STILL THE ONE

Chapter 41 - When I Look Across the Room

Maybe I had too many drinks, but that's just what I needed
I hope that you don't think that what I'm saying sounds conceited
When I look across the room, you're staring right back at me
Like somebody told a joke and we're the only ones laughin'

The twins turned three and had a Pirates & Princesses theme birthday at home, with everyone coming dressed up, facepainting and a pirate ship jumping castle. Camila wore her Cinderella costume, Shawn came as Captain Jack Sparrow and she whispered in his ear that he should keep the costume on for later. He couldn't believe how much they had grown, they had become little versions of their parents. JJ was tall with curly brown hair, just like him, and Lily was smaller with straight dark hair like her Mama. Both children had the same big brown eyes like Camila and big smile like their Papa. Personality wise Lily was the boss, and JJ was her muscle. He would defend her to the death and would take the blame for anything, as he and Camila realised very early on, not that either of them were very naughty, but they when they were it was not terribly serious and always inventive. They loved to sing and dance and swim, Lily loved books and JJ loved to bang his drums in perfect time. He couldn't wait until they were old enough to start teaching them music seriously. JJ had a little ukulele, an xylophone and his little drum, he liked to make loud and raucous music with them while Lily sang with her toy microphone. They also loved to watch videos of the world tour.

"Papa, can we watch Kith Me?" Lily asked him the afternoon after their birthday, all but batting her eyelashes at him. He swept her up and blew a raspberry on her bare belly. They were about to have a swim in the pool, it was a warm spring day. It was her favourite part of the tour documentary and she would watch it over and over again if she could. She knew all the words to the song and would sing it constantly into her toy mic. Ed would be so proud, but Camila always said she wished her daughter's favourite song was actually one written by her parents!

"Why do you always want that one?" Shawn asked, slipping her onto his shoulders. She grabbed onto handfuls of his hair in lieu of reins. They walked inside and he ducked going through the door then dumped her on the sofa in a pile of giggles. The video was already cued to the right place on the tv.

She crawled onto his lap and looked up at him with her big brown eyes, so like Camila's. He was wrapped around her finger and she knew it. "Coz it's da one where you kith Mama," she said, as if he was completely stupid. JJ entered the room holding Camila's hand, she had just put him in his little board shorts ready for his swim. It was Rosie's day off and she had gone into LA to meet a friend and go shopping. Seeing Lily sitting on Shawn's lap, JJ ran and climbed up onto his other knee, while Camila looked on with a soft smile.

"Hey big guy, Lily wants to watch Kiss Me before we have our swim."  Shawn said.

JJ rolled his eyes and flopped back against Shawn's chest. "Noooo, Leelee! No more kissing!"

Lily leaned forward and planted a big kiss on JJ's cheek with a loud giggle and he wiped it off with the back of his hand. "Euuuuwww." This was a game they often played, because he didn't really care if his sister kissed him, he loved her to bits.

"How about we go swim instead?" Camila asked. He looked her up and down, appreciating how hot she looked in her red high cut swim suit. She raised a brow at him, noticing his glance and he grinned at her.

"No Papa, you said we could watch it!" Lily pouted.

"C'mon Leelee, lets go swimming," JJ wheedled. "I don't wanna watch the concert."

"How about," Camila said, picking Lily up off Shawn's knee. "We all go swim, and Papa and I will sing it to you in the pool?"

Lily clasped her hands together and looked at them with over-dramatic heart eyes, gasping. "Weally? Ohmergawd!" Shawn stifled a grin at the exclamation his daughter had appropriated from Rosie. Dramas averted, they all got into the pool, the kids both had their little life jackets on and they had a fun afternoon in the pool until the kids got tired and the sun slid behind the clouds. Despite the impromptu concert he and Camila had performed in the pool for their bossy daughter, she still demanded they play the concert version later before she went to bed. This time JJ didn't complain, and they sat on their little miniature sofa, holding hands, drinking their milk and nibbling vegan oatmeal cookies watching it happily together. They were still tired from their big weekend, and they were in bed asleep before Rosie even got home, laden down by shopping bags. She said goodnight, keen to inspect her loot before having an early night herself. Shawn poured them both a cup of tea and they took them outside onto the daybed in the garden. He had placed it exactly on the spot where they had been married, and she teased him for his sentimentality but she really did love it.