Modern Family

Day to Day

The moms at the dance studio used to give him strange looks when he'd drop her off or pick her up, most likely wondering why it seemed a little girl was being raised by a bunch of men, and sometimes Jace wondered if Savannah was affected by the fact that she was growing up without a mother. She didn't know her mother at all and Jace would have told her the truth if she asked, but she never did.

So he broached the subject himself and found that she could apparently care less.

"Why do I need a mommy?" she'd shrugged as she poured him water in a plastic tea cup. "I have four daddies."

They came to a stop outside Ryan's bedroom door, which Savannah had kindly decorated with sparkly fairy princess stickers from her collection. Dropping her father's hand, she reached up and stood on her tip toes to turn the doorknob. Jace pushed open the door and over her shoulder, Savannah pressed a small finger to her lips, urging him to be silent. Nodding, he followed her on his tip toes into the room, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing when she launched herself onto Ryan's bed and began to jump up and down, much like she had done for Jace.

"Wake up, Uncle Ry! It's a big day!"

Ryan let out a loud groan that sent Savannah into a fit of giggles as she collapsed on top of him and began tickling his side. In his attempt to keep from laughing, he ended letting out a series of squeaks and a few moments later, Jace heard running from down the hallway and Austin and Liam appeared at the door, their brows furrowed in confusion.

"I thought someone was dying," Liam yawned, leaning one shoulder against the door frame.

"Nah," Jace chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest and watching as Ryan finally contained Savannah by looping an arm around her waist and pulling her against his chest, where he proceeded to make faces at her. "Savi wanted to wake Ry up."

"So pretty much the same thing," Liam laughed.

"Good morning, Savi-licious," Austin called out, mimicking Liam's leaning position on the other side of the door frame.

Craning her neck, Savannah grinned and waved at her uncles in the doorway. "Uncle Austin! Uncle Liam! Guess what day it is?"

"In case you can't tell, she's excited about the recital," Jace smirked, looking back at his friends.

"So are we," Ryan grumbled, sitting up in his bed and pulling Savannah into his side on top of the covers. "We're gonna be in the front row, cheering for you."

"There's no cheering in ballet, Uncle Ry," she pouted, crunching her eyebrows together.

"Says who?" Ryan replied, mirroring her expression. "I'll cheer if I want to."

"I think you guys can work this out later," Jace laughed, running a hand through the hair that seemed to be perpetually stuck in an upwards formation. "Savi, sweetie, can you go brush your teeth? You're gonna need a big breakfast if you're gonna rock it on that stage tonight."

Nodding, she smacked a kiss to Ryan's cheek before hopping off the bed and scurrying past her father and uncles towards the bathroom down the hall. Laughing, the boys grinned at each other before scattering to perform their morning rituals.

Austin brushed his teeth beside Savannah in the bathroom, making sure she rinsed out her mouth and toothbrush properly. Ryan sat on the floor of the hallway and talked to her through the door as she took a bath, because she insisted that she was old enough to do it herself, and told her knock knock jokes to make her giggle splash about in the water, every now and then reminding her to scrub behind her ears because she always seemed to forget. Once she was squeaky clean, Liam would help her pick out her clothes, today opting for a set of purple overalls and a white t-shirt since she would have to change out of them later anyway. In the kitchen, Jace got to work setting out the various cereal and fruit options for breakfast.