“Zac, come on!” Isaac yelled from the bottom of the steps.
“Stop yelling, Ike!” Mrs. Hanson yelled from the kitchen.
Isaac smiled over at Taylor and they both rolled their eyes. “Come on, Zac!” He said just a little loud.
Zac’s heavy footsteps were heard thumping down the hallway. He was going slowly, not knowing what his brothers had in mind doing to him.
His feet rhythmically hit the steps. The ‘Death March’ started beating in his head, he groaned inwardly.
“Finally.” Isaac said exasperatedly as he flung his hands up in the air and stalked off towards the front door.
Taylor smiled secretly over at Zac, before he followed his older brother.
Zac, uneasily, said good-bye to his mother and followed his two older brothers. What was he getting himself into?
“Weeee!” Randy screeched as she spun her and angel around the bedroom.
Dahven was laughing at them as she tidied up the area. Pushing Randy’s bed under hers, and making her bed. Then putting Angel’s toys away that they had used as weapons in a game of War last night.
“So the guys are coming over today?” Randy asked as she expertly placed Angel on her right hip.
“Yeah.” Dahven said as she stood on her tiptoes to place the big teddy bear on the top shelf.
“Christmas is coming in like two and a half weeks now.” Randy groaned.
Dahven laughed. “Yeah, I know.”
“Tay said something that you get double the presents on that day.” She said giving her friend a confused look.
“Yep.” Dahven replied smiling to herself.
“Why?” Randy asked slowly.
“ 'Cause I’m a spoiled brat.” Was her answer.
“Yeah, okay. Suuuure.” She said rolling her eyes. “Seriously?”
Dahven laughed again, “Seriously.” She stated.
“Charm!” She whined.
She only laughed more. “Oh, they’re here!” She stated as she pointed out the window.
Grumbling, Randy walked over to the window and saw Zac, Isaac, and Taylor remove themselves from their family van. She grinned and instantly started handing Angel over to Dahven.
“Here you go, Miss.” She said politely. “I believe this is yours.” Then she was walking out.
Dahven giggled to herself as she sat Angel on her right hip as well and grabbed for the dark green fleece blanket of Angel’s, and wrapped it around her tiny body.
It was getting colder, way colder. Winter would soon be here on December twenty-first, the Winter solstice.
“Hey,” Dahven said greeting Isaac with a peck on the cheek. She repeated the same to Zac and Taylor.
“So what’s up?” She asked shifting the lightweight in her arms slightly.
Taylor looked over at Randy and shrugged. “I thought that we might mess around in your studio...” He trailed off.
Randy looked excited, and Zac perked up as well.
Dahven smiled. “Go on.” She told them. “You know where it’s at.”
They needed no more encouraging. The three of them were racing for the basement.
Isaac chuckled to himself, and Dahven looked over at him. “And what’s up with you?” She questioned.
“Umm, not much.” Isaac answered shrugging. He then peeked into the small bundle that was squirming and whimpering slightly in her arms, “How’s Angel doing?” He asked her.
Dahven smiled slightly. “Well, Rosie said she had a small fever last night, so I think I’m going to be keeping a close on her today...” She replied.
Gently, Isaac touched Angel’s forehead. “Hmm, it is a little warm.” He diagnosed.
She nodded her head slowly. “I know, that’s why I got her kinda bundled up at the moment. I don’t know all of what I should do for her.” She said regretfully.
Isaac gave her a small smile and squeezed her shoulder affectionately. “You’re doing okay, D.” He told her gently.
She gave him a grateful smile, but she was still unsure of herself inside.
“Did Rosie get her any medicine just in case she got sick?” He asked her out of the blue.
Dahven started to nod, “Yeah,” She slapped herself in the forehead mentally. “I forgot all about it.” She said as she led the way up the stairs and into the hall bathroom.
After searching in the medicine cabinet for a few seconds, she pulled out a small box of Triaminic, the bottle still inside, and unopened.
She grinned at him and pecked his cheek when he took it from her and started opening it.
“Ugh, that smells bad.” Isaac complained as he got a big whiff of the medication.
Dahven giggled, and held Angel at an easier angle for him to perform the dosage.
Evidently Angel didn’t like it though. She cried and wailed loudly as she sputtered to get and keep the obviously nasty taste out of her mouth.
But on the third try, Isaac was able to get a sufficient amount in her mouth, and she seemed to accept it.
Smiling triumphantly at Dahven, Isaac shrugged his shoulders and chuckled softly when he saw Angel about ready to fall asleep. He pointed this out to her and she smiled as well.
“Let’s get her to bed.” She whispered as she started to creep out of the bathroom.
Isaac had placed the medicine back in the cabinet, threw the box away, and turned the light off as he too walked quietly out of the bathroom, and followed Dahven across the hall into hers, Angels, and Randy’s room.
Both of them were lying on their stomachs on her bed, and had laid Angel at the top of the bed, in between them.
After nearly forty minutes of quiet talking, they started to doze off, and then they both fell asleep.
When Randy, Taylor, and Zac found them almost an hour after they had fallen asleep they couldn’t help but smile and giggle about the picture… it seemed so perfect it was almost surreal.
Though the picture was definitely worthy of envy...
It was a picture of a family...
