January 13th 2023

Chapter 13
We Expand On A Bunny

Once they got to talking, neither Maya nor Lucas were surprised that they had both been considering a similar idea over the afternoon. They had so long been of a single mind on a lot of things, but if there was one thing that they were most united over, it was without a doubt their daughters. So now that they had a chance to discuss it, they jumped at it with ease and interest. Lucas mentioned his thoughts regarding Kacey and figure skating and Maya nodded at once, knowing exactly what would have inspired him. She thought it was a great idea, too. In turn, when she suggested they put Remy in for karate lessons, he had to work to keep his laughter contained, so not to be the one to wake the girls, but she knew it was solely out of his imagining their kit in that class… Yes, it would be perfect. And what of their bun-bun? What would Lucy do?

Oh, they knew that one, too, easy. Sure, they called her their bun-bun, their bunny girl, and she was that, through and through. But she was more than that, wasn't she? Quiet as she was, in her own world sometimes, they also knew how she came alive when she was in the water. She was the best swimmer out of the triplets, had always been, and whenever they'd take her to the pool, oh… The more she grew, the more assertive she'd become when she'd be there, especially when it came time to leave. To the point, she was always the last one they could get out of the water and changed back into her 'normal' clothes.

Sure, she was only four now, so it was a bit early to know what would draw her attention the most. Would she be a competitive swimmer? A diver? Would synchronized swimming draw her eye? Maybe none of it would be her thing, but they knew enough to seek and give her the option to… well, test the waters. Of course, this was Lucy they were talking about, and they had to wonder… They weren't completely unconcerned with regards to sending Kacey and Remy on a solo endeavor but were sufficiently confident that the twins would pull through before long. Lucy though…

They wanted to tell themselves that this would be good for her, that they couldn't coddle her forever and had to try and at least nudge her into doing her own thing, too, just like her sisters. They couldn't possibly understand exactly what it would be like for her, as one of three, especially as the one fraternal triplet. She'd already had her own issues with that, so this…

"She's going to give us the full red, wet eyes, trembling lip, tiny fists close like this…" Lucas imitated their littlest triplet and Maya pinched her lips together not to laugh. It wasn't the situation so much as her husband's interpretation that got her going on that front.

"Yeah, that one's on me, isn't it?" she asked, motioning to her face and to the features that were as good as carbon copied on to Miss Lucy Elizabeth Friar's face. Lucas met this 'apology' with a grin; he was all too happy that their bun girl was the very picture of her mother. "She'll be alright…" Maya told him, expressing with a silent look the unspoken 'won't she?'

Oh, she'd struggle at first, for sure, and they might have to find a way to ease her into being on her own, but they firmly believed that she would be fine… in time. This small nudge into the world would be as difficult to her parents as it had been for them, back when Marianne had been a baby, to let their firstborn cry without running to her side whenever she'd start. They'd feel her distress as their own, but it wouldn't stay that way, they knew. As shy as she could be, they knew that their once-upon-a-time smallest babe would take the world by storm if ever given the chance.

And speaking of storms…

They'd had thunder and lightning on and off throughout the evening, and they'd startled people once in a while, but nothing so bad. Somewhere about midnight, when everyone had gotten off to sleep, there was a clap so loud that it rattled every last sleeping brain in the Friar house awake, bolting upright, hearts drumming… The dogs below were barking in no time, five small girls started screaming and crying in their rooms. Even the most ardent storm lover could not be fascinated at the fright she'd just received.

"I've got the littles," Maya declared, bolting out of bed even as Lucas did.

"Triplets, got it," he nodded, and they were off.

He barely made it to the threshold of the room that he was nearly tackled, small arms closing around his legs. He didn't have to see her to know it was Lucy, and he had to work to get her to loosen her hold enough that he could then lift her up and allow her to clamp on against his chest, arms at his neck. As soon as she'd been pulled there, the twins took her place, one each to a leg.

"Hey, it's okay, you're safe. You're safe," he promised them. "Want to come back there with Mommy and me?" No one moved away from him, which was as good as an answer. "Alright, hold on tight," he told them, as though they weren't already doing that.

Carefully so, he lifted one leg and the other, Kacey and Remy on either side being lifted along. It was a mark of how spooked they'd been that this didn't start them giggling. After a labored walk of a dozen steps or so, the twins could not be convinced to let go and climb on to the bed, so Lucas had to pause and think. Finally, he turned and sat on the edge of the bed. Being mindful of each of the loads he carried, he managed to lift one leg – and Remy – and then the other – with Kacey – on to the mattress, while he lay down still holding to Lucy and scooted himself the rest of the way. Only once he'd made it there did the twins unlatch, the better to crawl up closer and hug on to their father. Lucy was not bothered by the addition in the slightest. If anything, she looked more at ease now that her triplets were at her back. She'll definitely need help being left on her own…

"Go back to sleep, yeah?" Lucas whispered to the trio, bending to kiss each of their little faces.

"Where's Mommy?" Kacey asked.

"She went to see how the little sisters are doing. She'll be back. Close your eyes," he encouraged. If they did fall asleep, it might be solely for exhaustion's sake, for comfort. He could see them resisting, the better to be awake and see for themselves when Maya would return and close up the gap on the other side of the bed.

The twins were just barely down for the count, Lucy barely holding on now, once Maya arrived, Mackenzie in one arm and Aubrey in the other. Lucas heard her coming and turned his head. The look they exchanged could be read as 'well, didn't think it'd be like this, but here we are.' They'd known that there was no way they'd make it to morning without at least one or two of their girls sandwiched between them, but this was way more than one or two.

"Marianne?" Lucas quietly asked.

"She's good, stayed back there with Maisie," Maya reported. "Mackerel here was all conflicted about wanting to come with me or stay back there. But I won," she smirked, and Lucas tipped his head to her. Of course, you did.

They remembered so well the way it had been when they'd only had one, maybe two small children coming in for a nightly visit, whether it was Marianne or any of Maya's younger siblings spending the night at their house. But then it had been Marianne and the triplets, and when they'd started doing this, they had been small enough that it had not felt like so much of a stretch. Now they were four years old, and they had a two-year-old sister and a one-year-old as well… The more they'd all grow, if they were still compelled to run in and join their parents, there would be a serious possibility that they wouldn't all fit. Would that stop them? Not for a second. And as far as their parents were concerned that was as it should be.

There were no more big, rattling sounds, and with the seven of them together in that bed, they slept on through the night, right to morning. They still had no alarm clocks there to alert them to the time, but they didn't have to worry; their bodies were too used to the early rise as it was.

"Do we have to get up and, you know, do things?" Maya whispered to her husband as they lay the only two awake. She'd slept facing him, facing the pack of small girls squeezed between them, and it remained one of her favorite sights. "We could just stay here with them, cut off from the world," she intoned dramatically.

"I mean, I wouldn't argue against it," Lucas shrugged with a chuckle.

"Good to be your own boss, huh?" Maya guessed.

"It helps," Lucas nodded, and she had a small pout on her face at this, which he guessed to be born of her thinking of her own new boss and how much she disliked her and the way she had taken over her school.

Much as they would have genuinely loved nothing more than to follow through with this scheme, they knew that they wouldn't be able to, not unless the world was so bad out there that the schools were closed today. Power had not returned yet, no, but they had enough contact with the outside world by now to confirm that everyone was expected where they belonged, teachers and students alike.

"Well, hello, good morning," Maya gasped and whispered when the girls started to wake, little eyes blinking at the morning lights, bodies sleepily clinging to the parents they found surrounding them. Maya and Lucas fell in for as many good morning kisses as they could give the quintet, letting giggles bloom from the room and out into the quiet house for what might hopefully be a gentle wake up call to anyone still asleep.

"Annie's not here," Kacey pointed out, sitting up.

"She's not, huh? Well, go get her," Lucas suggested, and Kacey bolted so fast to get up that he moved to help her down for fear of her tripping and hurting herself. In no time, he was playing daughter crane, lifting one and another of the girls off the mattress and on to their feet on to the floor, right down to little Aubrey. Soon, there were five of them hurrying down the hall to find Marianne and Maisie. "Imagine that… she heard them coming," Lucas declared when they heard their firstborn and the resulting squeals of giddy surprise from the others. Maya snorted before pulling herself the short distance across the mattress, the better to embrace him. He just as promptly received her.

"Had to get a little of this while I could," she hummed. "We were so far away all of last night..."

"So far away," he agreed. "Too far," he told her, and she hummed again. "I might have to drive over for lunch at school to make up for it," he suggested, and she nodded eagerly. Yes, that sounded like just the thing they needed after last night. "Maybe I'll get a look at that new principal of yours."

"Oh, I will show you, at your own peril," Maya snorted. Their brief 'reunion' was soon interrupted by the return of their little bedmates, now joined by their big sister and aunt. There weren't any lights still, so they could continue as they'd done the night before, right? More special, more magic...

TO BE CONTINUED

See you tomorrow! - mooners