(third person pov)
Sadie ran down the hallway, just having woken up from her nap in her uncle E's room. She ran into the kitchen, where her dad usually was. It was her favorite time of the day, and the whole house knew. So where was everyone?
The kitchen was empty, she'd even stood her little stool to see if he was sitting on the counter like he sat her when he was cooking. Scared, she ran around the house, calling for him. "Daddy?" She whispered, waking around.
Now the three-year-old would've been screaming, but she'd been told not to lately. Her mom's huge belly had now vanished and instead came a little human called her sister. Mary-Kate. Oh god, how jealous of Mary-Kate Sadie was. She loved her new sister, but she got all the attention.
Just like today. She finally stumbled into the living room, and right when she thought the monster in her closet had gotten Grayson, she spotted him on the lying on the couch. Smiling, she ran over her teapot in her hand. "Daddy!" She called to him, quietening her voice as she caught sight of the little baby curled up on his chest. "Daddy, wake up," Sadie tried again, shaking Gray's arm. He slowly woke up, one arm reaching up to rub his eye.
"What's wrong princess?" He asked, one hand instinctively reaching over to brush her hair.
"Tea party time!" She squealed. Grayson put a finger to her lips and she closed her mouth, already upset. "Not coming?" She asked quietly.
"I'm with your sister now, Sadie," He whispered. Sadie dropped her arms and sighed. "I'm sorry princess, give me an hour, and I'll join you?" He asked, patting Mary-Kate's diaper down.
Even if she couldn't tell time, Sadie knew an hour is way too long. And by then, it wouldn't be tea party time. She nodded slowly and walked off. "Okay," She whispered, walking down the hall.
Grayson could tell she was upset. She never said 'okay', It was always 'okie dokie'. He sighed, rubbing Mary-Kate's back, promising Sadie mentally to even get her a new tea party set as soon as he could. But all Sadie wanted was a tea party with her daddy.
Next, Sadie tried her mommy. If Grayson was with Mary-Kate, then y/n had to be free, right? Hope in her little heart, Sadie ran down the hall all the way to her mummy and daddy's room. Opening the door, she saw a lump in the sheets. She smiled, walking over to the bed. "Mommy!" She squealed, rubbing on her mom's arm.
Y/N woke up and sighed at the sight of her daughter climbing onto the bed. She smiled, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "Angel," She said. Sadie grinned at her and held out the teapot.
"Tea party time!" She squealed and y/n winced at how loud she was being. Y/N sighed and shook her head.
"Not today, my love, okay?" Sadie's smile fell and y/n sighed, reaching over to brush her hair. Sadie turned and crawled off the bed. "Baby, mama's just sick today, okay?" Sadie sighed and nodded slowly.
"Well soon," She said quietly, just like her Aunt Cameron had told her to say when someone was sick, before leaving the room quietly, now tears in her eyes. No one wanted to play with Sadie. She cried quietly, dropping her teapot and rubbing her eyes.
Now Ethan, just having woken up from his own nap, had gotten up to go get himself a snack. Rubbing his eyes he was walking down the hallway, past his brother's room, when he accidentally bumped into the three-year-old. He looked down and frowned.
"Pumpkin!" He exclaimed quietly. He crouched down to her and looked at her in the eyes. She was crying. He frowned and pulled her up. "Awh, c'mere," He whispered, lifting her up.
Sadie buried her face into her uncle's shoulder and cried her heart out. Ethan already sad to see his niece crying, had lost his appetite and carried her into his room. "'cle E," She stuttered as he sat her down on the bed. She shook her head and stood up, raising her arms up again. Sighing, he lifted her up.
"What happened, pumpkin?" He asked Sadie, and attempted to tighten her pigtails, now falling out of the hair ties. "Awh, is someone hungry?" He asked. She shook her head and he wiped her eyes.
"T-tea party ti-time," She hiccupped out. Ethan wiped her eyes again and smiled.
"Well, why didn't you say so?" He asked. She smiled at him, tears still falling down her cheeks as he carried her to her playroom. She let out a little giggle as Ethan bumped his head trying to pick up the teapot she'd dropped in front of her mommy's room.
Ethan put the little girl on the floor and went over to get her box of tea party essentials. Setting them down in front of her, he sat cross-legged, as she opened the box. She smiled, still hiccupping as she set up her tea party. "No more tea," She said frowning, dumping the empty teapot to prove her point. She sighed as her uncle checked the pot.
"Hm," He said. She sighed loudly and slumped her shoulders. Her tea party was ruined. "Awh, cheer up, Sadie," Ethan said, leaning over to tickle Sadie. She giggled and stared at the empty cups.
"How 'bout we have an apple juice party then?" He asked. Sadie's eyes lit up as she nodded frantically.
"App- juice!" She exclaimed. Ethan chuckled, standing up, picking up the little girl with him. They left the ruined tea party and went to the kitchen. And there he was. Grayson, making his new princess milk. Sadie frowned and wrapped her arms around Ethan's neck and hid her face, hoping her daddy wouldn't see her. Uncle E was big, right?
"Awh, hi princess!" Grayson whispered. Nope, guess uncle E wasn't as big as she thought. She didn't move her head as Grayson called her again. "Sadie?" He asked. Sadie felt betrayed. She was never talking to Grayson again. He missed tea party time.
"Think she's mad, bro," Ethan said to his brother, walking over to the fridge to look for apple juice. He sighed, scanning the fridge. "I think we're out of apple juice too, how 'bout some orange juice?" He asked. Sadie looked up from Ethan's neck and looked at the jug of orange juice he was holding. She nodded slowly, and he set it on the counter, closing the fridge.
"What's wrong, princess?" Grayson asked, walking over to her, shaking Mary-Kate's bottle in his hand. She hoped silently in her head that Uncle E wouldn't put her on the counter, but sadly, he did exactly that. "Sadie, talk to me angel," He said quietly, as Ethan left to go get her sippy cup.
Grayson put a hand on Sadie's leg, only for her to push him away. Her daddy's arm was heavy, but with both hands, and a lot of pressure, she pushed him away. Maybe all the times she'd walked on the treadmill with Uncle E had helped after all.
Grayson stood defeated as Sadie watched Ethan pour some oj into her sippy cup and some for himself in a glass. Ethan looked at the both of them, Sadie, avoiding Grayson, and Grayson just watching her, wondering what he did to piss his princess off this much. She was always Grayson's princess. Why wasn't she talking to him?
"I think Mary-Kate's waking up," Ethan muttered to Grayson as he caught glimpse of the 4-month-old baby squirming in her blankets on the couch. Grayson sighed and nodded, leaning over to give Sadie a kiss on the head that she wiped away. Grayson sighed and walked over to Mary-Kate, a frown on his face.
There, he did it again. Why did he need another princess? Was Sadie not his princess anymore? Tears filled her eyes as she watched her daddy scoop up the little baby and held the bottle to her mouth. She frowned and Ethan sighed. "Not fair," She whispered to no one. Ethan finally understood what was going on.
"Let's go pumpkin," Ethan whispered, handing the sippy cup to his niece and picking her up in one arm. He took his glass and she hid her face in his neck as they walked past Grayson. He sighed, taking her to his room.
Sitting down on the bed and setting her on his leg, he watched her drink her orange juice. "Chees?" She asked, missing the r in 'cheers'. He chuckled and clinked his glass against her sippy cup and they drank their oj in silence.
"So, pumpkin." He asked, setting his now empty glass on the floor. "Wanna tell Uncle E what's wrong?" He asked quietly. She looked up at him as tears filled her eyes again.
"Daddy don't want me no more," She whispered. Ethan shook his head. "Mommy too, evy-one hate me," She whispered, crying. Ethan shushed her, wrapping his arms around her.
"You're daddy's princess, pumpkin, they love you," He told her. She shook her head, quick to disagree. Ethan sighed.
"May-Kate, daddy's pincess," She said, trouble pronouncing her r's. Ethan opened his mouth to argue, but Sadie put a hand over his mouth. "May-Kate repace me," She said. Ethan shook his head, wondering where she'd learned the word replace.
"No one's replacing you, Sadie," He told her. She shook her head fast.
"You repace me," She pointed at him. Ethan was taken aback and furrowed his eyebrows. "May-Kate your punkin now," She said sadly. Ethan shook his head, kissing her on the forehead,
"Mary-Kate's not my pumpkin, you are," He said to her. Sadie shook her head, no believing him. Ethan sighed. "You're my pumpkin, Sadie, you always will be," Ethan told her. Sadie sighed and took a sip of her juice.
"But daddy repace me," She whispered in a few minutes. Ethan shook his head. She nodded and he shook his head again. She let out a little giggle that made Ethan smile.
"Mary-Kate's a baby," Ethan said. Sadie nodded. "And you're a big girl now," He told her. Sadie nodded, proud her uncle E thinks so highly of her.
"I'm big girl," She said with a smile pointing at herself. Ethan nodded and chuckled.
"So, Mary-Kate needs your daddy and mommy's help more," He told her. She sighed, head hung low. He lifted her chin up. "That doesn't mean they don't love you."
"But, but- mommy don't want to play tea party with me and, and she not with May-Kate, she don't lo-love me," Sadie stuttered, choking on her words as she began to cry again. Ethan shook his head.
"Y/N- mommy's sick today, Sadie," Ethan told her. She looked up at him nodding. "Mommy's too sleepy to play tea party with you," Ethan said. Sadie's eyes widened.
"Mommy have nap time!" She exclaimed, everything suddenly making sense. Ethan decided just to roll with it.
"Exactly," He said. She nodded, understanding. "And Gray- daddy just had to take care of Mary-Kate today, tomorrow, he'll play tea party with you, okay?" Ethan said. Sadie nodded, all jealousy leaving her body.
"I sorry," She said. Ethan shook his head. "May-Kate come to tea party tomorrow?" She asked. Ethan nodded.
"Sure, we have enough teacups?" He asked. She nodded, a smile on her face. Now everyone was going to come to her tea party. "Should we make an invitation for Mary-Kate, then?" Ethan asked her. Sadie nodded.
So that's how the next hour went. Ethan sat with Sadie in the playroom, helping her make Sadie a tea party invitation, that consisted only of scribbles. Sadie was quite proud of it actually. She thought it was perfect. So she closed her marker and handed it to Ethan to read over. He scanned the assortment of scribbles.
"Pe-fect!" She said, taking it from him. Ethan smiled, picking her up. They made their way over to the couch, Mary-Kate still on Grayson's lap, awake this time. "Daddy!" Sadie said, trying to get her father's attention.
He turned to see his princess holding Ethan's hand, and holding one behind her back. He smiled at her, reaching one hand out to her. She let go of Ethan and made her way over. "Hey, princess," He said, hoping she wasn't mad anymore.
"May-Kate invite to tea party tomorrow!" She said, handing the baby in her daddy's lap the paper. The baby took it in her grabby hands and stared at it. Sadie clapped. "Daddy invite too, and mommy and 'cle E!" She said with a smile.
"We'll come tomorrow, I promise," Grayson told her. Sadie nodded and smiled, already excited for the next day. How was she supposed to sleep tonight, with all this energy? "Sorry for not coming today," He told her. Sadie shrugged.
"'tis okie dokie," She said. Grayson smiled up at Ethan who had his arms crossed over his chest, a grin on his face. "I play with May-Kate?" She asked. Grayson nodded and helped her sit properly on the couch.
"You have to hold her like mommy taught you, okay?" He asked. Sadie nodded and Grayson placed Mary-Kate in Sadie's arms. She looked down at the little baby and waved. Mary-Kate giggled.
"You should give your oldest princess a little more attention, man," Ethan whispered to Grayson. Grayson nodded, smiling at his two daughters.
"Never missing a tea party again," He said quietly as he stared down at the invitation in his hand. "Ever."