House of Cards Series # 3 One Shots (QoS, KoH)

Family Photo

"We should do a group family photo!"

Whoever knew those sweet, innocent, seven little words would end in so many tears?

Four adults

Three children

One photo

One big headache

"Nathaniel Spade Vega if you don't get down from there right now!" "Adri put that back where you, no don't stick it in your mouth!" "Grace, you have to sit still." "Just sit down." "Sit still." Don't cry there's no reason to be crying." "Malcolm your tie is skewed." "Ace, did you just lick and spit to clean his face?" "Can I get everyone's attention over on the camera please?" "West try smiling, it'll look less like a mug shot."

"QUIET!" the very tiny camera woman hollared out over the din of the Vega/James families. All eyes turned on her, wide in surprise. Since the photographer was maybe five foot even and not even 90 pounds soaking wet, the fact that someone so tiny made so much noise astonished them into obedience. "Thank you. Now please, if you guys can sit still for three pictures, I'll give everyone a lollipop alright?" the camera woman bribed.

It worked. The three children understood the allure of candy and silenced whatever antics they'd been up to. The adults settled into amused silence. It lasted three very quick camera shutter clicks and then the screaming and fighting erupted again, as if it had never been silenced. The camera woman told Malcolm over the din of two screaming little girls and one crying little boy and two tired mothers trying to shush all of the above while West gagged over the smell eminating from his daughter's backside.

A day later there was a beautiful picture of all seven of them. Only one of the three had turned out, but the camera woman included doubles of all three photos. In one picture, the children were all making funny faces. In another, the adults were the ones screwing around. All three earned frames and special places on display because family is family and sometimes the adults are as bad as the children.