2 years later
(A reminder, last chapter took place 3 months before Hunter's 4th birthday)
Cheryl has been dreading this day. It's a few days after Hunter's 6th and Toni's 32nd birthday.
And we all know what that means. Hunter was 6 years old now, meaning he was going to 1st grade. At a public school.
Knowing the redhead, Toni let her do her extra precautions before letting Hunter off to bed.
"And if someone messes with you?" Cheryl said to the big boy in her lap.
"Tell you or momma." he smiled, showing off his perfect row of teeth. All his baby teeth have grown in, his doctor was very much impressed since he was still so young.
"Yes. And the teacher, bub." the redhead reminds, tucking his hair behind his ear.
Hunter grew to love his hair even more as he got older. The 6-year-old loved to have braids with Toni. And Aliana, who had a head full of thick auburn locks, though it wasn't as curly as his and Toni's. She inherited Cheryl's hair type.
"Yes, yes, I remember, mommy. Can I sleep now?" Hunter asked, trying not to hurt Cheryl's feelings.
Toni chuckled from her spot at the door. She had just put Aliana down since the 3-year-old was way deep into her slumber now.
She had her own room, despite Cheryl insisting they kept her close. Toni had to remind her Aliana has been sleeping in her own room since birth. And that Hunter turned out perfectly fine and he had his own room since he was a newborn. Cheryl was just the cautious type. She knows that her baby's lives are fragile.
Toni knows that too, but she knows that if she lets that fear get to her, she'd always be uptight, like her wife.
"I'm sure he gets it, my love." she took a step into the room. Hunter sat on Toni's lap when the brunette took a seat on his bed, along with Cheryl.
Cheryl pouts, "I know. I just want to make sure-"
"He'll be fine." Toni kissed her forehead, "Right, baby?" she looked down at her son.
Hunter nodded against her chest. "I'll be okay, mommy. I promise." he picked at his matching pajama set.
The redhead smiled at him and reached over to caress his cheek, "I love you."
"I love you too!" the boy grinned.
"Hey!" Toni pouted, "What about me?"
The two looked up and grinned at the brunette, "I love you too." they say in unison.
Toni giggled and gave them kisses on the cheek.
"Now," Toni cleared her throat, getting up. "Hunter has to get to bed now, so he can be well-rested."
Cheryl sighs and stands up. "Momma's right."
"Momma's always right." the boy giggled, climbing into his bed.
Toni's eyes widened and Cheryl looked offended.
"I'm only kidding," Hunter speaks up again. Realizing that he hurt his mother's feelings a bit.
"It's alright." Cheryl waved off with a small smile. She leaned down to kiss his forehead.
"Goodnight, bub." she caressed his hair.
"Night, Hunty." Toni kissed his cheek.
"Goodnight," he replied tiredly.
The couple made sure to turn on his night light so the stars would pop up on his celling, before leaving his room quietly.
Toni shut the door halfway, knowing that Cheryl hates when she shuts it all the way.
Cheryl sighed as she leaned against her wife. "This feels worse than when he was in kindergarten."
"Beautiful, Hunter won't be able to get through life if he doesn't go through hardships." Toni rubbed her sides.
"I know. I just feel the need to protect him. The World is so mean." the woman frowned.
"I agree. But he's prepared. We told him that there are creepy, mean, and weird people in this world. He knows." the soccer player kissed her cheek.
Cheryl pecked her lips softly and smiled at the tanned woman she falls deeper in love with every day.
The couple has been together for 15 years. 7 years married. Marrying her high school sweetheart was something Toni dreamed of doing after her father told her about him and her mother's story.
The brunette misses her so dearly. Though she never met her, she still feels and sees her in her dreams.
"You want to watch a movie? I could hold you." Toni whispered.
"I'd like that." her wife grinned.
*******
Hunter woke up to Aliana sitting on his bed, her pacifier prominently in her mouth as her big hazel eyes watched Toni move around the room. The couple were trying to get her off of the thing lately.
Aliana noticed his eyes open and smiled, "Hubby!" she shouted behind her pacy.
'Hubby' is a nickname she started saying when she first started to talk. She heard the family call him 'Hunty' and she always thought that's how they were pronouncing it.
That was her first word. Hunter had come home from pre-K and she got excited to see him so she yelled 'Hubby!' and since then it has stuck.
Hunter only groaned and turned over. Toni giggled softly, "Don't bother your brother, my beautiful love."
She placed Hunter's ironed clothes on his bed.
"Good morning." she greeted the boy.
"Good morning, momma," he mumbled, his eyes still closed.
Aliana crawled to the top of the bed and laid down on his chest.
"Ugh- good morning, Alia." he giggled, rubbing her back.
"Come, Ali. Let your big brother get dressed." Toni instructed.
Aliana obeyed and climbed off the bed and into Toni's arms. The brunette holds her at her side, kissing her cheek before turning to her son.
"Mommy is making breakfast. Brush your teeth then get dress," she told him.
"Mhm." he hummed.
Toni left him be, going downstairs to her wife who was flipping pancakes.
"Mommy." Aliana reached for her.
The couple didn't want to confuse Aliana. So, whenever she calls Cheryl 'mommy' they let it be. Either way, she is her mother.
"I can't right now, princess." she gestures to the cooking food.
"Mommy, mommy, mommy!" she squirmed in Toni's arms with a whine, her short arms reaching for the redhead.
"How about we switch?" Toni asked over Aliana's whines.
Cheryl nodded and reached for her daughter, Toni taking over cooking breakfast.
"How's that?" Cheryl asked her daughter who let out a needy whine. Cheryl rubbed her back and jutted her lip out when Toni looked over at them.
The brunette rolled her eyes playfully. Cheryl had their daughter spoiled. Hence, the reason why she still has a pacifier at the age of 3.
"You know, she's going to be real sassy," Toni spoke up.
"She already is." Cheryl shrugged.
"You have her spoiled, baby." Toni breathed out, placing Hunter's pancakes on a plate along with his bacon and eggs.
"So? You have Hunter spoiled."
Toni couldn't argue with that. "You're right." the brunette shook her head with a sigh.
"It's not bad, you know. We just love our babies that much." the red-haired lawyer kissed Aliana's cheek.
"I'm ready!" they heard behind them.
"You looked amazing, my love." Cheryl grinned.
"Yep. So handsome." Toni says, placing his food on the table.
"Thank you!" he grinned and took a seat.
"I packed your lunch. Don't forget it on the way out." Cheryl says, gently swaying so she can get Aliana to sleep.
The small girl woke up in the middle of the night. So she was restless.
Toni ate with her son while Cheryl just decided on a fruit ball, occasionally feeding Aliana some.
"Alright, bub, it's time to go," Cheryl announced.
Hunter went upstairs to get his book at while Toni put on her shoes.
"You know the lane-"
"Yes, baby. It may be a new school, but I got this." the brunette rubbed her wife's back. Aliana watched her and Toni smiled at her, kissing her nose softly.
The small girl giggled at her mother's actions before reaching out to poke Toni's cheek.
"My girls." she grinned, kissing Cheryl's cheek.
"Okay, I'm ready!" Hunter jumped the last step.
"Ugh, you're getting so big. It hurts." Cheryl pouts.
Toni took Aliana while Cheryl bent down to speak to Hunter.
"Rember what I told you, okay?" she reached up to fix his sweater.
He nodded.
"And keep your water bottle on you at all times. It better be empty when you get back," she told him.
"Yes, mommy." he smiled innocently.
"Don't grow up anymore. Stay this age forever." the woman engulfed him in a hug. The small boy hugged her back, squeezing her tightly.
"Okay, now go, before I start crying." the lawyer huffed as she stood up. She took Aliana from her wife before pecking her lips softly.
"Have a good day at practice, my love."
"Teach a bunch of teenage girls how to play soccer is the highlight of my day." Toni grinned sarcastically, placing another kiss to her wife's lips.
She kissed Ailana's cheek and smiled. "I love you."
"We love you too," Cheryl replied.
"Have a good day, Hunty!" Cheryl called from the door, watching them get into the black Mercedes.
"I will! Love you!" he called.
"I love you too!"
After she shut the door, Cheryl frowned at the leash that sat by the door.
Nala was no longer with them. The dog got older and with age, passed away a few months ago. It was really hard on the family, especially Hunter.
He and Nala were like best friends. They basically grew up together, Nala was only two when Hunter was born. The couple couldn't bring themselves to put away her stuff, so they keep it just how she left it the night before she passed.
Toni suggested that they get a new dog, not to replace Nala, just to fill the void of emptiness they felt. It's what Nala would've wanted, Toni knew.
But, Cheryl felt it would be too soon. Though she's only been gone for 7 months, she still felt like getting a new dog wouldn't be respectful of Nala. Betty and Veronica came down to visit them and sat with the family after they got home from the vet with just Nala's pink collar.
They have her ashes in a small urn, in which they keep on the fireplace. It was Nala's favorite spot to lay down in front of so, they thought to put it there. So she'd be in her favorite spot of the house.
Shaking off the moment of sadness, Cheryl kissed Aliana's forehead. "You want to help mommy work?" she asked.
"Me tired." the small girl shook her head, rubbing her eyes.
********
Toni entered the house and placed her bag down next to the door.
"Cher!" she called.
Every day, she'd come home during her 2-hour break then she'll have to go volunteer at the sports center.
Cheryl exit the home office, gesturing for Toni to be quiet. "I just got Aliana down. She was so restless."
"Oh, okay, sorry," Toni whispered. Cheryl pulled her in for a kiss, smiling against her wife's lips.
"Ahh, the fresh smell of dirt and grass." she playfully slapped Toni's ass.
"Hey, now! I'm sore." Toni groaned.
"Sorry, baby." Cheryl apologized, kissing her forehead.
"Mmm." Toni hummed, "Hunter's teacher called."
Cheryl's eyes widened and Toni instantly shook her head. "Nothing bad. Actually, he called us because Hunter asked her too." Toni giggled.
"What happened?" the redhead asked, wrapping her arms around Toni's neck, despite her smelling like mud.
"He said that Hunter wanted to let us know that he's made two friends. And that he is behaving just like you told him to. And lastly, that he drank all his water after lunch." Toni grinned.
Cheryl smiled, her heart filling with happiness.
"Oh! And he held the door open for the girls in his class." Toni added.
"Our little gentleman." the lawyer giggled.
"Yep." the soccer coach grinned, "We're doing a good job."
"I can say that we are." Cheryl nodded.
Heyooooo
Lmao, I almost fainted today, wasn't a good feeling. This sinus infection kicking my ass y'all! But, I'm surviving.
I haven't updated this book in how long? Lmao, Idk, I don't keep track🧍🏽♀️
Anyways, how are you???? I feel like I haven't spoken to you guys 😭
Also, do you want me to continue the Choni being foster parents series? If so, should it be in a separate book or in the one-shot book?
I love you guys! Also, thank you so much for 1.25k followers! Like omg, I never thought I'd even get 100 followers, I was honestly just writing for my own fun and legit didn't think that anyone else would enjoy it. Yet, my first book blew up and I was just in shock. I'm so grateful for everyone who takes the time out of their day to read my books, it means a lot and I really appreciate it❤️ hope all is well and I wish you the best week, stay safe!