Patience is a Virtue

Chapter 1 Six Weeks of Summer

Chapter 1 Six Weeks of Summer

I had finished my Junior year of college, I was 21 years old, and had the first summer session off before I had to be back. Yes, my major, Dental Hygiene, required that I take a specific class that is only offered during the second summer session of College. That meant I had to be back the first week of July. Six weeks off for my summer break. Fantastic. (Can you hear the sarcasm?) Deep breath in... deep breath out. I can have patience!

I was going to school in Beaumont, Texas and my parents lived in a suburb of Houston. I am only an hour and a half away, two hours if I hit traffic, but it was enough to feel like the big girl I want my family to see me as. I have been living on my own, without a roommate for the last year. Is it lonely? Sometimes. But mostly I like it.

"Brinny, your home! How was the last semester?" My sister-in-law, Doone asks. She and my brother Rhett have come over for the day just to have family time. I had barely turned 15 when they got married and my brother always called me Brinny, er go, the baby nickname still.

"I'm good. Glad the semester is over. Hopefully this last year will go by quickly. I am so ready to be done with school!" They understood. My brother was in Optometry school and had a year left himself.

"Where are you going to work this summer?" Rhett asks.

You might be wondering what kind of a job can I find with only having 6 weeks off of school? Doesn't matter. Our parents expect us to find a job. Luckily, the dental office my mom works at has agreed to let me be an assistant of everything. Wherever they need help, I'm the girl. Garbage needs taking out, got it. The office needs dusting, got it. Charts need filing, got it. Dentist needs an extra pair of hands to suction, got it. You get the picture.

"At mom's office. It will be nice to have reasonable hours, as compared to doing retail." I answered.

The back door opened and in walked my very pregnant sister, Tonja, and her twenty month old son, Drake. "I'm so done!" She exclaimed as she flopped back on the couch. I just chuckled to myself and went right to my cutest nephew ever! Okay, he is my only nephew ever, but still...

"Hey Drake, how are you?" I ask him cheerfully, before giving him a hug.

"Hi Aunt B." He says with a happy smile. I love this kid! He can't say Brinnley very well and the first time he tried it came out as "B", it just stuck.

We were busy playing ball and whatever game he came up with when my sister's husband, John came in. "Guess what? The house sold!"

"What?!" Tonja asks, eyes wide.

"It sold. But they want us out in three weeks." He looks over at my parents, "Can we live here this summer?" John and Tonja were heading to graduate school in Pennsylvania at the end of the summer.

"Great! I'm about ready to pop with baby number two and I'm homeless!" Tonja griped.

Mom happily responds, "Of course. You know you are always welcome. John and Tonja, you can have what use to be the boys bedroom, and Brinnley can share the guest room with Drake. The girls old bedroom is for Tyler and Shelly. They will be here tomorrow."

Yep, my life just got bombarded with family, again. My brother Tyler and his wife Shelly are moving back in for the summer for his internship. John just sold their home and is moving his family in. And I have six weeks of summer break. It is a good thing I love my family. Eight of us will be living under the same roof for the summer. Oh, wait! Make that nine. Tonja is ready to give birth any day now.