A Life of the Plain and the Simple
Eighteen
The world was passing by me so quickly. It seems like just yesterday I was in High School talking about starting a band with Jack, a breath later, Juli was the center of my world. Over night, Stella and Tom were born and by the time their first flu season had passed, two more little feet were stomping around our home. Now, a moment away, I'd have four grandchildren. How is it that Stella is having twins? Wasn't she just pregnant with Izzy?
Thinking of the little girl, I turned my attention to her, a smile plastered on my face. She was sloppily brushing strands of hair away from her face while she put on a pair of Juli's heels. Her small feet struggled to walk with them on, but she managed it, going back into the closet to pull out on of Juli's dresses. I knew my wife wouldn't mind, if anything, it'd make her feel special that Izzy wanted to be so much like her.
I remember when Stella and Tom used to dig around in our closet. Stella would always managed to pull my beanies over her messy head while Tom would attemp to make a tie look neat on his neck. They were both such playful, spunky little kids and now they'd each have children over their own to start the same adventure with.
Sometimes the thought of that would make me depressed. Not because I wasn't looking forward to my family expanding, because I was, but they were supposed to be mine forever. Now, since they would both be raising kids of their own, I could only hope that I had rubbed off on them, that someone of the lessons I taught would continue to be passed down. I felt the exact same way when Izzy was born, but I feel like I've made a bigger impression on my children in their adult lives than ever before.
At least in their time away from home I've managed to grow closer to Noelle and Liam. Noelle missed Stella far more than she'd let on. I knew it was hard on her for our family to change so much as it had, but she was taking it like a champ. She was even excited to meet the new babies and she absolutely adored Izzy - I was thankful for that.
As for Liam.. Well, he was getting to the stage where family came behind friendship. Sometimes he would shine a little light on me and let me into his world, but mostly he had music blaring with the door closed. He was a good kid like Tom, but fuck, did he have Stell's attitude. All I could really do was wonder if he'd be more like Tom, and wait to find the girl of his dreams, or if he'd be like Stella - Venturing into the party scene and falling for a someone much too soon. Or, there was the chance he'd be like me and do a lot of stupid things with a lot of different people. Only time would tell.
"Grandpa, can you put this in my hair?"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I snickered at the sight of Izzy clinging to one of my beanies with a hopeful expression on her face. Just like her mother.
"Yes, baby," I smiled, standing up so I could join her. I placed the gray beanie on her head, where it slipped down to her forehead. "You look like a true Gaskarth."
"I'm-a-Barakat!"
"Yeah," I half-smiled, nostalgia hitting me again. "You're a lot like your dad and grandfather, that's for sure."
"Can we call grandpa Jack?"
"Of course! Go get grandma and tell her to bring me the phone!"
Izzy squealed with joy before she darted from the room, leaving me to clean up the shoes and dress which were strewn all over the closet floor. I let out a sigh and bent over to pick them up. The All Time Low family had been through many things together. Weddings, children, grandchildren, celebrations and fame. Now that everything was slowing down and speeding up at the same time, I couldn't even begin to imagine what the next step in our lives would be.
"Hey dad?" There was a light tapping at the door. Tossing the shoes back in their spot, I left the closet to see Liam standing there with a crooked grin and the phone in his hand. "Izzy said you need to call Uncle Jack.. Or, grandpa Jack, whatever."
"Thanks," I laughed lightly, taking the phone from his hand. Just as I was about to begin dialing Jack's number, Liam cleared his throat. "Something wrong, son?"
"I was kind of hoping you could give me some advice.. See, there's this girl and I really like her.."
Smiling my infamous Gaskarth smile, I sat down on the bed and patted a spot next to me. The adventure begins again.
Thinking of the little girl, I turned my attention to her, a smile plastered on my face. She was sloppily brushing strands of hair away from her face while she put on a pair of Juli's heels. Her small feet struggled to walk with them on, but she managed it, going back into the closet to pull out on of Juli's dresses. I knew my wife wouldn't mind, if anything, it'd make her feel special that Izzy wanted to be so much like her.
I remember when Stella and Tom used to dig around in our closet. Stella would always managed to pull my beanies over her messy head while Tom would attemp to make a tie look neat on his neck. They were both such playful, spunky little kids and now they'd each have children over their own to start the same adventure with.
Sometimes the thought of that would make me depressed. Not because I wasn't looking forward to my family expanding, because I was, but they were supposed to be mine forever. Now, since they would both be raising kids of their own, I could only hope that I had rubbed off on them, that someone of the lessons I taught would continue to be passed down. I felt the exact same way when Izzy was born, but I feel like I've made a bigger impression on my children in their adult lives than ever before.
At least in their time away from home I've managed to grow closer to Noelle and Liam. Noelle missed Stella far more than she'd let on. I knew it was hard on her for our family to change so much as it had, but she was taking it like a champ. She was even excited to meet the new babies and she absolutely adored Izzy - I was thankful for that.
As for Liam.. Well, he was getting to the stage where family came behind friendship. Sometimes he would shine a little light on me and let me into his world, but mostly he had music blaring with the door closed. He was a good kid like Tom, but fuck, did he have Stell's attitude. All I could really do was wonder if he'd be more like Tom, and wait to find the girl of his dreams, or if he'd be like Stella - Venturing into the party scene and falling for a someone much too soon. Or, there was the chance he'd be like me and do a lot of stupid things with a lot of different people. Only time would tell.
"Grandpa, can you put this in my hair?"
Snapping out of my thoughts, I snickered at the sight of Izzy clinging to one of my beanies with a hopeful expression on her face. Just like her mother.
"Yes, baby," I smiled, standing up so I could join her. I placed the gray beanie on her head, where it slipped down to her forehead. "You look like a true Gaskarth."
"I'm-a-Barakat!"
"Yeah," I half-smiled, nostalgia hitting me again. "You're a lot like your dad and grandfather, that's for sure."
"Can we call grandpa Jack?"
"Of course! Go get grandma and tell her to bring me the phone!"
Izzy squealed with joy before she darted from the room, leaving me to clean up the shoes and dress which were strewn all over the closet floor. I let out a sigh and bent over to pick them up. The All Time Low family had been through many things together. Weddings, children, grandchildren, celebrations and fame. Now that everything was slowing down and speeding up at the same time, I couldn't even begin to imagine what the next step in our lives would be.
"Hey dad?" There was a light tapping at the door. Tossing the shoes back in their spot, I left the closet to see Liam standing there with a crooked grin and the phone in his hand. "Izzy said you need to call Uncle Jack.. Or, grandpa Jack, whatever."
"Thanks," I laughed lightly, taking the phone from his hand. Just as I was about to begin dialing Jack's number, Liam cleared his throat. "Something wrong, son?"
"I was kind of hoping you could give me some advice.. See, there's this girl and I really like her.."
Smiling my infamous Gaskarth smile, I sat down on the bed and patted a spot next to me. The adventure begins again.
10/23/13