Twelve years later...

Racoons

Calypso

7 tulips-check
7 daisies-check
12 roses-check
I picked up the last batch of flowers Mrs. Carlene ordered. She will be here at 3:00 p.m. but it's already 3:10.
I wonder where that old lady went.
I tied all the flowers according to their kind and placed them in a basket.

Beep! Beep!

They're here, I thought
The bell rang when the door opened.

"Hi mom" I heared Cassandra enter my shop

"Hi Cass" I said as my daughter kissed me in the cheek

"Where's Sammy and your dad?" I asked

As if on cue the bell rang and I heard Leo and Sammy enter the shop.

"Sunshine!" Leo called

"I'm here" I said, "and what did I tell you about yelling?"

"Oh yeah, sorry" he apologizes, "I saw the gang"

I raised my left eyebrow

"What gang" I asked

This better not be the gang he "accidentally" joined.

"Sweaty and weird dads gang" said Sammy

"They..." Leo was saying, "well yeah we were sweaty but we are not weird"

"So it's not the gang you had weird business with?" I asked

"How was I suppose to know that they sell weird clothes?" Leo reasoned

"No mom" said Cass, while placing her tool belt on the table "This is weirder than ordinary weird"

"What did I tell you about putting that greasy belt on my table?" I reminded her

"Sorry" she said and picked up her belt.

"Mom!" Sammy called, "Mrs Carlene is here"

"Ok, tell her I'll bring the flowers over" I said

I picked up the basket and went outside the shop. I squinted at Mrs. Carlene's bright yellow car.

"Good afternoon Mrs. Carlene" I greeted

"Oh hi dear" she said

"Late again?" I asked

"Well dear, I got lost" she reasoned

She opened her car door and I placed the basket on the seat beside the driver's seat. Her car smelled like vanilla. Mrs. Carlene's fashion always amuses me. She wears her pink polka dotted dress and white thin jacket, her kind permanent smile and cat eyes glasses.

"Thanks dear" said Mrs Carlene

She has been my loyal costumer since I first opened my flower shop.

"Here's my payment Mrs Valdez" she reached for my hand and placed her payment on my palms.

"Thank you Mrs. Carlene" I got used on being called Mrs. Valdez because of Mrs. Carlene.

"Bye Mrs. Carlene" I closed the car door

"Bye dear" she said her goodbye and left.

I went back inside my shop and saw my kids playing tag, destroying my arangements.

"Hey!" I yelled, "that's enough"

"He stole my screw driver" Cass reasoned

"Well she stole my trowel" said Sammy

"Just give give it back" I ordered them, "Give him back his trowel back too Cass. And please fix my flowers"

They obeyed and did what I said. I went at the back and found Leo fixing the generator.

"Have you found out what the problem is?" I asked him

"Yeah," he answered, "racoons"

He looked up at me as if saying it's my fault too.

"Well," I tried to hide my blushing, "how did they get there?"

He picked up an empty bag of nuts, "I wonder why"

I forgot to throw that bag, darn it.

"Well they were helpless" I reasoned

"Sure" he said while throwing the bag at the trash bin.

"Anyways" he said again, "So... The gang. They are all here in New York."

"Which gang are we talking about?" I asked

He went to the sink and washed his hands.

"The seven" he said, smirking

My eyes widened.

"They're here? All of them?" I asked

"Yeah" he closed the faucet and faced me, "the boys and I met at school waiting for the kids."

It's been a long time since they all saw each other. And it was before Sammy and Cass was born. I looked at the picture framed on top of my desk. It was the day that picture is taken. It was so long ago. We went back inside the shop and saw baskets scattered everywhere.

"Hey!" I told my kids, "I thought you kids are fixing this mess"

They pointed at each other.

"Come on kids" said Leo, he waited for a second "who wants to go on a family vacation?"

"A family vacation?" both of our kids said with enthusiasm

"Really?" I asked

"Yeah, at Camp" he looked super excited

"Mom?" Sammy and Cass pleaded, "please?"

I thought of it for a second. All my orders are done. Mrs. Carlene just got her last batch of flowers 5 minutes ago so...

"Will the both of you fix this mess together?" I asked

The twins looked at each other, eyes narrow and mouths pouted. It appears that they are having a secret twin conversation.

They both nodded at each other and said, "Yes ma'am" with a salute.

"Well then, sure" I said, "why not?"

"Yes!" they both hugged me like the total angels they are

"Okay kids, to the garage!" said Leo

"Hold up!" I countered

I spread my arms to the floor and gave my twins and husband a questioning look.

"Oh yeah," Leo said, "chop chop kids"

Cass and Sammy set to work groaning while picking up baskets and sweeping up tye floor. Once the shop is in order the twins looked at the both of us with shinning eyes.

"Can we head to the garage now?" both Cass and Sammy said in unison.

I nidded and said,"Yes we can, but why the garage?"

"Uh, Festus?" he said, "duh"

Of course. Now seems to be the right time to tell them.

"Festus?" Sammy asked

"You mean happy?" asked Cass

"Well" said Leo, "Yeah? But also no."

They gave me a questioning look but I just shrugged. They followed their dad.
I saw the racoons on the cash register.

"Hi friends" I said while leaning in.

"The racoons can't come!" said Leo from outside
I smiled.

"Looks like you guys need to move out" I told my furry friends. I carried them outside and shooed them away. I closed the shop and created a mental checklist of the things we're going pack for the summer.