Jump to content
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Flying Circus - 12. The Twins [Epilogue]

Sunday, 9 May 2027
Barcelona

“I want you to come with us, Ceej.” Jefferson clung to his father’s leg while Roosevelt tugged on his coat and nodded in agreement.

“I can’t, guys.” He squatted and placed a hand on a shoulder each. “I have to go to work. And you three”—he glanced at Liebe standing next to Owen and winked at her—“are going to have so much fun with your cousins.”

“Grandma’s not going to be happy with me. She’ll be upset when I tell her I don’t want to go to mass with her. She said something about going to church on Sundays.”

The twins couldn’t figure out why CJ closed his eyes, but they moved aside when he tilted his head, reached for Liebe, and moved her to the spot they had occupied.

“Listen to me carefully, Munchkin. If Grandma offers to take you to the cathedral in Newcastle, go. I was there years ago, and it’s a beautiful building. You’ll love the stained glass windows behind the altar. But, if she tries to take you anywhere you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”

CJ looked upward, and Owen nodded. Jefferson grinned because he and his brother talked to each other the same way. Sometimes, only a nod was needed.

“I’m—we are sending you to Australia to stay with your aunt, your uncle, and your cousins, not with your grandparents. I trust your uncle. If Grandma gives you crap, you tell Spencer. Okay?”

Liebe nodded while CJ stood. “Oz, warn your mom to not give her a hard time about going to mass. You’re gonna have to warn Spence and Tilda too.”

“I will. We know Mum’s never fully recovered from my sister’s death, so I’ll be gentle. But if she acts up with the kids, all bets are off. I’ll sit with dad and explain we’re willing to give her some leeway, but not when it comes to the children.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not only her fears but also her disapproving of our child-rearing.” CJ grinned. “You have to admit we’re not typical parents. Some of the stuff we let the kids get away with…” He ran a hand down the back of Liebe’s head. “Don’t ever take shit from your grandmother or anyone else.”

CJ had to move to his departure gate, so he hugged and kissed everyone goodbye, saving Owen for last. “I’ll text you when I land. Do the same.”

“We should be in the air when you set foot in Ljubljana.”

CJ chuckled. “You know? Ritch was right. At four and seven, our kids are about to circumnavigate the world. How old was I when I first did it? Like eighteen or so?”

“I think it’s cool they’re following in your footsteps. I betcha Liebe will do just as you suggested; she’ll tell Mum going to mass would be fine if it’s in Newcastle. Otherwise, she’ll stand her ground. I think our kids inherited the independence and explorer genes. And I’m glad. That constant quest for knowledge will help them succeed.”

“Don’t get all philosophical on me now. But you’re right. They got good genes from both of us.” CJ leaned in and pecked Owen’s lips. “Love ya. See ya in a few days.” Shouldering his backpack, he blew a kiss in the kids’ direction. “Love you, guys.”

“Bye, Ceej! We love you too!”

 

The End

 

 

 

Copyright © 2022 Carlos Hazday; All Rights Reserved.
  • Like 17
  • Love 60
  • Haha 1
  • Sad 6
  • Angry 1
My thanks to my support team and to all of you reading. Your reactions and comments are welcome and encouraged.
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you. 

Story Discussion Topic

Welcome to the discussion thread for CJ’s series. All things CJ are fair game, I simply ask you be respectful of others. I will actively participate in the discussion. Ask questions, speculate about what’s coming, or bitch about what happened. We’re now open for business!    
You are not currently following this author. Be sure to follow to keep up to date with new stories they post.

Recommended Comments

Chapter Comments



2 hours ago, Bft said:

No the memo is in the backlog of post that hasn’t been delivered as yet because our posties have been on strike 😔

LMAO

I thought it was the nurses going on strike.

  • Like 3
Link to comment

Short, to the point, and a nice setup for future books. This is just right for ending a fantastic vacation where we got to spend time with each member of the family. Well done! :)

  • Like 2
  • Love 3
Link to comment
10 minutes ago, Carlos Hazday said:

I thought it was the nurses going on strike.

It feels like everyone is on strike here, the postmen, the nurses, train drivers and guards and god knows who's going to be next.

  • Like 1
  • Fingers Crossed 1
  • Sad 1
Link to comment

Another very brief offering, however well received and enjoyed inspite of that!

Have a very happy and peaceful holiday season and hope you are blessed with friends and family visits and get togethers!GIF by Ecard Mint

  • Like 3
  • Love 1
Link to comment

Oh, I'd Love to be a little bird watching the kids with Grandma. That could be a story itself. The kids are a riot. I loved this little story. Thank-You Carlos for another fantastic story.

  • Love 5
Link to comment
7 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

At this point, the kids are developing their personalities and it was fun to write how mischievous they can be. Not sure I'll use it, but there;s a scene I outlined about them being older and lying to CJ and Owen about what they planned to do one day. Instead of an outing with friends, they go out on a date to a fancy restaurant trying to impress their dates. CJ finds out and suspends their credit and debit cards. Imagine them trying to pay and their card being denied for the first time. :P

They can be a pain sometimes because I have to consider them when writing, but they open possibilities for interesting stuff.

That's the twins, of course. (And they probably switched dates, too.) Liebe would never ever lie to her dad's.😁😹

 

  • Haha 3
Link to comment

Short and sweet. Perfect end to a delightful story.

Wouldn't it be cheaper for CJ to give throw out the bad word jar and just give the kids allowances?

Have a great break, Carlos. Put aside writing for a while; I bet which story to write next will be clear if you put the problem aside for a week. I with you and yours jolly joyous holidays and a happy healthy new year. (I beat down my inner copy editor to let me leave out the commas.) Hugs and kisses.

  • Like 2
  • Love 1
Link to comment
12 hours ago, Carlos Hazday said:

@Clancy59

Come on! Not only did I say this would be the end in a previous comment, but I ran out of family members.

You hit the nail on their parenting approach. Brett wanted them to do something simply because an adult says so, and even Cesar reproached him. Liebe's short description of her kidnapping also gave me the opportunity to have the fathers explain they explained things in age-appropriate comments but that the kid knew as they got older they would get further details.

Grandma Pam will put her foot in her mouth again when she visits them in July 2022, so CJ and Owen might be a bit wary. Notice they're leaving the kids in Spencer and Tilda's care instead of Pam and Geoff's?

All I said was that I hadn’t expected to see the story today.  If you indicated it would be published today in your commentary yesterday, I missed it.  I was a bit busy.  It took most of the morning just to read the chapter in bits and pieces!  I actually snuck time in to write what little commentary I did! Same today! So there! :no:

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment

no, you can't end a story on a Saturday. Friday's are for you and the first days of the month 😇

Nice way to end another great addition to the CJ universe

  • Like 1
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
16 hours ago, WolfM said:

Short, to the point, and a nice setup for future books. This is just right for ending a fantastic vacation where we got to spend time with each member of the family. Well done! :)

Thanks, Wolf. If I haven't said it later, I love working with you. Thanks for helping make my stories better.

  • Like 1
  • Love 1
Link to comment
14 hours ago, Daddydavek said:

Another very brief offering, however well received and enjoyed inspite of that!

Have a very happy and peaceful holiday season and hope you are blessed with friends and family visits and get togethers!

Hope you have a great Christmas and 2023 brings peace, health, and happiness. Give your little one an extra hug for me.

  • Like 1
  • Love 3
Link to comment
12 hours ago, James B. said:

Oh, I'd Love to be a little bird watching the kids with Grandma. That could be a story itself. The kids are a riot. I loved this little story. Thank-You Carlos for another fantastic story.

Yeah, no. I'm scared of writing the rest of their 2027 vacation. A 7 yo girl, a 2 yo girl, and 3 4 yo boys is just too much. Although I might consider a tiny story about those 5 plus, Fabricio, Carolina, and Raish at Disney World. Even with 6 adults watching over them, I fear for Mickey's sanity and safety.

  • Love 1
  • Haha 4
Link to comment
12 hours ago, frosenblum said:

Like this?

L: "Grandma, I don't want to go to church."

G: "I don't care. You're going. Now be a good little girl and put on the dress.

L: "Grandma, CJ told me not to take any shit from you. Uncle Spencer, help!"

😎

LMAO - Liebe asserts her independence early which Grandma won't always find to her liking. We'll see a bit of that in Capitol Hill when the Aussie grandparents visit.

  • Like 1
  • Love 3
Link to comment
11 hours ago, frosenblum said:

That's the twins, of course. (And they probably switched dates, too.) Liebe would never ever lie to her dad's.😁😹

 

I think all three may wind up being grounded frequently. You're right, I see the twins as being the devious ones; Liebe will be more like CJ---a bull in a china shop. Appropriate since she's a Taurus. :P

 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment
11 hours ago, frosenblum said:

Short and sweet. Perfect end to a delightful story.

Wouldn't it be cheaper for CJ to give throw out the bad word jar and just give the kids allowances?

Have a great break, Carlos. Put aside writing for a while; I bet which story to write next will be clear if you put the problem aside for a week. I with you and yours jolly joyous holidays and a happy healthy new year. (I beat down my inner copy editor to let me leave out the commas.) Hugs and kisses.

Thank you! Enjoy the next two weeks and get ready for the next one.

I think I accomplished my goals with this story. I wanted a feel-good time giving me a chance to focus on the characters and develop their personalities a bit more. One of my favorite bits was a twin doing push ups with his bits hanging out. I thought that was a good indication those two will be getting in trouble often.

I'm not sure why my readers don't review or recommend my stories a lot, but as of this morning out of 15 recommendations, 15 highlighted characters, feel good, and humor. I wrote this one while finishing/posting the Mexico story and wanted something without the drama and the intrigue. I'm glad readers recognized my intent.

Not sure I'll do any writing over the next two weeks, except when a scene won't leave me alone. Otherwise, I plan to outline the heck out of several works in progress.

  • Love 3
Link to comment
7 hours ago, Clancy59 said:

All I said was that I hadn’t expected to see the story today.  If you indicated it would be published today in your commentary yesterday, I missed it.  I was a bit busy.  It took most of the morning just to read the chapter in bits and pieces!  I actually snuck time in to write what little commentary I did! Same today! So there! :no:

Here's hoping your life gets uncomplicated. With no new chapters planned for a couple of weeks, you'll have time to revisit the chapters you speed-read and enjoy the little details. Merry Christmas to you and the hubby.

  • Like 1
  • Love 2
Link to comment
57 minutes ago, tabaqui said:

no, you can't end a story on a Saturday. Friday's are for you and the first days of the month 😇

Nice way to end another great addition to the CJ universe

Blame GA for only allowing one chapter a day. I would have loved to post this chapter together with the one about Lucy, but this was the best I could do.

  • Like 1
  • Love 2
Link to comment
16 hours ago, Mancunian said:

It feels like everyone is on strike here, the postmen, the nurses, train drivers and guards and god knows who's going to be next.

In solidarity with the strikers, I'll not post any stories for the next two weeks. Not sure why I'm striking, but it feels right to disturb the force. :P

 

  • Haha 4
Link to comment

According to the news this morning, it’s the Starbucks baristas on strike across the country.  No skin off our noses here.  We’re Dunkin people.  Every time I pass or enter a Starbucks, it smells like the beans, or something, are burning. Yuck!

  • Like 1
  • Haha 2
Link to comment
1 hour ago, Carlos Hazday said:

Blame GA for only allowing one chapter a day. I would have loved to post this chapter together with the one about Lucy, but this was the best I could do.

yeah, yeah, blaming the other one :)

sounds like the twins 🤣

  • Haha 3
Link to comment

Grrr @Carlos Hazday

I am very unhappy!! 😭😭😭😭

Couldnt they have cruised for a few more weeks... I woulda got some extra chapters that way. 🙏

Who the heck does an old fella haveta blow to get an extra chapter? 😳😳😉

  • Like 1
  • Haha 1
  • Wow 1
Link to comment
3 hours ago, Clancy59 said:

According to the news this morning, it’s the Starbucks baristas on strike across the country.  No skin off our noses here.  We’re Dunkin people.  Every time I pass or enter a Starbucks, it smells like the beans, or something, are burning. Yuck!

And if you were Canadian, you'd probably prefer Tim Horton's. LOL

I don't frequent coffee shops often, but when I do, Java Boys (a local joint) gets my business. Straight owners are big supporters of the gay community.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
1 hour ago, Cris L said:

Grrr @Carlos Hazday

I am very unhappy!! 😭😭😭😭

Couldnt they have cruised for a few more weeks... I woulda got some extra chapters that way. 🙏

Who the heck does an old fella haveta blow to get an extra chapter? 😳😳😉

Thanks for reading, Cris. I know Vietnam had a large Catholic population because of the French colonial period. Is Christmas a big celebration over there?

  • Like 2
Link to comment

View Guidelines

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Newsletter

    Sign Up and get an occasional Newsletter.  Fill out your profile with favorite genres and say yes to genre news to get the monthly update for your favorite genres.

    Sign Up
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Our Privacy Policy can be found here: Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue..