"Options... Are There Anymore Options...?" (Book 4)

Chapter 47 - "Autumn Cleaning..."

Chapter 47 - "Autumn Cleaning..."

Clara's PoV

It didn't take too long once they had all left the house for me to go into full cleaning mode.

I couldn't help it the place was such a mess.

So I ran (actually just moved quicker) into the kitchen and grabbed some cleaning essentials and bolted back to the lounge where no matter how much pain I was in was going to clean.

There was toys everywhere and books everywhere - in fact half of the toys I was picking up were broken.

'Do not sit there...' I growled.

'I need to feed Isla' she scoffed.

'Oh. Okay but then it's cleaning time. If you come round here you've anonymously volunteered to clean with me. Only the lounge today but there's certain heights that I can't reach alone'

'Ugh. Or you could just sit down? Chill out and relax as you've been ordered too... wait where are the kids?'

'I pretty much instructed on insistence that John take the kids to the park. I was going insane and then I saw the state of this lounge and then there was Harry dressed in a dress with make up so I had to call it' I grumbled having not bothered about even stopping.

I was still in the midst of the cleaning of the lounge.

'Right. Your boobs are baby free. Can you put these books up on the shelf please' I begged.

'Fine' she sighed. 'If you want to clean... let's clean'

- - -

'There... now doesn't that look a lot better' I smirked to myself as the front door opened and heard a mouth drop.

'What the hell happened to the lounge? We were only gone two hours' John spluttered.

'Yeah? Plenty of time for me to have a clean up'

'How the hell? You're injured? How was this even possible?'

'Well Lilly gave me a hand. But that's not the point. And I'm just getting started. You lot have been slipping depressingly since I haven't been here for the last three weeks - so now we're going to change that. Change in to your oldest clothes because we're having an Autumn clean' I smirked.

'Dad has she gone mad?' Poppy asked looking up at John.

'Possibly.., let's just humour it yeah?' He whispered back.

'So... Everyone can start in their rooms and then Evie and Avia you clean your bathroom together. And I don't want to hear your complaining. Poppy you can then move onto down here with Henry and clean up the back garden'

'That's not fair. We don't want to clean' Poppy scoffed speaking for everyone I'm sure.

'Tough. Your all helping to clean and whoever doesn't pull their weight is grounded for a week' I hummed walking into the kitchen with John following behind me with Harry.

'Clara? Don't you think this is a bit extreme?' John mumbled.

'No. This house is absolute filth and I pride myself on cleanliness. Therefore we are going to scrub this house from top to bottom - and you are in charge of hoovering' I smirked.

'I'll start by helping henry' he sighed disappearing up to the bedroom with 4 really annoyed kids behind him. 'What?' He scoffed.

'Shes your wife. Gets some balls' Avia said shocking the life out of John for such a mature answer.

- - -

'Evie your actually a slob? Why do you have a chocolate yoghurt cup in here? Mum will kill you for eating in your room'

'Chill out Avia. It's not like there ants or anything living in here' Evie said rolling her eyes.

'No but the dog does. I'm surprised even he hasn't started getting watery eyes and left'

Evie wasn't at all the messiest person in the world. Surprisingly she was quite clean compared to other kids her age - but there was a few things she needed to work on.

Like washing.

'You two realise there is a washing basket here for a reason. How much further is it from the bathroom floor to here?' John said with an eye roll and raised brow at the same time.

'Huh? I always thought that was a rubbish bin' Evie grumbled.

'How? You don't even use it for that' Avia scoffed holding up a yogurt pot that literally had a spoon glued to it from disgustingness and where it had been on the floor for so long.

'Wow we need to come up here more often' John grumbled throwing the dirty unwashed towels down the stairs and hoped to god that he never had to witness his daughters bra on the bathroom - communal - radiator again.

Evie stares compliant for about how Avia was no cleaner when they opens the door and her room was the picture of pure cleanliness.

'Now this is what a bedroom should look like' John hummed. 'Not a spec of dust and clean sheets. I dread to think when the last time you had clean sheets on was'

'Last week. Mainly because I spilt coke all over the sheets so I had no choice but to change them'

'Even then she didn't do it. Don't let her fool you Dad. She made Lilly come up here and do it so that she didn't have too'

'Evie' John scolded.

'Daddy. If the cabinet in the bathroom accidentally fell off the wall - would it be a problem?' Poppy asked with puppy dog eyes.

'Good god' John scoffed running into the downstairs bathroom.

- - -

'And it's going to take you how long to fix it?' I scoffed.

'Not long. But we're all probably better off using the bathroom on the third floor. The plumbing is completely separate from the middle and ground floor. I'll get someone out to see to it tomorrow' John explained.

He had no idea much like myself how on earth henry and Poppy had managed to destroy the plumbing in the upstairs bathroom but they had kicked something that had broken the cabinet so maybe it hit a pipe or something.

Needless to say Henry had received his first ever proper punishment and wasn't enjoying it so far.

'I hate being grounded'

'At least you only get 4 days. I have 7' poppy grumbled.

As a general rule - unless it's something unforgivable I ground them based on their age. Avia and Evie rather hate it because they are up to two weeks.