"They wouldn't like the crowds, honey," Mitch told her and they set off with Natalie and Veronica looking at them through the front windows.
First thing after they got some breakfast, they checked in at the school. Along with their parents, all the kids were gathered there so they could transform into peaches. Sam, Wyatt and the boys were already there as well as Gloria and Lara.
"Remember to get all the hugging out of your system before you put your peach costumes on," Sam reminded the kids.
Lara looked down at Gloria. "He means you, sweetheart," she told her daughter.
Gloria was up for that. "OK. You first, Momma," she said and she hugged Lara, and then she started to hug everybody else too. All the other kids then did the same thing, and it was a melee of hugging.
"Do a group hug, or you'll never be done," Noreen told them. Then she turned to Mitch and Rico, the first timers in the parade. "You see what a challenge it will be to corral them during the parade."
"One wrong move and we could have a peach pileup," Wyatt said.
The kids went to change with the help of people who knew how to get them into giant, Styrofoam peach costumes. In the meantime, the adults were handed what they would be wearing for the parade.
Mitch looked down at the green t-shirt in his hands. "These shirts say 'Sweet as pie'."
"I know they do," Rico told him and held up a t-shirt of his own. "And they have a pie on the back. Hurry up and put it on. I'm ready to take pictures."
Rico had his phone out, but Mitch wasn't doing as he was told. "I need a bigger size."
"Oh, no, you don't. I want to see every bulge," Rico told him.
To indulge him, Mitch put on the t-shirt and Rico snapped as many pictures as he could. And they were priceless too, capturing the menacing look that Mitch was giving him while the words "Sweet as pie" stretched across his broad chest.
"You should be illegal. Hell, I should never let you out of the house," Rico said as he kept taking pictures from every angle.
"I'll put on a bigger shirt," Mitch said.
"No. You're perfect the way you are." Rico put away his phone so he could hug him, and also keep him from changing his t-shirt for a bigger one.
Mitch shook his head but he kept the shirt he had on.
Now that was taken care of, Rico made an announcement to everyone else there. "Do you see this gorgeous man? OK. Now listen up. No one is allowed to look at him. Stop looking right now."
"You're insane." Mitch hung his head and Rico kissed him on the cheek.
After a while, Sammy came out dressed in her big, round peach costume with the little beanie with a leaf attached to it on top of her head. Rico got his phone out once again.
"You walk in that thing like a pro," Rico said, impressed.
"We practiced so we don't fall down too much," DJ said as he and Riley joined her. "Remember not to bump into the other peaches."
All the other kids were ready too, and there were so many pictures being taken. Soon it was time to go, and Sammy got nervous. "There's gonna be lots of people?" she said worriedly.
"Yes," Gloria said, but she was eager, not nervous at all. "And everybody's gonna wave at us."
"And we have to wave too," Riley said and he jumped in place and waved.
"Look at the jumping peach," Wyatt said.
"Make sure to wave at everybody, Sammy," DJ said as the kids and parents filed out.
Taking it as a challenge, Sammy said, "I will!" As they left, she looked up at Mitch and Rico with a big smile.
The parade was fun, and Sammy got to wave at a lot of people and look adorable. The floats were brightly decorated with every kind of peach theme, and Sammy loved them. It was her first Peach Parade and she clapped at everything.
There was a procession of classic cars followed by a marching band from Ashbury High School. Then the Little Peaches followed behind and waved.
