***All sexually active characters are of age, 18 years old at least, and all sexual activities are consensual. Enjoy!***
The summer sun is clinging on into September with a heatwave hot and heavy. Though many are struggling with the heat, it comes as welcome as perhaps the last heatwave of the year before autumn sets in, and none are enjoying it more-so than Frankie Reid-Cummings, and her brother, Craig Reid, turning 27 and 26 respectively over the next week.
For nostalgia's sake, the siblings' families have long arranged to celebrate their birthdays together, planning prudent use of time for everyone to attend a party at their childhood home like they used to. The weather certainly came good this weekend for having a barbeque in the garden on the patio, with a sound-system set-up to fill the neighbourhood with club anthems, pop classics, and classic rock.
This gathering is a welcome homecoming for the siblings, but also for Tiffany Bright, 26, who arrives later than intended, but not straight from work, deciding to dress elegantly but coolly for the sun in blocks of bright colour and billowing silk. She emerges from her sports car out front, sporting a pair of sunglasses, showing herself inside the house of her childhood best friend, seeing herself out onto the patio out back.
Tiffany grabs herself a burger from beside the barbeque, greeted by George Reid, 52, "Hey there, baby girl!"
Tiffany giggles, "Daddy," stuffing the burger into her face before going to join Lucy Reid, 48, who is reclining on a sun-lounger sipping a cool cocktail. the young woman skips over to her, giving her a meaty kiss on the lips, mumbling with her mouth full, "Mommy."
Lucy watches her son and daughter across the grass, spraying each other with water from hoses and laughing like children as they play. The mature woman says to Tiffany, "It's good to see you out of work, and out of work clothes for a change. I'm very proud of you, we all are, but there's more to life than work. We know, George and I, raising you three, making time for you, paying off the house, car, bills, shopping, and supplying sleepovers, parties, presents, going out... I think back, and don't know how we did it..."
Tiffany perches herself on the frame of the lounger, feeling the metal beneath her bottom, replying, "I don't know how you did it either, but I think about that everyday. You are a hero to me, and I always think, 'what would Lucy do?' I try my best to be there for my family. I'm delegating to Mia," spotting Mia Milosevic, 21, across the garden by the hedges with her girlfriend, Carrie Harper, 20, and having her attention caught by the passing blurs of the children: Joy Bright and Hope Reid, Colette Reid-Cummings, and Kisha Milosevic. Tiffany continues, "I'm there for the kids; enough I hope?
"I'm going to be taking over Cummings Enterprises International, retiring Domhnall and Gracie. I've been giving that because I show such commitment to the work, and take it all as it comes. I've earned it. I don't do it for me; I do it for Craig, Joy, and Hope. If I was doing it for me, I would've stopped a long time ago, and retired to a tropical paradise somewhere, believe me. I want to be the best mother and girlfriend I can be, but I'm afraid I'll never match up to you, Lucy."
Lucy hands her glass to Tiffany, offering, "Here, take a drink." Tiffany takes the glass and takes a sip, and Lucy tells her, "You flatter me, but you and Craig should slow down, or you'll have a family drama like Pleasant did before you know it."
Tiffany looks a little spooked, sipping more of Lucy's cocktail before handing it back, saying, "I'm getting my own drink, and I'll bring you a fresh one."
Lucy laughs a little as the young woman gets up, "Good talk!"
Higgins chases the children around the grass, whilst Frankie and Craig chase them all with the hoses, showering them with a fine mist as they go. The hunk dives onto the grass, getting jumped on by the kids as the big kids douse them with the cool spray. Everyone laughs as they play.
Pleasant Reid-Cummings, 29, stands over the pile of bodies on the floor, casting a disapproving eye as she says, "Come on, now. Don't want you getting hurt, do we?"
Colette reaches for her mother, picked up by her as she says, "Sorry, mother."
Pleasant holds her daughter in her arms up to her eyeline, telling her, "That's quite alright," looking down at Higgins, telling him, "But, I was talking to you, Higgins."
Colette laughs cheekily as Higgins sits up, calling, "Okay, kids... Time out, please... Point taken, Pleasant."
Frankie turns off the sprinkler head on her hose, giggling as she kisses her wife and daughter, "Good way to cool off though."
Craig turns his sprinkler head off too, helping Higgins to his feet with a hand before raising his voice to chastise his son and daughter, "Joy, Hope, you're starting to play a too rough. Play nicely, yeah?"
Joy hugs her brother whilst Colette and Kisha settle down, replying to her father, "We are playing nice, daddy."
Craig says to his daughter, "I know you are," warning his niece, "Keep it that way."
Colette mocks her uncle with a snarl, muttering incoherently under her breath as his back turns. She then suggests to the other kids, "Let's fill balloons with water and have a balloon fight."
Joy asserts herself to her cousin, "Hey, I'm the oldest. I get to decide what we do."
Colette folds her arms, and scowls, "Why did you get to be the oldest?"
Joy says to the rest of the kids, "What we should do next is... um... have a water fight!"
Colette's face lights up, beaming, "I know where to find balloons. Follow me," leading the kids inside the house.
Juniper crosses the kids' path as she steps out onto the patio, almost buffeted off her feet. She comes dressed in a cool polo-shirt and canvas shorts, and sporting knee-high socks and a baseball cap, making her way over to Higgins, greeting him, "Hi! Been a while since I've been to a party."
Higgins holds Juniper by the waist, hugging her as he asks, "Really? Well, stick with me, and we'll change that. If you want to? This isn't making you uncomfortable is it?"
Juniper replies, "I'm not used to this. Out of practise, for sure, but it's nice."
Pleasant assures Juniper, "You're very welcome here, or you wouldn't be here."
Juniper nods with a smile at her employer before nervously smiling at Frankie, "Happy birthday, by the way."
Frankie giggles, "Thanks! Much appreciated, except for me getting older. I want to stay young and hot forever, mmm..."
Pleasant remarks, "That ship has sailed."
Frankie asks, "What?"
Pleasant pretends to be ignorant, mimicking, "What?"
Juniper laughs nervously, "Banter, yay... Might I say though, Frankie, you are killing it with the whole, 'staying young and hot,' thing..."
Frankie sincerely says to her, "Aww, thank you so much," checking her out, "You already have one up on me though. I'm never going to look that young again."
Juniper tells her colleague, "I bought this with surgery, a strict diet, and a killer training regimen. I'm so desperate for people to like me that I don't recognise myself. You are all you, and you wear that on your sleeve without fear. When I'm at work, I act like who I want to be, while you don't need to act. You will always one-up me."
Frankie feels as if she's been hit by a train right in her gut, swallowing that feeling down with a glug of her cocktail before giggling, "I have to get to know you better. You sound amazing. I bet you have an awesome story."
Juniper feels a warm fuzzy feeling on the back of her neck, which could be a wisp of breeze, but she smiles broadly, "Today is about you, but maybe a day soon we could go out and hang out away from work?"