Baker Family

After the party

It was around eleven o'clock when the last of the guests had left. While Lori cleared the dining room table Pete had decided to check in on the boys. It had been a couple of hours since he checked on them and that part of the house had been strangely quiet.

He walked to the door and still could hear silence and for a moment imagined that they had snuck out. He then pushed that thought from his mind thinking that his boys would never do that. They all knew better and they knew the consequences if they did.

He opened the door where he discovered Ricky, Mickey, and Dawson fast asleep in their beds and Jack sitting in a bean bag chair wearing a pair of headphones as he watched television. The boy let out a small laugh as Pete walked into the room. He called Jack's name but he could not hear him.

He then placed his hand on the boy's shoulder who jumped startled. Jack gave him a surprised look as he took off his headphones.

"Sorry about that."

"It's okay." Jack said with an embarrassed grin.

"I see that your cousins are out."

Ricky was mumbling something in his sleep but could not make it out.

"Yeah Ricky fell asleep about an hour ago and then Mickey and Dawson about a half hour ago."

"Not surprising I wore them out today." Pete said as he looked at his sons. He then thought how he was going to do again tomorrow after church. Ricky continued mumble in his sleep, the boy began to toss and turn as he was caught in the throes of a terrible nightmare. He placed his hand on his head and gently told him to relax. Ricky smiled as he seemed to calm down.

He rubbed the top of his head and then turned to Jack "You need to get bed okay."

"Yes sir." Jack said as he sat the headphones on the top of the television and then turned it off.

Jack grabbed a small bag and said "I need to brush my teeth."

"That's okay." Pete said.

Jack walked to the door and then turned and said "By the way Uncle Pete thank you for letting me stay tonight."

"No problem buddy."

Pete waited for Jack to return as he crawled into bed he asked "So Uncle Pete."

"Yeah buddy."

"Do you think Uncle Jackson and Aunt Claudia are going to be girlfriend and boyfriend."

He then saw the tension cross his uncle's face at the question. He could not help but laugh inwardly. Over my bleeding, broken body he thought. "Not if I have anything to say about it."

"It would be kind of weird." Jack thought.

"It would be extremely weird." Pete replied. He was not sure that weird was even the word for it.

"Imagine if they got married. We wouldn't know if we should sit on the bride's side or the groom's side."

Pete then winced as he said "They are not getting married." They are only nineteen and twenty he thought. Neither of them are getting married until they have finished college and got good jobs. Then they can think about marriage.

"It could happen."

"Good night Jack." Pete said with annoyance in his voice.

"Good night sir." Jack said as he gave him a look of amusement.

I wish I had spanked him earlier Pete thought as he walked to the door and flipped off the light. "See you in the morning Jack."

"See you." Jack then thought that's if Mister Benson does not sneak in the middle of the night and kill us all. He then eyed the window hoping that it was locked. It might be a good idea to sleep with Ricky's baseball bat he thought.

Pete headed to his room ready to drop any moment. He could not believe how exhausted he was. He walked into the room and crawled into his bed where he put his arm around Lori giving her a kiss.

"I love you." He whispered.

Lori smiled and said "I love you too." A few seconds of silence passed between them and she then said "Thank you for tonight, I really appreciate it."

"You're welcome hon."

"And I am sorry about Susan." Lori said.

"It's okay, besides it's not anything I haven't heard before he said." He thought there had been members of his first wife family who had called him a monster when they learned that he used corporal punishment on his kids. They had also called him much worse than that.

And then there were those who criticized him for being too easy on the boys, that he did not use it enough on them, accused him of being a pushover. They claimed that he was spoiling the boys. He highly doubted that his sons would agree with that.

Guilt stabbed at her as she said "She should not have said those things about you." Lori blew air between her teeth as she said "What was I thinking inviting her here."

"Lori it's okay." Pete said in a consoling tone. "I'm a big boy I can handle a few harsh words from some blowhard." He then felt a twinge of guilt. "Sorry I should not have said that."

"No you are right she is a blowhard." Both she and her husband are, she did not know why she was ever friends with them.

I still should not have said it he thought. "The point is no harm done okay."

"Okay." He then squeezed her.

She smiled as she said "Okay."

"Good night."

"Good night." She said.