[jobiehanna]

Rhea | Pankajar

Manami | Kenton


Elmas | Hector

Rhea held tight to the hand of her five and a half year old as she navigated the store. The younger set of twins were propped in the front of her shopping cart. Their mute son was with their father, Pan.

It hadn't been the same since her daughter disappeared. Five months prior, on a family outing, the four year old had wandered off - was kidnapped. Ever since then the young mother was very protective of her children. At first she was lost and grieved, but now she realized her remaining children still needed her. Pankajar still needed her. She had to be strong for them. She still missed Rosemary with all her heart. But she was needed.

This trip was a testament to her need to be strong. It was the first time the six of them had gone out together since the kidnapping. Rhea usually sent her husband out for groceries and other necessities. Not today - today she would get her groceries.

[jobiehanna]

Keeping all of her children and husband in her line of sight was proving to be the most difficult task. She had the twins and Manami, but Pan had Kenton. The little boy silently rested in his fathers arms, and his eyes watched and his ears listened, but his mouth did not speak. They'd been teaching him sign language since they'd discovered his disability, and the family was picking it up as well.

Rhea felt a tug at her hand and looked down her her eldest daughter. "Yes, Nami?" Her daughter was always the inquisitive one of the bunch, seeing as she was the eldest and had the best speech of the four.

The little girl pointed at the fruit they were passing. "Strawberries," she said simply, her mismatched blue and purple eyes on the red fruit.

"Of course, dear," she answered the child. "But what do we say?"

Manami thought for a moment and tugged on her pale hair that was braided down her back and falling out of the braid. "Pwease?" She gave a triumphant smile, and Rhea smiled back. Then the mother went to the stand. She shifted through the little plastic containers, looking for a pack that wasn't bruised or molding. Finding one, she set it in the cart behind the (so far) well behaved one year olds.

[jobiehanna]

Pankajar trailed behind his wife; his middle child held tight in his arms. The four year old was small for his age and easy to carry. He kept Kenton occupied by pointing at things and asking what color it was. The four year old was learning colors. The little boy would sign the color, and Pan would tell him if he was right or wrong. It was easy to talk to the boy, as he could understand the words his father told him. Pan usually signed with his words, but holding the boy and signing was impossible.

Up ahead, Rhea was getting strawberries. The kids loved those things, and so did their father. Pan would eat anything Rhea put in front of him though. He loved to eat, even as he got older. His metabolism hadn't slowed yet, and the father of five was sure to stay fit with all the shenanigans his kids pulled.

[jobiehanna]

Rhea moved on from the strawberries. She loved to get fresh produce for his kiddos and husband, because they were better than those processed foods. She went down the aisles gathering oranges, apples bananas, grapes, kiwis, cherries and blueberries from the fruit section. For vegetables she got kale, romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, green peppers, other sweet peppers, broccoli and cauliflower.

All the while Manami chattered her ear off and Pan trailed behind. She let her daughter help her pick out some of the produce, but tried not to take too long. Before she knew it, the little twins would be acting up. The sooner she finished this the better. Not to mention they would be safer in their own home.

[jobiehanna]

It was after the deli when Elmas started crying. It was more of a scream cry, and she'd been fussy for a little while. Before long her twin Hector joined the chorus. Rhea felt frazzled and embarrassed, but knew this was in the cards. The one year olds weren't good at sitting still for long, and it was possible little Ellie had soiled her diaper. Rhea turned to find Pan right behind her. His look of concern filled her with love. "I gotta take the twins to the ladies," she told her husband. "Can you watch Nami?"

Pan nodded, taking the little girl by the hand. "'Course dear," he said softly.

Rhea smiled and scooped the two bawling babies from the cart, muttering words to calm them. She went on tiptoes to give her husband a quick peck on the cheek, and then rushed off toward the restroom in the back, hoping no one was in there.

[jobiehanna]

Pankajar told Nami to hold onto the cart while he took care of the child in his arms. He placed the four year old in the front of the cart and made sure his legs went through the holes. Then he took a hold of Manami's hand and asked, "What should we do while Mommy is busy?"

The little girl smiled wide and said, "Candy, Papa."

Her father rolled his eyes, "We can look, Nami." Rhea didn't like to fill the kids with sweets, but there wasn't a toy aisle to take them down for entertainment. "That okay with you Kenny?" The little boy nodded his head and clapped for joy. With a smile, Pan steered them toward the snack aisle to peruse while he waited for Rhea to finish with the twins.

[jobiehanna]

Meanwhile, Rhea had gotten into the ladies room. Luckily there was a changing table and a chair, so she could sit Hector on the chair. She told her son to stay still and not touch anything, but that wasn't likely to happen. He was an inquisitive boy already, and one year olds weren't prone to listening very well. She lay Ellie on the changing table after she opened it and set to changing the soiled diaper.

Having so many years of experience, the change was quick and easy. Hector was just beginning to slide off the chair when Rhea finished. She scooped up her son and switched their places. Ellie was silent now, and Hector was only whimpering. She changed his diaper as well, and then picked the pair up after taking care of the diapers. She told the twins what a good job they'd done, and then left the restroom to go find Pan in the grocery store.

[jobiehanna]

Pan was at the end of the candy and other snack foods aisle when Rhea found him. "What're you doing?" She asked, appalled that he'd even bring the children down the aisle.

"Just looking love," he said with a smile. "See, no candy in the cart. Gotta entertain her somehow, huh?" Sweet treats were usually bought without the kids knowing, or else the oldest two wanted them all the time.

"Oh good," Rhea said with obvious relief. "Can you get Kenny out of the cart please?" She shifted the weight of the twins on her hips. They were getting bigger everyday, and before long she wouldn't be able to handle the both of them.

Pan did as he was bid and picked up the quiet child. Kenton was a little upset about the switch, but he was happy to be in his dad's arms again. Manami went back to holding Rhea's hand after the twins were put back into the cart.

[jobiehanna]

The eldest daughter then asked if she could have some caramel creams, and Rhea had to tell her no. This had the little girl very upset, and Manami stomped her foot and wouldn't move. Rhea rolled her eyes and encouraged her to move, but she wouldn't. "I'll leave you here then," she said, not really meaning the threat.

"I'll stay with her," Pankajar said, always there to rescue his wife when threats had to be made.

Rhea nodded and set off to finish her grocery shopping. The rest of the trip had gone without a hitch, and she had everything she needed. As she was checking out she got a text from Pan, telling her they were waiting for her in the van.

[jobiehanna]

Rhea pushed the cart out to the van and found Pan waiting with a pouty little girl in the car and a curious little boy holding tight to his pant leg. "She put up a fight when I got her out of the store, so she had to wait in the car," he said in explanation. The windows were open, so the little girl was safe in the warm car.

Rhea nodded, "Well, that's okay then. Let's get the twins in the car and the groceries unloaded."

It took them little enough time to get the twins into their car seats, and then they were working on groceries. Kenton helped put lightweight bags into the car, because he wanted to help.

Rhea got into the passenger seat and turned the car on while she waited for Pan to come back from taking the cart up. Her grocery trip was successful, and she hadn't lost anyone on the way. All six of them were alive and together. The mother couldn't be happier. Their refrigerator would be full and so would the cupboards. The trip gave her confidence, and she wondered what she'd be able to do tomorrow. Maybe she'd take the kids to the park or something.

Pan returned to the mini van, and they set off toward home.

{END}