Chapter 108

After Liz had left, much to Al’s amazement, everyone had eaten till they could eat no more, or so she thought! It didn’t stop the men and boys raiding the now much depleted cookie jar, ten minutes after finishing. The adults were still sitting and talking, while the kids did clean up duty.

‘Ally, can we go watch some more dvd’s?’ Jesse asked, batting his father’s baby blues at her.

‘Yeah cause you can, but no inappropriate ones you hear me? And you do realise that if you slide the cupboard open on the right of the screen in the corner, it’s all hooked up to a PS2?’

‘No way!’ Colt and Jess nearly drooled at the thought of playing on a screen that big!

‘Yes way! But you guys share and take it in turns if you do play on it.’

Colton nudged Jesse and jerked his head at Al. ‘Spit it out boys.’

‘We were wondering if we could, maybe, sleep down there while we’re here. Please Ally, we promise no movies or games after midnight.’

‘Eleven, and you’ve got a deal, if both your fathers ok it.’

Jesse took off up the stairs like a rabbit on crack and Colton threw his arm about his dad’s shoulders, ‘Well old man, can we?’

‘That’s not the way to get me to agree with this is it?’ David rolled his eyes at his son.

Jesse bounced down the stairs, ‘Dad said if it’s okay with you Ally, he says yes!’ Then he noticed the looks David was giving Colton, now what?

‘You need to ask better than that Colton, otherwise you get to bunk with your dad.’

Colton’s eyes bugged out of his head, hell no way he was doing that, his dad snored like a buzz saw! ‘Please dad, can I bunk downstairs?’

David hid the snicker at the look of distress on his sons face at the prospect of bunking with him, ‘Seeing as you asked so nice, yeah go for it! And no midnight or any other a.m. snacks get it?’

‘Got it and thanks Ally, dad, later people!’ With that all the children took off for the stairs.

‘Hold it!’ The kids ground to a halt and looked at Ally, ‘Hector and Romeo, you need to be in bed by.’ She looked at Carol and Tico, who signalled seven-thirty, ‘Seven-thirty, so back up here for a bath by seven, Steph make sure they do please. That’s okay with you guys?’ She blushed, she’d just run roughshod all over their parenting skills!

‘Darlin it’s all good by us.’ David said to the blushing woman. ‘Lilly, you get till eight-thirty, young lady.’ Lilly giggled then pouted as the older ones would still be up.

She looked at Carol, ‘You did good honey! But the older ones know what time they’re supposed to go to bed, don’t you guys.’ Steph, Gabby, Ava, Jesse and Colton all nodded at her, even though three of them weren’t maternal grand children, they all accepted that whoever’s grandma gave out orders all kids obeyed without question!

‘But grandma it’s our holiday!’ Jesse pointed out.

‘Yes sweetie it is, but you’ve done a lot of travelling today and even though you’ve napped, you need your sleep. We’ll review times with your fathers tomorrow, tonight bed as usual!’ she brooked no argument. Their fathers all smiling at one another, just like when they were young, she gave no leeway and took no shit!

The kids knowing not to push quickly left the adults on there own.

Tico just couldn’t stop looking at her; she’d make a damn fine mom some day!