A/N: I would have updated sooner but then I went back and added another section in and now it's 2,626 words long :o Opps...
Anyway this chapter is for TNM123 (for some reason it won't let me tag you on my laptop :P)
Chapter 5
For once Marcia was allowed to walk ahead of the pram, or as it were today, prams, as in two. Aurelia and Bella were in the double and Giselle is in the single, since for a change Bella wasn't being the fussy one. Avi had panicked for a moment that maybe they'd accidentally switched two of them, then Giselle threw something at him and they knew they were good, Bella was just having a good day.
But Marcia was carrying a plate of cookies that she was carefully watching as she walked, she was so excited to get her task that she hadn't taken her eyes off them since. It is the day of the School Fundraiser and Marcia was too excited, she'd woken Kirstie and Avi up at five am, the event didn't start till ten. The worst part was Marcia had managed to get each one of the triplets out of their cribs and place them on her mom and dad's bed without them noticing, it wasn't until all four of their daughters were in the room and Aurelia let out an almighty wail when she couldn't crawl past her dad's legs, that Kirstie and Avi woke up because that baby noise had been far too close for comfort. Because yeah Aurelia could basic crawl now and she was getting too quick too fast, it wouldn't be long until the other two started mimicking her because that was just how it worked.
Avi pushes the double pram and Kirstie the single, but she was constantly checking on Avi seeing as he had the rest of the baked goods stacked on the hood of the pushchair he was in charge of. The last thing Kirstie wanted was for her cake to topple, she'd be beyond pissed, but it was fine, it was in a cake saver and absolutely fine. The occasional check-up was officially a mom thing.
"Marrrrsharrrr!" they hear almost immediately as they walk in through the gates. And there was Jake in an unnaturally bright green shirt, with his two older sisters Michelle and Brittany, Leo was just a little way behind them with his phone to his ear and his back to his children, he was dressed same as always, aka not necessarily appropriate for a family fun day.
Jake runs up to hug Marcia but she steps back, eyes wide, "Hold up Jake! I gots a verrrry impotant job right now," she looks down at her cookies.
"Oh ma gosh those cookies look the most best!" Jake exclaims.
"They for a sale, we can't eat them," Marcia tells him seriously.
"We'll come back and see you once we've dropped everything off okay Jake?" Kirstie tells him with a smile she continues on.
"See you soon!" Marcia calls as she follows after the pushchairs.
A couple of hours later and Avi is just getting ready to take his turn in the dunk tank, which he still wasn't thrilled about. He'd worn his board shorts and an old t-shirt down the fun day and at least he had a change of clothes in Kirstie's bag, jeans and a flannel because what else. Marcia and Jake were near the front of the que, waiting their turn and Kirstie gave him a quick good luck kiss before he went in, sitting on the little bench.
Kirstie walks back to where Jake's sisters were with the pram's those two were obsessed with the babies and each of them were enjoying pushing the pram's, taking some of the stress off Avi and Kirstie. Unfortunately Leo had had to take off and had asked Kirstie and Avi if they'd watch Jake and the girls. Michelle is 13 and Brittany is 10, there was quite an age gap between them and Jake and it was noticeable when they interacted more than anything, the girls would much rather hang out with each other than their little brother. And now the girls only wanted to hang with Aurelia, Bella and Giselle, which wasn't too bad by Kirstie because pushing a pram in this weather was hot work. She was starting to regret her choice in outfit, despite that her two new helpers had called her pretty, Michelle having gone as far as saying that Kirstie was probably the best looking mom in the school (majorly boosting Kirstie's day). She wished she had worn shorts, and maybe not such a flowy blouse with sleeves, she wished she didn't have sleeves: it didn't matter that they were sheer. The heels were fine though, she could live in these shoes, they were by far the most comfortable pair of heels she had ever owned.
They watched failed attempt after failed attempt to get Avi in the water. Kirstie noted every time a kid went to aim, Avi tensed up. Jake even got real close, missing by a mere inch, that was also by far Avi's worst flinch and Kirstie laughed at everyone. Marcia missed and she was very disappointed, coming back over to her mom with a pout.
"Can we go buy a treat, cause I'm sad," she sticks her bottom lip out further, this always worked on her dad, but mom was a little tougher.
But she gave in, "Fine, go and get some hot chips, this is enough to buy a pot for all of you, you, Jake, Brittany and Michelle." She almost hands the money to Marcia then thinks better of it.
"Our dad gave us some money," Michelle pipes up.
"It's okay sweetheart you girls are doing such a good job of helping me with the triplets that this is your treat," Kirstie smiles and hands the money to Michelle.
"Thank you," Brittany and Michelle chorus as they run off with Marcia and Jake.
Kirstie turns back to watch her husband in the dunk tank, he still hadn't gone in and she had to wonder if parents were allowed to give it a try because she would love to. She wasn't a bad shot and in all honesty she thought it would be hilarious if he went in.
So she waited until the children were back and eating their hot chips quietly on the bench and went and lined up, if they said no she had the 'oh come on he's my husband this'll be hilarious' line running through her head. Kirstie got to the point where she paid and they let her and soon enough she was at the front of the line watching the smug smirk fall right off Avi's face.
Marcia, Jake, Michelle and Brittany all stand on the bench seat so they can see, Marcia is again far too excited, her mom always got the bath toys in the net that had to mean dad was going in the water.
And Avi knew it, the look on his face proved it.
Kirstie got three balls given to her and was told she had to stand a little further back, no problem. She threw the first one and hit it, but not hard enough, she glared at the target and Avi let out a sigh of relief. So Kirstie took aim again and before he knew it Avi splashed down, water coming up over the edge of the tank and covering the pavement around it.
She blows her husband a kiss then struts back over to the cheering children with high fives all around.
They couldn't find Marcia or Jake anywhere, and to say Kirstie was panicking would be an understatement. She was almost running as she searched for them, almost only because if she was she'd be going too fast to spot them.
Michelle and Brittany had been made to stay with the babies, Brittany was holding two melting ice-cream cones and was in tears over the fact they couldn't find her little brother, but Michelle was stronger than that and she had Giselle on her lap because that made it easier not to cry.
Avi had taken off in the other direction from his wife now that his stint in the dunk tank was over, his hair was still a little wet under the snap-back he was wearing. His hands wouldn't stop shaking as he looked around. He was buying them ice-cream when they went missing, ice-cream for pete's-sake, what kid runs from ice-cream while the parents back is turned. It was his fault and he knew it, Kirstie probably wants to kill him right now.
Kirstie jogs down the small slope on the field, almost skidding in a small patch of mud, some kid must have spilt something there, it was far too hot and dry for the field to be muddy. There were people everywhere, there were kids everywhere, at least she knew they couldn't be on any of the rides down here, one because they were for older kids and two because neither of them had any money, at least any that Kirstie knew of.
She scans the field for Marcia's little cream and denim playsuit and pink boots, too many little girls had pink boots and this mom was ready to tear her hair out. That was until she saw a bright green shirt jumping up and down out of the corner of her eye. The little jumping bean had to be Jake because that green hurt her eyes this morning and it was hurting now, even from across the field.
Jake was jumping up and down next to a man who was sat on the field, up on the steeper part of the hill under a small tree. When Jake almost stumbles Kirstie starts forward, hopefully he'd know where Marcia was but at least she'd found one. Her breath hitches in relief though when Marcia pops out from behind the tree laughing her head off, this time Kirstie does break into a run.
Marcia turns, seeing her mom running towards her, her eyes widen, she hardly ever saw her mom run. She breaks into a big grin and runs towards her mom, arms wide open, they meet a small way away from the bottom of the hill and Kirstie drops to her knees pulling Marcia in tightly, a couple of tears escaping.
"Ouch Mommy, you're hugging me real tight," Marcia complains. So Kirstie pulls back a little.
"Do you know how worried you had me and daddy?" she asks then looks towards Jake raising her voice so she could hear him where he was, "You too Jake, you're sisters were so scared," she says, watching the smile disappear from his face.
He slowly walks down the hill and she watches him until the man they were with speaks.
"Kirstie?" she freezes, that was not a voice she'd thought she'd ever hear again. Crouched down, with Marcia tucked in one arm and Jake at her other side she looks up, her breath stuck as Jeremy slowly approached them.
"Momma, that's Mr Lewis," Marcia grins pointing at him.
"The fuck it is," Kirstie snaps.
Marcia's eyes widen and her and Jake chorus, "Oooooooo."
"That's a bad word Momma," Marcia says with a knowing nod.
Kirstie hadn't taken her glaring eyes off of Jeremy, she saw the moment, the moment when it hit him, that moment when he realised who Marcia was and his jaw dropped for a moment, but only a moment because he composed himself.
"I- ah... is she?" he stutters.
Kirstie stands up tall, then turns looking down at her eldest daughter and speaks slowly, and loudly, "Honey, go find your dad, he'll be worried sick." Out of the corner of her eye she notes that Jeremy flinches, it's small but it's there.
"Where is he?"
"Hopefully by the tree where we had hot chips, go wait there," she scoots them off then turns an evil glare at Jeremy, taking a couple of steps closer to him, trying her hardest to be intimidating, and succeeding.
"So Marcia, that's maybe not a name I would have picked," he laughs nervously, trying to smile and be charming.
Kirstie eyes light up with anger and she speaks in a low hiss, emphasizing her words, "You do not get to make jokes about her name you worthless piece of shit," he voice gets shakier as she speaks, as she fights back tears.
Jeremy shakes his head, "I was not. I like it, I would have come around to it. I-"
She cuts him off, "Don't you dare, don't you fucking dare, I don't give a shit if you like it, it doesn't matter if you like it because you weren't there you don't get a say!" he voice gets louder as she rants. "You didn't want her so now all you get is to shut up or I'll punch you in your fucking ugly nose," she raises her fist, watching him threateningly.
Jeremy's nerves drop away, replaced with anger, "That is no language for the mother of my daughter to be using."
"You are not her dad!" Kirstie screams and a few heads turn near them so she tries to calm herself, unsuccessfully, but at least does make herself a little quieter.
"I am actually, I mean I don't know who the fuck that half-wit is that you have parading as her dad, but he's not it, I am," he jabs himself in the chest with his finger.
Kirstie breaks into a smirk, he didn't know who she was married to, she was smirking because Avi had always been a sore spot between her and Jeremy, this news would piss him off so bad that she had to smirk. "Did it not occur to you?" she asks with eyes still narrowed, smirk still in place, "What Marcia's last name was, I mean you've seen it on the roll right?"
Jeremy frowns, "So what if I have?"
"What is it? Do you remember or do you need me to remind you?"
"It's Kaplan, so what? You married some Jewish guy."
Kirstie looks down with an evil chuckle, then take a step closer to Jeremy before she stares back up at him, "Not just any Jewish guy, and not just any Kaplan," with her smirk back in place she again watches the realisation hit his face.
"You're kidding," he speaks, his voice laced with anger.
"Why would I lie about my drop-dead-gorgeous husband?" She raises a sly eyebrow, "Why would I lie about the man who is better than you in every way, and when I say every way: I mean every way. And why would I lie about the man who is a far better father than you could ever even dream of being."
Jeremy slowly shakes his head, "Do you know how truly pathetic you are Kirstie? I mean really, bringing up your sex life in a conversation we're having about our daughter. I think maybe you care more about sex than you do about her? I think that might be the sign of a bad mother. I mean what else are you hiding? I think that the courts would love to hear about all of it... I hope you have a good lawyer, because mine's fucking brilliant."
Any trace of a smile or smirk that Kirstie had, drops as he turns and walks away. Her face goes pale and her body goes cold and she resists every urge to fall to the ground and curl up into a ball.
Oh how she had fucked up.
Jeremy was going for custody.
A/N: Don't hate me.
Sorry.
Very sorry.
Hannah.