Chapter 7

David and Brie slept through dinner that night.  They were just exhausted.  Their day went backward.  Their flights played chicken with the sun and the sun won.  The only reason either of them got up was to get something to eat.  Brie needed to eat because of her sugar and David was just hungry.  As they waited on their food to warm up, Brie told the kids what was to happen the following day.  “If you are over the age of 15 and bare a Y chromosome in your DNA, you are to stay the FUCK out of this room tomorrow after breakfast.  If you are over the age of fifteen and bare two X’s in your DNA, you are to be in this room to help me make dinner for tomorrow. We’re going to have guests tomorrow”, she said.

“Who’s coming, Mom?” Marc asked.

“Jona’s parents.  Oh, boys, you come in this kitchen tomorrow, you will get something thrown at you .  Look me in my eyes and tell me I’m joking.”

“If I were you kids, especially your boys, I’d listen to your mother.  Even I plan on staying the hell out of the kitchen”, David said as he took a sip of water from the one liter bottle he had sitting on the counter in front of him.

“Dad, can I point something out?” Jessi asked.

“What Jessykah?”

“This is the darkest I’ve ever seen you.  Same goes for Mom.”

“Danyelle, we just spent a MONTH in the dessert.  We were bound to come back darker than when we left”, he said, giving his youngest child a look that said, ‘Thank you, Captain Obvious.’

Jessi ducked her head, embarrassed.  “I know, that was one of my Captain Obvious moment, wasn’t it?”

“Try Captain OBLIVIOUS”, James laughed.

Brie gave her son a dirty look.  “Apologize NOW, James Matthew”, she barked.

“Why?”

“You might be 21 years old, James Matthew Draiman, but I will break my foot off in your ass if you don’t apologize to your little sister right NOW.  Until your father and I sell this house to Jake, it’s still OUR house and you will follow OUR rules.  Understood?”

James perked up and listened to his mother’s ass chewing for him,  He knew better than the way he was acting and he knew that his parents, no matter how tired they were, wouldn’t tolerate him being an asshole.  “Yes, Ma’am”, he said and looked at Jessi.  “I’m sorry, Jess, I don’t know why I’m being such a dick.”

“You do that a lot.  I think it’s a trait that goes along with the Y chromosome in our family.  Even Dad has the tendency to do it.  If I can forgive Dad when he does it, I can forgive you.”

James smiled and hugged his little sister.  “You’re a good kid, Jess.  I don’t know why I said that.”

“Because there are times when it’s true.”

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Bright and early the next morning, Brie was up making breakfast with Delilah, Jona, and Kimmy’s help.  There were so many people in the house that she just couldn’t cook for everyone on her own.  Usually, Delilah would offer her help by the time Brie had half of the work done.  Brie had learned after her back surgery to accept any help offered, no matter who was offering to help.  Usually, it was David that helped her out, but this morning, the girls wanted to get in a cooking mood by helping with breakfast.

Maddie and Colton, Jordan and Davina, and Malachai and Mandy- as well as any children they had- would be coming over after breakfast.  Four of the six of them would be going directly to the kitchen to help cook.  Maddie had been given special instructions to come in and sit down at the kitchen table.  She would be in charge of any cutting that needed to be done.  Being seven months pregnant and close to having to be put on bed rest because she was doing far too much meant that she was going to have to sit in order to help, at the order of her mother.

Once everyone had arrived, the cooking commenced.  The only time any of the men were allowed to come through the kitchen was when David went out back to check the brisket that Brie had him smoking.  That was it.  And he was to check it once every hour or so, so said his wife.  He knew better than to argue with her.  He liked sleeping next to her at night and the last thing he wanted was get sent to the couch with company in the house.

“They shouldn’t be doing all of the work”, Jeremiah said while he watched a movie with his father and brothers that afternoon.

“Jeremiah, just be still”, David said.

“But, these are going to be my in laws.  I should be in there helping.”  He pushed himself to standing and went for the kitchen door.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Jeremiah”, David called after his son.

Jeremiah ignored him and opened the door.  “Is there anything I can do to help, ladies?”

“GET THE HELL OUT OF MY KITCHEN, ALEXANDER”, Brie shouted.  There was a puff of white from in front of him.

Jeremiah reached up and wiped his mouth.  “Yes, ma’am”, he said and turned around as he wiped his eyes.  “I don’t think we’re welcome in there, you guys.”  His face was covered in flour.

All of the other guys laughed.  “You THINK?” David said.  “I’ve never called you dumb a day in your life, ‘Miah, but that was about the DUMBEST thing I’ve EVER seen you pull.  You were warned last night then again this morning.”

“I know, I know.  I just feel like I should be in there helping.”

“The best way for you to help is to stay the hell out of the way, son.  Trust me.”

Jeremiah sighed.  “I gonna go change my clothes now.  I’ll be back shortly”, he said as he made his way for the stairs.

“I’d get a shower while you’re up there, little brother”, Jake and Malachai said in unison.

“Thanks you Jacob and Malachai for pointing out the obvious.  That kinda was the plan.”

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“I hate not being able to get up and help you guys out”, Maddie complained.

“Madison, you’re seven months pregnant and your doctor is about to put you on bed rest.  There has to be a reason”, Brie said as she cut dough to make homemade rolls.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to you about that, Mom.  My doctor is an asshole.”

“I know it’s difficult to find a new one this late in the game, but that’s my suggestion.”

“Mom, I want you to deliver the baby.”

Brie paused.  “Do what?”

“I want you to deliver the baby like you did Ira.”

“I didn’t deliver Ira, Jacob did.  I just helped.”

“Well, I want you to deliver my baby.  My doctor’s a real ass hole.  Instead of talking to me, he talks AT ma and AT Colton.  He’s lucky I hate knocked the hell out of him yet.”

Brie considered what Maddie was telling her and sighed.  “Ok, Maddie.  I’ll deliver the baby.  I’d rather you have an environment that’s conducive to having a baby than some dick who won’t talk to you like you’re a human being.  The delivery will be here and it will be the way you want it to be.”

“I want my sisters around me, and if Dad will do it, I want my Daddy there too.”

“You’ll have to talk to him about that, Maddie girl.  I can’t say anything about it.”

“Oh, and can we have Jake on standby, just in case we need someone with medical training?”

“Maddie, if you want these things you have to talk to the people you’re wanting involved about.  I’m not going to do it for you.”

She looked at the women in the room.  “Would you all be there with me while I have my baby?”

Mandy and Delilah smiled.  “Of course.”

“Wouldn’t miss it for the world”, Jordan and Davina said.

The others just nodded with smiles.  They were all moved to silence.

They fell into silence as they continued to work.  A knock on the door broke the quiet.  “Is it safe to come through?” David’s voice asked from the other side of the door.

“State your intentions”, Brie said as she readied an egg in her hands to throw at her husband.

“I need a drink and I need to go check on the meat.”

Brie relaxed and put the egg down on the counter and moved to the fridge.  “Come on through, baby”, she called.  “What do you want to drink?”

“Just a bottle of water will be fine for now”, he said as he walked carefully into the room with his hands in the air.

All of the girls laughed.  “You look ridiculous, Dad”, Meagan and Makayla said.

“I don’t want to get something thrown at me like Miah did when he came into offer his assistance.  I’m just trying to show that I’m harmless.”

“You are by NO stretch of the imagination harmless, David Michael Draiman” Brie said as she handed him a bottle of water and the sauce for the brisket in the smoker out back.

“No, Mama, he’s harmless”, Maddie said.  “He’s harmless as a grizzly bear.”

“Just you wait, Madison Jade.  I’m gonna have Colton get even for me once that baby’s born.”

“Oh, Colton IS harmless, harmless as a new born babe.”

“I heard that, Jade!” Colton called from the other room.

“I wanted you to, SCOTT!” she yelled back, then took a sip of the water she had on the table, then looked at her father.  “I guess now would be the wrong time to ask you if you’ll be present at the birth of your newest grandchild, huh?”

David looked at Maddie. “Are you sure you want me there?”

“I want my Daddy there.  Mom’s going to deliver, I’m going to have my sisters around me and I’m going to ask Jake if he’d mind being on standby in case we need someone with medical training.”

“If that’s what you want, Maddie, then I’ll be there, but I’m not sure what kind of help I’m going to be.”

“I just want you there for moral support, Daddy, that’s all.”

“Then I’ll be there with bells on.  Now, I need to go check this brisket in the smoker for dinner.” And with that, he walked out of the house through the back door and went to check in the meat for dinner that night.

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After a couple more hours, Jona and Jeremiah had to go get her parents from the airport.  Jona went and got cleaned up quickly, then she and Jeremiah left for the hour drive to Denver to pickup her parents.  ‘Miah’s nerves were a little on edge, but he wouldn’t let it show.  The part he was nervous about wasn’t meeting her mother.  Oh no.  Kaylian Mason had made it rather obvious that she adored him and thought that he was perfect for her daughter.  It was Skyler Mason that he wanted to impress.  But, he also knew that if he wanted to impress the man that fathered the woman he wanted to make is wife, he’s have to figure him out.  What makes him tick?, ‘Miah asked himself as he and Jona rode in silence.  He’s so stoic over the phone, but cracks the OCCASIONAL smart ass joke.  Could be that he’s just a sarcastic ass like my parents?  Hmm.  Makes you think…

When he parked the car, he looked down at the angel whose head lay in his shoulder.  “Are you ready to go in and get you parents off of the plane?”

“Yes.  I’m so excited to see them.”

He smiled and kissed her cheek then got out of the car to open her door for her.  He held a hand out to her and offered her a hand up.  “Then let’s go get them”, he said with a smile.

She gave him her hand and he pulled her to standing.  “Then let’s go.”

He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her against his side.  “I love you, Jona Mason”, he said as he kissed her cheek.

She blushed.  “I love you too, Jeremiah Draiman.”