Page 53 of Bear Creek Father's Day
Brush Your Teeth
Wipe Your Bum
Flush The Toilet
Wash Your Hands
The bags were unloaded into the assigned drawers—Rayn’s to the right of the sink and Kip’s to the left. Orrin then showed them where the clean towels and washcloths were kept, where to hang them to dry, and their final destination in the corner hamper.
“Your dirty clothes can go in there too, as long as they aren’t wet or muddy. Shoes stay in your room or downstairs by the front door. I’ll show you.”
Zak and Orrin offered their hands to the children as they descended the stairs to the second floor. They stopped at the guest room and Orrin informed them who was sleeping where.
“This is your papas’ bedroom. If the door is closed, always knock first before trying to come in. Okay?”
Having been raised with the same rules in her foster home, Rayn simply nodded. Kip, however, knew that Orrin’s real bedroom was down the hall, though the door was closed at the moment. With a confused expression, he pointed at it.
“Papa Orn?”
Orrin went down on one knee and rustled Kip’s hair.
“Yes, that’s still my room, but Papa Zak and I want to try this one for a while. Maybe later we’ll use my old room, but not right now.”
Fortunately, his roundabout explanation satisfied the little shaver and Orrin showed them the other bedroom on the second floor. It was bigger than the ones upstairs, with two windows and two closets, but had no furniture. The idea had been to install bunk beds for multiple cubs, if needed, for future use. Zak thought it would make a great place for his exercise equipment and made a mental note to ask Orrin about it later.
There wasn’t much for the children to see on the main floor, since they’d visited Orrin numerous times in the past. Nevertheless, they were shown the laundry room, half bath, closets, and ended up in the eat-in kitchen, where they got to choose their regular place at the table. Last came the living room, where Orrin was delighted to see the entertainment center already set up. He peppered Zak with kisses.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you! You saved me a lot of time and a bunch of gray hairs.”
A bit dazed, Zak grabbed his surprise purchase and showed it to the children.
“Look what I found at the store. Anybody want to watch?”
They recognized the blue dog on the cover immediately and ran to claim spots on the sofa.
Orrin’s wide smile told Zak he’d chosen well.
“I’ll go make popcorn. Does everybody want butter?”
They did, and while Orrin got busy in the kitchen, Zak listened to the little ones explain the show and who the main characters were. None of it would make sense until he saw it for himself, and they would begin with the first show of Season One so he could figure it out. Kip wanted to know if they could watchCubs In Space, too, and Zak told him maybe another time.
“I don’t have that one, Kip. I’ll ask Papa Orrin and see what we can do.”
The popcorn arrived in four big, brightly colored bowls, and Orrin let the children pick which one they wanted. The adults parked themselves in the center of the couch, with a little one on either side, and started the show. Not long after the popcorn was gone, both Rayn and Kip fell asleep—understandable, since they’d had an emotional day and were exhausted. Zak stopped the program, shut off the TV, and wrapped an arm around his beloved. Soft kisses followed as they enjoyed a few minutes of peace and quiet. Eventually, Zak broke it with a whispered question.
“How long will they be out?”
Orrin shrugged.
“Hard to say. Maybe a half hour? I think they’re doing great, and so are you. We’re off to a good start.”
Zak agreed, pulled Orrin onto his lap, and threaded fingers through the man’s long locks. Orrin began to purr.
“Thanks, love. You’ve had lots more practice than me, but I’ll get the hang of it. Say, Kip wants me to get Cubs In Space. Is it something we can buy and bring home?”
Orrin nodded.
“He loves that show. We’re streaming it right now, but I think we can get the first season or two on DVD. It would be nice to have our own copies, but we have to keep our stuff separate from what belongs to the Cub House. We need to pay for any meals we eat there, too. The BSA rules are strict, but I understand why.”
