The Brothers Everhart Ch. 23 Perry and Lalique

Author's note: this chapter and the next did not quite dovetail with things that were going on with Pres Everhart and Sofia. So in this chapter they are discussing that Pres has only just found out he has a son and is wooing Sofia. Only confusing if you remember that in their side of the story Pres and Sofia have already left for their honeymoon.

Previously: 

The last time we saw them Lalique and Perry had just been married in a quiet ceremony at their home. Perry's parents, Philip and Rhonda, were staying at the house caring for the four children while the bridal couple enjoyed their honeymoon on Belle Isle.

Presently:

During the time they were enjoying being part of a three generational home--at least temporarily--Perry's parents began to question the advisability of keeping their estate on Hilton Head Island. It now seemed so far away from their new grandchildren and from their sons. Soaking in the indoor hot tub they discussed how much they cherished the time with Perry and Lalique, and seeing their oldest son interacting with Lalique's children. He'd always been a natural with kids and they responded to him eagerly. 

Most school day mornings Alain and Desiree had breakfast together; sometimes they helped themselves to cold cereal. Sometimes, when the adults were up early and Lalique made a big breakfast, they gobbled up eggs and bacon or pancakes. The senior Everharts had started talking to Perry and Lalique about how they were considering a move.

 "Well, if you do relocate here have you decided whether to sell the place on Hilton Head or just rent it out?" Perry asked, pausing to savor a perfect bite of light buttermilk pancakes topped with Lalique's fresh strawberry sauce. Everyone in the family said no one enjoyed good food the way Perry did.

"Oh, if we move, we'll sell it all right," Philip said, helping himself to another rasher of bacon.

"It's hard to decide," Rhonda worried, "We do so much want to be here with all of you, but we've lived in that house since Parker was in high school. We're friendly with the neighbors, close to the club and the golf course and we're right on the water.

The Hilton Head house was not the one Perry, Prince and Pres had grown up in, so Perry did not feel sentimental about it one way or the other.

"You don't have to be in a hurry, Mom," Perry assured her, "It's a big deal, so take your time. Be sure this is what you want. Have you even looked around to see what's available here? Here being Bluewater Village, but you should also check out Pleasantview. You've got two sons in both locations," he grinned, "Of course, while Parker has that small apartment in Bluewater, with him that could change at any moment."

"Well, if we really wanted to be here and couldn't find what we want, we'd just build," Philip shrugged, "Anyway, another option would be to simply keep the house on Hilton Head as a summer home and rent it out the rest of the year. Then we wouldn't need quite as large a home here."

"Phil, could we do that?" Rhonda questioned, "That would be so nice!"

"I don't see why not," Philip replied casually, "Now that I've sold the vacation home in Barbados, we'll have some extra liquid assets."

Lalique was glad her hair was pinned up or it might have been standing on end. Once her parents had given up their movie careers and moved from Hollywood, they'd mostly had to scale back their extravagant lifestyle. Still, she had been brought up living in her parents' impressive art deco home, taking lovely vacations every year, and her father, Errol, owned a Lamborghini, a yacht named The Sirocco III, plus a sloop christened Olivia. Perry's parents, however, talked as though they could afford multiple homes without batting an eyelash and that money was absolutely no object. They obviously had more money than her famous father and mother. The only other family Lalique knew in Pleasantview with more money then her father was the John Lassiter family. In addition, from what Perry had told her and the photos Rhonda had shown her, the house on Hilton Head was actually a palatial estate with a tennis court, a live-in maid, a boat slip, and an outdoor pool, and an indoor pool. 

The talk flowed around her between the Everharts and Perry and Lalique kept her mouth shut and began clearing the table. By now she had real affection for Perry's mother and father and she did hope they could live nearby, but she was worried they might not end up liking a new home as well as their old one and regret moving. Maybe if they could afford to keep both it wouldn't be a problem.

Lalique had promised Perry that, after their honeymoon, they would discuss Perry adopting all four of the children. The real problem that remained was telling John Lassiter about it, since it concerned his children Brett and Noelle. Technically, he had no claims. Lalique had not put his name on their birth certificates. All four of Lalique's children had her maiden name of Flynn as their surname. Perry wanted to be with her when she told John, just in case there was trouble. But with things so hectic Perry hadn't pressed the issue and Lalique still didn't even want to think about the subject.

The family was also anxiously awaiting any news on Pres and Sofia now that Pres had found her and discovered he had a two year old son. Pres called Perry and told him that he had just seen Dion a couple times so far; he already knew he wanted to marry Sofia and make a home for her and the boy. He asked for everyone's patience because he didn't want to push too hard and scare her off. Although she usually had a very upbeat nature she was still in the midst of toilet-training the child and her nerves were rather on edge. 

Noelle and Brett had just finished potty training, much to Lalique and Perry's relief, so they could relate to that. Rhonda, meanwhile, was itching to clap eyes on little Dion and to meet his mother, Sofia.

At one point in her life Lalique had elected not to know what the older twins' father's name was, but she had reconsidered several months ago and once she got his name she looked him up online. He was a doctor, formerly with the Oncology Unit at BlueStar Medical Center, but was now conducting cancer immunology studies at the Bluewater Research Center. He lived in Pleasantview and Lalique realized Alain and Desiree had his wide eyes and snub nose, but her black hair. Alain had green eyes like Dr. Lomax, and Desiree had the amber brown eyes of her mother.

Desiree and Alain were asking vague questions now and then about fathers and how Perry and John fit into the picture. They had always called John "Pa", he'd felt more comfortable with it since his "other" kids had always referred to him as "Daddy". But the twins were happy to call Perry "Daddy". And now the younger twins did the same. John had come by much less often than he'd originally planned when Melora agreed to try a reconciliation. Frankly they saw Lalique's parents "Grandmere and Grandad" more often. And, of course, they were very close now to Perry's folks, who simply went by "Grandma and Grandpa". Lalique knew they would probably want to know their biological father's name when they got older, so she made copies and filed the originals in her private bank deposit box and kept the copies in her "Lalique - private" file at home. Perry never touched that one file although he knew it was the only file she hadn't given him to put with the rest of their papers. It contained a couple of journals from college and her rather risque single years, some high school souvenirs of her romance with Devon Brecht, little gifts made for her by her students when she was a teacher and now the file on Desiree and Alain's biological father. The birth certificates of all four children were filed with the family papers that Perry kept track of now.

Feeling better since she now had the knowledge she needed and it was tucked away, Lalique went to her favorite place to relax: the kitchen. She'd make something Perry loved; New York strip steak, medium rare, Caprese salad with basil and balsamic vinaigrette, baked sweet potato with butter, cinnamon and nutmeg and sauteed garlic spinach. Philip and Rhonda also would be happy with that, but the twins didn't like steak and couldn't even look at spinach. For them she made goulash, that she would serve with the green beans and some applesauce. Humming to herself, she felt her worries slip away.

 

Next update to blog: The Brothers Everhart Ch. 24 A Surprise and Some Changes

Harvey and Lori Ferguson Ch. 24 A Visit From Aunt Debbie

Previously with the Fergusons:

Harvey and Lori announced that they had bought the old Brace-Gideon mansion and would be lovingly restoring it for their new home. There was also an update on Harvey's kid sister, Debbie, who was a senior at Sim State U.

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Valrae's Journal:

So here I am again. Aunt Debbie will be graduating soon and she came home last weekend for a visit. I want to be just like her some day. When she first went to University her hair was short, but she has grown it out long. Now she wears it in these tiny waves and it's all wild.

I asked Mumma could I please wear my hair like that but she said that it was too much hair for a little girl and when I become a teenager "we will review the matter". She said besides it's "a lot of work". I don't think I'm a "little girl" because I just turned 10.

So then I asked if, since Aunt Debbie has naturally curly hair and mine is just kind of bendy, shouldn't I have a perm at least? But Mumma said,

"No, you don't need one, even if you were going to wear your hair that way. You ask Aunt Debbie what all she has to do to make it look like that and see what she says. Meanwhile, you have lovely loose waves, sweetheart, so enjoy not having to style your hair while you can."

When Aunt Debbie got here Daddy and Grandpa Shep and Gray went fishing but me and Aunt Debbie went swimming in the pool. She put her hair up just like mine to go in the water and she said we were practically twins. That made me smile like anything!

It was fun to have us all together for supper. Aunt Debbie slept on the second floor on Gray's bed in her old bedroom with me. She smells good all the time and our room smells good when she's here. I hope when I get her age I will smell like she does and make whatever room I'm in smell good. Because sometimes this bedroom stinks like a boy, if you know what I mean; like old sneakers and farts. Gray hates to take baths. He tries to get out of them whenever he can. When I was little, like 6, and it was summertime I wet the bed (I used to do that sometimes) so I crawled in with Gray and there was sand in his bed from the sandbox! Ugh, I don't even know how that could be, but it was.

Mamie has redone the little living room on the third floor that is Mumma and Daddy's. Grandpa She says she redecorates a room at least every six months so if you don't like the way she did this one, don't worry it won't be long before it gets changed.

Anyway, it's real bright and cheerful and Gray slept on the sofa-bed there on the same floor with Mumma and Daddy instead of downstairs on the couch all by himself. He said he wasn't scared to be down there alone, but I think he was glad he didn't have to do it.

When I was watching her play pinball Aunt Debbie told me that she uses a crimping iron to make her hair look the way it does. She says her hair was real curly when she was young but by the time she was a teenager it only had loose waves and she blew it out straight. So now she crimps it. I takes her a long time, so I guess waiting until I'm older will be okay.

Daddy has a twin sister, Holly, and she married Andy Lomax. They have four kids! Anyway, Uncle Andy came by just as Gray and me got home from school. I was wishing the twins, Arliss and Alexa--who are only one year older than me and Gray, could've come with him, but he came by himself this time. He didn't stay long, just stood on the sidewalk talking and laughing with Daddy.

I don't understand why grownups do that. I mean, why they stand around while they talk. Kids do stuff, like play games or ride bikes and then, while they're doing it they also talk with each other. Well, girls talk to each other; boys mostly laugh or yell or make grunting noises at each other, or sometimes they practice saying sentences while they burp and see who can say the longest one before their burp runs out. If you ask me, which you didn't, but if you did, I would say boys are mostly stupid. Anyway, I hate to stand around doing nothing unless I'm at a museum, staring at stuff. But then that's not doing nothing. I don't want to just stand around with a friend and go blah, blah, blah and that's all. I can sit still when I read or watch TV, or write in my journal, but not when I'm talking to a friend, like Scarlett. She and I go for walks around the neighborhood and pick out our favorite houses. And Gray can hardly stand still for a minute unless he is painting or fishing but he doesn't talk when he does those things. People practically have to chase around after him to have a conversation. Mumma says I will like to stand and talk when I'm a teenager. Sounds boring to me.

 

Well, Aunt Debbie went back to school Sunday afternoon and I miss her. We had crispy chicken salad for supper today and it is one of my most favorite salads in the world. And then the grownups went out on the back porch to talk (at least they were sitting and not standing). Gray and I went swimming in the pool--yay!

 

And then, right while we were having the most fun of all and playing Marco Polo, Mumma said this:

"It's time for bed, so upstairs with you and get out of those wet suits and into your pajamas. Don't leave them on the bathroom floor! Hang them over the shower rod. Daddy or I will be up to tuck you in. You have 10 minutes.

I hate when parents send you to bed and don't even try to hide how they're really happy to do it. I think it's rude. On the way up the stairs Gray was crabbing about how he didn't need to be tucked in anymore because he was 10 and not a baby. I like being tucked in; if it's Mumma sometimes she smells like cinnamon if she's been baking or Bell Dopium perfume if she and Daddy are going out. (I don't think I spelled that right). And Daddy smells like the outdoors--like grass and or if they're going out he smells like Polo, which I love. I like to smell things and people and then I will remember them better. Anyway! I told Gray that I liked being tucked in and how Mumma and Daddy smell and he looked over his should at me and said,

"You are a girl, Val; a girl. You can't help it but the way you think is just wrong."

His voice was like Mumma's when she sounds all tired and says,

"I have HAD enough."

I stuck my tongue out at him but he'd already turned back. I don't see how I'm ever going to get married when I grow up when boys are so mean. Maybe they get better when they grow up. Now that I think of it Daddy is not mean (mostly) and neither is Grandpa Shep. And Scarlett's daddy, Gareth, is lots of fun.

So that is all for now. I hardly had three minutes to write this last part. I have to go in the bathroom now to change into my p.j.'s. Gray gets to change in the bedroom, but I have to change clothes in the bathroom all the time now. Gray says it's because he is forced to share his room with a silly girl but according to Mumma and Daddy I can't see him get dressed and he can't see me because we need our privacy. I guess supposedly I will fall down in shock or my brain will be fried if I see skinny Gray in his underwear. Ha! I've seen him in his shorts and tee shirt before...big whup. I can't WAIT to move to the mansion and have my own room!

I love you and you love me,

Valrae Diana Ferguson 

Next Harvey and Lori Ferguson Update: Harvey and Lori Ferguson Ch. 25 Moving Along

Next blog update: The Brothers Everhart Ch. 23 Perry and Lalique

Harvey and Lori Ferguson Ch. 22 Jonesin' For A New Baby

Valrae's Journal

I'm sorry I haven't written in here since our vacation at Twikkii. When we got back it was still autumn and I was going to write about Gray and me working for Grandpa Shep in his garden and greenhouse. But then it was so busy at school, plus we were making posters and tissue-paper flowers in our class for the fall festival. And then it was Halloween and it was busy at our house during Thanksgiving, too, too. I had homework all the time and our house was so crowded at Christmas with all the aunts and uncles from both families and Nana and Poppa there. Those are all excuses, but they are true. Anyway, now it's summer.

Sometimes my brother Gray acts kind of like an absent-minded professor (I  love that old, old movie). He goes off alone and you can't think why. The other night when Mumma put supper on the table he grabbed his plate and went out on the side porch to eat where we keep our coloring books and other books. But it wasn't like he was coloring. He was just eating. I asked Daddy about it and he kind of smiled and said maybe Gray thought all of us were noisy and talked way too much at dinner. Mumma and I looked at each other because she and I are the main ones who talk a lot, except for Grandpa Shep; he's a close third.

Mamie said perhaps it was sensory overload. She's sort of quiet and tends to enjoy her alone time. Maybe Gray gets it from her.

Grandpa Shep yelled that sensory overload and too much talk and noise were the same thing. He didn't mean to shout but he is getting kind of deaf nowadays and sometimes gets grumpy because of it. Usually not when talking to kids, though.

I wrote in here before that my best friend in the world is Scarlett Caswell. Her mom and mine have also been best friends since they were babies. She got a baby sister a while ago and every time she talked about her I wished Mumma would have a baby, too. But, no. Anyway, Monique (that's her sister's name) had a birthday recently. Actually everyone calls her Monie. Now she is learning to walk and talk and I haven't seen her since she was a wee tiny baby.

All the time Scarlett talks about playing with Monie and taking her for walks in the stroller. Of course she also says how little Monie gets into Scarlett's doll house some times and grabs the little doll-people in there and bashes their heads together. I would put all my stuff up high on shelves if I got a baby sister or brother. I always tell Mumma and Daddy these things and that Scarlett's daddy Gareth plays with Monie a lot and Melanie rocks her to sleep still and isn't that sweet? Also Gareth and Melanie live with her parents and the grandparents help take care of Monie. Then I say wouldn't that be good if Mumma had a baby and Grandpa Shep and Mamie would help take care of her--or him? I tried it again last week and Daddy said that Mumma's bakery has only been open a year and it takes a lot of her time. Then he said they have to decide what to do about our house, like whether to build or just move to another place.

Mumma reminded me that Daddy and her were both twins and so probably they would have twins again. Two babies instead of one would keep them really busy.

All Gray did was mutter that there was no more room in the house. Thanks Gray.

But then Daddy and Mumma smiled at each other and Daddy said they'd have to think about it.

I usually hate it when parents say "we'll see" or "we'll think about it", but this time I decided to stay hopeful. 

Mumma did say she would take me and Gray over to the Caswells for a visit. Gray doesn't care one way or the other about babies but he just loves to see Scarlett's daddy Gareth. He is best friends with Daddy and they used to play basketball and football in high school and college. Anyway, Gareth doesn't have any boys so he always spends time with Gray when we're over there if he can. Daddy couldn't go with us because he was working. The spa was having a special going on over the weekend and it would be very busy. Mumma's bakery was closed on weekends.

I like Gareth, too, he's funny and he gets down on the floor and plays with Scarlett and helps her with her homework; sometimes he cheats and does a little bit of it for her (Scarlett told me that in secret because her mom doesn't know). He'll put Monie on the potty-chair and doesn't even care if he has to wipe up poo, either. Mumma said Daddy used to change our diapers and put us on the pot. When she said that Gray smacked his hand over his forehead like he could have had a V8, closed his eyes and yelled "TMI, TMI, TMI!" Mumma just laughed and Daddy kept reading the paper and pretending he was deaf. He does that a lot.

He is really a good daddy; he throws us around in the air and catches us, taught us to swim and carries us upstairs if we fall asleep in the car or on the sofa. He's very strong because he works out at his spa. But he's not so much on rolling around on the floor.

The day we went to Scarlett's house was a nice sunny one. Mumma went upstairs to play pool with Melanie. They did that all the time when they were teenagers I guess. But Gray went right to the pinball machine because Gareth had gone to the store and would be back later.

Melanie told me to go right on in to Scarlett's bedroom. Scarlett said let's make something with the blocks so we were doing that at the play station when Monie crawled in and joined us, starting to make a scribbly drawing with her crayons. Oh, she was so adorable! She has long black hair in a pony tail and bright sapphire blue eyes. I know what sapphires look like because Mumma has a sapphire and diamond ring Daddy gave her for Christmas. It used to be Mamie's ring from Grandpa Shep. I just wanted to grab her up and kiss her little fat cheeks, but I figured she'd better get to know me first 'cause like I said she was a baby the last time I came over. Mostly during the school year Scarlett and I see each other at school where we are in the same class with Mrs. Schmansky. It's in the summer that we visit more at each other's houses.

 

 
Gareth came home pretty soon and the first thing he did was grab Gray and they went out to the pool to play Marco Polo.

Meanwhile, Monie finished her little drawing and sat there looking at me. So I went over, real quietly, and said I would teach her to play patty-cake. She smiled real big and all the time we were playing she laughed like it was bubbles coming out of her. So cute.

 

Then Melanie came in to get Monie and take her to the den where she and Mumma had been talking. Mumma told me later that as soon as she thought Monie would let her she got down on the floor and played peek-a-boo with her. I could tell when Mumma talked about Monie that she also thought she was darling and I hoped that it would make the wheels in her head start turning.

Scarlett asked me if I wanted to go in the sprinkler and I was glad Mumma packed our swimsuits. Once we were outside screaming and laughing and I heard Gareth say to Gray why didn't he go over and terrorize me and Scarlett because he had to take a break to get stuff done indoors. Then he said all he asked was for Gray not to spill any blood. Uncle Gareth makes me laugh sometimes.

So Gray came over to have fun with us and he actually didn't even give us a hard time for once.

It was getting late so we all wanted to get in the pool for a while before Gray and I had to leave. It was dark before Mumma came to the back door and called us in. We'd been there all day but I still wished we could stay longer or come back again the very next day. I was happy that Mumma had seen Monie though; maybe I should expose her to every baby in the neighborhood so she'll get the idea?

Well, that's all I have to write about for now, but I promise I won't take so long to journal again.

I love you and you love me,

Valrae Diana Ferguson

Next blog update: The Brothers Everhart - Pres Ch. 15 Sofia and Dana