*three years later (Shad and Bradley are seven)*
"BRAD, BYRON, YOU'D BETTER NOT BE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES AGAIN!" You hear Juliette yell.
Choas and small children are all around you. Cedric and Clyde run past you, yelling at each other. You maneuver around the many people in the household, trying to put together the Christmas cards. You got Percy and Thalia's family pictures in your hand right now. You took the pictures today. Percy had made everyone wear clothes from his new designer line. It was really weird to hear when Percy told you he'd started a fashion line. In high school, you never would have guessed he'd do something like that.
Poor Thalia had ended up with three little rowdy boys. Byron, the oldest, the ring leader. He was JUST like his father. In appearance and personality. His two younger brothers, Cedric and Clyde, thought he put the stars in the sky. Byron and Bradley had been iseperable since birth. Which left Shad to defend herself against the boys. But she did a good job. Using her clever brain to prank them away when necessary.
You sit down at the dining room table, trying to get the photos organized. You have the Sharks ready. Now you just have to get the Poulter's, the Sangster's and the Country's.
Suddenly you hear a knock at the front door. Will shouts, "SOMEONE GET THAT, I'M TRYING TO GET THIS KID DRESSED!"
Thomas and Juliette stand at the stove in the kitchen. Wright in the fridge. Thomas sighs and looks up at you, "Could you get it, flower? I'm still trying to figure out the whole turkey situation. "
"It wouldn't be a situation if we'd gotten a ham!" Juliette grumbles.
"I don't like ham!" You pout, getting up to get the door.
"Yeah, well, you're weird!" Juliette exclaims, after you.
You walk to the cabins front door and open it.
On the other side stand Willa and Dylan. Derek hangs onto Willas hand, jumping up and down excitedly. He looks JUST like Dylan. His tan skin, dark hair, slightly upturned nose. Clyde runs into the room and spots Derek.
"DEREK!"
"CLYDE!"
"Save me." Willa mutters.
Derek runs into the house after Clyde. Dylan chuckles, "You love him."
"He's like Calvin, from Calvin ad Hobbes. He destroyed my coffee table today." Willa says, "He's JUST like his father."
You pat Willas shoulder, "Bless your heart."
Dylan shrugs and steps in, his usual mischeviousness has not worn off. Not even in marriage or parenthood. You think having Derek kind of inspired his inner child.
"So how are you two doing?" You ask as Willa steps in after him.
"Grand." She says, "I love our new beach house. I mean, really, I'm in love with it. The thing i'm NOT in love with, is how Derek brought a turtle in the house the other day and his father told him he could KEEP it!" She says, pointedly to Dylan.
"He keeps it in an aquarium." Dylan shrug, "And you shouldve seen him! He looked so hopeful! So I told him yes."
"But-" Willa starts.
Then Dylan spots the hot tub on there back porch of the cabin, "OH!" He runs outside.
Willa looks at you, "Well, his attention span lasted longer than I expected it to."
You shake your head, "I cannot believe we are all staying in this little cabin for the holidays."
Willa grins, "Yeah, it'll be a lot of fun. And cramped and chaotic, but fun."
You groan.
Then Will walks in the room, holding a wiggling Karla in his arms, "I require assistance." He says, looking at you.
Karla is Will and Sidney's spunky five year old daughter. You have a feeling that half the time Will and Sidney feel like they're driving a dynamite truck. Moderation is not and will never be in Karla's vocabulary. She's a natural fighter, ready to argue at any time. Her motto is something similar to "war on any provocation". She's sarcastic and quick tempered. Like her mother she is very smart, especially in mechanical matters. Naturally, you love Karla. She may or may not be your favorite small child, besides your own.
You smile, "Okay."
Karla watches her Dad uneasily. You walk over and kneel down next to Karla, "What's the problem?"
"He's trying to put me in My Little Pony pajamas." She scowls.
"They're the only pajamas we brought!" Will argues.
You shoot Will a warning glance, "Well, how about I let you borrow one of my shirts and you can wear that to sleep in? I know you dont like My Little Pony, anyway."
Karla smiles, "Yeah!"
You nod and say to Will, "You can take your pick from my suitcase. It's upstairs in our family's room."
He nods and looks at you gratefully, "How do you do it?"
You smirk, "Comprise."
Will grumbles, "In my day, there was no comprise, you did what your parents told you or you got in trouble."
You laugh as he walks up the stairs, " 'In your day'. You're starting to sound like an old man, Will."
He grumbles, "I'm starting to become an old man."
Wright walks in, "Have you seen my children?"
You glance around, "No. They're probably upstairs with Byron and Bradley. Playing video games or something."
Wrights eyes widen, "Uh-oh. Leila doesn't need to watch those violent video games!"
He turns on his heel and runs up the stairs. You chuckle as you make your way back to the dining room. Juliette had two older boys, Gale and Grayson, after she graduated from BYU and became a hygenist. And of course she'd married Wright and her last name changed to Country. Both had Weights red hair. However, Gales facial features looked a little more like Juliettes and Graysons looked more like Wrights. Then she had her dream little girl, Leila. She looked exactly like Juliette. And Juli pampered her like she was a princess. All of Juli's children were imaginative and easy going. Which made matters much easier for the picture perfect dentist family.
Just as you sit down you, the doorbell ring again, "FOR THE LOVE OF MONKEYS!" You yell.
You've had to watch your language over the past seven years. You didn't want Shad or Bradley picking up anything bad.
You walk to the front door AGAIN. This time Vanessa and Ki stand on the other side. Their oldest child, Luna pushes her way in, asking, "Where's Shad?"
"Upstairs." You answer, "Wait, I dont get a hug?"
Luna looks up at you with her big blue eyes, and tan skin, smirking. She wraps her arms around your legs quickly before she charges towards the stairs.
"Play nicely!" Ki calls after her.
You look at Ki, he holds two boys hands, Homer, the second child, and Jacob the their third. Both boys were shy like their Dad. And they looked like him too, unlike Luna, who looked like her Mom. You smile at them and wave. They grin and bury their faces in their Dads legs, trying to hide. Then you look to Vanessa. On her hip she carries their smallest child, Johnah. He has his older sister and Moms personality. Very outgoing.
You smile, "How was the car ride here?"
"Loud." Ki says.
"Fun." Vanessa smiles at her husband.
"Not when Homer is kicking the back of your seat the entire time." Ki says, rubbing his back.
You laugh, "Well, come on in. Most of the kids are upstairs. The adults are either in the kitchen or the dining room."
They walk in and Vanessa sets Johnah down with Homer and Jacob, "Take your little brother upstairs okay?"
"Okay, Mommy." Jacob says.
Ki walks to the kitchen and Vanessa follows you to the dining room, "So what are you doing?"
You sigh, "Trying to get the Christmas cards together. TRYING. Remember that word "
She laughs, "I understand. Believe me I do. Having
four kids keeps you on your toes. And I really dont want to get a Nanny. But i have to sometimes, with my carreer as a soccer player."
You sigh, "I thought life as a celebrity would be easier. You know, family time AND career."
Vanessa shrug, "You can't have it all."
You sigh, "I guess not."
Thomas walks in and smiles at Vanessa, as he loops and arm around you, "How's it going?"
"Good." Vanessa nods, "You guys got here this morning right?"
"Yeah." Thomas nods.
"This was a good idea. It feels kind of like a high school reunion, except at Thanksgiving. Was Ava coming?" Vanessa asks.
Thomas shakes his head, "No, she couldn't make it."
"Too bad. I saw the picture of her little boy on Facebook. He's so cute!" Vanessa smiles.
"Yeah, I like him." Thomas grins.
"We're going to try and visit Ava in the spring. Make a trip down t the UK. But, Bradley and Shadow are home bodies. They love Louisiana." You say.
Vanessa nods, "That's a good thing."
"I guess." You sigh.
Suddenly, you hear a crash and yelling from upstair, "That doesn't sound good."
Vanessa looks at the staircase, "There's a lot of kids up there."
Thomas' eyes widen, "Karla is up there."
Your eyes widen too, "We should probably run then."
"Good idea." Thomas nods.
And the three of you run to the stairs.
- - - -
All of the children are either asleep on the couch or half asleep watching the movie. The adults seem to be innerly sighing with relief. It's like you remember high school being.
There is never a meal where everyone is happy.
Getting a table at a restaurant takes at least half an hour.
The house is more crowded than Target on Black Friday.
Someone is always around to watch a movie.
Someone will always be talking during that movie.
If they are close to your age or size, clothes are communal.
The youngest will always be the favorite.
There will be alliances made, and you'd better have a buddy or you'll be dead within five minutes.
You see all of your younger self's in these children. You especially see Thomas in Shad. While Bradley looks more like you. But both resemble their father more.
Dylan pulls a several beers out of the fridge and hands them out to the men, except Wright, who turns it down. None of the woman want them. Someone's got to watch the kids anyway.
"We're going outside." Thomas whispers in your ear, "Feel free to join us men if you want."
You smile as he kisses your cheek, "No, thanks. I'm going to sit here and keep and eye on our angels."
He nods as he walks out with the guys.
You look over at the girls. They look tired and happy. They all fought their own battles to get their marriages. And had their own issues. But like you and Thomas, they were worth it. Vanessa and Sidney look like they're about to fall asleep themselves. You imagine you look like that too. But Willa and Juliette are night owls. They look like they could stay awake for hours. And they probably will.
You walk over to your little sister and wrap your arms around her.
"Hey, Iris." She says.
"Sup." You mutter tiredly.
She shakes her head, "Life went by too fast."
"I know how you feel." You nod.
You watch Bradley, Shad and Byron whisper to each other. They look like they're plotting something. They probably are. You smile at the thought. Cedric, Clyde and Derek whisper to each other as well. The two groups have been feuding over the past few days. With Karla encourageing them and Gale, Grayson and Luna trying to act as peace makers.
Just like when you were little.
Shad, Bradley and Byron get up, Derek following them. Shad and Bradley walk over to you, "Hey, Mummy! We're going to put our pajamas on, okay?"
You smile down at there sweet faces, "Okay, my darlings. Are you going to bed soon?"
"Yes." Bradley says, speaking for the two of them as usual.
"Okay, don't forget to say goodnight to your Dad." You approve.
"Yes, Mum." Bradley says, grabbing Shads hand and pulling her up the stairs after Byron and Derek.
You look at Juliette and Willa, who stand next to you.
They smile, "Life, eh?"
You smile, "Oh, what a life."
- - - -
Shad and Bradley ended up being alike in so many ways. Their popularity seemed to zoom. Shad had her first modeling contract by the time she was nine months old. Bradley was a year and a half old when he played an extra on his first movie and by the time they were five, they were playing more main characters and going to interviews on live television.
They were never carried away by wild enthusiasms. They were a little rebellious in the fact that they never followed a leader who they thought was less capable than they were. They reminded you of a bull in their tempers. They had to be annoyed and tormented for a while until they were angered. You discovered Bradleys temper first - when he was five. He had a small misunderstanding at school with another boy. Shad was around the age of eight when you first realized that she too, had kind of a hot head. Again, things for very physical, very fast, and the little bit who had been picking on her had recieved a black eye as a "warning" from Shadow.
Both Bradley and Shadow were extremely fit, so it wasnt exactly a fair fight. They only were left with a couple of bruises every time they let their tempers get the better of them. But people learned not to mess with the Sangsters. They were usually very gentel. You would never forget when their temper was aroused, however. They would become furious, headstrong and stubborn. Determined to get revenge. But you felt they gave you less to worry about than most children.
On their better side, they were constructive and practical. Even though they were usually very secretive. They'd always loved music, art and literature. But when they spoke, they had trouble finding the words to express themselves. You could tell they felt strongly, but the words just wouldn't come out. They love Louisiana with all their heart. And the friends they made there. In their friendships, they were faithful and warm-hearted. They are much easier hurt from what you would suspect from their self sufficient and almost too confident manner.
Their mind has always been steady. They took a long time making decisions ever since they were little. But when they made them, they were determined to see them through. They worked hard. They were perfect examples of the saying "slow but sure". They were very centered on material blessings. When they moved out of the house, they got large houses and nice furniture. Not that that was a bad thing. You just hoped they wouldn't let that cloud their judgment later on in life.
You were very proud of their accomplishments, after all.
Shad had become very fond of Juliette and looked up to her a great deal. She had taken her Aunts path and became a denist. By the time she graduated college, she had published a book. She stilled acted. Still used her path of fame. But she tried her hardedt to live a quiet life as a hygienist.
Bradley had chosen the educational path as well. He finished Willas path. Her dream had never been fulfilled. She'd quit school to marry Dylan. Yes, Bradley became a doctor. And like his sister, he still liked his fame. On the side he did a lot of singing. A country singer, like Percy. They collaborated on several albums, as reletives. He was succesful.
But your life was too short. It had gone by too fast.
You wish you could go back in time.
But you can't.
So you just smile to yourself at the memories you've made.
And you and Thomas enjoy recalling times together.
You get by each day, repeating the same words-
Oh, What a Life.
Author:
I am doing my very best to not cry right now.
This book has become such a huge part of my life.
And i'm REALLY going to miss you guys.
Oops, the not crying thing failed.
I NEVER CRY GUYS, FEEL SPECIAL.
Anyway , I'm going to post a Playlist for the book. Like a soundtrack thing. :-)
And I'll post some things in this book about Iris before Thomas was around. So it's not TOTALLY OVER.
And then you'll have the sequel after I write a few more books. KEEP YOUR HEADS UP, CHILDREN.
(SEQUEL HAS BEEN POSTED! The name of the sequel is Yesterday! Be sure to check it out, Gangsters! AND THE TREQUEL - Willa McElrie - a Dylan O'Brien fanfic!)
The squeal will be....different. You'll see when I start writing it.
And I have another TBS fanfiction out called The Rendezvous, so PLEASE, PLEASE give that a read. It needs some serious loving guys.
Social media! I have Pinterest, Vine, Snapchat and Instagram. You can find me on them as either Katie Slauson or SunnyCoolKid.
SunnyCoolKid is seriously my internet name for everything. So when in doubt, try SunnyCoolKid.
THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR READING!
Let's do a final count, to see where I've finished.
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-Sunny