Surf and Turf Wipe Out (invite)

[Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)]

It had all been Mona's idea and what a great one it was. Since the triplets had been born, life was...chaotic. That was the best way to describe it. But, they were finally starting to sleep anywhere from four to five hours a night at a time and life was slowly getting back to some semblance of normal. Everyone had been busy and there had been little to not time for the three of the six most important people in Gideon's life to get fully acquainted.

He and Mona had just managed to get the triplets down for their first power nap of the night, and left them in their rooms. The girls' shared a bedroom, while his only son had the smaller of the three bedrooms to himself. "Thanks for doing this." He looked at Mona as he closed the bedroom door and gave the mother of his children a smile. "I'll get the explosion of toys." It would take him less time to get ready for the planned dinner between his brother, sister and...Mona. It was hard to define what she was, other than the mother of his children. They lived together, slept together (unless one of them fell asleep on the couch with one of the babies), and seemed to have a united front on all things baby. Still, neither one of them fully committed to the idea of a commitment. Some would say it was the right thing to do, given she was the mother of his children, but should a one night stand entrap her? In truth, Gideon thought he might have seen Mona a couple more times at most, and she probably thought she would never see him again, but here they were. In his mind, one night shouldn't determine what she had to do with the rest of her life.

Gideon grabbed his phone from his back pocket and sent his brother a text.

To: Esli
From: Gideon

Message: Give us about an hour and dinner should be ready.

There had been some changes to Gideon since he had seen his brother last. No longer being able to stand the pulling of his hair, the length of it was now gone. He hadn't opted for just a trim, but instead, removed most of the length to something that would be impossible for either of his two girl's to pull. It had taken damn near a decade to get his hair to the length it was, but it was just hair and it would grow again when the triplets were older and no longer searched for it as he fed them, or held them to soothe whatever their woes were.

Wearing: https://i.p i n i m g.com/236x/03/6a/39/036a ... 455d34.jpg

[Mona McGee]

Monas brain was mush. She had rather face a horde of brain sucking zombies than 3 babies. She loved her brood but they had the ability to make you feel overwhelmed drained and totally out of your element in a split second. It had taken weeks for there to be any semblance of normality in the house. She swore that there were a few days that just time for a shower had been welcome. When the little shits had started to sleep for longer periods of time had been such a relief. Every moment of her life was still baby but a little breathing room for a adult conversation so when the thought of actually having time for a dinner hit her head It stuck.

The talk with Gideon went well. He seemed to be just as ready for adult time as she was. They really couldn’t go out though so inviting someone to the house was their only chance of a few hours of adult time as long as the rug rats cooperated. The obvious choice was his brother and his wife. Mona had no time to really get to know them. The triplets had been born and time had disappeared. Now was the time to get to know Esli and Lasair.

Mona had learned that ordering things was her friend so by the time Gideon had agreed and they had hashed out a date, Mona had ordered a veritable feast. She figured that Gideon could use a grill so that was ordered as well. She would surprise him with it. They had seemed to fall into a comfortable Routine they worked well together taking care of the kids. She had often wondered how good of a dad he was going to be. She had been pleasantly surprised at how good he was. She hadn’t quite expected it. Hell she knew he had a wild hair up his *** … She did too and the kids had calmed that some but she knew it wasn’t totally gone for either of them.

Did she love Gideon was the question that often crept into her mind and in the dead of night when she crawled back into bed exhausted from the 3rd or fourth time getting up to see about the babies and his arm still instinctively snuck around her waist in that possessive way. Yes, she did but her biggest fear was what about when they didn’t have the babies …. They had no time to get to know each other what then. She was getting to know Gideon but it was a slow process he didn’t share much but then neither did she. Maybe getting to know his family would solve this problem for her.

[Esli Barnes]

Esli figured the shirt that was recently buttoned down and secured on his shoulders would have to do. It was clean and it coordinated well enough with his pants that no fashion police were going to be likely to issue him a citation. The Birkenstocks that he picked up seven years ago at a flea market sale may stand out as a bit too casual but he was fine with it. His feet were no prize but they certainly were far from the ugliest on the planet. Being comfortable is what was important. It was dinner with family and it was one that had his stomach making noise the more he thought about it.

“Should we bring anything?” He barely stepped up into the r.v. when he called out to Lasair in question.

While he waited for an answer he rolled up the loose cuff sleeves that were free from any restraint thanks to missing buttons. Lasair was the one who thought of the details of things such as dining and etiquette. He had been around the world enough to know the basics but this was Gideon inviting them. His brother was content with a cozy campfire, an iron skewer, a bag of marshmallows and a case of import last time they ate together. How much could things have changed? He eyed the space where Lasair would hopefully appear ready for the night ahead. The bounce of Oliver over the hand made hammock and onto the dash caught his attention instead.

“Kids love monkeys.” It was a comment made as soon as it came to his mind. It was a thought that had some truth to it. Just as he thought about reaching for the door to the snack cupboard the flying pelt made a ear piercing squeal of protest. “Relax! “ His hand pulled back. “You won’t be left to starve.” It took a few minutes to get his dinner put together and in the dish he preferred to balance on his miniature lap. Some squatted while they feasted. Not their Oliver. He was a different little fellow in more ways than one.

“Oliver is sitting down to dinner. How about we go get ours?” He rubbed the drops of applied hand sanitizer in his palms and evenly distributed the product between the lengths of his fingers. "That is if you are ready." His stomach growled while he watched Oliver consume the orange segments like they were at risk of disappearing if he took too long. He mumbled. "I know I am ready." He was so much so that he reached over to help himself to a piece of unclaimed fruit on the creatures miniature dish. Hunger clouded his knowledge and past experience. Esli was instantly countered with the monkey clinging to his face and sending out all sorts of noise. It was like pulling an octopus intent on holding on from his fast moving hands."Hey, did you by chance forget to feed him lunch, Lasair?"

[Lasair Barnes (DELETED 9516)]

Lasair had been told about the plans. Of course she had. She’d probably nodded yes to the invite—a matter of habit. The redhead had always been so outgoing, had always said yes to everything, no matter what. There’d always been a smile on her face and regardless of the host’s wishes, she’d always bring something with her—whether it be a six pack of Guinness or box of chocolates. To say yes was easy. It was default, even though her whole body was screaming no.

The minute after the dinner had been mentioned, Lasair had forgotten about it. She’d been out of the hospital for a while—they all had. But she still felt empty. There was something missing where there should have been life. And she was angry. She was furious. She was beyond savage and wanted every single vampiric demon dead for what they had done.

The doctors had given her some pills to help with her mood, to try dig her out of the rut she’d burrowed down into, barely moving, barely getting out of bed unless coaxed. But she didn’t take them. The existence that she and Esli had led, they preferred natural remedies over pharmaceutical ones, and deep down she tried to convince herself she didn’t need the help. But she did. Because when Esli came to the door asking about what they should take, and whether she was ready to go, she could only groan.

She’d forgotten.

She pulled the blanket up over her head and revelled in the darkness, the only sound her breath, the only scent that of her unwashed body. Guilt churned with dismay and she knew she had to get up. She had to at least try. She had to do it for Esli, and for her new brother.

”I’m sorry,” she called, her voice muffled before she swept the blanket from her limbs. ”I forgot to feed Oliver. I forgot about dinner. I’ll go for a shower. I’ll be quick,” she said, forcing lightness into her tone though it was laden with genuine remorse. She spared the smallest glance and a light smile for Esli before she disappeared into the shower (no smile from Lasair was ever lacking genuine mirth).

The water sluiced over her freckled skin, and whenever her fingers brushed the flatness of her own stomach she wanted to cry. She could feel the burn at the corner of her eyes, the hot tears threatening to inflame the skin around her eyes. But she took a deep breath, and then another. She continued to focus on her breathing to keep the tears at bay, to force herself to be strong.

Once out of the shower she pulled on the nearest dress; it was unironed and crumpled and could have been dirty, though it smelled alright so she figured it had just been discarded. It hung limp over a body that had previously been so full, glowing with the life within. She didn’t bother with make-up, and paused only to push a comb through her hair which would be left to dry naturally. Boots that didn’t match the outfit at all were pulled onto her feet.

”I’m sorry,” she repeated again to her husband. ”I’m ready,” she added. Hunger no longer occurred to Lasair. When was the last time she’d eaten? She didn’t feel it anymore.

WEARING

[Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)]

Lasair's loss was something everyone felt, though Gideon would never claim to have a shred of idea as to how she was feeling. His brother did the best he could at times, but when Gideon thought about the possibility of losing one of his own, he grimaced and pushed the thought aside. His brother was being strong for the sake of his wife, and he knew it. Gideon didn't know what to do, or what to offer in support, so getting together with him and Mona to pass a few hours and maybe take their minds off the loss they experienced, he hoped, would help in some degree.

Gideon did a quick scan of the home, making sure no toys were out. He didn't want Lasair to see them and deal with that. He knew she wouldn't forget that they had triplets somewhere in the house, but in his mind, Gideon thought that if he removed a variable, that it would make things easier. Fix it. He wanted to fix things for his brother and for Lasair if he could, and hoped one day he could. He wasn't sure how, but that didn't mean he wouldn't stop trying.

"If any of them wake up, I'll try and take care of it. I'd really like for you to get to know Lasair and Esli." Mona was a big part of his life, no matter what they were, or weren't. They lived together and had children together. Truthfully, he couldn't imagine life without her in the house, or without the triplets, even if they didn't let either of them get more than a couple hours of sleep each time either of them put their head on a pillow. "I'll confess now, I can't admit to being a gourmet chef, but I can cook and bake a couple of things." Gideon said with a grin as he gave Mona an appreciative eye glance as he moved from her ankles to her thighs, to her breasts and then finally, her face. Life was pretty damn good, even if he didn't say it.

[Esli Barnes]

Esli found the vision of Lasair reappearing before him no less stunning than the first time he set eyes on her. Her hair was damp then too. Her face was fresh and free of any artificial color or concealer. The dusting of prominent freckles stood out and he could swear he discovered the single one among the many that he had been intending to kiss. Every other had been ceremoniously christened by his lips over the years. He could list all the names he had given them. Perhaps not entirely accurate with name to each beautiful mark but in the darkest hours and most passionate moments he was inspired to give it his all trying. He caught his breath at the sound of her voice repeating her apologies for grieving. His jaw tightened and his eyes burned. He would never forget her arms should be full with the stirring tiny limbs of a child between them.

“We don’t have to do this now.” His hands came to hers and gently brought them to his lips. The empty distance left between them that had been filled over the preceding glorious months was closed with the step forward he needed to take to draw her against him. “Listen to me.” His hands slid to the sides of her face, the fiery wet strands dropped between his fingers as he cupped her face. “We can do this next week, next month. It can wait until you are ready.” He caressed the surface of her cheek. The shimmering of those heartstopping orbs found him and set his soul on fire. “Whatever you want.”

It wasn’t something easily resolved and agreed upon like the surprise imbalance of saved funds or whether or not to invest in the extended warranty on the appliance they still were in limbo about purchasing. This changed the course of their lives and left an impact that would be with them till their final days.

“I know they would understand.” He didn’t want to offer her the easiest way out of coping. The pro-active supportive route was his intention. “How about we start with a walk instead of driving there? We can take our time.” Fresh air and silent prayer was something he practiced routinely and managed to live by. His arm curled around the outside of her hips. His fingers melded to the curve of the flesh provided by the bone beneath. “Shall we take Oliver?” His brow lifted. He was known to go just about anywhere with them. On a walk or to their brother’s place was nothing unusual.

[Lasair Barnes (DELETED 9516)]

As soon as Esli offered that they could do this another time, Lasair shook her head. If she had wanted to do it another time, she should have given due notice. If she hadn’t wanted to go at all, she should have said so three days ago. But they were here, now, and they were probably late. And she wasn’t going to back out at the last minute. Was this what God intended for her? To sleep all day and whimper all night? She was miserable, but she had to try to pull her way out of the darkness. Esli was miserable too; he was a beacon, he was an example of how she could get up, and try to move on.

”We’ll go. We’ll walk. We’ll take Oliver, yes,” she said with a determined nod. Tears glistened, a film over her eyes. But they didn’t pool, they didn’t fall. She held them back, swallowed them down as she turned to Oliver, tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth as she called the monkey to her. He clambered onto her arm and she cradled him against her chest, pressing a gentle kiss to the top of his head. She murmured her apologies to the monkey for having forgotten to feed him; from the fruit bowl she grabbed a banana so that she could feed him on the way.

Out in the fresh air she lifted her face to the night sky. Oliver sat, content, upon her shoulder. She was glad that she had showered, that she had forced herself out of bed. The fresh air was nice. The banana was peeled, bits of the fruit broken off and handed up to the monkey, who happily ate at her ear.

She walked close by Esli’s side, her shoulder brushing his, wishing only for his arms to remain around her. Her amour had been stripped from her; a woman so robust, so independent, she’d been brought down. That moment Esli always seemed to be waiting for, for her to require his assistance—it had arrived, and under awful circumstances. She needed him, now more than ever.[

[Mona McGee]

Mona had just wiped her hands off with a towel she turned smiling at Gideon "I have something for you she fished out the Blue Kiss the cook apron and shook it loose showing it to him before she started to place it around his neck "I'm sure you can do the steaks ive had them in the fridge overnight with a rub on them all you have to do is cook for well I made it easy "she showed him the digital thermometer and the temperature chart she had found for perfect steaks . "See easy " Mona was from a big family. Here all she had was her pops but back in Mexico she had a huge extended family she had often felt like the black sheep. It was her mothers adopted family and Mona lets face it was a ******** herself. The family gatherings she had been forced to go to were massive and the one thing she had always enjoyed was the food. Her mother and aunts yes aunts they might have been ex Strippers but they would put on a massive spread of food and her Mother was damn determined that Mona know how to cook. The easiest thing Mona found was to give in and learn or get hounded until she wished she were dead. She had potatoes she had made mini crab Horderves there was a salad bread skewered shrimp that were the size of her hand. Just about anything she could think of including a strawberry pie and a death by chocolate cake. " So my dear when can we expect our guest?" she wrapped her arms around his waist as she tied the apron in the back her hands sneaking down to rest on his *** with a mischievous grin on her face.

[Gideon Barnes (DELETED 8781)]

Gideon saw the apron coming at him from out the corner of his eye and he turned to view it completely. He rubbed at the hair below his bottom lip and let Mona do the honors. For a second, it almost felt as if it were just the two of them in this place and Gideon felt...captivated. Stress with raising triplets was an understatement, it was rare that they could truly enjoy themselves. Another rarity was seeing Mona in her natural state and her showing off her talents outside the paper and physical feats. Yeah, he had come to care a great deal about the woman and in essence, his family. Which wasn't just him and the triplets, but her too.

"You're amazing." He commented about the steaks, being completely oblivious to the fact they had even been in there. And just as he was about to lean down and put a kiss on Mona's lips, Gideon raised a hand to smack his forehead. "Babe. Damnit. We got something else other than steaks?" He moved, somewhat reluctantly around Mona's arms and pulled open the fridge to see...well, a lot of delicious food. But it looked like everything had...meat. "Babe. Lass doesn't eat meat..." He started pulling out bottles of beer, ketchup and other condiments as if mixing all those would somehow make something delicious for his sister to eat.

[Esli Barnes]

Esli wouldn’t willingly admit it without being asked but he had a part of him that grew darker whenever the shimmer of excess fluid formed in his wife’s eyes and presented proof of inner pain he couldn’t relieve. A part that made him just as imperfect as any other human on the planet and equally vulnerable to the anger that resided within it. He prayed routinely and often. Not to get rid of it but to be honest with himself and God that it was there.

Each prayer spoken out loud on his knees beside Lasair was genuine. It was inspired from the place within that believed even in his final breaths that God would not forsake him or those around him if he was obedient and gracious. He didn’t have to be on his deathbed to become humble in the eyes of his God. He believed discipline, faith and active work towards maintaining the world wide kingdom created was in fact his responsibility as well as his wife’s and every other christian brother and sister asking for God’s protection and mercy.

Esli mentally felt the physical wrap of affectionate arms placed around Oliver. There was no place he would rather be than nestled heartbeat close to her. However, this was not a moment that was to be about him or seeking comfort from the woman he loved and found in a struggle that was otherwise consuming. Her. It was his job to draw his wife out and remind her there was a peace in returning to the world, of being present in the blessing of another day. As they walked beneath the fading sun he was rewarded with the beautiful rays forming a fiery glow of a halo to crown her head. She was slowly peeking out and he savored it. She was never one to be held back, to waste away. She was fighting a battle and anything he could do to ease it for her was his focus.

“I love you, Lass.”

His hand slid around her waist with his profession and locked in place protectively at her hip. The sounds of a miniature monkey breathing and chewing at the same time found its way to his sensitive ear. As soon as he glanced down to find the fur eared creature looking up he noticed the animal's jaws paused in the audible efforts of chewing as if fully aware at the thoughts coming to mind. Little bead like eyes narrowed as they were known to. Esli’s face deadpanned. He ignored the presence of what was generally there between them on most occasions. Regardless of the cramped space a kiss was pressed to her head and he closed his eyes as he inhaled what was known to be unique only to her.

Truth be told, Esli Barnes could be blind and without use of his hands or feet or hearing. Even then he could pick her out of a crowd of thousands. It was sublime perfection the scent of her in his nose and lungs. And distracting enough that he nearly lost track of the route that had them arriving to Gideon and Mona’s place. He continued to hold her in that place that was as relaxed and natural as it was comfortable in his side. Like two pieces that fit perfectly together they stood while he knocked on the door.

“I think this will be a good thing.” He rocked lightly on the balls of his heels and waited for someone to answer the door in front of them. “Answer the door, Brother.” He whispered to no one in particular.