The next morning when he got up, David was in far better spirits. His boys noticed. “Hey Dad, feeling better?” James asked as he made Hunter a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast.
David took a deep breath and nodded. “Yeah. You’re mother is an amazing woman.”
“You don’t have to tell us Dad”, Jake said. “We already know.”
David smiled. “Good, because if you didn’t there would be huge problems.”
“Dad, we all know how Mom kept us on track while you were away”, Marc said as he sipped his coffee. “We were kinda here.”
Jeremiah shot his younger brother and evil look along with the rest of his brothers present. “MARC!” Jeremiah growled.
David shook his head, quickly stopping the ass kicking that he knew his boys were about to deal their baby brother. “No, boys. It’s ok.” He looked at Marc. “I know you boys and your sisters were here and there were a lot of times when I couldn’t be. I was doing my job and being the man of the house and supporting my family. I’m sorry if you didn’t understand that and still don’t. As of the moment you turned 18, it’s no longer my problem if you don’t get it.”
Jake, James, and Jeremiah all looked at their father in shock. “Did that really just happen?” James asked.
“I think it did”, ‘Miah said. “Though if it did, that’s a really big shock. Dad doesn’t talk like that.”
Marc just sat there slack jawed for a few minutes. “Dad… I…” he stuttered. He took a deep breath and tried again. “Dad, I didn’t mean to imply that you should have been around more often. I was just saying that we all know how hard Mom worked to keep us on track while you were gone recording or touring.”
David looked at his youngest son. “Then you should have said that, Marc Christopher. I’m not a mind reader, though people would like for me to be.”
“Sorry, Dad.”
“It’s ok. Just keep that in mind.” David turned to James. “Are you seriously going to feed that boy that slop, James Matthew?”
“It’s what he asked for, Dad”, James answered with a chuckle. “He woke me up and said, ‘Daddy, can I have oatmeal this morning?’. I couldn’t tell that he couldn’t have something so healthy.”
“At least make it look slightly appetizing for the boy. Ok, Jay?”
James chuckled. “You got it, Dad. I was going to caramelize some apples in brown sugar with a pinch of cinnamon to make it taste a little bit better.”
David poured himself a cup of coffee and sat at the bar next to Jake. “So, where’s Delilah?” he asked.
“She took Ira to a doctor’s appointment. The kids’ pediatrician doesn’t like having me at the appointments because not only am I intimidating, I’m her boss at the hospital when she has to work at. She’s requested that I not come to her private practice”, Jake said with a chuckle at the end.
“Are you really that intimidating, Jacob?”
“Apparently, I am, Dad. I mean, it’s not every day that I see her. But, when a person acts like they have no commonsense then I treat them as such. I’m not going to sugar coat anything. But, she launched a complaint with the board of directors at the hospital we work at together. I explained that she was making ignorant errors that even as a neurologist I wouldn’t make with a child. We settled on me avoiding her private practice if she has to deal with me at the hospital.”
“Yay!” David said with a sarcastic laugh.
“I know; it’s so FUCKING exciting!” Jake said with just as much sarcasm as his father. “I’m going to go fuck with her later though. She has a shift at the hospital and she’s going to tell me how my son is doing and she’s going do give me every detail of it or I’m going to make her pay for not doing so. I’m just as conniving as Mom.”
“And that, my son, is a very frightening thought.”
---------------
All of the children could tell that their father/ grandfather was in a far better mood than he had been the day before. When he wasn’t in his office typing out more of the story of his life for his millions of fans to read or listen to when it was made into an audio book, he was sitting in the living room playing with any number of his grandchildren or helping his wife in the kitchen. Brie smiled at him when brightly when he came down the stairs from his office for lunch. “I’m glad to see you in a better mood”, she laughed.
He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her cheek. “I have an amazing and understanding wife, wonderful and understanding children, and beautiful and understanding grandchildren; what’s not to be in a good mood about?”
“What happened to all of those self- doubts you had yesterday?”
“I was just feeling a bit insecure. I’m much better than I was yesterday. So, how are things with Jeremiah and Jona’s wedding coming?”
“Still trying to find a venue, but we’re not doing too bad. I’ll have everything I need by the time I need it all. And, instead of cooking, I’m having it catered. I’m not doing that kind of cooking again.”
He laughed. “I don’t blame you. I wanted to fool around those nights and you, for the first times EVER were too tired. That never happens in our relationship.”
“I know… it was weird. Believe me- the night that we met Jona’s family, Thanksgiving, and Hanukkah- I wanted to fool around too but all the shit I did those days… my back just wouldn’t let me.”
“Are you having issues with your back again?”
“Not the crippling, mind- numbing pain I was having before the surgery, no, but if I over work my back I’ll feel it later.”
“Have you considered seeing one of the girls for a massage?”
“I actually have an appointment with Maddie right before I give you your weekly massage.”
“That’s tomorrow.”
“Yeah.”
“Are you just going to borrow a room at the clinic to give me my massage?”
“Yeah, might as well while we’re there.”
He shrugged and pressed his lips to her throat. “Ok, sounds like a plan to me.”
---------------
“Grampa, will you convince Mama and Daddy to let me have a Koi fish?” Miri asked her grandfather after he’d eaten lunch for the day.
“Why do you want a Koi fish?” David asked his little green- eyed grandbaby.
“Aunt Jona told me that they live to be 100 years old and that they recognize their owner when the approach the pond. I wanna see if it’s true.”
“Miriam, how old are you?”
“I’m three.”
“And what makes you think that at the age of three you can handle the responsibility of a pet?”
“I help feed the puppies all the time, Grampa.”
“But, aren’t you asked to help feed the puppies?”
“Yeah, usually.”
“In order to have a pet, you have to know that you have to feed that animal everyday without anyone asking you to do it or to help them.”
“Can I ask for help if I need it?”
“Of course, sweetie. But, you have to do most of it on your own.”
“I can do that.”
“Then you need to prove it to Mama and Daddy by doing things without being asked.”
“Like what, Grampa?”
“Clean up after yourself; help feed the puppies… things that big girls are supposed to be able to do.”
Miri nodded with a big smile. “Yes, sir, Grampa. I’ll start being a big girl and helping more.”
Miri’s smile reminded her grandfather of his wife. He reached out and patted the little girl on the head. “Good girl, Miri. Now, as much as Grampa would love to sit down here and play with you and your cousins a little more, I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Are you writing new songs, Grampa?”
“No, baby. I’m writing a book.”
“Does it have pictures in it?”
He laughed. “No, sweetheart, I’m sorry. It doesn’t.”
She huffed. “Well, that sucks. I can’t read it now, Grampa.”
He started laughing so hard that he had to cover his mouth to that he didn’t scare people. “Oh, Miri, baby. That was way too much. Holy crap.” He laughed until he was out of air and had to gasp to catch a breath. “Baby, it’s too grown up for you to read anyway. There are things in the book I’m writing that are above your head.”
“Like what?”
“Things that only grown- ups need to know about, baby girl.” He leaned down and gave Miri a kiss on the forehead. “Now, I’ve got to go or Gramma’s going to kick my butt.”
“And I don’t want Gramma get mean and kick your butt. You better go, Grampa.”
He gave his granddaughter one final kiss on the forehead before heading up the stairs to work some more on the book he was writing about his life.
---------------
“I’m glad to see your Dad in a better mood today”, Jona said to Jeremiah as they cleaned their room. There wasn’t a lot to do because ‘Miah swore that he was OCD at times, but it was a way for them to spend time together on her days off without having to be in front of the entire family.
“You and me, both, baby girl. He’s rather depressing when he’s feeling self- doubting.”
“Does he do that often?”
“Not really, no. My father is the most confident man I’ve ever known. But, even he has moment of doubt every now and then. No one’s perfect.”
She nodded. “I still can’t help but feel like it was my fault. I keep thinking that I should go to his office and tell him so.”
“And he’ll tell you what I’m telling you, love. ‘It’s not anyone’s fault. It just happened. I’m past it. You should move on too. No use in dwelling on the past’.”
She smiled a little sadly at her man. “I love you, ‘Miah. Thank you.”
“I love you too, Jona. It was nothing. Just doing my job.”
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