The Good Life

Chapter 127

-Summer 2020-

"Mommmmyyyyy...." Hope ran up to her mother screaming in a high pitched toddler voice holding a toy.

"Whaaaatttt....." Marla asked leaning down to pick up her daughter and her toy. Marla looked at her daughter's tears watching her eyes water up moving toward the other side of the house where her brother was. "Where's your brother?" she asked. She watched her daughter shrug her shoulders and start to cry again. "Let's go find him...." She said to her daughter leaning her head to see Angelo sitting in a suitcase with all the clothes that she had just packed on the floor holding one of her his sister's toys.

"Mom! Look at what they're doing! They're in soooo much trouble!" a now 8 year old Rosie exclaimed.

"Let me take care of it, Rosalia...Marla  replied. "Go finish packing your things for the trip, please."

"Fine." Rosie harrumphed turning around to her bedroom.

Marla put Hope down bending down to sit down next to her son. "What are you doing, Angelo?" she asked him looking at his big eyes staring at her knowing that he was in trouble. Hope reached over to Marla pulling on her crying. "Hang on, baby girl...give me a second with your brother." She reassured her daughter lifting Angelo out of the suitcase. "Help me clean up, please." She told her one and half year old handing him a folded shirt to place in the suitcase. Hope reached her hands out to take clothes too, throwing them toward the suitcase. Marla turned to look at her daughter who was now laughing at the clothes she was throwing around. "This isn't going to work." Marla sighed picking Angelo up holding her hand out for Hope to walk out into the living room with her. "Let's go eat lunch....Rossieee! Take a break and come eat lunch with us." Marla yelled hoping her daughter heard her over the music she was playing from the Disney Channel playing in her bedroom. Rosie came running out of her bedroom singing some random song that she was actually pretty good at hitting the notes. "Rosie, you sound beautiful." Marla told her daughter setting down a sandwich in front of her daughter.

"Mommmm. I want to be like daddy when I grow up. I want to sing and dance." She told her mother.

"We'll ask dad when he gets home if you can sing with him..." Marla said glancing at her phone and then at the note on the fridge that said I'll be home at 2. I'll see you soon. Love-Brunz  "He'll be home soon..."

"I'm home now!" they turned to see Bruno come through the back door carrying several boxes.

"What are those for?" Marla asked.

"It's a surprise. You'll see on Saturday." He smirked sitting down in between the twins. "What were you going to ask me?"

"Daddy. I want to sing and dance with you." She told her father.

"You can sing and dance with me at the wedding." He answered.

"But I want to sing in front of lots of people, dad. I can do it. I know I can." She told her father with a slight whine.

"We have lots of time to talk about that on the trip tomorrow." He told her.

"You're going to say no. That's stupid." Rosie said reaching for her plate. "I'm going to go watch TV."

"Rosalia...." Marla said in a stern tone. "If you keep acting like that the answer will be no until you're 18."

"I can deal with that. That's only 10 years." Rosie said with little emotion walking into the living room.

"I'll go talk to her." Bruno said standing up kissing the twins on the head letting him know that he was still there. Marla turned around to help the twins encouraging them and telling them about their trip on the plane the next day.

"Mama..." Bruno sat down next to Rosie muting the TV.

"I was watching that." She snapped at him.

"Your mom is right. Did I ever tell you that I didn't get to go on stage if I was misbehaving? If I yelled or if I hit my sisters my dad told me I couldn't do it and I had to sit in the audience for the night." Bruno told his daughter.

"Noooo..." Rosie responded. "You lied."

"We can ask Nana when we see her tomorrow." He told her.

"I won't believe you until she tells me." Rosie told Bruno.

"Well, until we find out I need you to go eat with your brother and sister..." he said pointing to the table.

"Fine. But I'm not happy. I'm not happy at all. I want to siinnngggggg...."Rosie whined handing her father her lunch.

Bruno set down the plate sitting down next to Marla. "Will you help me finish packing? The twins got in one of the bags..."

"Of course." He said. "I need a break from the studio." He smiled kissing her on the cheek getting up from the chair.

"Is the album amazzzinnng?" she joked.

"Yes. It's going to be so amazzzinnnggg." He winked at her going back to their bedroom to help her pack.

*

Marla held onto Hope tightly as she squirmed out of her mother's arms while Marla tried to bend down to pick up one last item for their 6 hour flight to Hawaii. "Shhh, Esperanza. You can't be this loud on the plane." She told her daughter whose head turned to see her father walking out of the kitchen with her brother. Hope screamed in excitement calling out her brother's name in her own baby language. "Go on..." Marla set her down. "Let me get everything in the car..watch them..." Marla instructed Bruno.

About ten minutes later Rosalia joined her mother handing her suitcases and toys to put in the SUV. "Mommm....do I get to sing?"

"Rosalia, you still have to talk to your dad." Marla told her daughter picking her up to put her in the car making her laugh. Marla bent down to kiss her daughter's nose. "But if it was my decision I would say yes. But shhh. Don't tell him, okay?"she told her daughter sealing her lips with her fingertips.

"Okay." Rosie smiled adjusting her seatbelt moving her head to see Bruno walking out with the twins.  Marla and Bruno set the twins in their car seats closing the door stopping at the back of the car.  Bruno reached for her waist unexpectedly pushing her against the back of the car.

"Ouch." Marla laughed feeling his lips against hers. "Wow. That's spontaneous."

"Just because we have three kids doesn't mean I can't be spontaneous." He told her still near her lips looking into her eyes.

"Well, whats' next?" she asked him still listening for the kids that were right behind them.

"I only make out with girls I marry." He smirked.

"Oh. I see how it is." She answered playfully.

"So you'll have to wait until Saturday to see what's next." He said kissing her lightly squeezing her butt letting go of her. "Hurry up, Mar. We're going to miss the plane. Geez."