Chapter 3
Three concerts, lots of hotel food, and many screaming girls later they were finally headed back home to Tulsa. The new CD hadn't sold as well as MON but without a monster single like MMMBop they didn't expect it to. Still, they were happy and sales had been respectable and the critics kind. It was time for a break. Taylor had been grounded for ten days now—his parents had cornered him as soon as they'd hit the hotel in Cincinnati. He had been given the standard "we need to know where you are at all times" lecture as well as a new one about responsibility, morals, respect and a few other things. His father was still very angry and his mother was way into the disappointed stage. It had been decided by the two of them that he was now the designated baby sitter for the younger Hansons and that if he watched videos it would be of the Sesame Street, Barney, or Olson Twins variety. His mother's decree of no computer for five weeks stood and he was only to leave the house or hotel with family on family outings, no movies with Ike and Zac or arcades and such.
So now as the plane landed in Tulsa, he was trying to figure out what he would do to entertain himself for the next three weeks. "C'mon Avie, let's go. Mom's already off the plane. "
Mackie had fallen asleep again and Taylor thought his back might break from carrying his own and Mackenzie's back packs plus the forty pounds or so of sleeping kid. Thank God Jessie is old enough to baby sit herself and Mom doesn't trust me with Zoë on top of these two he thought to himself. By now, the novelty of Taylor's punishment had worn off for Zac and Isaac. At first it had been kind of funny to see him having to stay in the girls' room and braid their hair and such and especially seeing him watch Barney, Waiting for Santa while they were in their room watching Arnold's latest on pay-per-view. At this point though, they were really feeling sorry for him and so they offered to carry the backpacks for him. Besides, they really didn't want to see him and the sleeping Mackie trip down those funky airplane stairs together if he tripped, which was known to happen now and then with those big feet of his.
"Thanks guys," he said tiredly. He really hoped the babysitting would let up once they got home. If he had to hear Ken and Barbie argue about outfits or paint Jessica or Avery's nails much more he was sure he'd be sent to the funny farm. But, he had to admit, it was kind of nice when they fixed his hair for him, at least the combing and brushing part, and he was starting to like the smell of that detangler stuff, but the braids and barrettes he could do without.
When they saw the gate to their neighborhood, all of them were relieved. Though it seemed snooty, it was also good for their peace of mind to know just anybody couldn't go up to their house. The little guardhouse had to be passed first and if you weren't on "the list" you didn't get in. Their driveway looked even more comforting but was nothing compared to the ecstasy that was their own beds. As Taylor fell asleep that night it occurred to him that he might not mind being grounded as it would give him an excuse to not go anywhere and not do anything.
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The next morning he woke to the sounds of Zoë playing in her crib. Her room was across the hall from his and now that she was almost two his parents felt that she should be in her own room. It was still dark outside, the clock on his bedside table said it was 6:05. Way too early to get up but he didn't think he could go back to sleep with her "talking." Even though his mom had been trying to get her to stop taking a bottle, Taylor knew if he had any hope of getting her to go back to sleep he'd need it. He went to the kitchen, found a bottle with Elmo on the side and filled it with milk. Thank heavens they'd remembered to stop at a store last night for milk and bread. Soon he found himself by her crib, when she saw him she raised both arms in the air for him to pick her up.
"C'mere baby." He said as he lifted her out of the bed and held her close to him. When he handed her the bottle she started drinking it right away and lay her head against his chest and under his chin. He sat down in the big rocker in her room and began to hum a song to her. She was always content when one of the guys held her for they always sang to her and she could feel the sound in their chest against her face. Soon he felt her begin to loosen her grip on the bottle and she stopped taking it altogether. The rocking and humming had lulled her back to sleep and Taylor was satisfied to just hold her and close his own eyes.
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When Diana came in to check on Zoë around 8:00, there she and Taylor were, both asleep in the rocker. She looked at them both and noticed how much they looked alike. She knew she had been hard on Taylor these past two weeks but he had to know she meant what she said. This world was not a safe place for the rich and famous, though priceless to her, she knew there were people out there who would gladly put a dollar amount on the life of any one of the boys or any of the children for that matter. It was common knowledge that they were millionaires and that could be a great temptation for some people. She had wanted their dream of a recording contract to come true but none of them really knew the price they would have to pay for it. But, she supposed the great joy they got from singing and some of the wonderful fans they had met and people whose lives they had made happier made it all worth it.
Still, there were rules that had to be followed in order to insure everybody's safety and so far Taylor had been the one most likely to disregard those rules. And so, even though she felt bad about the whole situation, she felt she owed it to him and the whole family for that matter, to not back down on their punishment. She walked over to them and took Zoë out of his arms. Once the baby was snugly back in her crib she turned back to Taylor. His chest had dried milk on it and she was sure he would have a crick in his neck from the way his head had fallen over to the side.
"Tay. Wake up baby" she said as she gently shook his shoulder. He opened his eyes and blinked a few times before focusing on the face of his mother. He stretched and stood up from the rocking chair.
"What's up?" he said sleepily.
"Nothing. Why don't you go back to bed. I think I can take over for you for a while." She smiled at him.
"Well, if you think you can handle it. Love you Mom."
She looked up at him, he was probably a foot taller than her now. "Love you too, baby."