CALUM
It happens when Calum’s off at Luke’s - something about needing help with a crib - you being left with your 4 and 5 year old awaiting their older sister who’d be dropped off for the weekend just the same as every other weekend. The day goes smoothly and it doesn’t happen till lunch time when you hear the front door close signaling Calum’s arrival and you’ve asked her to go get her brothers for lunch. “Okay Mommy,” she hums, dropping her marker and running off to get her brothers. You’re frozen for a second, not knowing how to go about the situation since her mother didn’t exactly like you and sure as hell wouldn’t like her daughter calling you Mommy so you go into a but of a panic until Calum walks in with a kiss to your cheek as a greeting. “You alright babe?” he asks, taking a sandwich for himself. “She called me Mommy,” you say blankly, already trying to think of a way to kindly tell her she has a mom and that mom technically wasn’t you. “Who did?” Calum’s eyebrows pulling together. “Who do you think?” you deadpan, nervously starting to clean mainly just to do something with your hands. “Well you are, at least you have been for the past 6 years,” he shrugs casually. “Yeah but… it’s a bit strange don’t you think?” “Nah, think it’s pretty amazing,” he hums. “Yeah but, I mean I wouldn’t want the boys calling someone else Mommy and your ex already hates me and-” You’re cut off with a sweet kiss from Calum. “You’ve been helping with her since she was in diapers, you’re her mum too, she wants to call you that, she feels comfortable with you and you’re a big part of her every day life, if her mom isn’t exactly keen with that then that’s her problem,” he shrugs, kissing you as if to make his statement final before your three children are racing back into the kitchen already bickering.
LUKE
Luke having a child from a previous relationship was always something that put a strain on your relationship. At first you were terrified he’d leave you to be with his ex as they did have their little boy Hemmings and once you got over that, it seemed impossible to get pregnant yourself. You’d gotten checked out and every doctor you’d seen had all told you same thing, everything was fine. Obviously Luke wasn’t the problem, but the stress of it all had been weighing down on you and you’d just about given up even trying anymore. You were putting all the positive energy you had into this and letting life take over. If it happens it happens. That only goes on for a few months then you finally give up, excepting the fact that you’ll never have a kid of your own or ever get to hear them call you Mommy. It happens one evening when you and Luke are tucking his little 4 year old in for bed after just giving him a bath and changing him into his favorite ninja turtle pajamas. “Night Daddy, night Mommy,” he closes his eyes and Luke’s head just about whips around to look at you, eyes wide. He looks worried like maybe you’d have a problem with it and maybe a little part of you did but only because even if he did call you that you knew he wasn’t actually yours. For the most part though, you felt almost relieved, absolutely bliss really, that this little boy, this little piece of Luke actually loved and thought of you as something so important and suddenly you weren’t so stressed about having a baby of your own even if you did end up pregnant a month after.
MICHAEL
Dating Michael always involved his now 3 year old daughter. It was a tricky situation, the two of you, because Michael’s previous relationship wasn’t like he’d fallen out of love or like he chose to leave her. No, she had left him in middle of the night with only a note left behind saying she couldn’t do it, she just wasn’t cut out for being a mother. It was really early in baby girl Clifford’s life, just a few months shy of a year so Michael had always had a guard up, always having a ‘me and my little girl against the world' attitude. That is until you'd finally gotten through that and eventually moved in together. You'd never really discussed what you were to her, never even daring to say the word around her so you're completely sidetracked by it. You hear her crying from her room where she and Michael had gone off to play her made up game of Michael being a dragon and you the princess that she, the king, has to save. “What'd you do now?” you walk into the room with a chuckle looking at a distressed Michael sat on the floor. “Mommy!” she immediately runs up to you, her tear stained cheeks now tinted pink. Your eyes go wide in surprise and Michael makes a face like it'd all just clicked. “That's why she kept saying it,” he sighs a breath of relief. You coo and sooth until she just ends asleep in your arms, you and Michael having a conversation on how he'd thought she was asking for the woman who left, telling her 'mommy' had left resulting in worrying her that you had left.
ASHTON
"Please stop drumming on your brother," you sigh at your six year old for what has to be the fifth time as you move around the kitchen getting breakfast ready with your 2 year old set firm on your hip, the two of them being extra rowdy this morning. "But i’m like Daddy!" He hums proudly. "No you’re not, you suck," your younger boy snickers and they break into a fuss. You go to scold them, the three of you just shouting over each other in ‘that’s enough' and 'tell him to stop' and 'i’m telling Daddy' until you hear the quiet little voice belonging to the only one of your kids that doesn't drive you crazy half the time and he's not even technically yours. “Mommy,” he says quietly compared to the other two still bickering and it's so quiet you barely even hear not even sure you heard correctly. “Mommy look,” he says more firmly and louder this time, holding up his drawing. “I drew you, and daddy, and Matty, and Bradley, and me, and Ellie and that's the new baby.” But you're still stuck on 'Mommy'. You and Ashton had talked about whether or not that should be something he called you, you deciding that if your boys and Ellie had called anyone else Mommy you'd be devastated so hadn't pushed it with him, not even when he was a baby, you'd always taught him to say your name. “You're nine months pregnant why are you carrying Ellie around?” Ashton walks in, taking the two year old and giving you a once over with cautious eyes. “Look at the amazing drawing Keith made,” you hand Ash the drawing where beneath your figure is the name 'Mommy'. “I love it,” Ashton beams. “You do?” you ask a bit wary. “Yeah, you're his mum as much as you are these lot,” he smiles brightly, pecking your cheek and putting the drawing of your little family up on the fridge and you can't help but smile at the neatly written Mommy as Ashton finally settles the bickering boys.