“That’s for little kids. I’m wearing big kid floats,” Chance informed me as he touched one of the inflatable bands he wore around his arms.
My brother, Dean, appeared out of nowhere and dove straight in, splashing everyone in the pool. He swam over to where the three of us were and gave me a nod.
“Are kids always this competitive?” I asked him after I tossed our kids into the water again.
“I don’t know about all kids, but ours sure are.”
“We weren’t like that,” I insisted as I tried to remember being that way with Dean growing up.
He laughed. “No, what you mean to say is I wasn’t like that. You were definitely like that.”
“Was not.”
“Was too.”
“We’ll ask Gran then.”
“Ask me what?” Gran’s voice caught our attention and I hopped out of the pool before drenching her in a wet hug. “Jack! Stop it.”
“Gran’s all wet!” Chance shouted. “Daddy, you got Gran all wet. I wanna get Gran all wet.” He clambered out of the pool and ran into Gran’s legs, soaking her pants.
“Chance, no running!” Cassie called out from the open window.
“Sorry, Mommy!” Chance yelled as he ran/walked back to the pool and jumped in.
Gran eyed me like she was going to kill me and I played innocent. “I can’t help it that all the boys love you. You should really blame yourself.”
“Nice try.” She waved a finger at me. “Now, what were you boys talking about?”
“Gran, Jack seems to think that we weren’t competitive growing up,” Dean said in a mockingly shocked tone as Gran giggled.
“Obviously Jack has a selective memory. Honey, you were extremely competitive with Dean. But he wasn’t competitive back. He just wanted to be like you.”
“Told you.” Dean splashed me before diving under the water.
“Uncle Dean, throw me!”
“Frow me too, Daddy!”
“Me first, Uncle Dean!”
I watched as Dean tossed our kids into the air one at a time before they splashed into the water below. Their excited squeals filled the air and I wondered if there were any greater sound than the sound of your family laughing together.
“You’ve built a beautiful life for yourself, Jack,” Gran said softly. “I couldn’t be more proud.” My grandmother leaned against me and slipped her arm around my waist.
“Thanks, Gran. I wouldn’t be half the man I am today without you and Gramps. Thank you for all you’ve done for me. And for Cassie. I don’t know where’d we be right now if it wasn’t for you two.”
She wiped at her eye. “Oh, stop. You’d be exactly where you are right now. It just might have taken you both a little bit longer to get there.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely. You two were made for each other. You would have found your way there eventually. You’re like magnets, each one pulling at the other until you connect, unable to pull apart.”
“What about that knucklehead and his wife?” I pointed at Dean and she whistled.
“I’m not sure those two would have ever got their stuff together if Cassie didn’t drag the tiny one over to our house that night. We’d probably still be waiting for them to work it out.”
I had to agree. “So you’re to blame,” I teased and gave her a slight nudge.
Cassie and Melissa walked into the backyard side by side, whispering and laughing about who knows what. Gramps followed close behind, his eyes searching for Gran. He walked over and staked his claim.
“Get off my woman, young man.”
“Now I know where I get it from,” I said with a chuckle.
“Get what?” he said innocently.
“The desire to piss all over my property,” I informed him with half a grin.
“I do not want to piss all over your grandmother, Jack,” he started to say before Gran cut him off.
“A woman can only take so much. If either of you need me, I’ll be with the outnumbered gender in the kitchen, where we belong.” She sauntered over toward the girls.
“Kitten, did you hear that? Get your ass in the kitchen where you belong!” I hollered and she scowled at me.
“Bad word!” echoed from the two tiny mouths in the pool.
“I’m sorry,” I shouted at them before jumping back in.
The ladies didn’t disappear for long before they were all demanding we leave the pool and come get ready for dinner. They promised that we could swim after dinner, but we needed to eat first.
Our dining room table was set for eight and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this relaxed and genuinely happy. Cassie set down separate bowls filled with pasta and spaghetti in the center of the table, before asking everyone what they wanted to drink. Melissa added a basket filled with garlic bread to the mix, and Gran followed carrying a huge salad.
I loved these women. Even Fun-Size.
Cassie steered Chance toward one of the middle seats and pulled back the other middle seat across the table for Coby. Coby sat in some sort of booster chair thing, while Chance grabbed a stack of books from his room. I laughed as he carried them down, stacked them neatly on top of his chair, and then couldn’t get up.
“Help me please,” he asked in his raspy little voice.
I lifted him up and placed him firmly on the mountain of books. “He won’t fall?” I asked no one in particular.