By 0900, the family had finished breakfast, discussed the untimely demise of Mrs. Smith, completed their morning routines, and tackled their chores. Jordan had hopped on his rugged Trek Police Edition bike and ridden to the Liberty Heights community center, Ruger trotting at his side, to get his CrossFit WOD in and then lead a self-defense class for the neighborhood's senior citizens. Sierra sat in the family library and watched the children filter in to begin their homeschool lessons.
One of the many upsides to homeschooling their children was that Sierra constantly found herself learning new things in the process of facilitating the children's education through their skills and developing interests. Budding seamstress Cadence was often
designing clothing or seated at one of the sewing machines in the craft room working on an item to sell on her Etsy store, while outdoorsy Caisson researched wilderness medicine, and spent lots of time hiking, fishing, and bow hunting. For years now, Caisson had helped fill the family's freezer and larder with venison, wild turkey, salmon, and trout. At only thirteen, the triplets were still exploring a variety of interests: Benning had begun raising rabbits and chickens on the family's property; Campbell enjoyed martial arts and was frequently poring over some book about weaponry. Knox was a history buff whose latest passion was learning about indigenous lifestyles and foraging. Ten-year-old Ranger had shown his mechanical inclinations even as a tot, and to date had taken apart (and thankfully, put back together!) everything from old toasters and cell phones to lawnmowers and generators.
One of the best parts of finally settling down was their family room - which Sierra had customized as their home library. As a family housewarming gift, Sierra's Granny had taken each member of the family shopping in a downtown area that featured multiple antique shops and furniture stores. She challenged them all to find the "perfect" chair for themselves for their new library, similar to when she purchased Sierra's wing back chair for her as a young teen. The wing back had actually held up very well over the years, and though Sierra had been tempted to purchase a recliner from time to time, she wasn't willing to sacrifice her beloved chair to make space for one. Her gift from Granny was an ottoman with built-in storage, which made the perfect addition in front of her chair and provided a space for keeping a pile of magazines, a knitting project, and other necessities accessible but neatly out of sight. The eclectic collection of chairs were placed around the room, providing private areas within the shared space. Each family member's chair was outfitted with a favorite blanket, quilt, or shawl, allowing them to keep utility bills low by staying cozy in their own spaces. Sierra was frequently the coldest member of the family, so her chair was stationed beside the fireplace at one end of the room. Jordan's chair sat opposite, each of the chairs angled in the corners at that end so they could see the doors, windows, and children as necessary.
Sierra pondered these things from her beloved wing back, yarn already in her hands, and watched the children get started. When working with Jordan's carpenter brother, Duncan, on the design of the bookshelves, she had requested that they not be built floor to ceiling. This gave her space on top of each shelf unit where a variety of treasures from around the world could be placed on display. Since the military strictly limited their weight allowances during moves, the family's library was not as large as it could have been; many of their resources were saved on e-readers or a laptop. Having been in their home for less than two years, and still very dedicated to a frugal lifestyle, they had not gone crazy buying up books at random. There was plenty of space on the shelves for more books, and space dedicated to items such as collections of microscopes, antique cameras, and family photos.
The triplets gathered around the large, round, burl wood table with a variety of books and binders, while Ranger curled up on the window seat at the end of the room with a book about Nikola Tesla. Cadence and Caisson grabbed the family's two laptop computers and began working on math and computer programming lessons at a smaller antique library table. As everyone got to work, Sierra felt a soft nuzzling at her elbow and gave a nod to Kahra, the family's Irish wolfhound. With Ruger out at the community center with Jordan, Kahra was on duty for the family. She curled up on the sheepskin rug in front of the fireplace, right at hand if Sierra or the children needed her, and surveyed the quiet scene. Both Sierra and Kahra sensed the room wouldn't stay this quiet for long, so for now, they would relax and enjoy it all.
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