All My Life

Chapter 10

"Charlie, wake up!" Charlotte said to her brother.

Charlie slowly opened his eyes and groaned. "What?"

"Where are Aunt Meryl and Uncle Don?" Charlotte asked somewhat alarmed.

Charlie shrugged his shoulders. "I dunno."

"The babies are gone too." Charlotte said upset.

Charlie sat up when it was obvious he didn't get to sleep any longer thanks to his sister. "You think they left without telling us?"

"I don't know." Charlotte said as her lip quivered. "I'm scared."

Charlie was too; but he didn't want his sister to know. "Let's go look."

"What if we were too much trouble and they left?" Charlotte asked. "What are we going to do then?"

Charlie shrugged his shoulders as they rounded the corner to the den and pointed. "Looks like they came out here with the babies."

"Good." Charlotte sighed. "They didn't leave. I was afraid we lost more family."

Charlie felt the same way. "We need to be extra good and help out around here. I mean, look at how hard it is for Uncle Don to walk."

"Yeah." Charlotte whispered back. "I heard him tell Aunt Meryl how she could easily get sick again. We can't let what happened to Mommy happen to her. Rebecca did say it was our fault Mommy died."

Charlie would never forget that; and he knew his sister wouldn't either. "We need to help them. They really do love us. We can't lose their love like we lost Dad's."

"Let's surprise them." Charlotte said grabbing Charlie's hand. "Come on."

Meryl stirred against Don as she continued to hold Brady. "Don Man?"

"Hmmm?" Don answered in his sleep as he held Mags' tighter. "What is it, Darl?"

Meryl sleepily kissed his neck. "Did you hear that?"

"Uh uh." Don said shifting Mags to his other arm so he could wrap his free one around Meryl and Brady. "Get some more rest."

***

A little while later Meryl stirred awake and kissed her infant son in her arms. "You and your sister must be tired too."

"Mmmm." Don smiled as he woke up. "What are you cooking? I said no cooking."

Meryl couldn't help but laugh at her husband. "Are you dreaming? I'm not cooking anything."

"Somethings smells good." Don said waking up and sniffing his wife. "You always smell like I could eat you."

Meryl shook her head and playfully smacked him. "Donald Gummer!"

"But it's not you that I smell." Don then sniffed the babies. "Not them either; but at least their smell is pleasant."

Meryl could agree with that. "I smell it too. Does smell good."

"Charlotte and Charlie?" Don asked alarmed. "Do you think they're cooking?"

Meryl sat straight up. "They could hurt themselves."

"Babe, get the stroller." Don said as he too sat up. "Let's put the babies in it; and go check on them."

Meryl went to do what he suggested. "Don, they are too young to use the oven and stove. It also smells like they made coffee."

"Well, the coffee pot isn't dangerous." Don pointed out. "Let's just go check on them."