"Good morning, Arthur. It's time for school." You gently cooed and nuzzled the older of the two awake, kissing his cheek when his head turned to you, near red eyes blinking at you sleepily as he stretched his small body under his bright red covers, yawning quietly with a soft squeak as you kissed his head. You turned away as he stretched again, moving silently over to the smaller bed against the opposite wall.
He was never as easy to rouse, nudges and coos not enough to get him to even stir. You had to scoop him up into your arms, kissing at his nose as you ignored his sounds of sleep soaked protest, his small body wriggling into your chest as he tried oh so desperately to soak in your warmth, to fall back to sleep in your loving and gentle embrace. He would usually succeed as you turned back to the oldest, who by then was sitting up, rubbing his eyes to rid them of sleep before he looked up at you, yawning again.
"You know the drill, love." And he nodded sleepily, getting up and leaving the room as he rubbed an eye again, reaching up to turn on the bedroom light as he did so. This is what usually made the smaller child in your arms groan, as it now did, and you chuckled softly, moving him over to the changing table he was quickly outgrowing. There were more sounds of protest as you laid him on it, brushing his auburn brown hair from his forehead so you could place a soft kiss on his skin. "Rise and shine, sleepy head." There was a disgruntled sound of acknowledgement as you turned to grab a diaper and wipes, making quick work of changing him before picking him back up, kissing at his cheeks despite his sounds of protest.
"I used the ba'room and washed up my hands, Papa." You turned your head back to the older, nodding in approval as he held up his still slightly wet hands. "Can I pick my clothes today?"
"It's Monday, isn't it?" He nodded eagerly before walking over to his dresser, pulling open his drawer with some difficulty before digging through it. You made a mental note to refold everything before they went to bed that night. Your attention turned back to the once again sleeping toddler in your arms. You shook him lightly, satisfied at the grunt in response. "Do you want to pick out your clothing too, or should we save Gramma the heart attack?"
"Heart 'tack..." You chuckled softly, moving over to the dresser and opening the top drawer, the sound making the younger finally turn his head to look, his hazel green eyes blinking slowly as he seemed to scan the contents.
"Are you dressing you or am I?"
"Am..." You shifted him closer, tightening your grip as he leaned forward to push around the shirts and pants (more that you would need to refold) before his small hands grabbed hold of a black and grey striped shirt and a pair of tan pants.
"Your fashion sense is already better than mine-" You laughed softly, closing the drawer and moving to sit down in the rocking chair in the corner with him, tending to removing his pajamas and getting him into his chosen outfit for the day.
"'M all dressed, Papa." You looked over from your task, nodding approvingly at his red shirt, and at the jean overalls he had attempted (and failed) to put on. You chuckled softly as you set down your toddler, getting up and kneeling in front of your kindergartner to move the overall straps over his arms, fastening them in place.
"There. All done." You smiled as he giggled, brushing his chestnut hair aside to kiss at his head. "Lets get the two of you breakfast."
"Okay!" You stood, the oldest already turning and running out of the room. You blinked, looking down as the toddler tugged on your pants, holding up one of his neon green sandals.
"Wear."
"You, want to wear your sandals-"
"Wear."
"Ah. I should've known that you'd figure out how to make your outfit clash." He dropped it and reached up as you reached down, picking him up and setting him on your hip. "You are my child, after all."
"Food?" You rolled your eyes.
"Definitely my child." You nuzzled his cheek as you left the room, flicking off the light.
Arthur was already seated at their Disney themed table, pulling on a white pair of socks you hadn't seen in his hands before.
"Are we having pan'akes today?"
"Pancakes?" You lifted your arm to check your watch. Eh, what the Hell. "You know what, we've got time."
"Cakes cakes cakes!" You shook your head with a smile as you sat the youngest in the chair across from the other, then grabbed their play tablet from off of its shelf.
"What will it be this morning, boys?"
"'Laddin!" You flicked through the movie titles, glancing up.
"Kayden says Aladdin. What say you, Arthur?"
"I like Aladdin too!" You set the tablet up on its stand where they both could see, then turned and headed into the kitchen.
An hour, and a shirt change for the youngest later (Oh, yes, that purple shirt with the phrase 'Ladies Man' on it would go perfectly with those neon green sandals, Kayden), and you were strapping them into their respective seats in your small but efficient candy red Volkswagen Beetle, Kayden into his toddler one in the middle, and then Arthur with the seat belt while he got comfortable on his booster seat. Kayden stopped squirming when you handed him the tablet, having tapped on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to sate him as you got into your driver's seat, putting your key into the ignition and turning it.
While waiting for your bug to warm up, you turned your gaze to the empty house next door, blinking at the moving van parked in the driveway.
"Huh. I guess someone's finally moving into the old Davis house." You mused. You could recall the Davises vaguely, the mother (Evianna, if you recall correctly) having been the owner of a string of high end bakeries, rivaling those of Betty Crocker and Hines. She'd brought over cookies when you and you family had first moved in, and you knew that you'd been more than fond of the flavor. Her daughter, Menorah, you think, had been four years older than your Arthur, and was more than a little spoiled. You couldn't remember why they moved out of the neighborhood, though thinking back it was probably to live closer to her bakery chain.
You had to admit, you'd been glad to have them move, only due to that fact that her boyfriend and their son had given you the creeps. Mateo, you think the son was named, and Zdravko, who you knew for a FACT was always high off his mind. The further away he was from you and your family, the better.
You made a mental note to welcome the new neighbors the next chance you had as you backed out of your driveway, turning and heading down the street for Arthur's school.
"Oh toodles!" You glanced in your rear view mirror, adjusting it to see them better at the sound of their voices in unison, their wide, intrigued matching red eyes glued to the screen. You heard Kayden making noises and exclamations of excitement as Arthur told the show which whatever thing it was that they needed, no not that one, that one!, and you looked through the rear view mirror at them as you stopped at a red light just as Kayden squealed, hitting the screen and giggling while Arthur told him that he'd been right, that he'd known it was the ball that they needed, Kayden then proceeding to squeal the word ball over and over whilst bouncing in his seat.
The sight made you smile softly as you looked back out the windshield at the road, accelerating again as the light turned green. The trip was a short one as you pulled up along the sidewalk, unbuckling and getting out, opening Arthur's door as he finished unbuckling himself.
"I did it all by myself, Papa." He stated proudly, and you chuckled, pulling him out and setting him on the ground, grabbing his backpack from off the floorboard.
"Soon, you'll be buckling yourself in, too." He beamed up at you as you helped him get his backpack on, then took his hand and swung him up onto the curb, making him squeal and laugh in delight. "Have a wonderful day, my darling little bug." You knelt to rub noses with him, kissing his head.
"You too, Papa! Bye, Kay!" The kiss to your nose made you smile brighter as you stood, waving as he ran up to the teacher standing at the school steps. You nodded at her as you turned and walked around to get back in your car, putting back on your seat belt and looking back at Kayden, who was fixated on the tablet again.
"Alrighty, ready to give Gramma a fashion heart attack?" There was a grunt. "I take that as a definite yes."
It was a shorter ride to the Spring Rose Daycare as you pulled into your usual spot, unbuckling again and getting out to move to the back, leaning in and taking the tablet. You ignored his protests as you pulled him and his diaper bag out, slinging it over your shoulder as you balanced him on your hip, closing the door and walking inside.
There were only a couple of other children there at the moment, but it was the sight of the woman running the center that made you beam as she glided over, a loving and kind smile on her features.
"Good morning, my handsome Professor."
"Good morning, Mother." You kissed her cheek as she pulled you and Kayden into a hug, nuzzling lightly before pulling back. "I have your grandson all set and packed for the day."
"Awe, of course you-" You cringed as she cut herself off with a sound between a choke and a strangled shriek. "What on EARTH is he wearing?!"
"It IS Monday-"
"And you let him choose, choose, Carmine Beckett!"
"I think he looks dashing-"
"Dashng." You glanced at your child as he crossed his arms, huffing. "Look dashng!" Your eyes darted back to her in time to catch her eye twitch as she reached out, taking him from you.
"I will make a fashionista of you yet, young Kayden." You set the bag down inside of his cubby, lifting your wrist to check your watch again.
7:36.
"I have to get going if I'm going to be at class on time." You turned to her and gave her another kiss on the cheek, then looked at Kayden and kissed his nose. "I love you, my little angel."
"Love ou!" He giggled, giving your cheek a slobbery kiss. You laughed, wiping your cheek with your sleeve as you turned and headed for the door.
"Have a wonderful day, both of you, and I will see you around three when I drop off Arthur!"
"Have a wonderful day yourself, my handsome college professor!" You hurried out the door, getting back into your beetle, putting on your belt and readjusting your mirror before starting it up.
As per usual, you had to flip down your visor to keep the sun out of your eyes.
And as per usual, your smile faltered at the two pictures clipped to either side.
The right, you and your late wife, your beautiful kitten, Ruthera. You reached up to lightly stroke your thumb over it, smiling slightly. "I love you, honey. I hope you're having a wonderful morning." You turned your focus back to the road as your hand came back to the wheel, and it wasn't until you stopped at another red light that you let your gaze drift up to the picture on the left.
You and a much taller male, light chestnut hair unruly, an arm around your shoulder as you held up two peace signs with your hands. He'd been rolling his near-red eyes that matched yours, an amused smile on his lips.
He'd just graduated from the police academy, decked in his new uniform. You'd been so proud of him.
Your gaze went back to the road as you accelerated again, fingers flexing on the wheel. It felt like only yesterday he and his wife had welcomed you into the hospital room, where you got to hold Arthur for the first time. You'd been so proud to be an uncle to such a handsome young boy.
You felt your grip tighten.
He hadn't been a father for two months when a routine car check went wrong. When he'd been hit with bullets that shouldn't have been shot, and sent to the hospital when he should've just been able to go home, unharmed.
He never left the emergency room alive.
No one knew where your step sister had gone after your older brother had died, leaving Arthur alone. You stepped in, took him in, adopted him. You and your beloved both. And three years later you were told you were expecting a child of your own, your precious Kayden. You'd both been so happy, so excited, and Arthur had been too, even if he didn't fully understand at the time. And it was going perfectly, the pregnancy, the ultrasounds.
Until she'd fallen ill at the start of the eighth month.
Labor hit early. Doctors said it was a miracle that Kayden had lived. A miracle that he'd been unscathed, healthy.
Your wife had not been so lucky.
She got to hold him once before she flatlined.
You pulled into your parking spot, smile completely gone as you reached up, rubbing at your eyes.
God, you were so tired...
You looked out the windshield at the students and professors making their way into the multiple buildings on the college campus, your eyes flicking back to the two pictures on your visor. With a final, silent goodbye to both, you closed it back up, turning off your beetle and getting out, grabbing your satchel from out of your passenger seat as you did.
You didn't have time to dwell on the past; you had a class to teach.