Most Valuable Parent (MVP #1)

BONUS CHAPTER - Crisp October Mornings

"You can't steal him."

Emery looks to the side with a guilty smile, "I wasn't gonna..."

"Get your own."

"I'm working on it. Baby steps, Christian. Baby steps."

I tilt my phone back up, "You gotta boyfriend yet or what?"

"Like I said. Baby steps."

"So really, you've taken no steps at all?"

Her mouth gapes open, "Way to just expose me like that."

I hear the shower turn off as I smile, "So, I'm right then?"

"Maybe.."

"You'll find someone."

"I'm twenty-six, I should have someone by now."

"You were in school still, have you actually tried dating?"

"I've had a few Hinge matches but, no luck."

"It'll happen when you least expect it."

"Brin is calling me back now." Emery chuckles.

"Brin, I've got her on the phone."

The bathroom door opens and Brinley steps out, a towel around her body and another towel wrapped around her hair, "Oh, okay."

"You're husband isn't being very nice."

"You're sister isn't being very nice."

Brinley ignores the two of us bickering like siblings and walks into the closet. Emery snickers, which makes me snicker back. "Good Lord, you sure you two aren't really the siblings here.", I hear Brinley call out from the closet.

Emery is like the little sister I always wanted and never got. We bicker all the time but it's all in a fun joking manner.

Brinley's family easily became mine after that first Christmas. I got a father I never had who welcomed me into the family as his own, I got a second mother, a little sister, and apparently a whole ass farm too. Then you throw in the small town dynamic, and I've basically got one huge freaking family now.

Of course, just like Brinley, her family took Charlie in as their own too. They've treated her, and spoiled her, as their own Granddaughter, even before Brin adopted her. I have no worry in my mind that they'll favorite Max over Charlie. Just like I have no worry that Brinley will.

Then there's Emery. I mean, we had to have one crazy cool Aunt, didn't we? I'm pretty sure there was a small period of time that we didn't think Em would get her Masters because she was busy spending time with Charlie. She promised us she had it handled, and apparently, she did.

"We try our best."

Brinley comes out and hops into bed as we all chat for a little longer before calling it a night.

The next morning I let Brinley sleep while I get Charlie ready for school.

"Daddy, my shoe came untied."

"Okay, I'll fix it when we get there."

I glance back in the rear-view mirror to see that Max is asleep in the carseat.

Brinley's name appears on the screen in the middle of the dashboard and I hit the button on the steering wheel to answer.

"Hello?"

"Did you remember to put an ice pack in her lunchbox?"

I chuckle, "Yeah baby."

"Okay, just making sure. How's Max?"

"Asleep."

"Hi Mommy!" Charlie exclaims.

"Hey Cutie. Have fun at school today!"

"Okay!"

I turn my right blinker on, "Hey I'm pulling into the parking lot, I'll call you back in a few."

"Sounds good. Love ya, bye."

"Love you too!"

I pull up along the curb and I hear the seatbelt click, "Don't forget your-"

Charlie cuts me off, "Lunchbox, I know!", she says matter of factly as she climbs out of the car seat and grabs her backpack and matching lunchbox.

"And don't slam the door." She swings the door open as I see one of the drop-off teachers come walking with a smile on her face.

"Goodmorning Mrs.Thea!" I hear before she slams the door.

I sigh, glancing back at Max to make sure he's still asleep.

Charlie used to not close the door hard enough, so I had to explain that she needed to push it a little harder. She of course took that as she gets to just gung ho it. That may be a little bit of Brinley rubbing off on her.

I watch until she's inside the large stone building before pulling away and heading to a little local drive-thru café and getting breakfast.

"Christian!" I hear come from upstairs as I walk into the kitchen.

"Yeah?"

I hear footsteps coming down the stairs before Brinley appears in the kitchen, holding something behind her back, "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"

I purse my lips together in thought, "Hmm, no."

"So, you didn't buy infant noise reduction earmuffs. Thinking I'd be taking our newborn to a game, did you?", she pulls the Amazon box from behind her back.

I lean against the counter, "Not our newborn. I was thinking maybe more.. Two or three months?"

"Do you really think that's a good idea?"

"Gotta start 'em young. Get him used to the earmuffs, you know? Plus, I did research. I got the one with the elastic band that goes around his head instead of on top. Apparently the top of a baby's head is very vulnerable."

Brinley nods, "Yeah. Because their Fontanelles aren't closed yet."

"I'm just gonna act like I know what that is. Anyways, they're perfectly safe and even help babies sleep better at night apparently. Also, if you start them on him young, he'll probably be a little less likely to throw them off of his head when he's older."

Brinley hops up on the counter, "For starters, Fontanelles are the soft spots on a baby's head where the bony plates that make up his or her skull have not yet come together."

I smile, "Thank you, Dr.Brooks."

"You can feel them on the top and backs of baby's head."

"I don't know if that's cool or weird."

Brinley shrugs, "It's nothing new for me."

"We get it.", I grin, "You're a smart cookie."

"Still saying cookie, huh?"

I nod, "I live with two kids now, it's necessary."

Word Count: 2,093

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