Fall - A Rocky Lynch Story

Chapter 12

Some days in this house were hard to handle. I had pretty much adjusted to having four children, but there were just some days -- usually a couple times a month -- where this circus drove me up the wall. I was definitely having one of those days.

Saturday had finally come and I let myself believe I was going to be able to sleep in. I laid on my stomach with the blankets pulled up nearly over my head, my legs entwined with Rocky's. I felt the bed shift. Assuming it was Mason, I just ignored it. That usually worked with him and he'd go play by himself until Rocky or I got up.

But then I heard a little girl's voice. "Mommy! Daddy!" Ellie giggled happily and bounced on the bed.

I wiped the sleep out of my eyes as I rolled over. "Baby...? How did you get out of your crib?" I pulled her over to me just as Rocky stretched and woke up.

"I climb out!" she said with a proud smile. "I'm a big girl!"

"You are such a big girl," Rocky confirmed. He took Ellie into his arms and pulled the blanket over them, cuddling her and closing his eyes once again.

After a minute, she calmed down and I thought I might actually get to go back to sleep. That was silly of me to think. Soon after, Mason appeared in our doorway, wearing a shirt that was way too big for him. It looked vaguely familiar.

"Mom! Dad! Tell Mason to stay out of my things!" Carter yelled from his room, then shut the door with force. Ahh, that's why it looked familiar. It was Carter's shirt.

"Come here buddy," I told Mason, who waddled over to me. He nearly tripped on the excess shirt that drug on the floor. I sat up in bed and lifted him up next to me. "It's not cool to take your brother's things. You don't like when people take your stuff, right?"

His lip started to tremble. "B-b-but I want to be like big brother," he stuttered then started to cry.

I hugged him to me and combed my fingers through his messy bed head hair. "Do you want breakfast?" I asked him before kissing his cheeks and forehead a bunch. That always got him to stop crying.

I lifted him up and started to walk down to the kitchen. Ellie struggled out of Rocky's grasp and followed us down, sitting on her bottom to thud down the stairs one-by-one. As I passed each kid's door, I knocked and let them know I was getting breakfast ready.

Ellie climbed up onto a chair and tried to get herself into her high chair. "You really are getting to be a big girl," I sighed and picked her up so she wouldn't fall and get hurt. A trip to the ER would be the last thing I needed.

"She's not the only one who's a big girl," Avelyn said matter-of-factly as she walked into the kitchen. She was fully dressed and her hair was neatly pulled back with a butterfly barrette. "I'll have you know, mommy, that I'm very responsible. I made my bed and put away all my laundry you gave me last night. Very responsible," she winked at me. When did she learn how to wink?

I rolled my eyes, knowing this was just a ploy to get the puppy. "What do my big kids want for breakfast?" I asked them.

"Fruit!" Ellie clapped her hands together.

"Cereal," Avelyn said, sitting down in her usual chair. "The cinnamon kind. With orange juice, please mommy." Well, look at her saying please. Her attitude has really changed. I placed a bowl of cut up bananas, apples, and grapes onto Ellie's tray with a sippy cup of milk, then gave Avelyn the supplies to put together her own breakfast. "Thank you," she smiled sweetly at me.

Carter and Rocky entered the room at the same time, both only in their pajama pants. It was really uncanny how alike they looked. Both had the same sleepy expression and messy hair. Carter went over to the fridge and pulled out a cup of yogurt and picked up a banana off of the counter before sitting down. Rocky gave me a tired kiss on the cheek and poured himself a cup of coffee. Mason, noticing what Carter was eating, perked up. "Mommy! Can I have yogurt?"