"I don't wanna wake her. I mean, look at how cute they look."
I look over at Charlie asleep with Max on the couch. They were in the same position they'd been in for over an hour.
"You're not going to get to enjoy your crisp October morning." I sing, glancing back down at my phone screen.
"There are plenty of those. They won't be this little forever babe."
"Yes they will.", I declare, "They're never growing up."
Brinley giggles, wrapping her arms around my neck from behind. "Could you imagine if they didn't. We'd have a newborn forever.. And then that sassy little thing."
I snort at the comment, "It'd be interesting, that's for sure."
I feel Brinley's lips against my cheek before her soft cheek replaces them. Her hand comes up and she combs her fingers through my hair, "Are you happy, baby?", her voice was quiet and soft.
A smile appears on my face as I look over and down at our sleeping children, "The happiest."
"Good."
My hand comes up to cup Brinley's forearm, "We should go though, it's nice outside."
"You call forty degrees nice? Such a man."
"Hockey player man, actually." I correct and she softly chuckles.
Brinley removes her arms, "You gonna shave your face or what?"
I stand up, stretching my arms above my head, "No shave November is coming up in a couple of days. I'm starting early."
Brinley walks into the kitchen, throwing, "So I guess you won't mind if I participate, and not shave my legs for a month then?", over her shoulder.
I squat down in front of the couch, where the kids are sleeping, "Doesn't matter to me. I didn't marry you for your smooth legs."
"How insulting to my lotion."
I chuckle, "I'm sure it's real cut up about it."
I tuck a loose strand of hair behind Charlie's ear and she stirs before burying her face into the couch cushion. "I know you're awake you little stinker."
A muffled giggle escapes her and she turns her face the other way, "Is it park time?"
"It is." I say and she immediately sits up with a smile on her face. "Go get ready with Mommy.", I nod towards the stairs in the entryway.
I gently scoop up Max in my arms and head upstairs to get him changed and ready.
We go on morning walks almost everyday. Brinley usually doesn't go when I'm on the road, and Charlie only gets to come on weekends now.
That's right. My little girl started Kindergarten this year.
She's attending a private school, uniform and all. It's not Catholic or Christian, just fancy. Think of it like Chilton but for K-12 instead of just high school. We'd discussed a Christian school but we didn't really like any of the schools around St. Paul. We picked a school that we both felt was a good fit for Charlie and that we were comfortable with.
Charlie already has a best friend. Shocker, I know, (*Hint the sarcasm). Presley is a calm reserved. Unlike my own child- who is an absolute diva- but, they're adorable together. Presley lives over in Minneapolis, which is great because they get playdates while I'm at practice.
"Switch me children." Brinley comes walking in with a fully and warmly clothed Charlie. I pass Max off to her so she can get him dressed while I make sure Charlie brushes her teeth.. Correctly.
We have a system down. It works. Everybody is happy.
One whole week. That's how long it's been since Max was born. It's already been a whole damn week.
I watch as Charlie brushes her teeth, foamy toothpaste covering her entire mouth. I chuckle, turning on the tap, "You can spit, kid." She rinses out her mouth before flashing me that huge grin of hers. "Good job."
Charlie steps down from the step-stool and walks out of the bathroom, then out of the bedroom, down the hallway to the stairs.
By the time we get down the stairs- and I get Charlie's shoes, coat, gloves, and hat on -Brinley is already outside with her own coat on holding a to-go Starbucks coffee cup. Max is bundled up in the bassinet stroller. He has a onesie on- I think-, a little hat, he's swaddled and in a grey Bugaboo Inlay, and a few loose blankets surround him to keep him warm.
"Didn't make me any coffee?"
Brinley grabs another plastic to-go cup from the cupholder and shoves it into my chest, "Hush."
I smile, grabbing ahold of Charlie's hand in my own as we start to walk down the street.
"What'd you learn at school this week?" I glance down at Charlie.
"Um.. Pway-dough... And, I write 1 to 10!", her little voice sounded so proud.
"Ten?! That's such a big number!" I smile as she nods proudly.
Her smile fades and she pushes her bottom lip out into a pout, "But they wouldn't let me go down the big swide."
"That's okay. We can just go down the big slide at the park." I say and her face lights up.
"Really?!"
"Really!"
"And you'll go with me?" Charlie asks and Brinley snickers beside me.
I nudge her arm with my elbow, "We'll see."
Brinley snorts beside me, "I'd pay good money to see that."
"Says the one that went on the swings last time."
"They're just swings. I fit perfectly fine. Now, you, going down a tunnel slide, is going to be very entertaining. And there will be a video."
I shrug, "Just proves that I'm a good dad."
Brinley smiles, "The best."
*
Emery's face appears on my phone screen, "Your wife won't answer her phone!"
"She's in the shower."
Emery groans, "Where's the baby?"
"I'm talking to her right now."
"Ha-ha, you're so funny." Emery sticks her tongue out at me like a child.
"That just proved my point so, thank you."
"Seriously, I wanna see him." She whines- again, like a child.
"Seriously, maybe you should come and visit."
"I'm coming. Just two more weeks. Now, please let me see.", I chuckle, angling my phone down to show Max asleep on my chest, "Oh my gawd!"
"You can't steal him."
Emery looks to the side with a guilty smile, "I wasn't gonna..."
"Get your own."
"I'm working on it. Baby steps, Christian. Baby steps."
I tilt my phone back up, "You gotta boyfriend yet or what?"
"Like I said. Baby steps."
"So really, you've taken no steps at all?"
Her mouth gapes open, "Way to just expose me like that."
I hear the shower turn off as I smile, "So, I'm right then?"
"Maybe.."
"You'll find someone."
"I'm twenty-six, I should have someone by now."
"You were in school still, have you actually tried dating?"
"I've had a few Hinge matches but, no luck."
"It'll happen when you least expect it."
"Brin is calling me back now." Emery chuckles.
"Brin, I've got her on the phone."
The bathroom door opens and Brinley steps out, a towel around her body and another towel wrapped around her hair, "Oh, okay."
"You're husband isn't being very nice."
"You're sister isn't being very nice."
Brinley ignores the two of us bickering like siblings and walks into the closet. Emery snickers, which makes me snicker back. "Good Lord, you sure you two aren't really the siblings here.", I hear Brinley call out from the closet.
Emery is like the little sister I always wanted and never got. We bicker all the time but it's all in a fun joking manner.
Brinley's family easily became mine after that first Christmas. I got a father I never had who welcomed me into the family as his own, I got a second mother, a little sister, and apparently a whole ass farm too. Then you throw in the small town dynamic, and I've basically got one huge freaking family now.
Of course, just like Brinley, her family took Charlie in as their own too. They've treated her, and spoiled her, as their own Granddaughter, even before Brin adopted her. I have no worry in my mind that they'll favorite Max over Charlie. Just like I have no worry that Brinley will.
Then there's Emery. I mean, we had to have one crazy cool Aunt, didn't we? I'm pretty sure there was a small period of time that we didn't think Em would get her Masters because she was busy spending time with Charlie. She promised us she had it handled, and apparently, she did.
"We try our best."
Brinley comes out and hops into bed as we all chat for a little longer before calling it a night.
The next morning I let Brinley sleep while I get Charlie ready for school.
"Daddy, my shoe came untied."
"Okay, I'll fix it when we get there."
I glance back in the rear-view mirror to see that Max is asleep in the carseat.
Brinley's name appears on the screen in the middle of the dashboard and I hit the button on the steering wheel to answer.
"Hello?"
"Did you remember to put an ice pack in her lunchbox?"
I chuckle, "Yeah baby."
"Okay, just making sure. How's Max?"
"Asleep."
"Hi Mommy!" Charlie exclaims.
"Hey Cutie. Have fun at school today!"
"Okay!"
I turn my right blinker on, "Hey I'm pulling into the parking lot, I'll call you back in a few."
"Sounds good. Love ya, bye."
"Love you too!"
I pull up along the curb and I hear the seatbelt click, "Don't forget your-"
Charlie cuts me off, "Lunchbox, I know!", she says matter of factly as she climbs out of the car seat and grabs her backpack and matching lunchbox.
"And don't slam the door." She swings the door open as I see one of the drop-off teachers come walking with a smile on her face.
"Goodmorning Mrs.Thea!" I hear before she slams the door.
I sigh, glancing back at Max to make sure he's still asleep.
Charlie used to not close the door hard enough, so I had to explain that she needed to push it a little harder. She of course took that as she gets to just gung ho it. That may be a little bit of Brinley rubbing off on her.
I watch until she's inside the large stone building before pulling away and heading to a little local drive-thru café and getting breakfast.
"Christian!" I hear come from upstairs as I walk into the kitchen.
"Yeah?"
I hear footsteps coming down the stairs before Brinley appears in the kitchen, holding something behind her back, "Is there something you'd like to tell me?"
I purse my lips together in thought, "Hmm, no."
"So, you didn't buy infant noise reduction earmuffs. Thinking I'd be taking our newborn to a game, did you?", she pulls the Amazon box from behind her back.
I lean against the counter, "Not our newborn. I was thinking maybe more.. Two or three months?"
"Do you really think that's a good idea?"
"Gotta start 'em young. Get him used to the earmuffs, you know? Plus, I did research. I got the one with the elastic band that goes around his head instead of on top. Apparently the top of a baby's head is very vulnerable."
Brinley nods, "Yeah. Because their Fontanelles aren't closed yet."
"I'm just gonna act like I know what that is. Anyways, they're perfectly safe and even help babies sleep better at night apparently. Also, if you start them on him young, he'll probably be a little less likely to throw them off of his head when he's older."
Brinley hops up on the counter, "For starters, Fontanelles are the soft spots on a baby's head where the bony plates that make up his or her skull have not yet come together."
I smile, "Thank you, Dr.Brooks."
"You can feel them on the top and backs of baby's head."
"I don't know if that's cool or weird."
Brinley shrugs, "It's nothing new for me."
"We get it.", I grin, "You're a smart cookie."
"Still saying cookie, huh?"
I nod, "I live with two kids now, it's necessary."
Word Count: 2,093
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