.
Haley nodded, as she listened and slowly walked through the house. Trin had been a blessing as being a Mom to Brian's oldest, Wyatt, she was an engaged parent, and he was turning into a well-manned young man. Also, Trin made an effort for Wyatt to know his siblings, well the ones they knew about. Since that damned year, the annus horribilis, it was made a lot easier for Trin to have Wyatt spend time with the horde. That was when they came into her and Nathan's custody.
Haley finally turned the corner and found the horde. By well-honed Motherly Instincts and the guilty look on their three faces she knew they were up to no good. That was typical for them, and Haley sighed. Which one was going to be the spokesman for the group, was the only question? Haley had her bets on which it would be.
The five-year-old step forward, Darren Scott, as far as Haley knew, Brian youngest. He looked up at her with a gap-toothed grin; he had lost one of his teeth recently, and the tooth fairy did come. Haley sighed, and there was a fight over the money between Darren and his siblings.
"Nana, we didn't do it," Darren said.
"Didn't do what?" Haley asked.
"Nothing," Darren said.
Haley nodded and looked over to the oldest of the three. He is the absolute ringleader of the horde; the eleven-year-old Lennon Scott, Brian's second son. Where Darren was pretty typical for a five-year-old, Lennon had started to take on the tall Scott build; this branch of the family had a more muscular build than the older branch. Lennon was also out on the basketball court with his granddad, part of it was to teach him the game, and the rest was to burn off his energy.
"Lennon, what were Y'all doing?" Haley asked.
"Nothing," Lennon said, "yet," he finished under his breath.
Haley shook her head, "Really, I swear I'm going to have to GPS mark Y'all," she said and looked over to the middle child. This was the one she feared the most, the six-year-old, Lacy Scott. She looked at Haley and smiled. Haley knew that smile; it was a scary smile, especially on a six-year-old. Where Lennon was the ringleader, Lacy was the instigator and lawyer of the group. Where the two boys were blonde, Brian's coloring, Lacy had auburn hair, Gabi's coloring.
"You don't have to tag us, Nana," Lacy said.
"Why not, Lacy?" Haley asked.
"Because we're not up to no good," Lacy said.
"That's a double negative, Lacy," Haley said.
"So?" Lacy asked.
"Did any of you eat breakfast?" Haley asked.
"No," the three kids said.
Haley sighed, "Now get your butts into the kitchen and eat breakfast," she said.
The three kids nodded and head out of the room. Haley walked out of the room and watched down the hall as the horde headed towards the kitchen. There was a loud bang behind Haley, she turned around and looked at the shelf that just fell over. Shaking her head, she sighed and rested her hands on her hips.
Nathan walked over and looked over Haley at the mess. "Are you okay? What happened?" Nathan asked.
"Your Grandkids did this," Haley said.
Nathan nodded, "So why are they mine when they do something wrong?" he asked.
"Because they are from your son," Haley said.
"Again, because they do something wrong, it's my fault?" Nathan asked.
"Because…just because," Haley said, and sighed frustrated.
Nathan wrapped his arms around her. He rested his chin on top of her head. "We'll get through them," he said.
"They're just so wild," Haley said.
"Was Brian any different?" Nathan asked.
"Not when he was their age," Haley replied.
Nathan nodded, "Yeah, well everyone is different," he said.
Haley nodded, "Oh shit, I got to get to the kitchen before they tie LK to a stake and burn her alive," she said, and started shifting out of Nathan's arms.
"Do you really think they would do that?" Nathan asked.
"I wouldn't put it past those savages," Haley said as she headed down the hallway.
"Is that a nice thing to say about your Grandkids?" Nathan asked.
"No, but they are your grandkids," Haley said.
"Are you sure?" Nathan asked.
"No, you can have them all," Haley said, "I'll claim Wyatt and James' kids."
"Gee thanks," Nathan said.
"You're welcome, Honey," Haley said and ended up in the kitchen. LK was still in her usual spot and had moved onto her tablet. Haley nodded, LK was difficult, but she was generally well behaved. The horde was surrounding the table eating. There was a mess from where they made their bowls of cereal if that was the only damage, they did Haley could live with it.
Haley went back to the stuff and the stove and started sorting through it for her to make breakfast. She sighed as started making breakfast for her and Nathan. She looked over to the table and nodded.
She would often wonder about life. When Haley had gotten pregnant with LK, she was ecstatic as she was pregnant at the same time as her two best friends. For the first time in their lives, they would be able to raise their children together. That was the beginning and the end, as life took a turn after that. Was it hubris? Was it fate? Maybe it was that old saying, Woody Allen, sounds about right, "If you want to make the universe laugh, tell him about your plans."
Haley looked down into the eggs in the pan, and the repeated motion of scrambling the eggs, that mindless motion, brought her to the place of nostalgia. No, nostalgia wasn't the right word, because nostalgia would indicate fond memories, and these were anything but. All this started when she was pregnant with her two best friends, they would raise these new children together, and the children would be friends like they were, or what later they became family. That's when the universe laughed, that sinister laugh it would always do when you told him your plans.
Keni's Dad was murdered before he even knew he was going to be a Dad again. Nathan's knee blew out and he had to retire from basketball. James, Haley's dear oldest son, married out of high school a woman with a daughter. Nathan fell into melancholy afterward. Brian, well he stepped out from the shadow of James, but with that, he became a monster. That caused a falling out with her and Brian. At the same time, the family had to come to terms with LK's uniqueness, and Brian went out on his own. The net result was he left two young women pregnant, and one went with him. Which all lead up to that year, that one shitty year…
"Hales," Nathan said as he walked into the kitchen.
"What?" Haley asked.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked, "You were lost in thought."
Haley shook her head, "Nothing, really," Haley said.
Nathan nodded, and gave her the look of disbelief that a husband would give a wife sometimes, "So have you heard from Lucas?" he asked, thinking about his older brother.
Haley shook her head, "No, I haven't since we saw him at Beaulieu last night," she said.
Nathan nodded and took his plate that Haley had made up, "Well I'm pretty sure I know where he is," he said.
Haley nodded, and sighed, "By the river, every New Year's Day," she said.
"What's that Nana?" Lennon asked from the table.
"Just where your Uncle Lucas goes on New Year's Day," Haley said.
"Where's that?" Lacy asked.
"Uncle Lucas goes to the banks of the Cape Fear River every New Year's Day before dawn and watched the sun comes up. He never says why but we suspect it has to do with…" LK started to say.
"LK quiet," Haley said.
LK nodded and went back to her tablet. Haley looked at her grandkids.
"So, what does he do there?" Lacy asked.
"Drink coffee mostly," Haley said.
"Sounds boring," Lacy said.
Haley nodded, "It does," she said.
"It's pretty cold out today, it's supposed to stay cold," Nathan said, "So much for Global Warming."
"Some climatologists believe that the colder weather is actually a result of global warming, which is from the ocean temperatures are equalizing cause the ocean current to shut down which changed the weather pattern," LK said.
"I didn't know that," Nathan said.
"Well Whip Me, Beat Me, Make write bad checks," Lennon said.
"Lennon, where did you hear that?" Haley asked.
Lennon shrugged.
"BDSM is a variety of often erotic practices or replay involving bondage, discipline, dominance and submission, sadomasochism, and other related interpersonal dynamics. Given the wide range of practices, some of which may be engaged in by people who do not consider themselves as practicing BDSM, inclusion in the BDSM community or subculture is usually dependent upon self-identification and shared experience," LK Said.
"Okay, we're going to end this conversation right now," Haley said.
"Why Nana?" Lacy asked.
"Just don't worry about it," Haley said.
"I don't get it," Lacy said.
"Don't worry about it," Nathan said.
Haley sighed as she made her plate and joined Nathan at the table. She started stabbing her breakfast and eating rather quickly. Nathan sat across the table and looked at his wife. Haley kept eating in hasty and he could clearly see the tension in her shoulders.
"You're worried about Lucas, aren't you?" Nathan asked.
"You think?" Haley asked.
"Snarky," Nathan replied.
Haley sighed, "It's not just Lucas, but it's been four years, Nathan," she said.
Nathan nodded, "Yeah, but everyone deals with things differently," he said.
Haley nodded and quickly finished her breakfast. She jumped up and went back to the stove and started cooking again. After a few moments, she wrapped up an egg sandwich and headed out of the kitchen. She looked at Nathan over her shoulder as she walked by.
"Nathan, watch the kids, I'm going to see Lucas," Haley said.
"Umm, okay," Nathan said.
The cheers of yay went up from the three grandchildren. Nathan looked at them and shook his head. LK just sat there on her tablet doing math puzzles, while Haley left the house.
