Chapter 205

May 17, 2018 (Thursday)

Dear Ms. Diary,

We had received an invitation last night to join the parents for breakfast this morning.

Rache asked, “So, why are we going there instead of eating in the J?”

Meka, with her right arm hanging on Jim’s right shoulder, replied, “Because Charlie is an absolute breakfast maestro. And before Beth or he can suggest it, you really should try the boysenberry syrup.”

As we set foot in the backdoor, the aroma outriders reached our noses and Heather exclaimed, “Yes! Waffles!” After a few seconds and as she was halfway down the hall to the kitchen, she tentatively added, “And French toast?”

As we entered the kitchen, we got various greetings and hugs. Since they were wearing the same sorts of things that most of us were, specifically birthday suits, we had lots of naked hugs. Rache was wearing very skimpy and had a camera hanging off her right shoulder.

Charlie, still being the chef, just wished us all a good morning, then said, “Serve yourself from the warming oven and the island and head to the dining room. We’re ready to eat, and I’ve just got this last batch of French toast to finish.”

Rache asked, “You made both?”

“Sure. The Go5 like both, although they’re split among them as to which is each girl’s favorite. Since those of you on the team are playing an important game today, you need your carbs, so I didn’t want you eating just Cheerios or Raisin Bran.”

“I’m told that I need to try the boysenberry syrup. In fact, Meka was insistent that ... she suggest it before you could.”

Dad, with his blue eyes sparkling, caught Meka’s eye and stuck his tongue out at her.

Meka put the plate she had in her hands back on the stack, walked around the island and wrapped Dad in her arms.

She was a bit emotional as she said, “Charlie, you’re a certifiable nutcase ... and one of my very favorite people on the planet. You make our lives even more wonderful.”

“Meka, you brighten all our lives. I hate how it is that you came to be here, but I’m very thankful that you are here.”

The first five or so minutes once everyone was seated was spent munching on a great breakfast of a choice of waffles and French toast, as well as scrambled eggs and bacon. Rache had dutifully taken photos before filling her plate and made a point to Meka of drizzling boysenberry syrup on her French toast.

At her first taste, she closed her eyes in bliss and let out a long, low, “Mmm-mm-mmhh!” She opened her eyes, looked straight into Meka’s and added, “You were right. Holy cow, that’s good,” after which Kath seconded her sentiment. Later, after she had nearly finished her plate while conversation and eating both happened, she asked the room, “Everyone here ... the parents and the ... girls really are truly comfortable being naked together? You’re not just trying to ... spoof me?”

Carol replied, “This is how we prefer to be, both the long-term compound residents, as well as the 2018 additions, and that includes even Char and Brit, who were the slowest to reaching comfort. I believe that at least most of us would be comfortable with this even without the sex.”

Liya replied, “Absolutely. While the Go5 really love the sex, the most-critical part of this comfort with nudity is the ... connection, the familial love we share for each other. The sex part, as I already said, is also great, but that’s a different connection.”

“How do you ... separate the two?”

Liya continued answering Rache’s questions, this time with, “There’s a bit of overlap. Well, there’s a lot of overlap, although I’m not sure I could define exactly how much, and the amount of overlap is probably different for each pairing of the ... more-nuclear family, that is the Williamses, the Garcías, the Nadhis, and the Wilkersons. For...”

Heather interrupted, saying, “For something like this, I’d prefer being considered one of the Williamses. I cannot legally change my last name, but if I could, I wouldn’t hesitate. Despite that I respond to ‘Wilkerson,’ I think of myself as Williams. I’d so like to change my name.”

Sandy stood, walked around most of the table, encouraged Heather to stand, sat in her place, then encouraged her to sit in her lap, whereupon Mom hugged her tightly.

“And we consider you to be a Williams. In fact, we’ve already put you in our various wills under that name. Hopefully, none of us die before you can make that wish a reality.”

Heather leaned hard into Mom and lost it while Mom comforted her by holding her and stroking her head.

A few minutes later when she had recovered control, Heather sat up straighter, and Mom added another bomb, “I inserted a codicil should I die before you’re 18 that offers your ... biological mother a hefty amount of money if she will allow you to be emancipated, and I’ve directed my lawyers to assist you with that effort if it’s needed.”

Heather, with tears running down her cheeks, looked at Mom for a few moments, then stated, “Almost since I became part of the Gang, I’ve considered you and Carol my real moms. Thanks for making it even more obvious than it already is that you consider me your daughter. My life has been nearly infinitely better since I became a Williams. Thanks for all that you’ve done for me and, apparently, will do for me in the future. I love you, Sandy-Mom. But I’d much rather have you living a long life with me in it, than any life I have without you in it for at least the next forty years or so.”

There was probably not a dry eye in the house, with even Rache wiping hers.

Once everyone was settled again, I asked, “Did everyone agree to move tonight’s get-together to tomorrow or are we just skipping Thursday night this week?”

Carol replied, “We’re skipping it, as both Alicia and Richard and Matt and Steph have existing plans for tomorrow night.”

Liya again carried a box to the inside lunch tables, a box from which came two birthday cakes. That was fortunate, as not only were both Jess and Soccer Seamus there today, but so was Emma Crewe, who was visiting with us for the third straight day.

On Tuesday as she sat with us, she had said, “I hope it’s okay for me to join you.” When we had welcomed her, she added, “I just couldn’t stand it anymore. You always seem like you’re having such a good time here, and ... my lunches have been pretty boring.”

She had been relatively quiet that first day, but yesterday she had taken a larger part in the conversation.

Today, she exclaimed, “I get to be here for a birthday?! I’ve been so ... almost jealous watching these tables from across the room when you put on the silly hats and sing that silly song. I’m amazed that I didn’t miss all of them.”

Rhee answered, “I’m glad that your first one is mine because, of course, mine is the most important.”

With a big grin, Rhee waggled her eyebrows as she looked around the tables at all of us to make sure that Emma knew she was making fun.

“But, oddly, we have one more birthday before school is out, but I’m not sure that the birthday girl will be here that day, as she’s...”

Katie stated, “I’ll be here. I wouldn’t miss this for anything. Emma, I won’t tell you when it is, just so you’ll have to eat with us ... or them every day so you don’t miss it.” She turned to Rhee and finished, “Besides, I’ve offered to help Coach and Ms. Barnard organize the gym equipment for the summer once I am no longer officially matriculating here this month. In fact, we have final exams next week.”

Rhee responded, “And we have only two-and-a-half weeks of school after this week. While this has been the best school year of my life, thanks to all of you, I’m still ready for it to end.”

We rushed home after school, donned our various uniforms (players) or jerseys (staff), grabbed the bag of healthful snacks we had packed last night, filled a cooler with reusable half-gallon jugs of water, and started on our way to Rattlesnake Springs, Liya texting Coach that we were on our way. Those of us that could read in a vehicle without getting nauseated did homework or, particularly the seniors, studying. Meka was leaving a bit later driving the Suburban; she and Rache were picking up Civia and Maren, as well as Seamus. She was also taking two large coolers with our dinner food and drinks in them.

The Sprinter’s assessment of the outside temperature when we arrived at the Rattlesnake pitch was 94ᵒ, so we were not surprised when during stretches, Coach’s first words were, “I’m going to sub freely today, so please give me the sign if any of you are getting even a bit overheated.”

She continued with reminders about various aspects of our game plan while we went through stretches and then while Seamus led us in calisthenics. We did a slow jog around half the pitch after which we did the usual sort of limbering-up drills with balls.

When we pulled off the pitch in preparation for starting the game, Coach, gathered us to say, “Most of the staff will be carrying water bottles near the sidelines in our half. If any of you need water ... and you will need water, if you can get to the sideline quickly, do so. Remember, just a swallow or two.”

When Rathi, Gracey, and I met with the ref with the reps from the other team, she admonished everyone to remind the teams about breaks and water, after which she tossed the coin for us to call, which we won, and I took the east end of the pitch. As Krypton set up, I thought that I’d be very happy once school was out and most of our games would be in the morning.

The game was a slog. From the 15-minute mark, Coach substituted two or three of us out every five minutes or so. Their D was very good, and it took us a while to figure it out but figure it out we did. When one of their players went down about midway through the first half and needed some assistance leaving the pitch, probably a charley horse due to dehydration, I called the O together.

“Heather, see what you can do about disappearing the next time we’re deep in their end. Char and Rhee, put some distance between yourselves so they can’t cover you with only three players, because it looks like they’re trying to double cover both of you. When you disappear, Heather, make a long, loop around me and go straight up the middle. I’ll try to get it to you. Put on your fastest speed; Coach will get you a break afterward. Civ, if you can, loop in behind Heather.”

“Got it, Beth.”

Rhee added, “Char, you and I should pull our defenders at least as wide as the posts but be ready for Heather to pass to us if either of their center backs goes out to meet her.”

It took well over five minutes until we had again worked deep into their half and shortly after Tonda had come in for Rhee and Sophia for Gracey. I had quickly apprised Tonda and Char of my only recently altered plan, and Tonda grinned at me, then took her place.

As Rattlesnake had been doing in our recent few trips up the pitch, they sent a second midfielder at me when I was carrying the ball about a third of the way into their half. Char immediately dropped back to help me as I kept the corner of my right eye on Heather who had begun her loop. Also part of the altered plan was that Rathi went on a hard run up the right sideline, and that got the attention of their left back. Since it was their left half that came at me and Rathi had waited to start her run until that had happened, Heather had now disappeared, and I lost sight of her as she put on some speed and got out of my peripheral sight. Char and I juked and deked and passed back-and-forth with each other.

“Up left,” Heather called loudly as she raced up from behind us. Char had the ball at the time and, without looking at Heather behind her, sent the ball on the ground ahead of us and a bit left, with the ball going between our two defenders. Heather raced onto the ball outside the right of their two midfielders near us. Since she had a head of steam up and the defenders had been slowing us down, they had no chance of stopping Heather as she whipped by them, gathered the ball in, and continued motoring toward the goal. Char and I immediately followed after her, but Civ ripped past both of us and our defenders and followed Heather in.