Here is Home • The Pack

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

It was Rob's favorite part of the morning. The hazy time between being in a deep sleep and partially awake, constantly rousing to check the clock on his phone because part of him knew the alarm clock would be blaring soon. Alfie was oddly still asleep, the covers thrown about his bed. Vikk slept like a rock-on his stomach, his mouth open with a constant drawn-out snore emitting from it.

Around six-fifty, Rob heard something dip onto the bed, and he knew it was Ruby. He was still in and out of consciousness when the toddler finally screamed, "RAWRRRRRRR!!!!!"
Right in his ear.

"FUCK!" Rob startled, wincing. He sat up and stared at her.

Ruby grinned, up on all fours. Vikk stirred in the bed beside him, turning his head to look at the pair.

"I'm a dragon," Ruby said and then roared again.

"Little butthole," he muttered as Ruby laid down in between his, kicking her long legs.

Ruby was a smart kid. If someone other than Lachlan had put her to bed then she knew to wake someone else up in the morning. Lachlan not putting her to bed at night usually meant he was out working and wouldn't be back for a while. Ruby no longer wakes up Preston in the morning if Lachlan isn't there. It's like she knows he needs all the sleep he can get. She usually wakes up Jess, but this morning she had gone into the boy's room.

"Hi, Vikk," Ruby said, touching her nose to his. "I'm a dragon."

Vikk smiled sleepily. "I heard you. Gimme kiss."

Ruby kissed him. Vikk sat up then, stretching, and Rob stared at them, blinking drowsily.

"I'm throwing that stupid movie away," he muttered, referring to How To Train Your Dragon.

Vikk only laughed softly and then pulled Ruby into his lap, putting his hand down her pajama bottoms, feeling the front and back.

"You're dry," he told the toddler excitedly. "You stayed dry all night."

"Yeah, I'm a big kid," Ruby said. "And a dragon."

"Yeah, well go potty right now so you stay dry," Rob said, pointing to the bathroom attached to the bedroom.

Ruby pouted and said, "Mmm!"

It was her sound of defiance. Rob's eyebrows touched his hairline, daring her to keep scowling at him.

"If you pee on yourself Imma bust your ass," Rob said. "GO."

She moved from Vikk's lap to Rob's and idly played with his fingers. Rob looked at Vikk who just shrugged one shoulder.

After several minutes, Rob finally got up, setting Ruby on the floor and prodded her to the bathroom. Ruby obediently pulled her pajama pants and Ninja Turtle underwear down and sat on the toilet. Rob waited patiently.

"You done?" He asked. "I have to go too."

"I'm pooping," She said casually.

Rob sighed. Ruby was the world's slowest pooper. When about a minute had passed, he prodded her off the toilet.

"Get up. Let me pee really quick," he said.

He ushered her outside the door and quickly peed, then set her back on the toilet and waited.

When the toddler was finally done she said, "Wipe my butt."

Jess walked into the bathroom at that moment, and snorted at what Ruby had said.

"Ruby," Jess asked. "What do you want for breakfast? Pancakes or Eggs?"

"Lucky Charms," Ruby said.
"You ate all the Lucky Charms last night," She said.