Day two of the photo shoots started much the same way as the previous day, minus the parents of the entire clan. The ten children were having their pictures taken together. All ten together, the different sets of multiples, and finally Malachai and Maddie had pictures done together because they were the only singles in the bunch.
Marc was on top of it all day long. He was making sure that things ran as smoothly as possible; making sure that his parents were comfortable as well as making his siblings behave themselves in between shots. He was not about to have them acting foolish.
After all the kids were photographed in their different groups, Marc gathered all of the grandkids and had them take pictures together. "But Uncle Marc, do we have to?" young Abigayle asked.
"Yes Abby. Now get over there with your cousins and don't make me repeat myself."
Abby went over and joined her cousins like her uncle told her to. The pictures were taken and Marc moved on to getting Maddie's family together for their pictures. "You're really making this move along today", Jake joked with him.
"Mom and Dad aren't getting any younger as we sit here and twiddle our thumbs. This needs to move along; go fast. We can't sit here and fuck around." He looked out at Maddie's family. "Let's get a shot of each of you with the kids, then Maddie with Ash then Dahlia, followed by Colt with Ash then Dahlia." They started moving around in the order that Marc had said. "Anyway, as I was saying. Mom and Dad may not look their ages because Mom's just awesome like that, but it doesn't change the fact that they are, in fact, in their 80's. There is no telling when they're going to check into Chez Paradise on the other side. Things need to be done in a relatively fast manner because Dad could have a heart attack at any moment, or Mom could stroke at any moment. Hell, they could just stop breathing for some reason just sitting there. Not saying it's gonna happen, but it is possible. I want to get this done as quickly as possible so that they can enjoy it."
Jake nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me. Who do you think is going to take the longest?"
"Jeremiah and the Masons. I'm gonna get all of them together, then just break it down from there."
"What was the most difficult so far?"
"Jordan and her blended family. I had no idea how to do that other than to include Ronnie in the family photo. She has been with Jordan for the last eight, almost nine years and has helped to raise Levi and Jasmine. She's as much a parent to them as Reece or Jordan have been the last several years. It was a bit of a bitch. But, I figured it out because I'm bad ass like that."
"Well, I'm gonna go get a bite to eat and leave you to do what you're doing."
"Hey, before you walk off, I wanna bounce something off of you."
"What's that?"
"I had a thought to do with the lot of us like for Mom and Dad like I'm doing for us with our kids."
"Pictures of each of them with all of us?"
"Yeah. That's what I was thinking."
"I like it. If we don't get it done today we can do it tomorrow."
"How long do we have the photographer?"
"Not including yesterday and today? Three or four more days."
"Nice. Alright, go get your sugar up. And see if Mom and Dad need anything."
"That was the plan." Jake walked away.
Marc went back to directing the shoot by getting Jeremiah's family and his in laws out in the clearing where all of the pictures were being taken. It was going to be a long day and he wanted to get as much done as he could and he knew that he was losing daylight. If he wanted to get more done after Jeremiah and Jona’s bunch, then he would have to hurry things along. But, on the other hand, they had the photographer for a few more days. As long as they have got everything they needed, it was all good. But, he was still going to try to get everything done that he could so that they wouldn’t take up too much of the photographer’s time.
---------------
Zack and Miranda were off to the side talking about they play they were about to do. “You’re not upset about my playing a lesbian, are you?” she asked with a laugh.
“It’s not that”, he laughed. “I just want you to keep in mind that it’s a role. Maureen is a character. You’re not Maureen.”
“And if I like girls too?” she giggled.
“Rock on, but I come first. That’s all I’m saying.” He was still laughing.
“Don’t let my Gramma or Aunt Jordan hear you say that.”
“Your Gramma loves me. She thinks I’m the cat’s meow.”
“You’ve been talking to Steve and Shelby again, haven’t you?”
“Why do you say that?”
“Cat’s Meow? Next thing I know, you’ll be saying that my Grampa thinks you’re the ‘Bee’s knee’.”
“He seems to be a fan.”
She laughed out, attracting the attention of everyone around her. When she saw that she caught their glances, she apologized then looked back at Zack. “Have you even spoken to my Grampa?”
“I said HI.”
“That does it.” Miranda grabbed his hand and dragged him over to where her grandparents were sitting, talking and watching the commotion and loving every moment of the chaos. “Hey, Gramma and Grampa”, she said sweetly.
“Hey Miranda”, they said in unison.
“I was hoping that he’d have the balls to come introduce himself to you and tell you that he loves me himself but apparently I have to have all the cajónes in this relationship. This is Zack Winfield. He’s my boyfriend and co- star in RENT. He’ll be playing Mark.”
David and Brie looked at the young man. “Hello. Nice to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Draiman.” His nerves were raw in his voice.
David studied the boy for a moment. “Whatcha so nervous for?” he asked.
“You’re a little intimidating, sir. I’m just showing the proper amount of fear.”
Brie laughed. “He’s a big ole’ teddy bear. He ain’t gonna hurt you, child.”
“I wish I could believe that, Mrs. Draiman. I’ve heard too many horror stories.”
“Most of which I’m sure are made up or very exaggerated”, David said.
“So you didn’t let Marc beat the hell out of Remy Caldwell of Foresight?”
“No, I didn’t. I just didn’t call the police. He was using my daughter to try to get a deal with Intoxication Records. That wasn’t about to happen. Where did you hear that?”
“They finally got that record deal, but not Intoxication. With BMG, I think it was. My sister’s a big fan and she told me that I should read this article she found where he was talking about meeting you and how he was scared to death of you and all of your family- especially the boys. Once I met Miranda and figured out that you were her beloved Grampa, I was nervous as hell to meet Malachai, let alone you.”
David laughed. “It’s amazing that I’m so frightening to people and I’m 84. I wish people would have been this afraid of me when I could have actually done something about it.”
“Weren’t people afraid of you during the Utopian Conflict?”
“They were afraid of my words, yeah. I suppose you’re right. But, no one would listen to me until the Utopians took over.” He shook his head and waved away the topic. “Neither here nor there. Now, what are your intentions with my granddaughter?”
“I love her. I want to be with her. Eventually, I want to marry and have kids with her. She’s the sweetest girl I’ve ever met.”
David nodded. “Ok. I’m going to tell you this. Treat her right. If I ever hear of you mistreating the firstborn of my grandchildren, I will sic my dogs on you. My dogs are her father, her uncles, and her male cousins. I may be 84 years old, but I have never pulled punched and still don’t. I have never really been that great of a bull shit artist either so I’m not lying. Be good to my granddaughter and I’ll have no problems with you. Understood?”
Zack nodded. “You got it, Mr. Draiman sir.”
“Good. I’ll leave the interrogation to her father. That’s his job. I did my share of it with my girls. Now, do me a huge favor and go be young, dumb, and in love.” He waved them away with his hand.
Miranda pulled them back toward the tree they were hanging out. “There. That wasn’t so bad, was it?”
He laughed. “No. I guess not. It wasn’t the root canal like procedure that I was told it would be.”
“By whom?”
“Anyone who talked to Isaiah.”
“Isaiah tells guys that Grampa’s a scary guy to run guys off from me. My grandfather, as you just saw, it actually pretty chill.”
Zack nodded. “That makes sense. I see how tight knit you all are, and it’s kinda intimidating.”
“Would you rather us be all distant and not speaking to each other?”
---------------
Matthew hated having his picture taken. He made that very known to his parents. “Mom, Dad, I hate this”, he said as his Uncle Marc directed them on who was supposed to be in the shot.
Jeremiah smiled at his son. “I know, Matt. I guarantee that your mother and I aren’t enjoying it either. You’re mother less than I am.”
Matt looked at his mother who nodded. “Your Dad’s right, Mattie.”
“Mom. I hate it when you call me that”, Matt said in disdain.
“I know, but you’re always going to be my little boy just like I’m Grampa Skyler and Gramma Kaylian’s little girl and your Dad’s Grampa David and Gramma Brie’s little boy.”
“And I have nine other people I have to share with. Consider that for a few moments.”
Matt chuckled. “That’s actually kinda funny, Dad.”
“Good, I got you to smile. Just think about that as you endure the rest of this. It will all be over soon.”
Rina, who hated being left out of a conversation, chimed in. “And just remember, this is for Gramma Brie and Grampa David. They’re going to have pictures of everyone to put up in their house in Israel.” She looked up at her parents. “Can we go out to Israel sometime soon? I wanna go see the Wall.”
“We shall see, Rina Brielle. This is the tenth times you’ve asked since Gramma Brie and Grampa David arrived a few days ago. Remember, don’t nag. If you keep it up, you’re going to be told no and that will be the end of the discussion. Understood?” Jeremiah said with a stern tone. Rina may have been his little girl, but he wouldn’t tolerate her being pushy, though he had to admit that it stung him deep to be stern with either of his children.
The little girl- now almost 10- pouted as she gave her response. “Yes Daddy.” She hated being told no. It sucked worse than not getting that pony she wanted for her birthday the year before.
“Ok. I’m gonna get the hell out of the way here”, Marc said as he stepped back, “and let the photographer do what she does best.”
“Ok everyone, smile.”
Jeremiah slipped an arm around Jona’s waist as she did the same thing and everyone flashed a smile of some sort. Not long after, the camera flashed several times as Kelly Demarco- the Professor’s former student- took their pictures for the family.
---------------
With Day two in the books, David and Brie went to their little cottage that night with smiles on their faces. They’d managed to get through James’s bunch and were going to finish everything off in the morning.
As she made their dinner for the night, she looked over her shoulder to where he was watching the news on the couch. He wasn’t engrossed, so she knew that she could carry on a conversation with him. “What a day!” she said with a smile in her voice.
“That it was. I’m glad we got as much as we did done today.”
“I know me too. But, it’s also nice for Skyler and Kaylian to have pictures of their bunch together and all that stuff.”
“Very true. Ok, so I’ve been dying to ask you all day, Brie; what do you think of Miranda’s boyfriend?”
“I think he’s a nice boy, but he really needs to grow a set.” She laughed as she tossed the food in the skillet. When she replaced the pan over the burner, she returned the question. “What do you think of him, David?”
“I agree with you 150%. He needs to grow a set and be a little bolder, but he seems like a nice kid.”
“If being a nearly 30 year old man can make you a kid”, she chuckled.
“He’s a kid. I think that the only one of the kids our grandkids are dating that I like is Brandon.”
“Though he hates it when he’s called that.”
“He seems forgiving when we do it though.”
“I think he’s convinced that we have dementia setting in.”
He chuckled. “I’m not entirely convinced that we don’t. We have 20 some odd grandchildren. It’s hard to remember all of the names at our ages.”
“I do good to remember the two that share my birthday some days”, she laughed as she pulled their plates out of the cabinet.
“You and me both”, he laughed as he stood up and went over to help her finish dinner. He heard lots of cracking and popping as he rose to his feet. “This getting old shit is for the birds. Why can’t we age in reverse?”
“You mean like that Benjamin Button guy?”
“Yeah. It’s bullshit that we have to crackle and pop when we move around. I hate feeling old sometimes.”
“Baby, as long as you’re young at heart, what does it matter?”
He slipped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. “You’re such and angel. What did I do to deserve you?”
“You’ve been asking that for the last 40+ years. If you haven’t figured it out by now, you’re not going to.”
He chuckled. “If you say so. Now, do you need help with dinner?”
“If you want to help you can fix your own plate.” She smile and help a plate out to him.
He took the plate and laughed. “On it.” And he set about fixing his plate so that he could sit down and finish watching his news.
She watched him moved through the small kitchen, stretching to get a glass for some tea. She couldn’t help but smile as she watched him move about. She still found him sexy, even after all the time they’d been together. To paraphrase a comedian she loved when their children were still young, she’d found her ice cream truck.
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