A multi-part story of the highs, lows, and perceptions of reality in family life past, present, and probable futures.
** Dave's perspective of the present *****
Dave Richards watched his wife Rachel descend the steps from the upper patio with their daughter Carrie. Both women were dressed in the age appropriate but no doubt latest fashion lounge wear, shorts over swimsuits, loose shirts, big floppy sun hats and sunglasses.
They were dutifully bringing cold drinks and sandwiches for him and son Joe, who had both been busy since eight that morning pulling up the rotten flooring in the old summerhouse. Rachel swayed on her heeled sandals as she stepped on to the uneven ground at the bottom stopping suddenly making Carrie have to dodge past.
A smirk crossed Dave's face as Carrie let rip at her mother,
"For fuck sake Mum, I nearly dropped the drinks! Why wear stupid sandals like that!"
"It's not my sandals, it's the uneven ground!" Rachel shouted back,
"And don't fucking swear at me because your father has pissed you off!"
Carrie stomped off in her sensible trainers to the lower sundeck leaving Rachel to totter over the grass. Mother and daughter had the same spiky temper and when roused could conjure up language that could grace a building site anywhere in the UK.
Dave nudged Joe and nodded towards the sundeck,
"Looks like lunch is ready, go get cleaned up a bit I can finish the last of this later, but beware of your grumpy Mum and even grumpier big sister!"
"I heard," he answered, "At least it's you they're pissed off with not me!"
Joe dumped the load of rotten wood in the wheelbarrow, picked up his tee shirt and jogged up to the sundeck, said something to Rachel who smiled and nodded, then he went up to the house. Dave followed shortly after dusting himself down and washing his hands in the summerhouse.
"Aren't you going to have a shower?" Rachel asked, "You're filthy!"
"It's only a bit of dust," Dave replied, "Anyway I still need to finish the crossbeam after lunch, so I'll shower later."
"Oh," she shrugged, "Joe said you had finished!"
"No, Joe has finished, I told him I can sort the rest out and he can have the afternoon to himself!" Dave explained,
"So what have my favourite ladies made me for lunch?"
Carrie scowled at me, saying "Nothing to do with me!"
Rachel glared at her, then said,
"I've made you tuna salad sandwiches and there's wine or some cold beers."
"Great, I'll have a beer, as I'm back on the tools!" Dave responded cheerily putting two doorstep sandwiches on a plastic plate.
"Do you want a glass for your beer or are you going full hairy-arse builder and swigging from the bottle?" asked Rachel with a hint of sarcasm.
"Glass, please I am still smooth arsed management, at least until Wednesday lunchtime!" Dave replied.
"Well, the beer is in the cooler and the glass is on the tray," Rachel said testily, "I'm not your fucking servant!"
Dave smiled, grabbed a beer and a glass, and poured it slowly then raised it in a toast,
"To a long and happy retirement," then added, "And a contented family!"
"If you want a contented family, you better get that path sorted out by the landscapers," Rachel replied testily.
"And get the Summerhouse finished!" piped up Carrie.
"All in hand," Dave smiled, sitting down on a sun lounger, "Whilst you were both getting your beauty sleep Joe and I have cleared the flooring and nearly finished prepping the supports for the hot tub."
"Also," he continued, "I arranged the engineers to come in on Monday to repair the leaks and refit the filtration machinery, I rang Don and confirmed his crew are taking over the landscaping and construction on Monday now the other lot have finally finished the drainage."
He addressed his soon to be 23-year-old daughter, "So provided there is no epic flooding this week my beautiful, calm and serene daughter, can have her 'Summer Birthday Ball'"
Then to his wife,
"And you my sweetness will have a properly completed terraced patio, summer house with renovated sauna and hot tub and Joe will have a repaired greenhouse for his tomatoes or whatever he is going to grow."
Dave bit into his sandwich and waited for the response.
Rachel smiled came over to the lounger bent down, gave Dave a lingering kiss on the lips. She then drew back and muttered,
"Sorry for moaning, I just wanted the garden finished."
Dave slipped a hand under her open shirt and squeezed Rachel's right tit,
"Do I just get a kiss?"
"We'll have to see later," Rachel cooed, "When you're showered, and you get rid of the fishy breath!"
"Get a room!" called Carrie jokingly, her tone noticeably more agreeable now she could continue her party plans.
"Is someone jealous, that Mummy and Daddy are still sexually active?"
Dave asked jokingly as Rachel pushed his hand down and walked over table to get her food,
"Don't you want to be just like us, when you grow up?" Dave continued.