Same script, different cast

It's all fun and games til Santa checks the naughty list!!

“Your whole body just relaxed, I'm going to blow you so good later, go write something!”

she laughs quietly as I read it her head already where she says she's going to put it later making my body react to her words but I calm it down I have other plans for later though so I might just have to take a rain check on that for now.

Getting up, I go upstairs and sit on our bed desperate for a minutes peace, picking up my notepad I start jotting down some rhythms I'd had swirling about my head for awhile and as soon as I started I got lost in playing with the words, saying them in different ways and with different words, I loved word play and somewhere along the way I realise I'd been up here for hours it was dark and the only reason I stopped was Whitney poking her head round the door to say dinner was ready. 

I looked around the room I needed to set a few things up for later, so I quickly piled some logs on our open fire and dug out the new thick furry rug I'd bought to put out in front of it, rummaging through a sneaker box in my dressing room I found the little black velvet box I’d hidden there months ago before babies and Hannah were even a thing.
This was incredibly bad timing now but I had planned to do it tonight when I'd bought it so I was doing it. Shoving the box under the rug and heading downstairs for our family meal.

“Sorry guys I completely lost track of time, you should have shouted me"  all four of my girls smile at me

“It's ok we got to watch another film you would have hated it!”

Hailie says tucking into her dinner, my thoughts turn to how disappointed they are all going to be once they find out about my indiscretions I'm shitting a brick! I should definitely be the one to tell them it's not Annie's job to do that.

“So Marshall, I told the girls!”

Annie states while munching on a piece of lettuce, my heart leaps in my mouth as four pairs of eyes stare at me round the table, I place my knife and fork down ready to take whatever they want to throw at me.
Annie stares at me looking confused by my expression and then something clicks when she realises I think she's told them about Hannah she grabs my thigh under the table squeezing hard

“I told them about the opportunity coming up for a bit of a holiday and I booked them some flights to come and join me in Ibiza for my birthday, I hope you don't mind"

she says quietly which means she knows that I will be feeling something, it's silent as they continue watching for my reaction.
I'm feeling a mix of emotions, relief first of all they are still in the dark, sad because Annie’s birthday is four weeks away and that means she's definitely away for a month and a mixture of anger and jealousy that I don't get to spend her birthday with her but she's invited my kids too.
I don't know how to react so I just say that's great and carry on eating and talking to them, the feelings simmer gently under the surface though.  Once dinner is over the girls go back to the den to chill out while Annie and I clear up

“Your angry aren't you?”

Annie wraps her arms around my waist as she asks me, I sigh hoping to have avoided this but this is my chance to be honest and that's something the past few weeks have taught me.

“I'm not sure, I think both jealous and angry that you choose to spend your birthday with my kids and away from me! You could have asked me to come? What must they think?”

Annie looks up at me staying quiet for a moment in case I have anything else to add when it becomes obvious I don't she speaks

“I'm never going to tell them about Hannah, Marshall so please don't worry about that it's our business and can stay that way and baby you'd hate Ibiza, you know you would and I fly home with the girls the day after my birthday, I booked my flight home today, home to you dumbass!” she says laughing and pinching my ass.

She's right I’d fucking hate Ibiza and I can cope a little better now knowing her flight home is booked and she's definitely coming back. I don't feel any of the anger and jealousy,  just regret and I hope I'll be able to lose that as well some day.

The kids go to bed just after eleven leaving us alone again

“You wanna go to bed Annie?”

her reply is to stand up and try pulling me up, collapsing on me giggling when she can't move my weight, I feel nervous our room is set up the way I want it and I'm still not sure about it but it's happening, I take her hand and pull her up the stairs behind me walking quietly past the girls rooms at the top of the landing, outside our room I turn to her song her from going in the room and tell her to not come in closing the door behind me, I grab the first box and open the door as little as possible hand the box to her

“Put this on!” I smile and shut the door leaving her wide eyed the other side of it.