#((to visit my uncle's mom but their flight kept getting delayed and delayed and delayed until it was finally canceled))

[theheadlessgroom]

@beatingheart-bride

"Doreen's told me the costumes are beautiful," Susannah grinned, her excitement only growing the more they discussed it: Seeing as she didn't exactly get out to the theater very much, she by and large only had others' word to go off, letting her best friend's excitable descriptions fuel her imagination, painting herself a picture of lavish gowns and suits, glittering in full color and rich details under the stage lights, lending a touch of magic to the visuals, accompanying the wonder that was the music.

"She told me she auditioned to play the little girl in The Nutcracker, and even started to learning to dance for the part," she recalled, as she put in her order with the waiter, declining his offer of a glass of wine to accompany her meal: It had taken a lot of convincing on Doreen's part, getting her parents to let her try out for the theater, but eventually, she wore them down, getting them to give in at last. Her plans for stardom were spoiled, however, by a twisted ankle during dance practice, much to her deep disappointment-and, as Susannah saw it, her parents' deep relief.

"I don't think they wanted her to be an actress," she shrugged-a shame, honestly, considering Doreen's skill as one, it was a shame she never pursued it beyond that.

"I could never do that-I think I'd get stage fright, honestly!"

[tngrace]

Bright Lights, Big City

This is for one of my best friends in the whole world. Today is her birthday and I wanted to write something for her. I hope you love it boo, @justkillingtimewhileiwait

read here on A03; 911 LS masterlist

The Strand-Reyes household always looked forward to the two weeks before Christmas. TK and Carlos had kept with tradition even in their newest positions as paramedic and detective and saved vacation for the week of Christmas and New Years. This year they were leaving the day after Christmas really early in the morning to go to NYC to visit Gwyn. It was the first time the family was travelling to NYC and there was a lot of excitement and a lot of anxiety. Carlos had never flown before and he was a little anxious about it if he were being honest. TK assured him it would be fine, but Carlos wasn’t sure he believed him. 

Christmas Day was eventful as always. Gabriel, Andrea, and Owen came over for breakfast and to watch the kids open presents. Later in the afternoon, the rest of the crew and Carlos’s partner came over for dinner and to play with the kids. Carlos and TK took the time the kids were occupied with their aunts and uncles to finish the last minute packing. “TK are you sure about this? Ryder hasn’t been feeling the best, airports are going to be so crowded, it’s snowing in NYC, and what if the flights are delayed or….”

TK cradles Carlos’s face. “Deep breath babe.” They take a couple of exaggerated breaths together. “I know you’re nervous about flying, but I promise it’s not that bad. The kids will be fine. We’ll pack his allergy meds. We got this.” 

Carlos nods as he rests his forehead against TK’s. “We got this,” he murmurs. 

“Maybe I’ll blow you before we get on the plane,” TK smirks as he wiggles his eyebrows at Carlos. 

“And who would watch our children?” he deadpans back. TK laughs at him and goes back to packing. “I can do it tonight once they’re asleep. We just have to be at the airport by four in the morning.” 

“You’re a menace,” he grunts as he shakes his head. “But I love you anyways.” Carlos’s smile is bright as always when declaring his love for TK and TK returns the smile with equal amounts of love. 

Their friends and family eventually leave, and TK and Carlos get the kids in bed. TK makes good on his promise, which does help relax Carlos, but he'd never admit that to TK. They get the car packed and load the sleeping kids. Thankfully, they stay asleep on the drive to the airport and all through check in. Ryder is slightly fussy when he wakes, but TK gets him his meds and juice and he settles right into TK’s chest. Sofia is her normal happy self when she wakes. She’s excited to be going to see her Mimi, but she’s also picked up on her Papa’s nerves about flying. They’ve both done their best to reassure her, but she really feeds off Carlos. The kids are awake for about an hour, when they are called to board. TK sends Gwyn a text letting her know they’re boarding and will see her soon. 

Unfortunately for Carlos, their seats are over the wheels. They’ve switched kids hoping that TK’s calm demeanor will help Sofia stay calm. Ryder is dozing on Carlos, the meds making him sleepy when they start moving. Carlos is doing his best to stay calm, but honestly he’s freaking out. When they start climbing in the air, the wheels come up, and it's loud. Carlos tenses even more as Sofia starts crying. She buries her face in TK’s neck as he tries to calm her. “It’s fine; it’s going to be ok, baby girl. Nothing is wrong. They’re just pulling the wheels up.” He rubs her back as he calms her, and he squeezes Carlos’s hand. “It’s ok babe. Everything is fine.” 

Sofia calms down at TK’s quiet reassurances and thankfully the rest of the flight goes smoothly. Ryder is a little grumpy at being woken and jostled as they get off, but Carlos does his best to keep him happy. They head over to baggage claim, TK letting Gwyn know they were getting their luggage. The kids stayed in their parents arms, both clinging to them at the loud and busy airport. It was a shock to all of them except for TK. “You’ve got to be getting me,” TK groans when he reads Gwyn’s response. 

“What’s wrong?” Carlos takes Sofia so TK can get the luggage. 

“Mom’s at the office. We have to get a cab.” TK’s frustration with his mom is apparent, especially since Gwyn knew they were coming. Carlos nods as they push their way through the airport. “Cab won’t be that bad.” TK gives him the side eye and Carlos just sighs. Before they’re able to flag down a cab, TK spots someone he wasn’t sure he’d ever see again. “TK?” 

“Enzo?” TK asks with confusion. 

“Yea. Hey kid. Your mom said you were coming into town. I thought she was picking you up.” 

“Uh… yea. She was supposed to, but apparently she’s still at the office. We were just catching a cab. Wait… you’ve been in contact with mom recently?” TK was confused because he thought Enzo and his mom were done a few years ago. 

Enzo looks between him and Carlos holding the kids as he scratches at the back of his neck. “Uh… yea. We.. uh… I take it she hasn’t told you?” 

“Told me what exactly?” TK can feel Carlos becoming increasingly more uncomfortable with the situation as people mill around them. It’s hard for his husband to turn off his cop brain, and large crowds tend to put him on edge, especially when the kids are with them. Add that to a complete stranger to him that is putting TK on edge, and Carlos’s patience wears thin quickly.

Enzo seems to want to avoid answering TK’s question. “Why don’t I drop you four off at your mom’s and she’ll explain everything?” 

“Yes. Thanks,” Carlos pipes up. He knows TK would’ve argued until he got his answers, and he doesn’t blame him, but he’d be happier if they got out of the airport. TK gives him the side eye again, and Carlos just shrugs nodding to the kids who have both buried their faces in his neck at this point. TK nods his assent, and they follow Enzo to his car. Enzo helps TK load their luggage while Carlos gets in the back with the kids. They’d brought a car seat for Ryder so Carlos strapped it in while Sofia held Ryder for him. “Thank you baby girl,” he grins as he takes Ryder strapping him in. He makes sure Sofia is strapped in as he settles between them, and TK gets in the front with Enzo. The car ride to Gwyn’s place is silent, and the kids can pick up on the tension. “Papa me want out,” Ryder cries when the tension filled silence gets to be too much for him. 

“It’s ok buddy. We’ll be at Mimi’s in no time,” he tries to comfort him. He gives him his stuffed dog that he absolutely loves, and Ryder settles some. When they get to Gwyn’s TK is out of the car before Carlos can even blink. “TK come on,” Enzo says, getting out following him. 

“No. You don’t want to explain anything so there’s nothing to say. My son’s allergies are acting up, my kids feed off tension, and this is Carlos’s first time in the city. It's not fair to them for mom to be pulling some drama right off the bat. We’re tired. I’ll talk to mom later.” 

“TK…” Carlos gets the kids out as TK slams the trunk shut. 

“Enzo, you’ve always been straight with me. You’ve always been good to me. I don’t want to jeopardize that by saying the wrong thing right now. So I’m going to go upstairs and get my family settled, and I’m sure I’ll see you this week if my assumptions are correct.”

Enzo just nods and steps back. “Nice to meet you,” Carlos tells him as he follows TK inside the fancy apartment building. They get on the elevator and head upstairs. Luckily the bellhop knows TK and lets them into the apartment since TK doesn't have a spare key. Carlos is in awe at how gorgeous it is. The apartment is immaculate, and the view is breathtaking. “Uh.. TK,” Carlos says holding the kids. 

“Yea?” TK asks, giving him a confused look. 

“This place is… the kids will…” 

TK chuckles softly as he walks back over to his husband. “Yea… mom’s place is really nice, but she offered to let us stay here. She knows the kids won’t be perfect. It’s fine. I promise,” TK says, reaching for Ryder. 

“Daddy… me snuffy,” he says, rubbing his eyes and sniffing. 

“I know little man. Let's get settled and get some medicine and juice?” Ryder nods as TK takes him. 

“Papa, can I go look around?” Sofia asks. 

“Yea baby girl. Just.. be careful.” Gwyn’s apartment is honestly putting Carlos on edge because of how perfect it is. 

“Carlos, come here,” TK quietly demands. 

He sits down beside TK on the couch. Ryder has taken his medicine and is content sitting on the couch with them for the moment. “It’s ok babe. I know it looks like a lot, but she’s not going to be mad if they get it a little dirty.” 

“I know… it’s just a lot… it’s just not home.” He gives TK a bashful shrug. He is looking forward to exploring TK’s city, but he feels like he needs some sleep and comfort. 

“I get it.” TK gives his hand a squeeze with a reassuring soft kiss. “So tonight we’re ordering some of my favorite takeout and having a night in,” he smiles as Sofia rejoins them. 

"Sounds good," Carlos smiles. TK takes care of ordering the takeout while Carlos takes a quick shower to wash away the traveling grime. Ryder joins him letting the steam from the shower help his stuffy nose. "Feeling ok little man?" Carlos asks, scrubbing his head with shampoo. 

"Mecine hewps," he grins up at Carlos. 

"It sure does," Carlos chuckles. Once they're done, Carlos dresses in some sweats and gets Ryder in his pj's. Sofia takes a quick shower next and gets in her pj's. By the time that's done, the food has arrived and still no Gwyn. Carlos can tell it's grating on TK's nerves that she's at the office, but he's trying not to let it show to the kids. They're all in bed by the time Gwyn shows up. 

The next morning is rough. TK and Gwyn get into a huge argument before she goes to work. TK apologizes to Carlos, but Carlos assures him everything is ok. They take the kids out to tour the city and all the places TK loves. The kids absolutely love the snow, and TK insists on building snowmen and making snow angels in the park. The kids have a blast, but Carlos hates the cold. Texas usually doesn't get this cold, and it leaves him feeling cold all the time. TK is highly amused at how grumpy Carlos gets when cold, but he doesn't mind the extra snuggles from his husband. 

It took until two days before they're supposed to leave before Gwyn takes time off work and actually talks with TK. Carlos and the kids hung out in the guest room watching TV, and Carlos just prayed the TV was loud enough to drown them out. Her and Enzo reconciled to an extent; they'd been hooking up when time allowed, but she didn't want TK to get his hopes up. TK had to remind her he was a grown adult that lived in another state. As long as she was happy, he didn't care what she did, but he didn't like the lying and secrets. He especially didn't like her working over their vacation when they came to spend time with her and he definitely let her know it. They eventually talked it out, and Enzo joined them for dinner that night at a fancy restaurant of Gwyn's choosing. It was definitely more high end then Carlos would have chosen, but it was nice and thankfully the kids were well behaved. 

Carlos had enjoyed seeing TK's city and where he grew up. He loved seeing his husband in that different light, but he honestly couldn't wait to get back home. The cold weather had not done any favors to Ryder's allergies, and Gwyn spent their last day nagging TK about how they were taking care of him, and what they should be doing differently. Carlos’s nerves were honestly frayed and he knew Sofia was feeding off the tension from him and between TK and Gwyn. "Mom, seriously. Just let us be for the night and tomorrow we'll be back in Austin," TK finally said having had enough. The look of surprise on Gwyn’s face was honestly amusing because she was honestly clueless when it came to TK at times. Thankfully after that little blow up, they were able to pack and get the kids settled for the night. "If we ever come back, we're getting a motel," TK whines as they climb in bed. "I honestly thought she'd be better with the kids. I'm sorry this week has been so stressful," he whispers, kissing apologies into Carlos's skin. 

"Stop. You have nothing to apologize for. This week has been fine, and I've loved getting to see your city. Just maybe… come back when it's warmer." It gets the laugh he was hoping for, and they eventually drift off to sleep. 

The plane ride back to Austin is a little smoother. Carlos nor Sofia like it any better, but they at least knew what to expect. They were all definitely glad to be home, and if it was a few more years before they went back to NYC well they blamed work for keeping them busy. 

[0writerchick0]

Burning the Bird

“Daddy! Daddy!” Elenei called at the top of her lungs as each little foot slammed down hard on the floor. She was terrified and needed him more than ever. Daddy would know what to do; he always did.

He was in front of her in an instant, his grey-green eyes searching her with obvious concern. Perhaps he’d noticed the difference between one of her usual hollers and this panicked scream. She was still mid-stride when he scooped her up in his arms and searched her little wrinkled face. “What is it, Princess? What’s wrong?”

She could see what she wanted to tell him, but couldn’t find the words. Words had been difficult for her, but didn’t seem so to anyone else in her family. Auntie Aerie rattled off a ton whenever she visited, and Daddy and Mum always seemed to speak so easily to each other. Even Uncle Jon and Auntie Ygritte seemed to know their words, except they cheated and used their hands to say them. On any given day, Elenei would be jealous, but she didn’t have time for that right then. The image of her mother opening the oven door and all the fire pouring out froze her in horror.

Her father smoothed his hand over her hair and asked again, “What’s wrong?”

She thought to the most recent episode of Paw Patrol she saw. He was fire dog so he was very brave. She needed to be brave, too. Mum needed her to be. “Mum.”

“Mum? What’s wrong with Mum?” She felt his grip tighten and his eyes widen. “Sansa?” He called out.

Caught up in his firm grip, Elenei found the courage to spit out, “Fire.”

“Fire?” He asked, taking a step forward, his gaze darting to all the exits as he yelled, “SANSA!”

“It’s fine, Petyr. Really!” Elenei heard her mother shout back through the wall from the kitchen.

Her father’s muscles relaxed at the sound of her mother’s voice. He looked down at her and raised his eyebrows, which she knew was his silent way of asking her if what Mum said was true. Elenei shook her head no and then held both of her arms up and explained, “Big fire, Daddy.”

He nodded, “Alright. Stay here. I’ll go help Mum.”

He set her down and she watched him walk towards the kitchen. She was relieved he was going to help her mother out, but a part of her wanted him to keep a hold of her. The safest feeling in the world was when either of her parents held her, but she would settle for just seeing them. Her father had told her to stay put, but she didn’t care. She wanted to see them, know that Mum was okay.

She crept one tiny foot in front of the other, holding her breath as she walked. When she got to the archway that lead to the kitchen she stayed around the corner at first, just listening.

“Why did you dismiss the help on Thanksgiving of all days?” Her father asked.

“Because I wanted to cook,” her mother replied as if it was an obvious answer. To Elenei it was pretty obvious; if you didn’t want someone to do something for you, you did it yourself. She didn’t understand how that would be so difficult for her father to get. He understood most things, after all.

“Sansa, no one expects you to cook Thanksgiving dinner.” His voice was softer, and Elenei wondered if they were hugging. Their voices always got softer when they were hugging.

“I know that, but I wanted to. I’m a mom now, I feel like I should be able to cook something for my family.” Elenei nodded to herself. Her mother wasn’t wrong. Mommies always cooked for their families, she never knew why Mum didn’t. Then again, the flames that came out of the oven when she opened the door might have had something to do with it.

“You were a mother last year and the year before, and you didn’t have it in mind to try cooking then. Why is this different?” Elenei didn’t understand what her father was trying to say.

She heard her mother sigh and she snuck a peek at her.

Her father held her, and her head rest on his shoulder, her long red hair falling down her back and over his arms. If there was anything about her mother that Elenei would always remember, it was her hair. It was gorgeous and she always wanted to touch it. Sometimes she would wrap it around her finger and fall asleep. Whenever her mother attempted to move her sleeping form, she’d feel a tug on her finger and wake up. She knew her father cherished Mum’s hair too, because he was always touching it and every time he hugged her, he would smell her hair. Elenei wondered if all prince charmings liked their princess’s hair. She touched her hand to her own inky black tresses and chewed her lip. Her hair was devoid of color, how would she ever have a love like her father and mother?

She’d stopped paying attention to their conversation, too caught up in her own plans for marriage and happily ever after. They’d separated and her father was pouring her mother a drink in one of the funny looking glasses that only grown ups were supposed to use. He smiled as he said, “I’ll call them back. They can fix this, for enough money. Arya’s always late and Jon and Ygritte won’t care. Rickon’s flight was delayed anyway.”

Her mother accepted the glass, “Thank you, Petyr.”

Elenei snuck a glance at her father, he looked so happy to see Mum smile. He continued, “And if you want, we’ll celebrate Black Friday this year.”  

Her mother’s eyes bulged and she set the glass down on the counter, coughing her drink. “You said ‘never again’ after last year!”

Elenei wondered what Black Friday was. It didn’t sound very nice. What day that had ‘black’ in front of it was a good day? She looked down at the tips of her hair and wondered for a moment if it was to celebrate people with black hair. Did she have a day devoted to her and others like her? No way. Couldn’t be. That would be too perfect. And if that was the case, why would Daddy say that he wasn’t going to ever celebrate it again? She had to know about this day. Auntie Aerie would tell her about it if she asked, she was sure of it.

Her father chuckled, “The Bentley hasn’t needed bodywork for a while, why not?”

“You make it sound so bad.” Her mother playfully slapped at his chest. “Like you’ve never gotten into a bit of a scuffle while you’ve been shopping before.”

“Not until I met you, and never with a vehicle,” he laughed. Elenei was seriously wondering what a ‘scuffle’ was and what part cars played in it.

Her mother scoffed and rolled her eyes, “Okay, fine. It won’t get that bad this year.”

“Now, now, don’t speak too soon. You have a reputation to keep,” her father teased. “The richest bargain shopper in the city.”

“It’s not about saving money. It’s about the sport of it.” She huffed, “Cersei would understand.”

Auntie Cers! Elenei loved it when Mum and Auntie Cers played together. They were always drinking grown up drinks and giving her things. Auntie Cers kept promising to take her to get her ears pierced and Mum kept telling her no and then they would both buy her pretty bracelets and necklaces instead. Elenei didn’t care about those things, she loved to run and play outside more, but when she saw her mother and Auntie Cers together, they looked like princesses and Elenei wanted to be a princess too. She wondered how long it would take for her to be grown up enough to have some grown up drink.

“Cersei would,” her father rolled his eyes.

“You’re in a mood,” her mother challenged lightly.

He shook his head and she wrapped her arms around him, “What is it, Petyr?”

“I was just worried. When Elenei came running to me and told me you were in a fire, I just..”

Her mother nodded as if she knew what he was going to say. Elenei didn’t have the slightest idea what he was going to say, so she didn’t know how her mother did. It was more proof positive that her parents spoke so easily. Elenei wished she could think of the words she needed, so she could be more like them.

Her mother’s voice lowered as she whispered, “Can I make you feel better?”

“Always,” her father answered through closed eyes.

“Good. Let’s put the parade on tv for Elenei.” Her mother kissed his cheek as she pulled away from him.

Elenei didn’t stay to wait for his reply. She covered her mouth with both hands and ran as quietly as she could. She was standing almost in the exact same place her father left her when her parents came in. Her mother came over to her and gave her a big hug. “It’s all okay, sweetheart. There’s no more fire and everyone’s safe.”

Her father was already fiddling with the controls on the television. “No more fire?” Elenei asked, knowing it was gone, but needing to pretend she didn’t.

“No more fire, promise.” Her mother kissed her forehead. “But, Mum’s all covered in smoke and soot, so I need a shower.”

Elenei nodded.

Her mother smiled up at her father and added, “And I need Daddy’s help.”

Mum showered on her own sometimes, cause grown ups could. Sometimes, though, her parents helped each other. Elenei just figured it was for times that they were extra dirty. Before she could think about it too much, a gigantic Paw Patrol blimp appeared on the screen, and a Pacman just after that. Elenei dropped to her bottom on the floor, staring at the screen with her jaw hanging open in wonder at all the cartoons she’d watched come to life at a hundred times their actual size. She barely heard her parents laughing as they scurried down the hall to their private bathroom.   

[jordan202]

My Boys: Beneath the Surface - Chapter 2

Chapter one is HERE

Thank you @jia911 for proofreading this for me :)

 My Boys – Beneath the Surface: Chapter 2

“Owen, you have to hurry up,” Amelia demanded, following her husband through the crowded ER. “We’re going to miss our flight!”

The trauma surgeon stopped walking when he reached the nurse station and put back a tablet with patient files at the same time he turned around to face his wife.

“I’ve been paging you for the last two hours saying I was ready. You never replied,” Owen reasoned, signing lab orders. “Now that I’m needed on a case you want to go?”

“I was stuck in surgery!” Amelia justified, once again hurrying to catch up with him. When she saw her husband was reaching out for another patient file, she took the object from his hands without ceremony. “Delegate it.” She commanded with her best bossy voice. “There’s a possibility of a tropical storm hitting the East Coast and it wouldn’t be surprising if the flights got cancelled when it does. We have to leave today.”

Owen let out a heavy sigh and knowing his wife was probably right, handed out the tablet to another ER attending. He quickly followed her through the corridors, checking his watch only to realize it was already noon. They had to hurry up or they would indeed end up missing the flight, with the risk of not being able to take another one.

.

Amidst picking up the kids, grabbing everyone’s bags and hurrying to the airport, Owen and Amelia made it on the clock. The flight time from Seattle to New York took about five and a half hours and with the time difference, it was nearly 9 in the evening when they finally landed at JFK Airport.

Exactly as Amelia had feared, the tropical storm predicted for the following day made its way a little too soon and while they were claiming their baggage and sorting out the rental for the cars they’d take to drive up to Connecticut, the reporters on the news started to warn citizens to avoid leaving their houses. It didn’t take long for several flights to be canceled or delayed, causing an intense agglomeration of people and when they were finally able to leave the airport to the cars with eight kids and all the bags, Amelia heard on the news that several of the main roads in the upstate area had been preventively closed.

“What are we going to do now?” She looked around the airport parking lot. From inside, they could hear the heavy rain and gushing winds starting to form.

“It says here that they might upgrade the tropical storm to a Hurricane category one tonight,” Bailey informed, looking from his phone to his aunt and uncle.

“It’s probably not safe to drive to Connecticut today,” Owen rationally said, looking from the kids to his wife. Even though it usually took less than one hour and a half to get from the airport to the city where Nancy lived, it wasn’t advisable with that weather. “What do you want to do? Do you want to see if we can find a hotel? There’s probably going to a be a lot of people trying to…”

“No,” Amelia interrupted him, opening the doors to one of the cars as she was assaulted with a better idea. “Let’s go to my mom’s. Her house is in Forest Hill, that’s about six miles from here. We can sleep there and drive up to New Canaan in the morning if the weather is better.”

The wedding was only in a few days and they had rented a house in New Canaan, Connecticut for a whole week, to allow the kids to spend some time with their cousins and grandmother while they enjoyed a bit of their summer break.

“I thought your mom would be with Nancy by now,” Owen reasoned.

“She is,” Amelia informed. “But I’ll call her and figure it out. I believe she leaves a spare key with the next door neighbor for emergencies,” The neurosurgeon remembered, picking up her cell to dial hoping that the phone signal was still good.

Fifteen minutes later, Amelia had gotten a hold of her mother and learned where she could get a spare key. Even though the route from JFK airport to the neighborhood in Queens where Amelia’s mother still lived was very short, they carefully drove through the rainy weather, paying close attention to the roads while instructing the kids to stay calm and quiet inside the cars.

.

Owen parked the car right behind Amelia’s and told the kids to wait inside while he watched her get the keys from the neighbor. It felt like the rain and wind were getting heavier but he still took his time examining the two story suburban house where his wife had grown up in.

Even though Owen had been in New York to visit her family a few times before, they had either stayed in a Hotel or in one of her sisters’ apartment in Manhattan. He had never really been to the neighborhood where Amelia had spent her early years and Owen couldn’t help noticing how appropriate for raising a family the streets over there seem to be, with spacious houses and a lot of parks, differing from the idea he had of the typical New York City neighborhood.

“Come on, Meg,” Owen picked up the little girl in his arms as he helped Zola, Ellis and Thomas get off the car. A few yards from them, Amelia did the same with Bailey and their other sons, grabbing their luggage as they tried to dodge the wind to carry everything inside the house.

When Amelia closed the door after them, locking it, she finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Oh my God, I thought we weren’t going to make it,” She smiled, seeing the startled expressions on each kid’s face. Soon enough, they started to make themselves comfortable, getting rid of their wet jackets and shoes.

After the long journey there, all eight kids were exhausted and hungry. Owen spent the next hour going over the groceries and making them sandwiches while Amelia went back and forth in the rooms, trying to find everybody an appropriate place to sleep. Her mother had been living alone in that house for years and it was to be expected that it couldn’t properly accommodate eight kids and two adults overnight. After everyone was already fed, Owen took care of the dishes while Amelia settled everyone. The rain was heavy outside but the power was still on, which was a comfort.

The house where the Shepherds had grown up in was old but carefully kept over the years. Despite being located in an excellent neighborhood, the house itself wasn’t big and there were only 3 bedrooms, all located on the top floor. Amelia correctly supposed Megan would want to stay with Zola, for the little girl was absolutely a fan of her seventeen year old cousin, so the neurosurgeon let the two girls sleep on Carolyn’s bed, whereas Bailey and Ellis stayed in Derek’s old room that had also been Nancy’s once. Thomas and Lucas shared the bunk bed in the third room and Robbie and Danny each got a comfortable couch, falling asleep before Amelia had the chance to turn off the lights in the living room.

“You do know this is all your fault, right?” Owen whispered in her ear from behind, startling Amelia just when she had engulfed the room in darkness.

“Damn it, Owen!” She angrily whispered back, taking her hand to her racing heart after nearly screaming at his scare. The gushing winds and the storm outside made the scenario already creepy enough. Amelia heard his laughter and took a deep breath, trying to pull herself back together. “What do you mean, this is my fault?” She frowned at him, obviously still mad at the way he’d approached her.

“Well…” Owen’s eyes shone with mirth as he carefully chose the words, knowing he was about to hit a nerve. “The minute you come home a Hurricane strikes the city. It can’t be a coincidence.”

Amelia turned around and glared at him, trying to decide whether to strangle her husband or attack him verbally.

“You’re very funny,” She chose sarcasm instead, dodging his touch when Owen tried to kiss her face. “And I have not come home.”

“You haven’t?” He teased her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind even though Amelia tried to resist it.

“My home is in Seattle,” She affirmed with conviction, still grumpily avoiding the touch of his lips.

His wife’s confession brought a smile to Owen’s face and he softened his grip on her body, gently swaying her around in his arms. Owen knew that even though Amelia had lived in several cities, it was only in his hometown that she’d been truly happy. And it had everything to do with the fact that it was in Seattle that they had started their family and lives together.

“I love to hear that’s how you feel,” Owen took one hand to her face, never failing to be amused by her childhood nickname she hated so much. Amelia had always refused to tell him how she’d come to be given that title even though Owen had heard it from her family members a couple of times in the past. “So, will you ever tell me why you’re Hurricane Amelia?”

“No,” Amelia promptly replied, trying to sound determinate and rigid but the lazy smile on the corner of her lips betrayed her. “Stop it, Owen…” She suppressed a giggle when her husband kept trying to seduce her into telling him with gentle kisses on her jaw line. “You know, I just realized I’ve put all kids in bed and now we have pretty much nowhere to sleep.” Amelia confessed.

Owen stopped what he was doing and brought his face up to stare into her eyes.

“Are you serious?” He let out an amused chuckle, seeing Amelia nodding affirmatively with a fun apologetic expression on her face.

“Well, it’s not entirely true, though,” Amelia bit her bottom lip mischievously and took her husband by the hand, silently guiding him.

Owen furrowed his brows in question but didn’t say a word, patiently waiting to see where she was taking him. Amelia walked past the kitchen and only when he thought they were about to exit the house through the back he noticed she was opening a small door that he had earlier believed to be a small storage room.

As soon as Owen made his way inside he realized that the room, whatever it had originally been in the past, had clearly been converted into a bedroom. By one corner, he spotted a chunky designed charcoal-oak single bed, with a few scratches on the elegant foil. Next to it, a study desk that seemed too small to be functional was covered with heavy books, some recognizable to him from his medical school days. A huge crimson Harvard felt pennant flag was hung right beneath a book shelf and some old posters decorated two of the remaining walls. But a delicate pin board with lavender post-its and old pictures gave the room a personal touch, letting Owen know that once someone had probably spent a lot of time there.

“Was this your room?” He turned around after carefully inspecting the pictures on the board. The teenage version of his wife appeared in several of them and one especially caught his attention. Amelia couldn’t have been older than twelve or thirteen as she stood smiling broadly to the camera with Derek by her side proudly wrapping one arm around his sister while flashing his graduation outfit from Columbia University.

“Yes,” Amelia sheepishly answered without taking her eyes off the same picture Owen had been looking at. He noticed as his wife slowly reached out for the board and carefully removed the photograph from there, studying it closely in her hands. “I didn’t remember this picture,” she embarrassingly confessed, obviously having just been assaulted by a wave of emotions.

“You look very happy on it,” Owen commented, noticing Amelia was still mesmerized by the image.

“I was,” Her reply was nearly a whisper. Amelia kept staring at the picture for long seconds before abruptly getting back to reality. “Derek was the first one of us to graduate from a University and it had always been my dad’s dream that we got to have an education,” She raised her head and made eye contact with Owen, a sad smile lingering on her lips. “Anyways,” Amelia returned the photo to the board, pinning it back, “this right here used to be my room for long, long years.”

“Why was your bedroom here in the kitchen?” Owen frowned. Apparently, the distance between Amelia and the rest of the family had not only been emotional, but also physical.

“This was originally a storage room accessible through the garage,” She explained, pointing to the marks on the wall that indicated there was once a door there. “I used to share a room upstairs with Kate, Liz and Nancy. It was horrible. I hated it and so did they. When Derek went off to college, Nancy being the oldest of us got his room and I convinced mom to let me move down here.”

Just as Amelia finished explaining, a loud thunder made the walls vibrate, startling them both. Owen knew that despite not very common, those kinds of tropical storms also weren’t rare in the East Coast. His eyes quickly spotted the defensive way in which Amelia wrapped her arms around herself. Even though she was acting serenely calm, judging by the way he’d inadvertently scared her before and how she seemed to be slightly alarmed, Owen assumed the awful storm outside was probably causing her more stress than she wanted to show, which was intriguing considering that back at their home Amelia had never been so affected by bad weather the way she seemed to be now. And ever since they’d entered that small room, Amelia’s discomfort seemed to have slightly increased.

“Did you see a lot of storms like this one when you were a kid?” He smiled affectionately at her, carefully trying to assess the subject. Over the years, Amelia had opened up to him about a lot of things and Owen was sure his wife trusted him with all her heart but for some reason, she rarely talked about her family and he knew there was much more pain hidden in the depths of her past than Amelia would care to admit.

“A few, yeah,” Amelia nodded with a half hearted smile, breaking eye contact with him at the same time she turned around, keeping herself busy looking for linens and blankets in the small wardrobe by one corner.

Through the small window, Owen saw a thick lightning strike, followed by another alarmingly loud thunder. Once again, he didn’t fail to notice how restless his wife was getting.

“It must have been pretty scary for a kid to sleep down here when the weather was this bad,” Owen casually commented with both hands inside his pant pockets, trying to initiate a conversation without pushing her. He watched as his wife walked back and forth inside the small room, obviously trying to distract herself. “I am pretty sure that if it were Megan, she would be flying upstairs asking to sleep in our bed.”

Amelia froze in her feet but instantly regained control, giving Owen a corner smile before adding cases to some pillows. Her reaction didn’t go unnoticed to Owen.

“I am pretty sure she would but I was older than Meg when I slept here and it wasn’t that big of a deal, really.”

The neurosurgeon quickly turned around again, avoiding eye contact with her husband. The memory of her eight year old self popped in Amelia’s mind and unwillingly she saw the familiar face of a scared little girl wrapping herself in a fluffy blanket while silently climbing the steps to the upper floor. She had lost count of how many nights like that she’d slept curled up in a tiny ball outside her mother’s bedroom, too afraid to sleep alone but at the same time too embarrassed to ask to be comforted because she knew that the minute her sisters found out she was afraid of storms, they would mercilessly make fun of her.

Amelia swallowed hard and felt stupid for letting those silly old memories get to her. She wasn’t a scared little girl anymore, she was a grown ass woman, and not only should she not be bothered by something as mundane as bad weather, she also shouldn’t be feeling sorry for herself like that. Amelia hated that feeling. Her sisters hadn’t been particularly easy on her and often her mother hadn’t properly intervened but even though it’d been painful, it had also made her toughen up, so now she needed to act accordingly.

Owen saw the transformation that slowly unfolded on her heavy expression. First fear and discomfort, then rejection and ultimately a familiar brightness of fierce determination shone in the amazing blue of his wife’s eyes. Amelia was easier to read than she would like and without saying another word, Owen kissed the top of her head, bending over to help her make the bed.

It was no news to him that Amelia usually wasn’t excited about seeing her family or spending time with them. Owen knew that this time it would be no different. He was sure that the only reason why Amelia had decided to drive to her childhood home to spend the night was because it was the safest and most comfortable alternative for the kids and she would always selflessly put their needs before her own, hence why she was submitting herself to sleeping in a tiny bed for the sake of their comfort.

“Do you think Meg could be scared?” Amelia’s eyes widened in the dark. Owen’s previous casual comment made her wonder if her daughter could be feeling the same things she’d once gone through and the thought freaked her out. “Or Danny or Robbie? The twins are all alone in that big living room without even…”

“They’re fine, Amelia. They’re asleep.” Owen gently interrupted her, smiling with pride at her concern.

“You go to sleep, I’ll be right back,” She handed over the pillows she was holding and without giving her husband the chance to say another word, made her way to the living room.

.

Owen heard the distant sounds of Amelia’s footsteps fading as she went to check on the kids and turning around, he couldn’t help laughing at the hilarious situation they were in. Back at their comfortable home in Seattle, he and his wife shared a huge king size bed and even then they were always bickering about space. Now they would have to share a bed in which Owen doubted he could fit without having to flex his legs.

He once again scanned everything around him, smiling to find the belongings of his wife. Owen felt closer to Amelia than anyone else in his life and yet, this was the only part of her life he hadn’t yet had full access to. At the same time he was intrigued, Owen was also fascinated. He knew Amelia’s childhood hadn’t been the easiest, having lost her dad at a young age and fighting drug addiction from adolescence. But even in her early years, she already possessed the resilience of a giant because as it had always followed, whenever the odds were against her, Amelia turned the table around and found her way out. She had responded to disbelief and neglect with amazing academic achievement and personal success. Her intellectual brilliance only wasn’t bigger than her emotional brightness because not only had Amelia made the top of her class in school and university, she had also maintained her high spirits and positivity, refusing to succumb to bitterness and self pity. It was probably her trait that Owen loved the most.

Or maybe it was the fact that she was such a devoted, selfless, affectionate human being, he thought. Truth was, Owen couldn’t decide. He loved Amelia too much and admired her even more.

After spending the following few minutes noticing the shelves and the pictures all around, Owen finally got in bed, laughing at how stupid he must have been looking. The rain outside was still falling but much less so and he had to admit the noise had gone from alarming to soothing. Soon enough, he heard his wife returning, easily dodging the furniture in the dark as she swiftly moved in the room she was so familiar with.

“Are they okay?” Owen asked with a whisper, turning to his side to make room for Amelia at the same time he stretched his arm open in a clear invitation.

“Yes,” Amelia replied with a sad smile. She lay down next to him on the small bed, gluing her back to Owen’s chest at the same time he firmly wrapped one arm around her waist.

Amelia closed her eyes with more strength than it was usually necessary, trying her hardest not to tear up at the same time she rested her hand above Owen’s, swiftly intertwining their fingers. She felt immensely relieved that her kids didn’t seem bothered at all by the thunderstorm outside.

But after wondering why, Amelia quickly reached a conclusion. Thankfully, none of them had experienced the loss of a person who was supposed to provide them with a sense of security and protection. Owen was there every night to make sure they felt safe, regardless of what was happening outside their house. Amelia was extremely grateful that none of her kids had ever had to feel as vulnerable and afraid as she once had, to the point of having a thunderstorm trigger feelings of insecurity and desperation that had led her to sleep in a cold hall just to prevent her pride, the only thing she had left, from being crushed by her fear.

But none of that mattered anymore because her kids were fine and safe. Amelia felt awful that, in a matter of hours of being at her childhood home, she was already being assaulted by emotions and memories that shifted her mood completely. She hated feeling like that and wouldn’t let it affect her spirits anymore. After all, they had flown across the country to be on vacation and the least she deserved was to thoroughly enjoy it. Instead of mourning because her family had caused her pain once, Amelia felt like she should be celebrating the fact that now, the family she had built with the love of her life only filled her with happiness and reasons to smile every day.

“Are you comfortable there?” She teasingly asked, turning around in Owen’s arms and tightly wrapping her arm around his chest, loving the comfort of his embrace.

“I feel as cozy as a tuna inside a can,” Owen joked, reveling in the sound of her laughter. He had no idea why, but she seemed to be in a better mood and he loved seeing her authentic smile again. “I am kidding, this actually feels kind of nice,” He confessed, suggestively pulling her closer at the same time his free hand lazily caressed her hair. “I can’t remember the last time I had you all to myself like this.”

Amelia saw the spark in his eyes and she smiled back at her husband, completely enchanted.

“Well, I am all yours,” Amelia buried her face on the curve of his neck, unknowingly seeking the comfort she desperately needed but refused to acknowledge.

Owen smiled and ran his hand on her back beneath the soft fabric of her shirt, feeling the familiar warmth of her skin. He sensed Amelia’s body slowly relaxing as she rested with one leg and arm thrown over his body.

“You can count on me to hold you through the storm, alright?” Owen whispered after a few minutes of careful hesitation. “We’ll be together through it. And I won’t let go, I promise.”

Amelia opened her eyes in the dark, slowly processing the meaning of his words. Her husband wasn’t exactly talking about the weather and she knew it. Amelia should have known that even though Owen didn’t ask a lot of questions, when it came to her he often didn’t have to, because she involuntarily provided him with all the answers.

“Even in the super loud thunders?” She raised her head and stared lovingly at him, unable to express how much she adored that man.

“Even in the loudest ones,” Owen joked, tilting his head to give her a kiss on the tip of her nose.

“Even when the Hurricane strikes?” Amelia tested him suggestively, knowing Owen would realize she didn’t mean the weather either.

“I have a thing for Hurricanes. You should know that by now,” He provoked her with an affectionate smile. “After all, I married one,” Owen closed his eyes, feeling exhaustion from the full day they’d had finally catching up with him.

“Don’t call me that, I hate it,” Amelia said for the sake of her pride, turning her head to hide the smile of amusement at her silly act.

Owen chuckled and once again tightened his grip around his wife, pulling her closer before allowing himself to fall asleep.  Even though the space was limited, Amelia was feeling strangely comfortable and she was finally able to relax and close her eyes, knowing that for the first time ever she would peacefully sleep through the night in that bed.

 —

[iremember826chi]

梨花带雨

by JiaYu, grade 8 (from I Remember...My Brother Shouted 'Fire', Spring 2018)

November 25th, 2012. The sky was a cloudy gray and the air was cottony with fog. It had been just a few days after my ninth birthday. Early in the morning, my uncle picked up my parents and me at my grandma’s house. His blue and green taxi, which he drove for work, was parked across the street in front of the old abandoned mansion with the black metal gates. My grandma’s house was on the third floor of a small apartment building. My parents carried the luggage down the somewhat uneven concrete stairs, past the old, dark green metal door with paint peeling off that creaks every time it opened or closed, and into the trunk of the taxi as I followed behind them. My uncle drove us to the airport, the sight of the apartment building getting smaller and smaller until we turned a corner and it could no longer be seen. The morning traffic was crazy, cars driving furiously fast and beeping everywhere. We eventually arrived after thirty minutes or so and my uncle parked in front of the doors of the airport. He helped us get the luggage out of the trunk and carried them inside with us. The airport was crowded with tons of people. My parents and I went to the check-in for luggages and before I knew it, it was time to say goodbye to my two uncles who were there to see us off. After giving them one last hug, we joined the long lines of people to get through security. I had wished so much to have the flight delayed due to whatever reason so I could stay with my grandparents for just a little longer.

I lived in China for most of my life. My parents were too busy to take care of me after I was born so when I was only five months old, my parents entrusted me with their friends that were going back to China to take me to Dalian, a city on the northeastern part of China where my grandparents lived. Ever since I began to remember things, it was my grandparents who took care of me, my aunt and uncle, and my cousin Kevin who played with me. I had no memories of my parents because I never met them, but there I was, going halfway across the globe to the United States and away from those I was familiar with.

After getting past security, we had to take a train inside the airport that led to the runways for the airplane. The train station looked just like how a CTA station would look but much cleaner. I remember looking at the schedules and locations on the tiny TV screen, “Mom, are we going to Chicago?” “Yes,” she’d always reply with a smile. I asked her that many times but she was still patient with me and kept smiling. I knew that she was happy to see me. After we got off the train, we had to take a bus that ran on the runways to get to where the airplane was parked. The bus was crowded with people, so many that there was barely any space left to stand, everyone was just squishing each other and the luggage. I was in the middle and had nothing to hold on to. I could only keep my balance by leaning against other people when the bus took a turn or stop. I peeked out the windows through what I could see through the tiny spaces between bodies and it was slightly drizzling outside. The bus stopped in front of a metal, white open staircase that led up to the entrance of the plane. Raindrops landed on my face as we walked up. It was kind of dark inside, there was a basket of headphones and stacks of newspaper when we first stepped in. A flight attendant stood at the door to greet us and point to us where our seats should be. Once we put our bags into the the space provided above the seats, I sat in the seat next to the window and looked out. There, the familiar apartment buildings that I saw every time I went to Dalian Airport were still there. The city that I spent most of my life in, I was about to leave. Just thinking about that made tears pool at the bottom of my eyes. I loved my grandparents and I really did not want to leave them. The best memories, the best times of my life, I had shared with them.

I heard my mom talking to someone on the phone, her mom, which was my grandma. She gently tapped me on my shoulder and handed me her phone with an ongoing call. “Here, it’s your grandma. Don’t you want to talk to her before we leave?” I took the phone and put it against my ear, “Hello? Grandma?” My grandma responded, “Jiajia.” That's what she called me. My Chinese name was Jiayu and the nickname they called me was Jiajia. I can’t remember most of the conversation but I do recall tears rolling down my face and my grandma telling me to “Do well at school, study hard, listen to your parents, and continue taking dance classes.”

I couldn’t stop crying after the call ended. My mom comforted me by telling me “It’s okay, you’ll see your grandma again. We’ll come back and visit.” I knew that she was telling the truth but I couldn’t stand being away for so long. After speaking with my grandma one last time, I decided to write about that day and how I felt because I didn’t feel close enough with my parents to talk about it. I really enjoyed writing then, and I couldn’t remember that I had written something until I found a piece of paper. It was a poem in Chinese about how I felt at that time. “梨花带雨” was the word I used to describe that day and how emotional I was, the literal meaning being “pear flowers with rain.” It is used to describe tears in Chinese figurative writing. Years later, I had forgotten that I even knew that word but after reading what I wrote, it was a word I will never forget.