Family Is Where Your Heart Is

A young child ran into the large living room, arms outstretched like he was a plane. The two teens already in the room looked up, distracted from their work. The child made his way to the girls, clinging on to one, then the other in greeting.

“Look at what S'ar made me!” He showed off the toy jet clasped in his little hands with pride. One of the teens held out her hand to examine the toy. She glanced over it, smiling to herself as she felt the engravings in the wood.

“It’s so nice. Sean did this for you?” She chuckled as the child nodded his head vigorously. He reached up his hands to get the toy back. When the teen didn’t comply, the child got a little whiny. “Elsieeeee! Please can I have my jet back?!” She smiled and gave it to the impatient child.

“Speaking of which,” the other teen walked to the child and ruffled his hair lovingly. “Where is Sean?” Her question was answered when the tall, skinny man walked into the room and flopped down on the couch, massaging his temples.

The child pointed enthusiastically in the direction of the new comer. “There he is, Kitty!”

Kit laughed and nodded. “Long night?” she asked teasingly to the man on the couch. Her only answer was a half-hearted groan. She walked to him and kissed his forehead gingerly. “Aww, poor baby. You’re so abused and neglected.”

Elsie pulled the child to the side whispering to him. “You know, Sean worked really hard on that for you,” She gestured to the toy in his hand. “Why don’t you make something for him in return?”

His little eyes grew wide with excitement. “Yeah!” He rushed to a table and collected all the paper he could find.

Grabbing crayons and other utensils, he camped out in the middle of the room; letting his imagination take wing and put his feelings on paper for the tired man.

Sean propped his legs up on the couch and laid his head on a cushioned arm. Kit crossed her arms over her chest, smiling at him. “You are such a ham, you know that?” He rolled his eyes and closed them, attempting to get some sleep. Kit goes over to the drawing child. Grabbing a paper she starts drawing the shapes of people.

Suddenly the child jumped up and ran toward the now sleeping Sean. Jumping on his chest he leans close, wanting to show off his picture.

Sean awoke to the pain on his chest. “What the Hel-” A paper was shoved in his face. Grabbing it he adjusted it so that it was seeable.

The kid started pointing out all of the people drawn in the picture. “There’s you, an’ Kit, an’ Elsie, an’ V, an’ the potato bag, and the angry potato bag!”

Sean blinked a moment. “Potato bag?”

Kit walked over trying to understand why there would be a pair of potato bags in a picture of the family. Elsie took the picture and scrutinized it. “I see all of us, and then there’s Shay and Sonny.” She handed the paper to her friend.

Kit laughed out loud when she realized what he meant. “Oh. I called Sonny a sack of potatoes onetime jokingly because he just sleeps all day. I guess Jesse thought that Sonny’s really a bag of potatoes.”

Elsie chuckled, but stopped, looking back at the picture. “But why is Shay an angry potato bag?” Jesse looked down, suddenly shy.

Kit sobered a moment. “He must mean from last night,” She looked at Jesse for confirmation on the assumption. He nodded slightly. “He must’ve heard the arguing between you guys.”

“I’m a what?” The tall man entered the room quietly.

Kit’s mood lightened at the man’s confusion. “You are an angry potato bag, what else?”

Shay cocked an eyebrow at the group around the couch.

Kit tried to clear the confusion by explaining. “The first time Jesse really met you was last night—apparently –and it was when you were yelling at Sean here.”

Shay’s face flushed a little at the memory. “I was more worried than anything.” He turned his attention to the child on top of the ill tempered man. “And I’d prefer to be called by name.”

“Aww, Shay, he’s a kid. Cut ‘em some slack.”

There was a scream from Jesse’s direction as they continued to talk. “S’ar! Leggo of mee!” Sean had successfully captured the nuisance that had awaken him from his much needed sleep. Jesse struggled and thrashed around, trying his hardest to get away from the adult. The teens shared a laugh at the sight of the comically struggling child.

A whimper from the child sobered Kit enough to growl at them in warning. “Sean.” Elsie patted her arm comfortingly.

“He bit me!” Sean cried out in defense.

Elsie chuckled at him. “It’s only fair, you were crushing him.”

Sean released the child and continued from where he left off with his nap. Kit relaxed as Jesse came up to her and hid from the adult. She patted his little head comfortingly. Growing bored be started dragging Kit to the messy drawing station, determined to get more artistic expression down on paper. “Com’on potato—Uh, Shay-a!”