Raising Kamden

Chapter 3: Cliques, Popularity, High School

"WAKE UP, NOLAN!!!" Anna screams while shaking Nolan's sleeping form. She held Kamden in her right arm. Kamden is wearing a nice blue and white stripes jumpsuit with red floral on the pant leg. It was a little outfit that Anna put on her from the clothes that her mother had. It has been 2 weeks since Nolan and Kamden have moved in with the Dixon family. Christmas is in the air or at least we are getting closer to Christmas.

Nolan tosses and turns then wake up from his slumber. He rubs his eyes from the sleepiness. Anna lets Kammy down on to Nolan where Kammy proceeds to do sloppy kisses on Nolan's cheek.

"Ok. Ok. Kammy, I am awake." Nolan sits up and gives Kamden a huge hug, "I love you, my little princess!" Nolan says as he kissed Kammy on the cheek.

"Aww. You are such a loving father." Anna smiles at the cute scene. Nolan puts Kammy beside him and gets up out of bed.

"I have to. Kammy has no one else. I guess I want to give her what I didn't have."

Nolan walks off into the bathroom to get freshened up for the day. Anna takes up Kamden and walks out of the room. Her face flushed red from Nolan's statement. Her love for him grows.

I know what you are thinking, why can't Nolan just report his parents? Why can't he just give Kamden up for adoption? Well, let me explain. Nolan's family was entrusted with Kamden. Nolan is determined to fulfill the birth mother's wishes. Besides, Kamden is the only other family member that Nolan has. Kamden is very important to Nolan. As for his parents, they have not called, texted, or did anything to show their interest for their son since he left. Nolan was right, they didn't care at all. At this point, there is no use to be making a fuss over reporting them. He left and that is that. Before the bills came, life was good. He took care of her comfortably (because it was summertime and Jacob was off from school). Once the school year started, everything got so much harder. Give or take we are only 2 months into senior year.

After Nolan gets ready, he heads downstairs into the kitchen. There Anna feeds Kammy her breakfast but, Kammy keeps on spitting up the food and laughing. Amos and Azai argued about who gets the last of the syrup for their pancakes. Bertie is trying to calm down the argument while Liena has trouble flipping pancakes off the pan. The pancakes keep on leaving the pan and sticking to the ceiling.

"What a wild morning we have?" Nolan says with a sigh. A sense of calm and relaxation rushes over him. It was organized chaos that showed this early in the morning.

Azai looks up from his glazed over pancakes and screams, "Mornin' Nolan! Come sit next to me!" he waves over Nolan and points to the seat next to him.

Amos starts to eat his dry pancakes, "Really Azi. Not only will you win over the pancakes but, you start being annoying. Some brother I have." Amos grudgingly stuffs more dry pancake in his mouth.

"Oh, hush Ami..." Anna stops trying to feed Kammy and looks at Amos (By the way, Azi is Azai's nickname and Ami is Amos's joke nickname. Amos doesn't have one. Also, Amos hates being called Ami) "Just because you didn't get any syrup doesn't mean you have to be grumpy."

"Don't call me Ami." Amos snears. Yeah...Amos can act like a huge kid for a 14-year-old.

For the rest of the breakfast, the Dixon family plus Kamden and Nolan enjoyed their food (minus Amos) and talked. Nolan never thought that he would be so happy to see it. He went from having almost no one to a whole family taking him and his daughter in treating them like family. It was a very warm and comfortable feeling.

"Oh ...Hey Nolan." Anna calls for Nolan as she takes Kammy out of her hand-me-down high chair and handed her to Bertie. Nolan cleans up the table and heads to the sink to wash the dishes (a job that Liena should be doing). Nolan didn't hear her so she walks over and tapped his shoulder. Nolan jumps up startled to the sudden tap on his shoulder. He was into washing the dishes (again a job that Liena should be doing).