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“I think I've nearly mastered how all the kids shake off bad days or reduce stress.” Erin said. “That only took a year but considering, I think that’s pretty good.”
“I could do that you know.” Dave said.
“Of course you can.” Erin glanced at him. “You’ve been their dad forever and ever. In some ways I just got here.”
“I meant that.”
Dave pointed to her feet. Erin was painting her toenails. It was something she hadn’t really done regularly since her twenties. Erin Strauss loved manicures and pedicures. She still went for her manicure every two weeks. But painting her toes herself was fun again. She did it for the first time a few months ago when she and Penelope had a home girl’s day. Now she found another thing to reduce her stress.
“I got it, thanks.” She smiled. “Have we ever done that? You know, have you painted my toenails?”
“I make your toenails curl, baby. That’s enough for you.”
“Shut up.”
Erin gave her husband a gentle elbow as she laughed. It was December but raining in the DC Corridor. Christmas was in four days. The kids were antsy, as kids tended to be this time of year. In addition to gifts they were ready for two weeks out of school. Dave and Erin would be going to their first high school Parents Night for Aaron and Emily. Neither quite knew what to expect.
“Back to the kids.” She was focusing on her toes. Erin dipped the brush into the maroon nail polish. There was just a touch of glitter in it…she’d borrowed it from Emily. “Derek plays video games or watches the most obscure sports so that he has to pay attention. Aaron goes to the batting cage, dives into a book inside the closet in your study, or walks the dogs. I still don’t quite know what to make of the closet thing.”
“He likes the quiet.” Dave said. “The walls are rather thick in there. Even though this is a large house, it can be hard to find your own space in it. He and Derek share a room. That can't be easy with puberty looming over both of their heads.”
“I'm sure. We’ll have to think about that over the next few months. Privacy is really important to a teenager. Emily listens to moody music. She makes those playlists on her computer based on her moods. Sometimes she plays with this app on her iPad where she can give herself a bunch of different hairstyles and colors.”
“She tried to convince me just a couple of weeks ago that her hair would look so cool if she got it cut in a pompadour like Morrissey. I thought the safest answer was to ask mom. What does Penelope do to reduce stress?”
“I hope the day never comes when our seven year old has stress.” Erin replied. “She likes to online shop for superhero costumes and tulle skirts. She's been drawing too…have you seen her work?”
“It’s really good. I told her to draw me something for the study so I can be inspired to write. Our little girl definitely has an artist in her.”
“She is going to love the Crayola Caddy that Ursula and Rachel get her for Christmas. I predict that she’ll have one full sketchpad before returning to school after the New Year.”
“You're an amazing mother.” Dave leaned and kissed his wife’s shoulder. She was wearing a camisole to bed along with blue flannel pajama pants. “I told you that a lot after the accident, not just because it was true but because I wanted you to know how much we loved you. I never wanted you to feel as if this wasn’t your family. I'm telling you know strictly because it’s true.”
“Oh, so you don’t love me anymore?” Erin raised an eyebrow.
“Woman, I should throw you down on the bed and kiss you breathless. But I'm not a dumb man…never touch a woman when her toes are wet.”
“Damn skippy.” Erin laughed and Dave kissed her laughter. He liked it so much he did it twice. Then someone knocked on the door.
“Can I come in?” they asked from the hallway.
That was the first clue it wasn’t Penelope. She was still mastering waiting to be invited in after knocking. It sounded like Derek. His parents told him in unison that he could.
“Dad, I have to talk to you about important stuff.” He came in and sat on the bed. Mudgie was right behind him, and he jumped up too. He missed Erin’s wet toes by a few inches. “Mom, you can stay too.”
“I appreciate that.” Erin nodded.
“I kinda have to say an offensive word.” the eleven year old said. “But it’s only to get my point across, I promise.”
“What's going on?” Dave asked.
“If I have to take dance class am I a homo?” Derek asked. “I mean, I know I'm not but how do I make sure other people know I'm not.”
“You don’t have to care what other people think.” Erin said.
“Aww Mom, I need a real answer.” Derek sighed.
“Who said you would be a homo?” Dave asked.
“James. We’re friends; we play football together. Coach thinks it would be good for some of us offensive guys to take some ballet lessons. I really thought that stuff only happened on TV. I didn’t know it was real.”
“Some of the best football players have taken classes.” Dave said. “You know how they catch the ball and the defense pounces on them? Ballet makes them lighter on their feet and makes it easier to just twist and turn out of some of those attempted tackles.”
“I'm not wearing tights.” Derek shook his head.
“I'm sure you can wear yoga pants.” Erin said.
“Mom, that might be worse than tights.”
“I'm not helping at all tonight, am I?”
“Maybe it’s a guy thing.” Derek shrugged. “No offense.”
“None taken. I'm going to paint my toes but I'm also going to listen, OK?”
“OK.” He turned back to Dave. “What should I do, Dad?”
“Well mom is right about one thing…no one cares what anyone else thinks. If you want to play football and the coach thinks taking some dance lessons could help advance your skills then it’s a good idea. You're not going to be a homo because you do ballet, Derek. I mean look at Baryshnikov.”
“Baryshnikov isn’t a homo…I mean homosexual?” Derek asked.
“No, he's not.”
“But he's like the best ballet dancer in the world. Are you sure he isn’t?”
“I am sure.” Dave nodded. “Being a good dancer and being male has nothing to do with sexuality. Women can box, men can dance, people can do whatever makes them happy and it has nothing to do with their sexuality. You're eleven kid, it should be the last thing on your mind. I understand your concern, you don’t want the kids to pick on you. Just tell them that Baryshnikov used to date Jessica Lange.”
“The real Jessica Lange?” Derek’s eyes widened. “Like Jessica Lange, Jessica Lange? The Supreme Jessica Lange?”
“The one and only.” His father smiled.
“She's a real babe. I mean she's like an oldhead babe now but still a babe. Nice.”
“Imagine what a babe she was in the 70s.” Dave said.
“I'm starting to like Baryshnikov more and more.” Derek smiled as he got up from the bed. “Thanks Dad, you're the best.”
“You're better, kid.” Dave pointed at him.
“Hey.” Erin called as he was about to leave the room. “What about these ballet lessons? Did the coach say where he wanted you guys to go or is he going to send home a note or something?”
“He said the Fairfax Community Center and the Boys and Girls Club both offer lessons but he wasn’t so sure about what days and times. He said it would be up to our parents if they wanted to go the more expensive route. He sent a letter home with our vacation stuff. It’s in my bookbag somewhere. Mom, I want to be in the class with the most ballerinas.”
“I'm sure.” Erin smiled. “We’ll wait until we get the information packet and make the decision then. I know there's no school tomorrow but I don’t want you staying up too late.”
“I'm just gonna finish the Hawkeye comic I was reading and then I'm down for the count.” He said.
“Can I have a kiss goodnight?”
Derek smiled as he walked back over to his parents’ gigantic bed. He leaned over Dave and Erin did the same. She kissed his nose and then his lips. She rustled his thick brown hair. It was in a big afro right now, curls growing on the ends. Derek never liked cutting his hair during football season…he was like Samson. Once every other week Aunt Nora braided it for him so it wouldn’t get too unruly.
“I love you, my little prince.”
“Love you too, Mom.” Derek held out his fist. “Father.”
“Son.” Dave tapped Derek’s fist with his.
Derek whistled for the dog as he walked back to the door. Mudgie seemed to think about it for a few minutes and then followed the kid.
“Oh wow, we might actually be all alone tonight.” Erin said. “As long as a bad storm doesn’t come through we won't have kids. Mudgie has deserted us for Derek and Scruff likes to fall asleep with Penelope.”
“She puts her in sweaters and sunglasses.” Dave laughed. “Then she takes pictures with the camera you bought for her. I didn’t even know Polaroids still existed.”
“I got the camera for a song. The film can be brutal and it only takes 20 pictures I think. But I have a line on a guy who can me anything I need.”
“Please don’t end up owing the Ukrainian mob because Penelope likes 70s era photography.”
“He’s Slovenian.” Erin said. “And we work together. I think my toes might be dry.”
“Woman, that’s nothing to joke about.”
“I'm not joking, Agent Rossi.” She shook her head, wearing a serious look on her face. “I'm thinking this is the quick dry stuff.”
Erin let out a squeal of delight, covering her mouth as Dave pulled her into his arms. She wrapped one arm around him; the other hand was immediately in his hair. The man had the most amazing head of hair. Erin’s favorite was when it was wet. Straight from the shower. When he was wet…
“Oh husband.” She whispered in his ear. When her fingers tickled the hair at the nape of Dave’s neck, he sighed.
“Yes, wife?” Dave reached his hands under Erin’s camisole to stroke her back.
“I love you.”
“I love you more.”
“Mmm, probably.”
“Really?” Dave tickled her, loving the way she laughed and squirmed. “Really, really?”
“You said it, David, I didn’t.”
Erin pulled Dave with her as she lay back on the mattress. She wrapped one leg around him and he kissed her breathless. Dave caressed her face, kissing her again.
“Hey baby, guess what?”
“Hmm?” Erin’s eyes fluttered shut as she gave him Eskimo kisses.
“We could get eight hours of sleep tonight.”
“Oh my God, are you serious?” she opened her eyes. “Eight whole hours?”
“Maybe even eight and a half…if we time it right.”
“I am so turned on right now.”
“Me too, baby.”
“Close the door, David.”
Dave smiled, getting up and closing their bedroom door. He turned off the lamp on his side of the bed before sliding under the covers with his wife. Erin wrapped her arms around him, sighing happily as they settled into the warmth of their California king sized bed. There wasn’t any better way to end a day.
“The shades are drawn,” Dave held Erin’s hand to his lips. “The lights are out, and the kids are quiet. Mrs. Rossi, whatever shall we do?”
“Sleep.” Erin dragged the word out, laughing a bit. “Greatest Saturday night ever.”
She loved falling asleep snuggling with Dave. She had a busy week at work and as a mom so eight hours of sleep was a big deal. This could be the last eight hours with the Christmas holiday quickly approaching. There was no way Erin wouldn’t appreciate it for the awesome that it was.
***