A Baker's Summer

Chapter I

Any other girl would be embarrassed by her big family all standing in the front yard welcoming her home from college but I wasn't. It was just how the Bakers surprised each other even if it was kinda extra. On one side stood mom, Sarah, Mike, Kyle, Nigel, Kim, and Jessica while on the other side stood, dad, Mark, Lorraine, Charlie, Nora, Jake, and Henry with my dog Gunner being held by Bud, Nora's husband who stood off to the side. I smiled at the sign they had put together with stickers and sketches of hearts and emojis which read 'Welcome home Daphnie!' The taxi driver watched surprised to see so many people.

"I'm guessing this is the stop?" he asked.

"Yeah. Thanks," I tell him getting money out of my purse with a tip. He nodded as I got out of the car and ran toward my parents.

"Welcome home sweetheart," dad said as I hugged him. Mom was next.

"Daphnie! So good to see you, honey," she said hugging me back.

Kyle and Nigel came up to me next as I put my suitcase down and picked the seven-year-olds up with both arms.

"You boys are getting heavy," I laugh as I put them down. Then came the one I was always the closest with Mark. I fix his black glasses and hat carefully kissing his cheek. "Has Sarah been nice?"

"Don't worry Daph. I think she learned her lesson last time," he said.

"That's good," I tell him moving on to everybody else. "There's the gorgeous graduate."

"Hey, Daph! So glad you could come in," Lorraine said.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world," I reassure her walking inside as dad carries my suitcase while I have an arm wrapped around Charlie. "Did you tell him yet?"

"I'm still trying to figure out the best moment."

I rolled my eyes.

"You said that the last time we talked. Now you're running out of time Charlie," I tell him.

"Do you not think I know that?" he asked.

I couldn't blame him.

Telling dad he wanted to work at his own shop in the city was a big moment but he seriously needed to tell him already.

They say that having a family is an act of optimism---happiness. And Tom and I felt that optimism. From the moment we first had Nora, there it was like it was just sitting there waiting for the most exciting moment of our life. Now that she's married and pregnant, we still feel that optimism. Day after day after day. One thing was for sure though, there were a lot of lessons that we had to learn to raise thirteen kids. There were always more lessons we needed to teach them and ourselves.

We rounded up the kids as we drove to the high school for Lorraine's graduation, the younger ones so excited that they were running ahead. I chuckled remembering how they did that at me and Charlie's graduation last year and Nora's four years before that.

We were all excited to take our seats so that the ceremony could begin already. I was helping Nora through the aisle way, Bud holding her other hand.

But by far, the most difficult thing to say to any child is one word that almost all parents can't say: goodbye.

We took our seats one by one the younger ones going in first. Charlie and I climbed in next with Nora behind me. We all watched excitedly as the principal announced all of the names.

"Lorraine Baker," he announced as Lorraine smiled and waved at us eagerly.

We all cheered louder than any other family and dad's screaming and hooting definitely did not help matters but he was part of a big family himself so what was there to expect?