Dove watched as her husband carried two grocery bags in the house, the car keys dangling from his lips.  She ran over to him and tried to help, but he shook his head and grunted.  Finally when the bags were settled he took the keys from his mouth and dangled them in front of his wife.  “Guess, what?”

Dove pursed her lips.  “You didn’t lock the keys in the car?”

Jettison laughed.  “Nope, I did!  But, I outsmarted my own stupidity. Months ago I had another key made which I keep in my wallet.  Pretty smart, eh?”

Dove sighed.  “Wouldn’t it just be easier to stop locking the keys in the car?”

Jettison opened the freezer and started putting the orange juice away.  “Yeah, but you forget, I have a habit of making mistakes.  At least this way, I have a fall back.”

Dove shook her head as she held up an enormous bag of cereal.  “Let me guess, it was on sale?”

Jettison smiled again.  “Yep, and so was the bread.  We can always freeze what we can’t use right away.”

“Freeze cereal?”

“You never know – it might work.  Besides, you always tell me to economize.  I’m economizing.”

“Did you get the milk?”

“I got 5 gallons out in the car.  I couldn’t very well carry them in too.”

Kiddo came in carrying two of the gallons, breathing as if he was about to expire in the effort.  “Boy, Dad, you expect the world to collapse or something?  You’ve got enough food to feed an army.”

Jettison shrugged.  “Let’s just say I like to provide for my family.”

Tasha entered with the other two gallons while Bensen was right behind her with the last.  “You’re a great provider, Dad.  Once you got your name changed it’s like you became Super-Dad.  Slow down, would you?  I can hardly keep up.”

Bensen chuckled as he arm wrestled Kiddo.  “Don’t listen to her, Jettison, old man, I like the name change.  Founder sure sounds better than Flounder.  And besides, I think your remarrying your wife was a real nice idea too, even if it was a Catholic blessing thing.  It kind of made me feel young again.”

Tasha shook her head.  “You haven’t even finished growing up Uncle – I wouldn’t start growing young again too soon.”

“Tasha!”  Dove was trying not to laugh.

Kiddo broke free and ran down the hall yelling.  “You can’t get me!  You can’t get me!”

Bensen smiled as he patted Dove on the shoulder.  “I know, it’s sort of true.  Smart girl there.  But I don’t mind.  Life is good.  After all, I get to go careening around the suburbs with 45 little bundles of surprise everyday.  My life couldn’t be more interesting.”  Bensen promptly let off a war whoop and charged after his nephew.

Tasha surveyed her parents carefully.  “You too really meant that whole vows thing, didn’t you?”

Jettison glanced at his wife before he looked at his daughter.  “Yeah, does that surprise you?  I thought we explained it all before the ceremony.”

Tasha unfolded her arms and picked up a bar of soap.  “I’m taking this upstairs, we need one.”  She began to move toward the stairs and stopped.  “You know, I see a lot of kids getting together and breaking up, and I see more hurt than you’d think was right in a high school, but then when I come home, I sometimes don’t believe we are real.  It’s like we’re different and it has nothing to do with the name change.  We’re just different and I can’t explain it.”

Dove looked out the window and saw the flakes beginning to fall.  A storm was coming.  Perhaps 5 gallons of milk was a good idea.  She spoke softly as Tasha stopped on the first step.  “Honey, you’re right but I can’t explain it to you any more than your history book can bring our ancestors back to life.  It’s just that what we believe changes who we are.”

Jettison sighed.  “Or what we refuse to believe.  You know Marie is dying?  She has cancer.  She told me she’s known for a year now.  But she doesn’t want any help.  Not from anyone.  She said she wants to die.”

Tasha whispered, “Perhaps that’s because she never really lived.” Tasha moved up the stairs.

Dove watched her daughter and reached out for her husband’s hand.  “You know, I can’t believe I am saying this, but I am beginning to admire that girl.”  She looked at Jettison with tears in her eyes.  “Funny, to discover that your children are better people than you realized.”

Jettison hugged his wife.  “No, not so funny, really.”  He looked at his wife and his eyes twinkled.  “So, Super-Dad, anyone?”