When they went downstairs, Jenn and Matt were greeted by a full spread for breakfast. David and Brie were up for a good portion of the early morning cooking and getting the spa day prepared. David was leaning against the table as he caught his breath for a few moments. When Matt and Jenn walked into the room, David smiled. “Good morning, you guys. Brie will be back down in a few moments. She’s dealing with the stuff for Jenn’s mud wrap or whatever.”
“Herbal wrap, goof ball”, Brie said as she walked into the room and sat down at the table.
David smiled as he took a seat next to his wife. “My apologies”, he said as he kissed her cheek.
She reached up and patted his cheek. “It’s ok. You don’t really know the difference, so I can’t get too mad at you.”
He laughed. “I should be able to tell the difference after dealing with you doing massages and shit like that for the last fifteen almost sixteen years.”
“Don’t kick yourself too much, baby. You’ll get it eventually.” She looked at Jenn and Matt. “I hope you two aren’t waiting on us to fix our plates because this is for you. After you two have gotten, David and I will eat a little bit.”
“And she means a little bit. I don’t think I could eat a lot right now anyway”, David said as he leaned back in the chair and crossed his arms over his chest. “I honestly think I’m going to just drink my coffee and let you two eat. What you guys don’t eat the kids can.”
“Your kids can eat, David. I think this MIGHT knock the edge off that early morning hunger”, Matt said with a laugh.
“And I have a total of eight other sets of hands that will be in the house that can cook, clean and entertain the younger kids”, David said as he sipped his coffee.
“Malachai, Mandy, Logan, Dani, Jordan, Jacob, Maddie, and who?” Matt asked as he fixed his plate. Jenn reached out to do it for him and damn near got his fork in the back of her hand. The look her gave her clearly said, “I’m a big boy. I can do it myself”.
“Caleb, much to my surprise. He said that should I need his help, he’d be more than happy to give it. Just let him know when he needs to be here and he’ll be here. I told him to be here by 9. If he isn’t here before then, I’m going to give him a good swift kick in the ass when he does finally show up.”
Jenn laughed. “Hell hath no fury like David Draiman scorned.”
David shook his head. “Oh no, I’m not nearly as bad as your sister in law over here. If hell hath no fury like me scorned, then the universe hath no fury like my wife scorned. I don’t even want to piss her off. She scares me pissed and I don’t scare easily.”
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The day was pretty slow to start. Caleb was on time and was spared a boot up his ass courtesy of David. After he arrived, the other kids slowly started trickling down the stairs and into the house. David was relieved to have so many people to help him out while Brie and her friends pampered his brother in law’s wife.
After they’d gotten woke up and dressed, Malachai had all of his younger brothers and sisters get dressed to go outside so that they could all play in the freshly fallen snow. “I’m going to take them all out and have a snowball fight. It will give you a chance to get something around the house while Mom’s busy upstairs.”
David laughed. “Thank you, Malachai. Maybe it will tire the younger six out enough to nap for a while this afternoon. It would make my life a little easier, that’s for sure.”
Malachai smiled. “I’ll do my best to tire Marc, Jessi, and the quads out so that they’ll take a nap later.” He walked toward the door.
“You’re the best, Malachai”, David called after him.
“I know; that’s why I do it.”
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Not even an hour later, Malachai brought in his siblings. David had made lunch for everyone and they all sat down at the table to eat. As they ate lunch, the younger kids were all having trouble keeping their eyes open for the entire meal. “Why don’t you all go lay down if you’re going to fall asleep at my table”, David said to his youngest children.
“But, we’re not tired, Daddy”, they all whined.
“James, ‘Miah, Mae, Kayla, Jessi, and Marc; why don’t you do your Uncle Matt a favor and listen to your Daddy? I’m not feeling very well and I can’t take the stress. Just be good boys and girls and go to your rooms, please”, Matt asked this nieces and nephews. They all fussed, but did what they were asked.
After the younger kids were all upstairs, David looked at Matt. “Way to use the guilt, brother in law. I loved it. Maybe when I’m old and grey I’ll use that line”, he said with a laugh.
Matt cleared his throat. “It helps when it’s true. I feel like hell, David.”
David nodded. “I understand, Matt. I can’t say I know how you feel because I don’t, but I understand not feeling well.”
Jordan and Malachai sat and watched the exchange between their father and their uncle. They could see that the two men were about to have a moment. They looked at each other and decided not to interrupt.
“David, can I ask you a favor?” Matt said.
“Anything, Matt”, David responded.
“I’d like for you to speak at my funeral. I can’t put my wife or my sister through that.”
“Sure thing, Matt. I’ll speak at your funeral. Have you given any thought to where you’re going to be buried?”
“Arlington Cemetery in Virginia. I think I’ve earned it.”
“You’re a hero, Matt. Of course you have.”
“So, you’ll speak at the service?”
“Of course. It will probably be the hardest speech I’ve ever done, but I’ll do it. I agree; neither of our wives should have to go through that.”
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After the moment between David and Matt, Jordan talked everyone into the living room. “I want to sing a song for you, Uncle Matt”, she said.
“Alright, Jordan, damn. Overzealous much?” he joked. As he walked into the living room, he started in with one of his coughing fits. He stopped and braced himself against a table while Jordan clapped him on his back to help him cough up what was going to come up.
Once the fit was done, she rubbed his back gently. “Are you ok, Uncle Matt?” she asked.
“Yeah, Jord. Just let me get sat down and you and your band can sing your song for me.”
She offered him her arm and helped him get to the couch so he could sit down. Once he was sat down and comfortable, Malachai and Logan got out their guitars and Caleb pulled out his cello and they got situated. “Ok, Uncle Matt. We wrote this song specially for you”, she said with a smile.
Malachai counted them in and he and Logan started playing together. Caleb joined in not long after that with his cello, giving the song a beautiful bass line. Jordan’s eyes were closed as they played. When the time was right, she took in a deep breath and started singing. The song was full of emotion, expressing that Jordan loved her Uncle and that she wished he would stick around for a long time.
As David listened to his daughter sing, he was reminded of the song “Darkness”. The only thing that was missing for this song was the piano. If she’d meant for there to be piano in the song, she would have moved everyone down to the studio so that she could play. He’d have to ask her if there was a piano part to this song or not later. He just wanted to sit and listen to the music his son, daughter, nephew and their friend were making. He was not only impressed with the talent that was sitting in his living room, but he was moved by the music that they made together. As he watched his daughter pour her heart and soul into the song she was singing, he couldn’t help but feel a swell of pride grow in his chest. His soul was full of pride at that moment. He knew that he’d taught his children well as he sat there and listened to two them perform.
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A few hours later, Jenn came down the stairs with a huge smile on her face. “David!” she called out.
“Yes, Jenn?” he responded.
“Did you know that your wife is a brilliant woman who is talented with her hands and the tools of her trade?”
“Yes, Jenn, I did. Remember, I get a massage weekly. I do a foot detox once every three days. I’ll never understand WHY I let her talk me into sticking my feet into ionically charged water to have all of the gunk sucked out of my body through my feet, but I do it every few days. I’ve had her work her magic on me several times a week for the last damn near sixteen years.”
“The you realize just how lucky you are, man.” She sighed and took a seat at the table.
“Where is my beautiful wife at the moment?”
“She’s squaring up with the hair dresser and the nail techs. Then she’s going to clean up the mess, do her SOAP notes, and come down here to chill the rest of the day.”
“Did she give you any orders to give to me?”
“Yeah, get your ass up the stairs and help her if there’s someone either than me to take care of Matt.”
David laughed. “Malachai!” he called out.
Malachai came into the kitchen. “Yes, sir?”
“I need you to keep an eye on your Uncle so that I can go upstairs and help your Mom with something really fast.”
“You got it.”
David ran up the stairs and headed to Brie’s massage room. “You needed something, beautiful?”
“Yeah, could you empty my stone warmer for me please? It’s kinda heavy and I need to pick up the crap on the floor from the salt glow she asked for last minute before the stone massage.”
David picked up the cooker and took it to the nearest bathroom. He placed a towel in the sink and slowly poured the contents of the cooker into the towel. After the water was drained from the cooker, he put the stones back inside and took them back to his wife’s massage room. “There you go, baby. Anything else?”
She handed him an armful of sheets, blankets, and towels. “Put these in the laundry for me please. And if you start a load of my massage sheets, PLEASE shake out the towels before loading them into the washing machine. I would hate for that salt to ruin the washer.”
“The salt from your salt scrubs could do that?”
“I’d hate to find out, wouldn’t you?”
He nodded. “I see your point. But, it’s Miss Maddie’s week to do laundry.”
“Then tell her to shake out the salt before she puts it in the washer.”
He laughed. “Will do. I’m going to go downstairs now and make sure that the younger ones aren’t giving their older brother and his pregnant girlfriend too much hell.” He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll see you when you’re done with everything up here.”
She laid a hand on his cheek and pressed her lips to his. “I’ll see you in a few.”
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