16 The Huff
Dash/Beau
Dash
June 2023
“Chop, chop,” I hollered from the bottom of the staircase. “We’re in the final stretch.”
“What does chop, chop mean?” Mia asked from the top of the stairs on the second floor, inhibited from her descent due to the professional-grade gates we had installed at the top and bottom of the staircase. “And final stretch? Does that mean the reporter person’s almost here?”
“It means he wants us to get downstairs for a once-over to make changes before the Huffington Post reporter arrives,” Livie explained, coming to stand beside her sister, seemingly distracted. Her concentration and fingers worked deftly at adjusting the midsection of her dress. “I can’t get my belt to lay properly. I don’t like wrinkles, Daddy. Trade me belts, Mia.”
“Liv, I’ll help you,” Beau called from somewhere on the second floor.
With a sigh, I dropped my chin to my chest as Mia and Livie left the gate to make the wardrobe change. Seconds ago, I’d only needed four more children plus my husband at the gate to get my whole family downstairs. Now, we were back to seven missing members.
“Fisher, go stand by the gate and keep your hands tucked in your pockets. Hunter, stay by my side. West, get your boots on, man. I shouldn’t have to ask you twice.”
Hearing my love wrangle our children into order sent happiness shooting through my system.
“Like Fisher can ever do that,” Ava said loudly.
“Maybe today he can,” Mia, always the positive one, argued on his behalf.
I was compelled to trot up the stairs to save my little champ. Fisher was our overactive two-and-a-half-year-old. Being made to stand alone would be a fate worse than death for him.
Beau and I now had six vibrant children, all bursting with uniquely different personalities. West was like Beau’s mini-me, mirroring him in looks and words—our pint-size cowboy in training. Since West was the first male in either the Richmond-Brooks or Lee families, Scott also had a pretty solid influence on my oldest son. Only time would tell how that might play out.
Behind Fisher in age came Hunter, who was biologically Beau’s son. They had a year between them. Whatever trouble Fisher found himself in, Hunter was there with him too. One of Fisher’s favorite pastimes was to tackle Hunter. Hunter was taller and bigger than Fisher who was my biological son. They’d happily roll around on the floor no matter where we were, wrestling until pieces of furniture and decorations lay in rubble.
They’d even knocked over a cereal-stocked endcap at the grocery store while in Amelia’s care. She adored those little guys but had developed a strict policy against going out in public with them unless additional adult supervision came along for the ride.
Fisher and Hunter were a handful for Duke and Dixie too. By the dog’s very nature, they couldn’t resist the urge to join in on their fun. Other times, the dogs were vigilant watchdogs, barking to alert us whenever the boys took their fun times too far.
Who knew that having two boys so close in age could create such chaos?
I hoisted Fisher over the gate, placing him on his feet. “Hold my hand. We’ll go down together.”
Hunter came sprinting toward me, eager for a lift too. I left Fisher at the gate at the bottom step. “Stay here, hands in pockets. I’m going back for Hunter.” West was now standing right beside Hunter. Good, three down, but the wrong three. Two minutes of waiting time and these three would make my super clean house a mess. I stared at Fisher, waiting for any sort of confirmation that he heard me.
He tucked his hands back into his pockets and nodded. On the pivot, I jogged back up the steps and lifted West over. He was handsome and dashing in his normal cowboy wear, but today, we were all color coordinated so his pearl button shirt was a fancy color.
I placed West on the step beside me. He could walk down without a problem, and hoisted Hunter up. I kept hold of him against my side as I started down. So maybe ten full seconds had passed since I pulled Fisher over, and my boy was already climbing over the bottom gate to get to the other side. “Hey! Fish, don’t you do it.”
He grinned proudly, clearly thrilled with his progress, and nodded his understanding while trying to move faster to get over the gate before I got to him. With Hunter still tucked under one arm, I made it to Fisher when his second leg rounded the top of the gate. I managed to grab the waistband of his khaki trousers to keep him from falling to the floor. “Fisher, you must behave today. This is not behaving.”
“I think he should stay upstairs with Abuela. No chance, he’s good on his own,” West commented, clumping down the steps in his boots.
West wasn’t wrong. I put Hunter on his feet and adjusted my grip on Fisher to bring him eye level. He looked less like me than the girls did, but he was still a cute little guy, with a good nature and free spirit. Even if I was quite possibly looking down the well of many different prison stays with all the trouble he was bound to get into. “Fisher, are you going to be good for me today?”
It was the same smile and nod as seconds ago. Such a charmer. “Yep.”
“Good boy,” I said. Either he didn’t understand the meaning of “yep” or he just thought it was easier to agree with me and do what he wanted anyway, I wasn’t sure. Either way, I didn’t believe him. “And do you remember the code word we say whenever you need to settle down?” I asked.
“Fisher,” he blurted and began kicking his feet in the air.
“Correct,” I said, and put him down on the other side of the gate. “Please listen to us today. We have to be gentlemen while our company’s here.”
Shockingly, he stayed still as I opened the gate, and the other two boys went through. The rest of my pretty family followed into the space between the kitchen and living room.
The girls were in the same style dresses, adorned with flowers in the yellow and blue color palette the rest of us wore. Their sandals matched too. Fisher and Hunter wore the same outfits all the way down to their new runners.
I recognized the inequity for the girls. Each one had developed their own sense of style as well, but they were adorable when dressed alike. And today, how they appeared mattered more than their feelings on the matter. Yes, I was certain therapy was in their future.
“You look pretty,” I said to Ava.
“Daddy, I look like a clown,” she said, passing me.
“You can do this for me and Paw. It’s for an hour tops. We’ll take pictures first. You’ll then talk to the reporters and say only nice things about our lives. After that, Gigi’s waiting for you because I don’t trust any of you not to be heathens.” The children gravitated into a single file-line. “You look very nice,” I said to Livie.
“You do too, Daddy,” she said. I beamed at the compliment made from manners we instilled in them, not from any inspection she gave me. “I like the sandals because the flowers match the dress. I like when things match.”
All three girls had skipped first grade, going straight into second grade, but Livie’s intelligence was off the charts. She was so smart that it was becoming apparent that she was far more advanced than the courses she was being taught.
“Beautiful as ever, Mia.”
“I’m meh about it.” Mia passed, hopping off the last step then twirling her dress in a circle. “I like how flowy it is though.”
Then, my guy brought up the rear. “Meh?” he teased Mia.
I swear time froze for me. He captured my attention and held it until he broke the spell, moving past me. “The color suits you.”
I knew suits made him uncomfortable, so I opted for a snug, high-end athletic-style shirt and a pair of starched new blue jeans. Wranglers really highlighted both the front and the back of his body. New runners, the same style as the boys, brought the look together.
“Fisher, stay on the kitchen side of the house. Hunter, you stay on this end.” Beau had hold of Hunter’s shoulder and placed his back against the wall. “Troops, line up for inspection.” Beau began to walk the line of our children, using a playful military tone. At the same moment, the doorbell rang. I left him to tuck in shirts and straighten pleats and bows. He also gave each one of them small words of encouragement.
As I went to the foyer, I heard Beau say, “Best behavior. Everyone helps Fisher be good without fightin’ him.”
“Why does Abuela not have to participate?” Ava murmured. “She handles Fisher the best.”
“Because she’s the matriarch of our family which means she does what she wants. She’s the boss,” Beau answered. I couldn’t argue with the logic.
I opened the door and swung my hand out in invitation for our guests to enter. The subsequent greetings were efficient, if not louder than necessary on my end. My crew needed to be aware of the reporter was in the house. Her camera guy flanked nearby. Best behaviors began now.
“Come meet my family.” As I rounded into the open-floor concept of the downstairs, pride swelled in my chest.
All the children circled Beau with Fisher on the outer edge, snapping his fingers together. His entire body wiggled while he mimicked me speaking. Our little guy was the fun cherry on top that made the scene perfect.
“Girls and boys, this is Ms. Pebbly, she’s the reporter with Huffington Post , and this is Mr. Smith, the cameraman. They’re here to talk to us about our lives for a segment for Pride month.”
“Pride month’s a time to celebrate our fathers’ accomplishments, and the family they created,” Livie explained to her brothers and sisters, giving a nod after her explanation.
“That’s correct,” Ms. Pebbly said. Livie beamed.
I began introductions from the top down and put on my best Vanna White display. “Let’s start with Beau, my husband.”
Ms. Pebbly shook Beau’s hand, grasping him so tightly I wasn’t sure she planned to let go.
“I’m Zoe. Thank you for allowing us inside your home.”
“This is West,” Beau continued for me. “Our triplets Liv, Mia, and Ava. Hunter’s our youngest. Then Fisher, our middle son. He enjoys movement.”
“Pleasure to meet you all.”
“Nice to meet you too.” They all chirped in unison. A practiced response we worked on over the years.
“Six children in seven years. That’s ambitious,” she said, pulling a portfolio from the bag hanging on her shoulder. People made those kinds of remarks as if we’d planned it that way, and I guess we had, but I never considered it a challenge to have back-to-back kids. Not that we’d had to carry them ourselves, but we’d been involved every step of the way. I’d have many more if I could get Beau to agree.
“Here’s the itinerary for our afternoon together,” she said, passing Beau, then me, a sheet of paper. Here was where problems originated. Exact schedules were hard to follow with six precocious children. Beau’s pointed glare locked on mine. They also wanted a tour of downtown Sea Springs where my office was located. They also wanted pictures of the family, but scheduled those at the end of the interview.
“We’ve set up a playdate with the kids to keep the chaos at bay. Can I tweak the schedule? We planned to take pictures on the patio. It’s comfortable out there. You can chat with the girls while the boys play. We also have two German shepherds who are members of the family. Then Beau and I can sit with you as long as you’d like.”
Again, I felt the intensity of Beau’s laser-like glare boring into me. This time I chose to ignore it. Yes, I understood he and Scott had a full day of back-to-back charters. Beau had transitioned with UPS to a part-time position and had gone full-time with the charter company. Today, Scott and his father handled the load solo. Beau definitely held the weight of their burden.
“Let’s check the lighting outside,” the reporter chimed in, seemingly unfazed by my shift in scheduling.
Beau hurriedly stepped past Zoe to get to the door first, needing to give his command to keep the dogs from going nuts over new visitors. Duke and Dixie were waiting by the back door, already eager to participate. Beau stepped out, with instant control of the dogs. I wanted them in the family photo too.
“I know it’s June, but we have a system that keeps the porch under climate control,” I explained, encouraging the reporter outside ahead of me.
As I reached the back door, I heard Mia ask, “Do we come too, or do we stay here?”
Every one of the kids was standing where we’d left them, including Fisher who bounced like a jackhammer in place.
“Come, please.” I waved them over to me.
“Fisher.” The code word grabbed his attention. He instantly stopped moving and realized everyone but him was at the door. The little guy took off running toward us. I stopped him before he made it outside and bent close to his ear. “Remember to continue to be on your best behavior. We’re snapping some family pictures first. Give me your picture smile.” And he did, a brilliant grin he easily wore all of the time.
Ava and her smart mouth stuck her head back through the opening of the door.
“Yeah, then you play because no one wants to talk to you,” Ava popped off. Fisher wasn’t one to be bothered by his sister and pushed past her to find his brothers.
“Ava, only nice words and friendly voices,” I disciplined like a broken record. People may think Fisher was the challenging one in the group with all his excess energy, but he was a breeze compared to Ava’s bad attitude.
“I don’t have any nice words or friendly voices, Daddy,” she quipped, grinning. And yes, I did know that about her.
“Then try your best,” I said, crossing my fingers for a good showing today.
Beau
How did Dash continually keep raising the bar? And how on earth did he magically turn our patio into a cool oasis during the scorching June Texas heat? I didn’t even want to know how much all this cost, all the way down to the electricity we used.
Last year, he installed a drink station outside including an ice maker and a drawer-style refrigerator. Amelia had whipped up some pre-poured fresh lemonade with cherries inside. My only duty was to add ice in the adults’ glasses and check the lids on the kids’ squirt bottles. The more complicated feat was having to deliver these to the table without spilling anything.
“That’s where my pop-pop and Gigi live,” Livie said and pointed to the giant home behind ours.
“Their house is huge,” Mia added the obvious. “Our uncle Scott lives next door. Daisy Mae’s our cousin and she’s seventeen years old.” Mia’s tone showed that she thought Daisy Mae’s age was an amazing feat. “On the other side of Uncle Scott and Aunt Lauren’s house, are our other grandparents, G-pa and Granny. We’re all a close family, but not always with the same blood. Right, Paw?”
I grinned at her, loving how she included Scott’s parents in her family circle. Outside of that freestyle, we’d practiced what to say, and she had done perfectly.
I balanced the tray and began passing out the glasses and kids’ squirt bottles to the table. Once everything was delivered without spilling, I turned to the yard to call the boys over for their drinks. Whether Dash had seen them or not was questionable. Perhaps he hadn’t wanted to call attention with the reporter there. But somehow, all three boys had reached new heights of naughty.
Duke came happily running past me with Fisher riding him bareback. His strong hands clung to Duke’s fur, his body lying on the dog’s back, bouncing as he passed by. West and Hunter ran beside them, urging Duke to go faster. Fisher wore a smile the size of Texas. I felt the joy of both dog and child.
All my boys, every last one of them, was in trouble over this one.
I took long strides toward them. “Guys, come get your drinks,” I hollered. My tone relayed the message I really wanted to give: Get off my dog, and stop acting like delinquents.
Eight eyes landed on me. I saw the exact moment they realized they’d gone too far. Duke abruptly came to a halt. Fisher flew head over heels over Duke’s head, who did his best to keep Fisher from getting hurt, circling his big body around to absorb the fall. The other two stared like deer in headlights. “Come get your drinks.”
Again, not the invitation it seemed.
“Hey, Beau,” my mom yelled, interrupting the intense whispered reprimand her grandsons were about to get. “Can they come over and play? When the girls are done, I made fresh peanut butter cookies.”
By the time my mom finished, I’d made it to the boys who hadn’t taken a step toward me. “Gigi saved you,” I said sternly. “Don’t ever ride Duke again. He’s not made for that kind of play. You could have seriously hurt him. Do you hear me?”
“Yes, Paw,” they said in unison. Their sad eyes stayed focused on me. I didn’t fall for their sorrowful routine for even a second. They were worried because they got caught.
“Take your drink and go with Gigi,” I whispered. “I’ll come get you in a little bit. There’s gotta be some sort of punishment for your bad behavior. You embarrassed your dad today. He does so much to make sure you have good lives, and he asked one thing of you. You couldn’t give it to him. And now, I have to get Duke checked out…”
“No, Paw, Duke liked it,” West interrupted.
My head might have exploded right then. “Go.”
The three grabbed their drinks and took off running, Hunter doing his best to keep up. Duke and Dixie came from the other side of the yard, running toward the gate my mom opened. Those boys were a handful. For some reason, I wanted them to be smarter than I was at their age. I was almost to the table when I remembered the interview currently taking place.
“One last question before you go. How do you view your family?” The dumb question threw me off. I didn’t like it one bit and planned to say that very thing when the three girls understood the inquiry in a different way and answered.
“We know that families are all different,” Ava started. Mia nodded her support. “I think lots of our friends have a mom and dad, and that was weird to learn.”
Mia nodded again. “It’s weird.”
“But we have a really great family. We love each other very much. Daddy and Paw are really good parents. They make our family whole,” Livie said in a clearly thought-out explanation. “Paw’s our schedule keeper and makes us follow the rules. He’s worried about nutrition and the food we eat. He talks to us about the health of our bodies and sometimes makes us exercise with him in fun ways.”
I’d made it to the back of their chairs. My palm squeezed Livie’s shoulder. She glanced up and back, beaming at me.
“It’s true, Paw.” Livie’s gaze landed on Dash. “Daddy’s the one that laughs and plays with us and buys us things. He has to follow Paw’s schedule too, but he’s like our brothers. They break the rules as much as they follow them.”
“I like when Daddy picks us up from school,” Mia interjected. “He takes us for a treat. The other day he took me to the store to get new art supplies for my class, and I didn’t even ask him.”
“He also sneaks us candy,” Ava said, telling on her dad. Dash’s eyes darted to mine, and he lifted his thumb and forefinger to signal only a small bit of candy.
“Even though me and my sisters look the same, we’re all different people,” Livie said thoughtfully. “Paw and Daddy make sure we all get to be who we are. Ava likes the color black. She takes up for everyone who’s hurting. Mia likes to go fishing with Paw. They like being outside together. I don’t like dirt on anything. I’m really smart and like to read. I take ballet lessons. Paw and Daddy make sure we’re able to do all the things we want. They do the same thing with my brothers. My parents are really good parents. Does that answer the question?”
Dash grinned and nodded.
“Wonderful perspective,” Zoe said, taking notes as the film crew continued to film.
“Are we done?” Ava asked, taking a long slurping drink from her squirt bottle.
“We have to go to Gigi’s before the boys eat all the cookies,” Mia explained.
I was the one who decided the girls were finished. They had done Dash proud. We shouldn’t jinx it. “Thank you, girls. Take your drinks and close the gate behind you.”
I didn’t have to tell them twice.