One Big Happy Family Part 2
"Morning, Jason," I said sweetly as I came out of the house. "Isn't it a
lovely morning?"
"Sure is, Sis," my twin brother said to me. He had been standing outside
on the patio looking out at the ocean when I came outside.
It was indeed a lovely morning, the kind that gives the California coast
its reputation for perfection. The air was mild, the heat of the day yet
to come, the sea was rolling, the sound of waves breaking on the shore
a soft backdrop to our conversation.
I had been staying with my brother and his wife for a week, and though
I was still planning to find my own place, Jason and Mary kept insisting
that I and my kids were welcome to stay as long as we liked, there was
plenty of room for us all.
That was a very slight exaggeration, but not by much. My brothr and his
wife have a baby mansion. They’d given me the best guest room, and
Eric and Shae had offered to let their cousins stay in their own bedrooms,
splitting up, but my kids had refused, instead choosing to share the other
guest bedroom rather than force Eric or Shae to share a room after having
a room to themselves for so long.
I had been a little surprised at my kids’ willingness to share a room, they
had each had a room of their own when we lived back east...albeit rooms
smaller together than one of the guest rooms in Jason’s place alone! But
they had laughed it off, they insisted they did not mind sharing one big
bedroom, and as far as being different genders, they were both twenty and
said they didn’t mind the lack of privacy.
To tell you the truth, I had thoroughly enjoyed the week so far, it was a lot
of fun being able to spend so much time with my brother and his family,
I was enjoying the new surroundings after the depressing emotional mess
of my divorce back east, and the weather was wonderful!
This was the first morning in that week, though, that Jason and I had the
place to ourselves, Mary was at work that day, and the kids had summer
classes that would keep all four of them out until evening. So it was the
perfect opportunity for me to do something I had been planning on ever
since the events that had happened on the day I had arrived.
“So, Sis, have you given any thought to taking up my offer?â€
I sighed. “Jason, I know you’re serious, and I appreciate it...but I just...
I mean I don’t quite feel right about taking charity. I mean it’s bad enough
I’m imposing on your hospitality this way-“
“Trish, so help me, sometimes you are so stubborn you make me want to
strangle you,†Jason said, setting his empty coffee cup on the picnic table.
“It’s not charity! You’re already a silent partner in our family business,
there’s no reason you shouldn’t take an active role, and we need somebody
with your skills anyway!â€
“I’ll think about it, Jase,†I promised him. “Scout’s honor!â€
“All right,†he said.
“Meanwhile,†I said, hoping I was doing a good job of hiding my grin,
“there’s something else we need to discuss.â€
“Oh, what’s that?â€
“That,†I said, pointing out to sea.
Jason turned to look, and as he did I took the opportunity to pull a pair
of handcuffs I’d been concealing in the pocket of my robe, and snapped
a cuff onto his right wrist and the other onto a supporting poll of the
back porch, trapping my twin brother in place!
I humped back as he protested, but he was stuck, handcuffed to the pole
and unable to chase me!
TO BE CONTINUED...