The night before they were to leave, Slater was lying on the couch in the living room just staring out the screen door. He thought about how he had become very close to his sister Karen. He thought about how his mother and he had become close. Was it too close? He didn't know, except he loved her so much that he would do anything in the world for her and Karen. Thinking further on the subject, he found he would do anything for his other siblings too. He loved them all. It was just that he loved some of them differently right now.
He was startled and sat up when Mom sat down with him. She patted him on the back as he was jerked from his thoughts. He smiled at her. She hugged him, then sat back looking into his eyes.
"Did Emily get to sleep?" Slater asked.
"Karen finally got her down and I think she's asleep. That was a complete surprise. She is a very perceptive little girl," Eileen said softly.
"She is at that," replied Slater. "She had us all in tears this afternoon."
"I just hope this doesn't...hurt her in any way."
"Me too. It would be a shame if a smart little girl was sidetracked by this."
Mom nodded.
"Well, we better get some sleep, we leave tomorrow morning."
"And two weeks later Karen and I are gone. Are you going to hire a nanny before we leave?" Slater asked.
"Yes. I hope you and Karen could help with that," replied Eileen.
"Sure, whatever you need, Mom. I'm going to bed, I'm exhausted."
"Me too. Give me a kiss goodnight," Eileen said leaning toward Slater.
They kissed. It wasn't a mother, son kiss, but they didn't linger. Both got up and went to bed.
~~~~~
When Slater woke, he found Emily snuggled up to him. He was surprised, to say the least. She had gotten into bed with him without waking him. Karen poked her head in the door, just minutes later. She smiled at finding Emily, and upon seeing her brother awake. She nodded at him as she closed the door. Slater just smiled down at Emily as he waited for her to wake on her own.
He lay there a long time. The rest of the house was quiet. He wanted to close his eyes, but he didn't want to miss Emily waking. Eventually, sleep overtook him.
He woke once more. When he opened his eyes, Emily was laying there staring at him. He smiled at her, as she reached up and caressed his cheek.
"You sure do sleep a lot," Emily said softly.
"And you are a sneaky little girl," Slater said caressing her head.
"I'm not little," she complained.
Slater laughed at her as he sat up swinging his legs over the edge of his bed. Emily sat up, then she stood up and kissed Slater's cheek. He hugged her, she hugged his neck. Then she was gone, laughing as she hurried out the door. Slater got up and went to the bathroom. The door was closed. He heard the shower running. He looked in Karen's room. She was gone. He peeked around the corner into the kitchen. Emily was sitting at the table waiting.
When Slater tried the door, it was unlocked. He stepped inside. Karen was in the shower. He smiled as he listened to her sing. She had a nice voice. Then he was peeing. She looked around the shower curtain and gasped. He laughed as he held his hand over the flush handle.
"Don't you dare," Karen growled swatting at Slater.
He ducked and was out the door. In the kitchen, he found his mother and Emily. His mother looked at him and smiled. He smiled back.
"Is Karen in the shower?" Eileen asked.
"She is," Slater replied.
"Did you peek?" Emily asked shocking both Eileen and Slater.
"No, I didn't peek. I told her I needed to use the toilet."
"Did she peek?" Emily asked.
"No. Emily, you shouldn't ask questions like that and you should never peek," Slater said.
"Then how am I going to learn?" she asked.
"I will teach you, dear," Eileen said softly to her daughter trying not to laugh.
"Oh, okay mom," Emily said. "Can I go watch some TV?"
"Of course dear," Eileen said still trying not to laugh.
Slater was trying not to laugh also. He looked at his mom. She shook her head.
"She is a precocious child," Eileen said.
"She will be a handful when she gets older, mom," Slater said shaking his head.
"Don't I know it, just like you and Karen."
"Where we really that bad?"
"When you both turned thirteen you and she were hellions. I was thinking of shipping you off to military school, but you father forbid me." Mom giggled as she reminisced.
Actually, Slater did remember her threatening him with military school way back when. He heard mom and dad arguing and promised to not to be trouble to his mom. If he remembers correctly, that was when he fell in love with her. He coughed then looked up at his mom. She was watching him.
"I know that you heard dad and I arguing. After that scuffle, you turned your life around and became the best child a mother could wish for. I know you tried to ride herd on your sister, but she just didn't learn."
"I love you mom," Slater said.
"I know, dear, you told me that for the first time right after your father and I argued. I almost fainted."
"Sorry mom," he croaked.
"I know. Now go pack your things. We leave in about an hour or so."
"Yes, mom," Slater said going to his room.
When he was done packing, he put his bag in the back of his mom's car, which he would be driving back home. He then went and helped pack up the boys things and tossed them in the back of mom's car.
When he was done, he started by making sure everything was in the house that should be in the house. He then started to clean up the living room. When Emily saw what he was doing, she pitched right in to help. He smiled at her as she gathered all the toys and put them in the chest in the corner while Slater straightened up the tables and other furniture.
When he was done, he knelt down, gathered Emily in his arms and hugged her, kissing her on the cheek. She hugged him back and kissed his cheek. She looked at him and smiled.
"When can I kiss you on the lips?" she asked.
Slater looked at his little sister. For an eight-year-old, she was sure asking questions beyond her age.
"I'll let you know, okay?"
"Okay," she said and went back to watching TV.
Slater wandered into the kitchen and looked around. His mom had cleaned and stored everything already. He went and found his sister, Karen. She was packing hers and Emily's stuff. Slater lugged Karen's bag out to his mom's car and stowed it in the car. He didn't know who was going to be riding where. But it really didn't matter, they were all going to the same place. When he went back in, he spotted his dad dragging a bag down the hallway.
He took it from him, along with the keys to his dad's car and lugged the bag outside and put it in the car. When he got back in the house there was a pile of bags in the kitchen by the back door. Slater shook his head and sat down to take a little rest. The long four weeks was coming to an end for him and his sister. For everyone else, it was the end of the annual two weeks at the lake. He wasn't sad that it was over. He wasn't happy either.
He had made some attachments to two of his family that he never thought he would. It also looked like one other had made an attachment to him, also. He was kind of glad he was going away to college. If he stayed home he could get in some serious trouble and he certainly didn't want that happening.
The rest of the family joined him in the kitchen. Karen pulled the two coolers out and dumped ice in each of them. Any sodas left in the fridge were split between the two of them. The drivers would stop on the way out to fill them up for the three-hour drive home. Slater picked up one of the coolers and hauled it into the garage to put in the car he would be driving. Karen picked up the other one and put it in dad's car.
Once back inside Slater sat at the table with the rest of the family. When Karen sat down, everyone looked at mom.
"Who is riding in which car?" she asked.
"Slater is driving yours and you are driving mine," Dad said.
Who wants to ride with Slater?" Mom asked.
Slater frowned hoping it would just be him and Karen.
"I do," Emily said raising her hand.
"I do," said Karen raising her hand.
Everyone else laughed. Slater nodded smiling at the two girls.
"Fine, that's settled. Everyone outside," Mom said get up grabbing her purse and heading for the front door.
Slater went and checked to see that the back door was closed and locked. he then went around the house, checking all the windows. He knew his dad had probably done the exact same thing before he sat down in the kitchen, but Salter did it anyway. When he finished he made sure the front door was locked from inside and went into the garage. The big door was open and Karen was waiting for him to back the car out.
The three hours went by slowly. This time Karen wasn't in a bikini and Emily was belted in the back seat behind Karen. Actually, the drive wasn't that bad. Karen kept Emily busy with singing songs and watching for VW's. The miles went by and soon they were pulling up in the driveway at home. The unloading of the cars went quickly. Most of the clothes would be laundered before they needed them. Once inside the house, Slater went to his room. He flopped down on his bed and stared at the ceiling.
Thinking about what his family would soon be going through. When his door opened, he was hoping it was Karen, but when he looked Emily was standing in the doorway waiting for him to invite her inside. He waved her to come in, she closed the door and ran to his bed. Frowning, she climbed up and lay on her side looking into his eyes. He rolled so he was on his side facing his little sister.
"What's the matter Em?" asked Slater.
