Almost Easy

Zack’s POV

“Ethan!” I shouted as the shorter male version of Lideya followed her out of the school building, “Over here!”

Liddy looked behind her and sighed, grabbing his arm and dragging him along towards the car, “Hi dad.”

“What happened?” I asked as she forced him closer to me, there was a lovely age gap between the two and she was the ultimate older sister, “You look roughed up, how does a kindergartener get so roughed up during the day?”

“Because he got in a fight at recess, Mr. Reyes had me bring him to the nurse.” My much too mature eight year old daughter sighed, “Another fight. The nurse said he was fine, but he was sticking up for himself so he didn’t get sent to the principals office.”

“Who?” I asked, Ethan shrugged, “Ethan Baker, who?”

“Tommy.”

I groaned slightly and grabbed my phone, “Hey Baker what’s up-“

“Jimmy I swear to god if Tom picks a fight with Ethan one more time-“

“I know, I picked him up earlier and Leana’s been laying in to him since.” He sighed, “The kids a monster.”

I laughed a little bit, nodding to myself as I could hear Leana gently yelling at the hellion they had created who was months younger than Ethan, “I get it. You guys coming over later? I think Brian and Mich are bringing Penny and Jackson to play.”

“Yeah Jacky called Leana earlier, we’ll be by. Want me to bring food? Since the army has grown to a fucking alliance?”

“Couldn’t hurt, I’ll hit the store too. Never in my life did I think we’d all have a thousand kids at the same time.” I laughed as Liddy helped Ethan in to his booster in the back of the car.

“Eight year old, two five year olds, and twin two year olds. Johnny and Lacey just need to jump on board the baby train, choo choo!” Jimmy laughed, “It wouldn’t hurt if Matt figured it out but that’s besides the point.”

“Well, technically three five year olds.” I mumbled and looked at the incoming call waiting on my cell, “Shit speaking of Matt, I gotta go man. See you tonight?”

“Yeah, see ya Z.” Jimmy hung up and I accepted the call from Matt’s phone.

“Hello Captain antisocial, what’s the occasion for the call?” I asked, managing to finish buckling Ethan and start up the car.

“Funny, not much, nothing special. Jacky called earlier and I missed it, and she’s not answering so I figured you’d know what’s up?” He asked, sounding somewhat preoccupied.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“No where, what’s up? What’s the warden want?”

I rolled my eyes, “Warden wanted to invite you over for family night tonight, but if you’re already drunk you can skip it.”

“I’m not drunk.” Matt fussed, I heard a bottle pop in the background, “Drinking not drunk.”

“Yeah, I don’t think she wants a repeat of last weeks family night.” I mumbled, taking a turn out of the school and turning my Bluetooth on, the kids both had their headsets on so I wasn’t worried about eaves dropping, except for Liddy, she was sneaky sometimes. I attributed that to what she inherited of Liz’s personality.

Since Ethan and Thomas were born we started having family nights at our house, where we all got together, family friendly, and had dinner and played games. Now that Brian and Michelle had Penny and Jackson we made it a weekly event. Liddy was in her absolute glory watching and playing with her cousins, and it gave us parents time to talk. The guys it was time outside of the studio to socialize and the girls barely got together any more since the kids kept them pretty fucking busy. Tour was pretty much a family affair these days so we really didn’t miss out on much.

Five years really changed our lives.

“I’ll go home and drink some water, I haven’t been out long. I miss you guys, I’ve been scheduling opposite studio time so I could get my head together so it’ll be nice to see everyone.”

“And be sober.” I reminded, “I’m sure the kids will be happy to see you. Lid asked for you the other day.” I mumbled, leaving out the second half of the inquiry that left her mouth and broke my heart and aunt Liz.

“Tell her uncle Matty’s coming tonight, I’ll pick up ice cream.” I could hear in the background he was cashing out.

“Do you need a ride home?” I asked, “I’m assuming you took a ride over?”

“Are you going through town home?”

“I just picked the spawns from school, I’m pulling in to the parking lot now.” I laughed, knowing Matt for almost thirty years was helpful because we all knew what to expect from him now. I hung up and moments after finding a spot Matt pushed his way out of the bar, white T-shirt and black jeans, sunglasses pulled over his more than likely bloodshot eyes, he climbed in the front seat nad glanced behind him at the kids.

“All plugged in huh?” He asked, taking his sunglasses off, surprisingly not drunk, “Yeah, I know, I’m sober. Told you.”

“Surprisingly.” I chuckled, “So how’s everything been? Jimmy thinks you should have kids soon to join the tribe.”

“I’m all set with that.” Matt tucked his sunglasses in the neck of his shirt, running his hands over his head after, “Good topic though, what’d you do for it?”

“What do you mean?” I asked, catching his knowing look out of the corner of my eye, “Jacky and I had cake, lit a candle, she prayed and I just cursed everything up and down.”

“Are you talking about Aunty Liz’s birthday?”

My eyes worsened as Liddy’s voice broke the space between my response and Matt’s, “Put your headphones back on creep.”

“Not a creep, asking a question.” She tucked her arms across each other, “It’s legal to take my headphones off.”

“Yes we’re talking about Aunt Liz’s birthday.” I mumbled, it was two days ago and there was no way I wasn’t celebrating it, Jacky insisted we have a small cake and she prayed she would come home soon, as mentioned to Matt prior. He was more accustomed to not losing it any more and actually could have normal conversations involving events with Liz prior to her leaving.

“Did you ask Uncle Matt for me?” Lid asked, I shook my head, “Why not? You were on the phone with him earlier and told him I asked for him.”

“Lid, not now.” I shook my head as Matt turned in his seat.

“What’d you want to ask me Lids?” He asked, “Your dad’s a jerk.”

“I know.” Liddy smirked.

“I don’t think it’s a very appropriate question, Lideya Elizabeth Baker.” I warned but she persisted, with Matt’s antagonizing.

“Why’d you have to stop loving Aunty Liz? She would have stayed if you kept loving her… But you made her leave.” I resented every word leaving my child’s mouth, I could hear the emotional relapse wrecking Matt’s heart with every syllable falling from her lips, “What did you do so bad that made her leave?”

“You were three.” Matt’s voice was almost silent, “How do you remember?”

“Mom was baking muffins and you came over, right after Aunty Liz left with Dad and then you two didn’t come together any more. She left you a letter, and she left Dad a letter at the hospital with Grammy.” Lideya stopped talking as Matt glared at me.

“Liz left a letter with your parents? When?”

“It doesn’t matter, Matt. It’s been five years.” I mumbled, “Lid I told you to keep that to yourself.”

“What letter?” Matt asked me.

“Lideya Baker, I told you not to put your nose in adult business. Aunty Liz leaving isn’t something we talk about.” I glared at her in the rear view as we approached the house, I could feel the evening crumbling with each foot closer we got.

“I don’t think it’s fair!” Liddy shouted, “I miss her, and you guys won’t tell me what happened!” I parked the car and turned around, voice loaded to fire back at her but the tears pooling up in her eyes had Liz written all over them and my heart broke, “It’s all Uncle Matt’s fault she left and I hate him! I don’t want him at family night any more! I was happy Mommy threw you out last week!”

Her car door opened and slammed shut as she stomped up the stairs to the house, backpack instantly flung down on the floor as she slammed the door.

Matt looked at me and nodded, “I’m going to call a cab and go home, I don’t think I’m really… Well I don’t think family night is where I’m necessarily meant to be. She’s right.”

“No, she’s not.” I shook my head as Ethan was in pure ignorance in his seat, “She’s Liz’s incarnate, and it’s going to be the death of me. Take Ethan to the kitchen, I have to go deal with her.” I unbuckled Ethan and handed Matt his backpack before rushing in behind Lid, cutting Jacky off at the bottom of the stairs, “Not a mom issue.”

“Again?” Jacky groaned, “She couldn’t have come from me with that amount of Baker in her!” She hollered up the stairs and then turned to help Matt and Ethan in to the kitchen. If this was eight year old Liddy, none of me wanted to deal with preteen Liddy. Fuck.