"Mom, come on." Colby knocked on his parents' bedroom for the nth time but her mom still wouldn't put up. "Please?"
Carrie hadn't got out of their room for half an hour already. "I'm fine, in here." She shouted, answering her 16-year-old son. She almost jumped in surprise when her husband opened the door, and Colby, nowhere in sight.
"Babe, what's wrong?" Mike asked, placing the keys on their side table and sitting beside his wife who pulled her knees up to her chest, frowning.
"Nothing." The blonde replied shortly.
Mike smirked. "Is it because of Ashley?" He asked referring to their only son's girlfriend.
Carrie shrugged.
"I knew it." Mike chuckeled. "Baby, we all know this time is going to come. Come on, your kid's waiting. " Mike tugged at her wife's arm. "Come on."
Without a word, Carrie obliged, trudging behind her husband, holding his hands. They descended down the stairs to be greeted by the sight of their son laughing with his girlfriend and their 6-year-old Hadley.
"Mommy!" Their daughter's voice echoed through the living room, greeting them by the foot of the stairs. "Look what Ashley got me!" Hadley waved two dolls in front of her Mommy.
Carrie lifted her daughter up and smiled, she made her way over to the couch and sat beside her husband across her son.
Colby was more than happy her Mom came down. It was the first time he's bringing Ashley home after months of dating. "Mom, this is Ashley."
Carrie eyed Ashley, head to toe. That was the first time she would look at her the moment she got down. Ashley is wearing black tee, white skinny jeans and boots. Cute. She thought. Curly brunette locks falling from her shoulders, got a little bit of make up on, though what caught her eye was how his son's eyes' sparkle looking at Ashley.
"Good afternoon, Mrs. Fisher." The brunette greeted coyly, nervously smiling at Carrie.
"I really wish it was a good afternoon." Carrie replied deadpan.
"Carrie."
"What?" She glared at Mike. "Ashley right?" The teenager nodded,"How old are you? How long have you two known each other? How long have you been together? What are-- "
"Easy there chief." Mike cut Carrie off noticing Ashley's nervousness.
"I am 16 years old ma'am. We've known each other since sophomore year and we've been together for 8 months now." Ashley answered Carrie as if she'd have that line memorized.
"Do you love my son? Are you sure you're not going to break his heart?"
Just then the door bell rang. "Pizza!" Mike shouted, standing up and getting the door. "Who's hungry?" Mike asked making Hadley squirm out of Carrie's grip and running onto his Daddy.
Colby stood up leading Ashley towards the dining room leaving Carrie alone in the living room.
Carrie watched as the group of four laughed and chatted with each other in the dining room. Watching how her son looks at his girlfriend, how he smiles at her, the way they talk and everything. She had never seen her son as happy as this.
Later that night, she was again in their bedroom leaning at the headboard. Ashley had gone home hours before and her boys were downstairs talking about God-knows-what and her little Hadley by her side, sleeping. She watched again as her little princess, sleep peacefully, when the door made a creaking sound.
She looked up to see Mike standing by the doorway, smiling. "Hey princess." Mike said almost as a whisper not wanting to wake their sleeping child.
"Hey." She forced a smile.
"We're talking after I put Hadley in her room, alright?" Mike scooped Hadley in his arms and carried the little blonde to her bedroom.
Carrie patiently waited for Mike to get back.She knows the way she acted this afternoon was really rude, though she didn't know why she did so.
"Mom?" Her son's voice took her out of her trance. "Yes, baby?" She answered.
"Nothing." The teenager shook his head. "I love you. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, I love you." Colby kissed his Mama's forehead and left.
"Alright, what has gotten into you this afternoon?" Mike asked Carrie whose head is on his chest.
"I don't know. I just- my baby's growing up too fast!" She sobbed. "And I don't want him to grow just yet."
"Oh, baby, you know that's not possible. Our Colby's going to grow up, date girls, have a job, then later on get married and so is our Hadley. We can't do anything to stop that."
That had Carrie bawling in his chest. "That's what im afraid to happen. I wish they would be just this little forever. I wish they won't grow older anymore. I don't want them to."
Mike wiped his wife's tears. "Look at me." He said. "Our children will always be our children no matter what."
Carrie nodded. "I just hate the fact that he wouldn't cuddle with me anymore, and I miss that so much. He won't sleep beside us anymore, he wouldn't want to go out with us. Al I'd hear from his mouth lately was 'Ashley' " Carrie whined.
"Someone sounds a little too jealous."