Adult-FanFiction.org : Celebrity

All of the Above	By : jai Category: Individual Celebrities > Athlete/Sports Misc Views: 3262 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the people written about in this fanfiction. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 6
- 7
- 8
March 22, 2017 Philadelphia PA

Michael’s day started at five am when he rolled out of bed, slipped on swimsuit, threw sweats on over it and met Chloe downstairs for a quick bowl of cereal. At five fifteen, they walked out to the expanded pool house, did their stretches and started their lap work by five thirty. The larger custom pool, with double propellers and a removable bulkhead allowed them to swim at the same time, and was another one of Ian’s ideas. It was a good one, in Michael’s opinion, as it allowed whoever accompanied Chloe to do more than sit by the side of the pool.

At six fifteen, Michael’s watch alarm went off so he stopped swimming, turned off the propeller system and switched over to the bubble jets to cool down. Chloe swam for another fifteen minutes as Michael observed her technique. Her watch alarm went off at six thirty and she stood up, turned off the other propeller and slipped over the bulkhead.

As always, Michael had to blink at the sight of his daughter’s long body out of the water. When did she get so tall? Where’d the curves come from? She was only fifteen but her height usually caused people to think she was much older, and treat her accordingly. He knew she was attractive but as her father, he’d found he just couldn’t be objective about it. Personally, he thought she and Marah were the most beautiful girls in the world but he wasn’t ready for other people to feel the same. Especially men. Men that tried to hit on his daughter, like the moron at the mall yesterday. Argh.

“Daddy?”

“Huh? Oh, sorry. I was woolgathering. What?”

“Are you ready to go back?”

“Sure.”

They dried off, put on their sweats, and dashed through the cold air, entering the warm kitchen with relief. Michael stayed there while Chloe continued up to her room to shower and dress for school.

The oven had automatically started to preheat while they were in the pool so he shoved in the French Toast casseroles they’d prepped yesterday, started the coffee maker, put the kettle on the stove and unloaded the dishwasher, finishing that just as Margaret came upstairs.

“Good morning, Michael.”

“Morning, Mum.” Michael said, kissing her cheek. “Did you sleep well?”

“Fairly well.” Margaret answered, reaching for her tea cup as Michael filled a travel cup with coffee. “How was your swim?”

“Good. Be back in a few.”

Michael took the coffee upstairs and set it on the nightstand on Ian’s side of the bed. By the time he’d made it around the bed, Ian’s hand had crept out of the covers and was reaching for the cup. Michael met up with a half-awake Ian in the bathroom a few minutes later, stepping out of the shower as Ian was heading in. Michael pecked a kiss on his husband’s cheek and continued on to dress for the day.

He climbed into a T-shirt, underwear, jeans, sweater, socks and walking boots and went down the hall to the boys’ room, not surprised to find all of them awake and halfway dressed.

“Morning, boys.”

“Morning, Daddy!”

He checked in with each boy; helping Callum with his shoes, buttoning Jamey’s shirt and reminding Harry to brush his teeth. Garret’s hair was a mess like always, and Michael made a mental note to take the boys in for haircuts, while Liam and Robbie had to be directed back to the bathroom to wash their hands again. He’d given up trying to figure out how he could put freshly bathed boys to bed and wake up dirty ones; it was just one of those kid things, he supposed.

“Daddy, what’s for brekkies?” Harry asked, climbing up onto the bed next to Michael.

“French Toast casserole. Show me your teeth.”

Harry stuck his hands in his mouth and spread his lips wide, sticking out his tongue for good measure. “Thee?”

“Very good. Okay, line up.”

The boys scrambled around and made a crooked line in front of him. He fixed Liam’s collar, tried again to push down Garret’s cowlick and finished up by giving them each a kiss on the forehead.

“Good job today, boys. Nana’s in the kitchen so go on down.”

He pressed the intercom button as the boys tromped to the stairs. “Incoming, Mum.”

“Thank you, dear.”

In the nursery, the triplets had had their diapers changed, the boys were almost dressed but Marah was still trying to make up her mind, or rather, change Ian’s.

“Marah, you can not wear a swimsuit today. It’s too cold.” Ian said, trying to pull away the little pink suit that Marah adored.

Marah wailed out as if she’d just been stabbed in the heart, and clutched at the bit of Lycra. “No!”

“Good morning, kids.” Michael said, sitting down next to Xander and Nick who were watching the show with interest.

Ian tried again, reaching into the drawer and pulling out a purple sweatshirt and pink jeans. “How about this?”

“No.” Marah said, shaking her curly head but clearly wavering.

“With your pink poodle shoes?” Ian said, holding up the footwear.

Marah threw the swimsuit over her shoulder and reached for the shoes. Ah, the esteemed field of toddler bribery, Michael thought, as he helped a not-very awake Xander into a red sweatshirt. The triplets were much slower starters than their older siblings and it was almost seven thirty by the time he and Ian got them downstairs.

The first casserole was merely a memory at that point; Chloe and the six boys had scrapped it clean and were in the process of brushing their teeth in the downstairs bathroom with Margaret and Ken’s supervision. Michael grabbed a quick bite as the triplets were put into their high chairs then called next door.

“Yes, Michael?” Grant answered.

“I’m going out to warm up the bus.”

“Okay, we’ll be there shortly.”

Michael found his keys, got his coat on and went out the backdoor. The weather was a bit chilly so he hurried to get the vehicle started. Grant led Lenora, Tristan, Declan and Kian through the gate and escorted them on the bus, waving at Michael before returning next door.

“Morning, Uncle Mike.” Lenora said brightly as she got into her seat and fastened her seatbelt.

“Good morning, Lenora. That’s a very pretty sweater you’re wearing this morning.” Michael replied as he helped the boys get strapped in.

“Thank you.”

The seven eldest Thorpe-Phelpses, along with their grandparents, came rushing out three minutes later, and once everyone was properly secured, Michael pulled slowly out through the gates and stopped at the end of the street. Kyle Fletcher scurried up the sidewalk, followed by his nine year old brother, E. J., and they both took seats in the back after greeting the Michael and the other passengers. The volume level in the back of the bus was getting rather loud, but Michael didn’t mind.

Chloe was the first drop off, at Springside School, then Michael drove across the street and stopped in front of Chestnut Hill Academy. Margaret helped him unhook the quads and Michael escorted them and the Fletcher boys inside before continuing on to Kindertown, the Cricket Club and library to drop off Lenora and the boys, Ken and Margaret respectively.

Back at the house, he parked and went in to the kitchen where Grant, Pieter and Ian were finishing up breakfast with the younger children. He was happy to see one wedge of the casserole left and didn’t waste any time sitting down to eat.

“Everyone delivered safely?” Ian asked, pouring a glass of milk and setting it in front of Michael.

“Yes, and thank you. It’s still cold but we need to hit the grocery store. Should I go or are we making it a group trip?”

“We could, I suppose.” Pieter said, turning to Ian and Grant. “What do you think?”

“I think the kids will enjoy the outing.” Grant answered.

“Yes, they will and we’re low on so many things that it only makes sense that we do a big trip. Do you two have your list handy?”

“Yes, I brought it with us.” Pieter answered, handing it over.

“All right.” Ian got up and found their own list and a blank sheet of paper, returning to his seat to collate the items. “Ah, we all need diapers. That means Sam’s Club or Costco.”

&&

Michael pulled up in front of Sam’s Club, and like a well oiled machine, the other dads sprang into action. Pieter and Ian released the kids from their car seats while Grant went in to grab some shopping carts. After everyone was off the bus, Michael took care of parking it and hoofed it back to the entrance.

Inside, they parceled up the kids into the seats: Maribel and Marah with Michael, Beatrix and Nick with Grant, Sabrina and Xander with Ian and Isabeau with Pieter. They took a quick trip through the media section, because Ian couldn’t resist picking up a movie or two, before they went further into the store.

By the time they got to the cashier’s area, all four carts were full and Grant went to get two empty carts. He and Michael shifted the kids into the bodies of the new carts and took them out to the bus to be strapped in. Then Michael drove the bus back to the store’s entry so Grant, Pieter and Ian could load the groceries.

They made it back to the house by eleven thirty and while Michael and Grant unloaded the goods, Ian and Pieter took care of the children and getting lunch started. At that point, it was time to go pick up the five middle kids so Michael once again got behind the wheel.

After parking the bus, he went inside and checked in with the receptionist.

“Hey Eileen.”

“Hi Michael. Do you want to go on back?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

Amy buzzed him in after he finished signing the register and he went down the hall and into the two-year-old room where Tristan, Declan and Kian were coloring at a table with seven or eight age mates and the room’s two caregivers, Lucy and Ginny.

“Hi kids.”

“Unkie Mike!” All the kids yelled while Lucy and Ginny greeted him with big smiles.

“Hi Michael.”

“Hi everyone.”

“Come on kids, it’s almost lunch time so let’s get everything cleaned up. Mike, do you mind coming back in a minute?” Ginny asked.

“Sure, I’ll go get Lenora and the twins. Deke, Kian, Trist? Make sure you bring your pictures home with you. I’m sure your dads will love to see them.”

The kids in the other room were already finished with their morning project, and he looked over Lenora’s latest clay project, Callum’s drawing of a kitty, and Garret’s Tinker Toy tower then made sure to admire the other children’s artwork.

Melanie and Cindy helped him get the kids’ outerwear on and then they trooped back down the hall to get the triplets into their coats, mittens and gloves. The kids kept up an almost constant dialog, talking over each other, on the way out to the bus and while he got everyone buckled down and their art carefully stored.

“Okay, we’re all ready to go. Who can tell me what direction we take when we get to the street?”

“Go right!” Callum said.

“That’s right! Hey, Deke? What do we do at a red light?”

“Stop!”

They played the bus game until they pulled into the driveway and Pieter came out to help him bring them inside. Lunch was grilled cheese and alphabet soup eaten around the kitchen table, with plenty of apple slices and pineapple bits for anyone who wanted them. Afterwards, there was quiet playtime and then the kids went down for their naps in the family room. The men retreated to the kitchen to clean up and finish sorting out the groceries, finally sitting down over their own afternoon snack around two.

“So Grant, how is the book going?” Ian asked.

“Fine. I’ve got five or six more chapters to write but it’s manageable.” Grant replied.

“You’ve done that much so quickly?” Pieter said with surprise.

“Yes, I’m trying to finish the draft before we leave for Holland. I’ll probably be doing rewrites over the summer but the bulk of the work should be done so I’ll have time to enjoy the weather.”

“So you’ll be around to help out with the garden?” Ian asked eagerly.

Not wanting to open that can of worms, Pieter rapped his knuckles on the table. “While we’re all here and relatively alone, shall we have a meeting?”

“Fine.” Ian said a moment later, after a brief stare down with Grant. He got up and retrieved several pads of papers, pens and his organizer before sitting back down and getting serious.

“As president of PHT Fusion Limited, I call this meeting to order. Attending are the vice president, Pieter van den Hoogenband, the treasurer, Michael Phelps, and the secretary, Grant Hackett. Mr. Secretary, do we have a voting majority?”

“We do.”

“Good. Our first order of business is the property in Maroubra. According to the firm we retained, the changes we want to make are possible but perhaps not fiscally feasible due to the existing foundation.”

“In other words, it will take more money than we expected.” Pieter commented.

“Yes. We originally had a rough budget of three million for renovations; Mr. Yang estimated we’d use almost twenty five percent of that on the pool and atrium substructures.”

“So back to the drawing board?” Grant asked.

“Yes, unfortunately. The other alternative would be to demolish the foundation on that wing and due to the construction, it could put the connecting wings in jeopardy.”

Grant nodded, “Ah, we suspected it was a single pour foundation. Anyone have any suggestions?”

“Demolish the whole thing, build exactly what we want.” Michael said promptly then saw the looks he was getting. “What?”

“Michael, we’re just surprised. You weren’t so thrilled with the thought of demolition before.” Pieter answered.

“Truthfully? After reading the fax from Mr. Yang, I think we’d be better off with a clean slate. The roof is shot, the foundation is a mess and although I love the atrium idea, the building as it is can’t support that kind of weight. I’d rather put our money into a solid new structure than use it to shore up what’s there.”

Grant tapped his pen on the table for a minute. “Well, I have no objection to that. New construction should be much easier to get past the council. I’ve checked their history of approvals and we’d have more leeway in regards to new construction versus the old.”

“Yes, demolition looks like our better option, now and in the future. It is not an attractive facade, although I’m sure you would have only improved it, Ian.” Pieter commented, “We are lucky that the National Trust doesn’t consider it an interesting building, either.”

“Then I believe it’s time for a vote. All in favor of putting an offer in on the property?”

Four hands were raised.

“Good, the vote passes unanimously.” Ian said, making a note. “I’ll fax the paperwork over to Ned later today. Next order of business, the finances. If our offer is accepted, we’ll need to transfer funds into the Australian account. Michael?”

“If they accept our offer, we’ll need eight million, seven hundred and ninety thousand Australian, give or take, including taxes, duties and fees. Yang & Hargrove’s inspection fee and Ned’s retainer were both paid out of the general account, and are not included in that total. We have three hundred and forty one thousand, seven nine Euros left from the Sony endorsement. I motion that we replace the general account money from there, convert the remainder and stick it in the Australian account.”

“The Euro is doing rather well against the Aussie dollar right now so, seconded.” Grant said.

Ian looked at Pieter who shrugged back at him. “Motion carried. Any other business, Mr. Treasurer?”

“Yes, it’s not company business but the ribbon cutting ceremony for the pool is scheduled for April twenty-first.”

“Oh. I thought it was the twenty-second.” Ian said, flipping over to the correct page in his organizer. “I have it for Saturday, the twenty- second.”

“The sign down at the school says the twenty-first. So either we all wrote it down wrong, the sign is wrong or the ceremony date was moved.”

“If they moved the ceremony, they should have had the courtesy to call.” Ian said, looking a bit peeved. “I’ll call –.“

“No babe, I’ll ask Marlene when I pick the boys up. You’ll just end up pissed no matter what Patricia tells you.”

“Because that woman is an idiot!”

“And here we go.” Grant commented out of the side of his mouth to Pieter.

“I know I shouldn’t let what she says bother me but I can’t help it. She’s so prejudiced about everyone who isn’t exactly like her, it’s infuriating!” Ian confessed.

Michael rubbed Ian’s arm gently. “I know, I feel the same way about her but let’s continue to take the high road, okay?”

Ian sighed deeply, “Okay. See what Marlene has to say. Any other business?”

Grant waved his hand, “Yes. Now that we’re committed to the demolition route, any thoughts on what style of building or architectural firms we should consider?”

The men exchanged looks, and Ian finally spoke. “How about we start from what we want in the new space? Once we have a list of our must-have features, it will be easier to decide on an architect.”

“What a surprise. Ian Thorpe suggesting a list.” Pieter said, with mock amazement, as he picked up a pen. “Shall we brainstorm too?”

“Yes, go ahead and pick on me now, but you’ll be sorry later.” Ian said calmly. “I might just break out the white board.”

“No, not the white board!” Grant exclaimed as he hid behind his notepad. “Please, Mr. Thorpe, not the white board!”

Ian slid down in his seat and Grant jumped when his leg was kicked, although Grant had been sure he’d chosen a seat far enough away to avoid it this time. “Hey! You shouldn’t have been able to do that!”

When Michael didn’t complain, Pieter realized what had happened and suddenly exclaimed, “Michael! Did you just kick my husband?”

Michael widened his eyes innocently, “Huh? Me? I don’t think so.”

“And let’s get back on subject, shall we?” Ian said quickly. “Essentially, we need two private areas for the families with a communal space for everyone’s use. Shall we make the pool area part of that space or would it be safer off on its on?”

After shooting a look promising retribution at Michael, Grant picked up his pen and contributed, “The children won’t be toddlers forever. I’d like to have the pool as part of our living space but we’ll need to make it safe. The only real views are from the second and third floors towards the west. The pool could become our view for the ground and first floors.”

“Excellent idea,” Pieter said. “Of course, it is so typical of us that we’d start with the pool, but do we really need it to be fifty meters? A shorter pool with more lanes may serve us better.”

“Or how about one fifty meter lane with two shorter lanes on either side?” Ian said, suddenly sketching away. “We’d have the impact of the long plane of water without using all our space. We could even place the play pool and waterfall in one corner where the short lanes end, with the spa in the other.”

Ian turned the page around to show them what he meant, once he saw their clueless looks. “See? We could raise the main pool a few feet and have an infinity edge opposite the front entry. The play pool and waterfall would face the main living area.”

“I see.” Grant said, nodding. “That’s actually quite nice and we’d all get what we want. Good job, Ian. What about the garage?”

“Now that we’re not tied to the existing foundation, I think we could put them underground. There are several other businesses in the area that have them. We could keep the off street parking for the bus.”

“Guys, let’s not get ahead of ourselves, okay? We haven’t even put the offer in yet.” Michael said cautiously. He checked his watch and gathered up his notes as he stood. “I’ve got to go pick up the boys. They need haircuts so I’ll see if the salon can take them, then I’ll stop and get Chloe.”

Ian looked at the clock in surprise. “It’s only- oh, it’s Wednesday. Early day for the boys. I guess we’d better get dinner started.”

Michael kissed Ian quickly as he put his shoes back on. “Yeah, and Chloe has practice at six. See you in a while.”

The boys were bubbling with excitement when he went in to get them, each talking at once as they told him about their school day. Michael listened as he drove to the main shopping area, and luckily found a good parking spot.

“Daddy, are we going shopping?” Harry asked, as he led them off the bus.

“No, we’re going to go see Miss Leslie about haircuts.”

“Miss Leslie!” Jamey cheered, as he loved the petite woman with the crazy colored hair.

Liam, Robbie and Harry weren’t quite as excited but they followed Michael into salon anyway. Leslie, who had long blue hair today, was already busy with a customer but indicated that she’d have time in a half hour. Instead of waiting inside, and driving all the other customers crazy, Michael took the boys back out to the street and after spotting the optical shop the next block down, led them towards it.

“Where we going now, Daddy?” Harry asked.

Harry pointed across the street and asked, “Is Nana at the libbury?”

Robbie tugged on his hand, “Can we go see Nana?”

“Look! Brownies!” Jamey exclaimed.

Michael stopped to let the boys moon over the bakery window for a minute but resisted temptation himself, “Come on, guys. We’re going to the eye store.”

Robbie stopped, “Eye store? Do they sell eyes?”

“Gross!” Jamey said gleefully.

“Cool!” Liam agreed.

“Can we buy some?” Harry wondered.

“No, the eye store sells glasses. Like Papa’s.” Michael answered patiently, as they crossed the side street carefully. The store was only a few feet away and Michael opened the door for the boys, following them inside. There didn’t seem to be any other customers, but there were two people behind the counter.

“May I help you?” The taller male, wearing a white jacket, asked.

“Yes. I’ve noticed that at least two of my sons are squinting at things.” Michael answered, nodding towards the boys.

“How old are they?”

“They’re five and in kindergarten. Their teacher hasn’t said anything but I thought I’d have it checked out.”

“Okay. Let’s try a simple exam and see if we need to go further.” The man stepped from behind the counter and walked around, “Hi boys. I’m Doctor Wick. What are your names?”

“I’m Jamey.”

“Robbie.”

“Harry.”

“Liam. Our daddy is a doctor, too.”

“He is?”

“Uh huh, but not a ouchy doctor. Is it gonna hurt?” Harry asked.

“Not at all. We’re all going to go over here and I’m going to open that door. You can each take turns telling me what you see? Doesn’t that sound like fun?”

The boys didn’t look too sure about that but followed along. Dr. Wick opened the door and revealed a long hallway with an eye chart at the end.

“Evelyn? Do you have a minute?”

An older woman stuck her head out of one of the hallway doors. “Sure, Bob. Oh, I see we have little visitors. Do you want the junior chart?”

“Yes please.”

Evelyn disappeared and came back with an easel and a stack of large cards.

“So who wants to go first?”

The boys looked at each other before Robbie finally stepped forward. “Me.”

“Okay. The rest of you wait here while we walk halfway down.”

Robbie gave Michael a look like he was going off to war but went down to where the doctor was waiting. Evelyn flipped over the chart and Dr. Wick asked Robbie a couple of questions, then had him cover one eye than the other.

It was over in two minutes and Jamey was the next to go, followed by Liam then Harry. The doctor followed Harry back and invited Michael to sit down for a minute.

“Well, two of the boys had a little difficulty. The second and the last.”

“Jamey and Harry.”

“Yes. I’d like to have them come back for a more through exam. Glasses might be a possibility but it’s good to catch these things early.”

“Okay. We’re due for haircuts in five minutes so can we come back on Friday?”

Dr. Wick went and checked the appointment book. “That’s good. Three fifteen?”

“That’s great. Thanks, Dr. Wick. Boys?”

“Thank you, Dr. Wick!”

The doctor grinned and shook each boys’ hand before Michael led them out and back up the street. There was another stop at the bakery but Michael kept them moving. Jamey ran to be the first one in the chair for Miss Leslie and happily chattered with her.

Each cut took less then ten minutes, just enough to take the weight off and make their hair more manageable. Leslie worked fast and Michael was paying for the cuts and tipping her by three forty. Chloe was waiting out front when he pulled in and she climbed aboard.

“Sorry we’re late.”

“Only by five minutes, Dad. Hey boys, nice hair cuts.”

“Hi Chloe!” Her brothers chorused.

“Did you have fun at school?” Harry asked.

Jamey piped in with, “Did you get to color?”

“Was there pizza for lunch? We got pizza.” Liam declared.

“Are you gonna go swimming later? Can we go?” Robbie asked.

Chloe shook her head, amused. “Yes we had pizza too but no coloring today. School was fun and you’ll have to talk to the dads about swimming. What did you guys do today?”

Michael continued on to the Cricket Club and library as the kids chatted, picking up Ken and Margaret before returning back to the house. Pieter, Grant and Ian were still around the kitchen table but they’d been joined by the other children who were assisting with that night’s salad and vegetable dish. Well, the kids were mostly eating the cucumbers and carrots, while the dads pretended not to notice.

The boys mobbed Ian, telling him all about their days, including seeing Miss Leslie and meeting Dr. Wick. Ian glanced at Michael after hearing the last bit, but calmly directed the boys to get their things put away and wash up.

Chloe brought her homework and swim bag down to the kitchen, listening in and contributing to the general conversation before dinner was ready. Dinner went on the table at five twenty, then Michael and Chloe were back on the road by quarter of six, picking up three of Chloe’s teammates on the way.

Michael escorted the girls inside, greeted the coaching staff and other parents, then settled in with a couple of magazines. He’d like to say that they were manly sports magazines, but ‘Better Homes and Gardens’ didn’t really fit the bill, although they had cool recipes.

Practice was over at eight, and Chloe was ready shortly thereafter so they returned home just in time for Michael to tuck in Nick, Xander and Marah followed by putting the older boys to bed.

“Daddy?” Garret asked, sleepily blinking his eyes after Ian finished the night’s story.

“Yeah, sugar bear?”

“Can you rub me?”

“Sure. Roll over.”

Garret did a flip and sprawled out over the bed’s surface, while Michael gently rubbed his back. In just a few minutes, the little boy was asleep and Michael pulled up the covers, going around the room and kissing everyone good night.

The dogs went out one last time and after a check on the kids, Michael showered and crawled into bed next to Ian, who was busy looking through seed catalogs.

“Hey baby.”

“Hello, love. So, tell me about Dr. Wick.”

“Oh. Well, I noticed that Harry and Jamey were squinting at things. Dr. Wick did a quick exam and we’re going back Friday at three fifteen.”

“Ah, then I’ll make sure to come with you. How did Robbie and Liam do?”

“They did fine. Sorry, I meant to mention it to you earlier but we had to wait for Miss Leslie and the optician was just up the street.”

“I’m just glad one of us noticed it before they started having problems in school.” Ian said mildly, adjusting his own glasses.

“Yeah.” Michael said with a yawn as he turned onto his side and snuggled. “God, I’m tired.”

“Do you want me to turn off the light?”

“Nah, I’m good. What are you doing?”

“Just checking over our expenses from the trip. The first credit card bill came today.”

“Oh, ouch. How bad is it?”

“The hotel bills are a bit shocking.”

“I’m not surprised. We stayed in some really nice places though. I never felt like the kids were in danger and I don’t think I’d feel like that at motels.

Ian made a sound of agreement as he made a note on his ubiquitous pad of paper. “Probably not. You like beets, right?”

“They’re okay. I thought you already got your plants and seeds for the spring?”

“Oh, I have but it never hurts to look.”

“I think you’re gardening obsessed.”

“Perhaps but you seem to enjoy eating the fruits and vegetables of my labor.” Ian replied, flicking a finger at Michael’s forehead.

“True. Do you think we’ll get fruit off the new shrubs this year?”

“Probably. It’s the second year for most of them although most of them don’t bear until the fall. Are we still boycotting Brussels sprouts?”

“Yeah. Well, we could eat them but we’re not serving them to the kids anymore.”

Ian grinned and rubbed Michael’s head, “Aw, are you still traumatized about finding one in the light fixture?”

“Hell, yes. I still can’t get any of them to fess up to it though.” Michael groused as he looked up, catching sight of one of the pictures in the catalog. “Hey, what’s that?”

“Its a cauliflower variety called ‘Graffiti’. ‘Neon purple that keeps its color when cooked’. It doesn’t require blanching and if you put vinegar on it, it turns bright pink. That sounds like something the children would like,” Ian said, as he made a note. “It would certainly look interesting next to the ‘Cheddar’ variety we planted last year.”

“Yep. And if you haven’t done it already, remember to order those pickling cucumbers.”

“I remembered; the seedlings are looking good. Are you serious about trying to pickle?”

“Sure am. Gram used to make her own pickles and Mom said she’d bring me the recipe. I also want to try making sauerkraut.”

“I could get behind that. Are you planning on pickling anything else?”

“Depends on how the garden does and if the kids leave anything I can use.”

Ian arched a brow, “Just the kids?”

“Yeah, yeah. Anyway, you like that corn relish from the market. We could make our own and leave out the green peppers since you always pick those out.”

“All right, you’ve made your point.” Ian said, setting aside the catalogs and pad and placing his glasses on top. “Ready for me to turn off the light?”

“Okay.”

In the dark, they exchanged their usual good nights and drifted off to sleep.

&&

March 24, 2017 Philadelphia, PA

“This might be a mistake.” Grant said as Michael parked the bus in their usual lot.

“You’re the one who wanted to come along.” Ian remarked as he helped the triplets unbuckled their seatbelts.

“Well, it’s a nice day and we haven’t walked the street in months. There might be something new.”

“Just remind yourself of that when the riot starts.” Ian snipped.

Most of the shopkeepers and denizens of Germantown Avenue knew the Thorpe-Phelps and Hackett-van den Hoogenbands but there were always a few newcomers or tourists who couldn’t get over the sight of all those little kids.

Once the tribe emerged onto the street, the first stop was the bakery window. The kids knew the chances of actually getting something there were slim to none, but it didn’t stop them from dreaming.

After several minutes, they moved along and actually made it to the optical shop, where the staff was expecting them. While Ian oversaw Jamey and Harry’s eye exams, the other children got their vision checked with the chart. Robbie and Liam, the experienced veterans, wandered around looking at the various frames.

The shop assistant looked a bit unnerved at first but once she realized that the children were keeping their voices down and not touching anything, she relaxed a bit.

Ian, the optician and the two boys emerged from the exam room and headed straight for Michael.

“So, what’s the verdict?”

“They have a slight astigmatism. Very minor right now, and they don’t really need glasses. I’d like to see them again in the Fall or if they begin to have problems seeing the board in school.” Doctor Wick said.

“The doctor said we should also have Robbie and Liam examined at the same time, since the boys are identical.”

“Well, that makes sense. Marah and the other boys were fine, by the way, and it looks like Pieter and Grant’s ankle biters are almost done.”

Grant, who was walking over with Lenora and his boys, nodded. “Yes, we’ve all done very well except for Pieter. He’s over there making an appointment to come back later.”

“Reading glasses?” Ian asked.

“Yes, he’s joining the club.” Grant replied, patting his breast pocket where his own glasses resided. “Now we only have to wait for age to take its toll on Michael.”

&&

The next stop was the library across the street, to visit Margaret and pick out books. Ian’s mum was just finishing her volunteer shift and was happy to lead them back to the children’s room. Each child was allowed one book and one book only so it was a time consuming process. Finally, they were back on the street and turned south towards the Chestnut Hill Market, four blocks away.

It was a slow walk, since the kids loved to window shop and the adults were enjoying the nice weather.

“Mum, how was your day?” Ian asked, extending his arm to her as they took the point position.

“It was fine but I’m considering cutting back my hours. I keep having to remind them that I retired so I wouldn’t have to work forty hours a week.”

“You’re a volunteer. Can they force you to show up?”

“No but if I commit to something, I like to follow through. I just don’t like the guilt tactics the volunteer coordinator uses. Its taking all the fun out of working there.”

“I know the librarians value your help but I’m sure they’ll understand.”

“It’s not the staff I worry about; it’s all the patrons. They’re the reason I’ve stayed on so long. The volunteering was only supposed to be a few mornings a week, if you’ll remember.”

“Then I don’t know what to tell you. I just want you to be happy.”

“And I love you for that, Ian, but this is just something I’ll have to figure out for myself.” Margaret said, patting his arm.

Ian paused at the curb and waited for the rest of the family, not surprised that the kids had paused to look in the bookstore window. Once they’d caught up, they crossed the street and continued on, finally turning to the left to enter the Chestnut Hill Market behind the Chestnut Hill Hotel.

He immediately realized that they were in trouble when the first thing he laid eyes on was a display from the SPCA. His fears were realized when Callum ran straight over, leaned against the safety fence and started firing questions about the dogs inside.

“Uh, Ian?” Michael asked quietly, having eased on beside his husband.

“Yes, Michael?”

“We really don’t need another dog.”

“Or cat, or bird, or hamster. Yes, I know.”

“Okay then. So we’re not going to give in, no matter what.”

“Right.” Ian nodded, “Wait. Are you confirming my thoughts or warning me about something?”

“Well, you’re such a softie when he gives you those looks.”

“The looks he inherited from you.” Ian retorted. “I’ve been trying to build up immunity but no- now, you’re doing it. Stop that!”

Michael blinked innocently, “Stop what?”

Ian shook his head, “Just stop looking at me and go tell Callum he can’t have a new pet.”

Shrugging, Michael walked over and squatted down next to Callum, who had been joined by the rest of the kids. “Hey Cal.”

“Hi, Daddy. Isn’t it pretty?” Callum asked, his eyes fixed on a particular animal.

Michael looked and looked again, “The snake?”

“Uh-huh. It’s all stripey.” Callum replied. “Can I pet it?”

“Um,” Michael said uneasily. He was exactly frightened of snakes but he preferred them to be behind an appropriate structure or far away.

“Hey, Michael. Long time, no see.” A woman said as she came around from the other side of the enclosure.

Michael looked up and smiled, “Abby! How have you been?”

“Good. How are Gadget, Gizmo and Flannel?”

“They’re great. Giz really loves the kids, Gadget is still Ian’s dog and Flannel likes to hang out with our oldest daughter in her room.”

“Kids? You have kids?”

“Yep. Abby, this is my son, Callum.” Michael said, standing up and ruffling the boy’s hair. “Callum, this is Abby. She’s the lady who helped us get the pups and the cat.”

“Nice to meet you, Miss Abby.” Callum said, a little shyly.

“Hi, Callum.”

“And the two boys over by the cat cage are Robbie and Harry, Callum’s older brothers. Boys, you know better than to poke at cages. Come over here, please.” Michael asked.

The boys snatched their hands back and came over. “Sorry, Daddy.”

“That’s okay but I’m sure the kitties didn’t enjoy that. Boys, this is Abby. She helped us get the dogs and Flannel. Abby, these are two of the oldest boys: Harry and Robbie.”

“Hello, boys.” Abby said with a bemused grin.

“Hello, Miss Abby.” Robbie said.

“Hello, Miss Abby. Thank you for giving us Gizmo. Oh, and Gadget and Flannel too.” Harry said with a charming smile.

“You’re very welcome. Wow, Michael. Three, no wait. You said, oldest daughter and oldest boys? I heard you had a bunch of kids.”

“Yeah. Ten actually. Chloe, our oldest is a freshman at Springside. Robbie and Harry and the other quads are in kindergarten at Chestnut Hill. Callum and his twin Garret, just started preschool and the triplets are around somewhere with Ian.”

“Goodness! You must have your hands full!”

“We do, we do.” Michael agreed then remembered what Callum had asked. “What kind of snake is that?”

“It’s a Red Tail Boa. About two years old. Are you interested in it?”

Callum’s hopeful look couldn’t really outweigh Michael’s aversion, and it must have been apparent to Abby, who grinned.

“Callum, how about I ask Roddy to take Wally out and you can pet him?”

Callum nodded enthusiastically, and Abby walked over to a short man with long curly gray hair wearing a tie-died jersey. Callum did a little dance when Roddy nodded and opened the cage.

“Daddy, I’m gonna touch the snake!”

“I know but snakes are very quiet creatures so you have to be very calm.” Michael said, including Robbie and Harry as they appeared interested in the snake, too.

Taking a deep breath, Callum stopped moving. “Okay.”

“Hi, you must be Callum.” Roddy said as he came over, the snake wrapped around his arm and shoulder. The very large snake, in Michael’s opinion. “I’m Roddy and this is Wally.”

“Hi, Roddy. Hi, Wally.”

“Now, before you can touch Wally, we have to go over a few rules. First, don’t touch him on his head. Do you know why?”

“Because he’s got teeth.”

“Right. Second, he’s a big snake and you’re not as big as he is, so you can’t hold him. He might hurt you without realizing it. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“The third and final rule is that you have to touch him carefully. He may be big but he’s delicate. Don’t use your nails or you might dislodge his scales and his scales are important to him.”

“Okay. I’m careful.”

“Good.” Roddy remarked with a smile as he extended his arm so Callum could touch the end portion of the snake.

Michael pushed down his immediate reaction (to shudder and move the kids to the other side of the building) and watched as Callum gently stroked the brightly patterned reptile. Roddy kept the snake’s head away from the children, which Michael greatly appreciated.

“Callum, you’re doing a great job. Wally is very relaxed because you’re being so careful.”

“Mr. Roddy, can we touch him?” Robbie asked after being nudged several times by Harry.

“Sure, but look at how Callum’s doing it and do just like he does.”

Callum, who rarely got the opportunity to be an example to his older brothers, beamed as he stepped off to the side. “Robbie, he’s soft.”

Robbie bravely touched the snake but quickly fell back so Harry could have a turn. Michael was quite amused to see how Robbie scrubbed his hand on his pants, as if he hadn’t liked how the snake felt. Harry wasn’t bothered at all and even asked a few questions about how to take care of the snake. Once the boys heard just what a snake was fed, Michael could see the desire to bring Wally home disappearing from Callum’s eyes.

After several more minutes, Michael thanked Roddy for his time, prompting the boys to do the same and urged them on. The mention of food got them moving and they joined the rest of the family near D’Ascenzo’s Gelato.

“Ian, the boys and I are going to the bathroom. They need to wash their hands. Anyone else need to go?”

Kian and Tristan nodded so Grant came along to supervise. The triplets had made great strides in their toilet training but he brought the diaper bag just in case.

Once the basic needs were taken care of, they went back to discuss which flavor of gelato they would get. The proprietors offered samples and the watermelon was the clear favorite. A gallon was purchased and they moved on, visiting each vendor and making up quite an exotic dinner: bratwursts, brouchen, hummus, spinach quiche, Chicken Vindalho, Salad-e Shirazi, fresh oysters and sushi. Their final stop was the Dog Bakery, where they got a bag of snacks for Gizmo and Gadget.

“So. We’re done here. Should we continue down to The Night Kitchen or go to Cake up the hill?” Ian asked.

“I vote for Cake.” Pieter said immediately. “If they have enough croissants, we can make French-French Toast for breakfast tomorrow.”

That idea went over well so they headed back to the bus and drove back towards the houses, stopping at the bakery so Pieter could dash in and make his purchase. He returned victorious with a big bag and a pie box.

“Pie, Pieter?” Grant asked.

“Apple pie. And you don’t have to have any, if you’re going to be that way.”

“Oh, I was only asking.”

&&

They unloaded the bus and separated into their houses so the kids could wash up and change into play clothes. Michael followed along to supervise and Margaret disappeared downstairs.

The chicken and quiche went into the oven and Ian fired up the indoor grill. Chloe came in with Ken, fresh from early swim practice and while she went upstairs, Ken helped by taking over the grilling. Ian was then free to wander into the conservatory to see what was ready.

He loved the four story high glass structure and treasured every moment he spent inside it. Originally, the space had been designed as additional living area but as their family expanded so had their food needs and now, the conservatory was mostly used for vegetables, fruits and other edible plants. Sure, he had a few roses and grew a couple of exotics but it was mostly food crops.

The sprouts on the second floor were coming along nicely but needed to be rinsed so he skipped down to the micro-greens. The broccoli, curly cress and cabbage micros went into his basket along with Snow White cherry tomatoes, Hot Marble peppers, Mini Yellow bell peppers and finally, several different lettuces that were ready. The last stop was the herb tables and he clipped some lime basil, chives, and one leaf of stevia before heading back to the kitchen.

Ian put his now heavy basket down and started parceling out the produce to various kids. He kept the herbs and hot peppers and got out the big salad bowl. The Salad-e Shirazi had tomatoes and cucumbers but a big green salad was customary for them and the kids enjoyed helping out, even if Chloe was the only one allowed to use a knife.

Pieter and Grant returned with their brood and the work groups were reconfigured so everyone had something to do. Michael’s job, shucking oysters, was the most fascinating to the children.

“Dad, that looks like boogers.” Liam said, once Michael got the first one done.

“It does? Well, you don’t have to eat any.”

“We don’t?” Robbie asked, amazed. Then he got a crafty look on his face, “But we’re supposed to at least try it, then we can decide if we don’t like it.”

“I’m glad you’re a believer in the kitchen rule but not this time.”

“So we can’t have any?” Jamey asked, sure there was a trick involved somewhere. Harry obvious agreed.

“Well, you can try a piece of one. Ian, will you bring over a cutting board and a knife?”

“Certainly,” Ian answered, as he’d been monitoring the interrogation – uh conversation. He took one of the shells and speared the oyster, transferring it to the board and cutting it into four pieces.

From the looks on the boys’ faces, the smaller sections weren’t anymore appetizing than the whole oyster had been and Ian had trouble hiding his grin.

“What’s it taste like?” Jamey asked.

“It’s a bit salty, like the ocean. The flesh is rather slimy and if you eat them whole, it can feel a little wiggly because the oysters are alive.”

The boys’ eyes bugged out and Robbie immediately nabbed one of the pieces, thrilled with the idea of eating something so bizarre. He chewed it a bit, swallowed and rendered his verdict.

“It’s kind of bouncy.”

“You mean ‘chewy’?” Michael asked.

“Yeah. It didn’t wiggle though.”

Since their brother had survived, the other three tried their pieces with mixed results. Liam and Harry spit theirs back out but Jamey swallowed and asked for more.

&&

Their international dinner was a big hit, as they discussed where each dish came from and the countries of origin. The adults had been to several of those countries and the discussion turned to what everyone remembered of their visits. Not surprisingly, the subject quickly turned to what Chloe had dubbed, “Pools of the World.”

And that led to the inevitable question: “Papee, can we go swimming tomorrow?”

“I think we can manage that, Lenora.” Pieter answered. “You know, if we want to get an early start tomorrow, we should get a head start on our chores tonight. Grant, don’t you agree?”

Grant, who had been enjoying the relaxing evening, reluctantly nodded, “Yes, I suppose we’d better. Kids, let’s help clear the table and go home.”

Pieter and Grant hauled yesterday’s laundry back with them and the kids helped distribute things in the right places. Then they turned their attention to the public rooms; straightening up and putting things away. The compost bowl was emptied onto the pile out back and the trash was gathered from every room and taken out to the garbage cans.

Pieter went through each room, giving the surfaces a quick dusting then Grant followed with the vacuum cleaner. By seven thirty, the house was tidy and the children were led upstairs for their baths.

Because it was Friday night, Grant filled the big tub in the master bathroom while Pieter helped the kids gather up their nightwear. A normal tub wouldn’t be large enough for eight small bodies but Pieter and Grant had put in a custom tub, large enough for them to bathe together, so it was almost a swimming pool for the kids.

At eight, Grant stood up and picked up one of the towels, “All right, munchkins. It’s time for bed.”

“But Daddy, we just got in!” Lenora protested.

“Over twenty minutes ago. Come on, we still need to read a chapter of our book.”

“Can we read in big bed?” Declan asked.

Pieter looked over at Grant and shrugged, “If they fall asleep, we’ll just move them later.”

“Okay. But we’re only reading a chapter; no begging for another one no matter what.”

&&

Ten minutes later, Pieter helped Beatrix into the big bed and pulled the duvet up over everyone before perching at the foot. The sight of Grant sitting in the middle and covered in children so they could see the pictures, was quite charming and Pieter couldn’t help smiling as Grant started reading. He pulled one of the displaced pillows over and stretched out so he could enjoy the story.

At the end of the chapter, Grant closed the book as the children were already asleep or close to it.

“What happens next?” Pieter couldn’t help asking.

“You’ll just have to find out tomorrow night.” Grant said with a wicked smile. “Now, help me peel off the kids.”
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