FLASH BACK…..
“Lenore, Stevie, what’s wrong?” Brian queried walking into his bedroom, finding his six year-old siblings huddled in a corner. “Why are you crying?”
“Daddy’s mad at us,” Stevie cried. “We didn’t do anything either.”
“What happened?” Brian questioned. “Why’d daddy get mad?”
“Daddy said we bwoke (broke) the wamp (lamp), when Jessica’s the one who knocked it over,” Lenore sniffled. “Daddy weal (real) mad; he yell at us and spank us; we didn’t do it Bwian!”
Brian walked over to where they were, picked them both up, then sat down with them in his lap. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” he said hugging them close.
“Daddy, probably just made a mistake.”
“Daddy yell ‘cause Jessica got hurt,” Stevie whimpered, clutching his fifteen-year-old brother’s shirt. “He said we not awowed (allowed) to watch Wescue Wangers (Rescue Rangers) or any other cartoon for a week.”
“How’d Jessica get hurt?” Brian queried. “Did she get cut on the glass?”
“No, Wenore pushed her and she hit her head on the fwoor (floor),” Stevie replicated. “She awmost (almost) got cut on the wamp (lamp), but daddy picked her up.”
“Lenore, did you push Jessica?” Brian asked. “Did you purposely hurt her?”
“Yes,” Lenore answered quietly. “But, she didn’t get hurt the way I wanted.”
“Lenore, that was very naughty,” Brian told her sternly. “No wonder daddy’s mad; you were a very bad girl by purposely hurting Jessica.”
“She deserve it!” Lenore declared. “She get away with evewything (everything); I don’t wike (like) her either!”
“You should never deliberately hurt someone, whether or not you like them,” Brian informed his two little siblings. “Did you apologize to her?”
“No, she didn’t,” Stevie cut in. “Daddy told her too, but she wouldn’t; she hit her instead.”
“Did you hit her too?” Brian interrogated.
“Yes,” Lenore whispered. “She waugh (laugh) at me; she think it funny that I in twouble (trouble).”
“You shouldn’t hit people,” Brian said. “Fighting never solves anything.”
“You and Kevin fight,” Stevie pointed out. “So, why can’t we?”
“It’s not right that’s why. We shouldn’t be fighting either; we get into trouble for it too, because it’s wrong and we know better.”
“I sorry, I weally (really) sorry,” Lenore replied as a few tears trickled down her face. “You mad at me Bwian?”
“No. I know that you’re jealous, just don’t let it happen again, okay?”
“I won’t, I pwomise!” Lenore rejoined.
“I pwomise not to do it either,” Stevie replicated.
“There’s my little brother and sister,” Brian smiled kissing the tops of their heads. “I love you guys.”
“We wove (love) you Bwian,” they stated in unison.
BACK TO THE PRESENT…..
“Hey guys,” Brian said coming into the room. “You okay?”
“It’s not fair!” Lenore complained. “They sit there harassing me and he doesn’t even care!”
“He promised that he’d never forget that we were his little Prince and Princess,” Stevie cried. “Yet, he went and forgot as soon as the rug-rats came along.”
“You shouldn’t have blown up like that,” Brian told them. “You can never hate family; I must have told Kevin that I hated him like a zillion times, but when it came down to it, I really didn’t.”
“That’s you and Kevin,” Lenore retorted. “You’re not dad and the pain-in-the-butt angels!”
Brian sat down on the bed and signaled for them to come over. They climbed into his lap, still crying. He hugged them tight, then kissed the tops of their heads. “It’ll be okay,” he said. “It always works out.”
“Why does dad favor them?” Stevie pondered. “Why does he ignore us?”
“Dad probably favors them because they’re the last two mom ever had,” Brian informed his younger brother and sister. “He shouldn’t be ignoring us though, because we were the first born; he should love and care for us all the same.”
“Why does Tessa get favored?” Lenore questioned. “Mom didn’t have her; dad adopted her four years later.”
“Probably because she’s the youngest,” Brian replied. “The youngest always tends to get away with more.”
“Yeah, I know what ya mean,” Stevie answered. “Lenore used to break something and not get yelled at, but if it was me, I’d be in trouble.”
“I wish that I was still the youngest,” Lenore growled. “I wish that they’d never been born!”
“Lenore, that’s not very nice,” Brian riposted sternly. “You should never wish something like that, for it may come true.”
“I hope it does,” Lenore retorted. “I hope it comes true really soon.”
“Just because you’re jealous doesn’t mean you make evil wishes,” Stevie replicated. “It’s not their fault they’re favored.”
“Why are you taking their side?” Lenore interrogated. “You said you hated them too.”
Stevie rejoined, “I know, but that doesn’t mean I have to go making evil wishes that God doesn’t approve of.”
“What are you, one of His disciples?” Lenore queried angrily. “I don’t care anymore!”
“Okay you two, that’s enough!” Brian rejoined starting to get mad. “You shouldn’t be arguing at a time like this; you should be sticking together!”
“Sorry, Stevie,” Lenore said quietly.
“I’m sorry too,” Stevie answered. “Brian’s right, we do have to stick together.”
“It’s either we stick together or end up being all alone in this world,” Lenore replied. “I really don’t wanna be left alone in this world having no one that cares about me.”
“Lenore, you’re never going to not have someone who cares for you,” Brian insisted. “I always have and always will care for you. I know for a fact that Stevie will too.”
Stevie joked, “Yeah; ‘cause if I don’t Brian will come and hunt me down.”
“We’ll always care for you too,” A.J. said as him and the other three guys came into the room. “Lenore, Brian’s right, you’ll always have someone that cares for you no matter what happens.”
Lenore looked up at him and the others. “Thanks guys,” she said. “That really means a lot to me.”
“You guys okay?” Nick questioned. “I mean, well, ya know.”
“We’re okay Nick; a little sore, but okay,” Stevie replicated. “We haven’t been spanked in a while, that’s all.”
“Ya sure you’re okay?” Nick queried. “I just wanna make sure ‘cause if ya not, I’ll go knock his block off for ya.” Lenore laughed, “Thanks Nick, but we’ll be okay, now that Brian’s here.”
“Ah, let me guess, you two have Brian wrapped around your baby fingers?” Howie said.
“Darn right, and proud of it,” they stated in unison.
