Don't Make It Bad

I think we can allow a little bias, they’re angels! *shakes her head, with one little amused smile at the smitten Cady* I can’t believe how quickly the time’s gone, I can’t even begin to imagine how you must be feeling … it must be exciting, still! Watching them grow up - they’re proper little people now! 

They are, right? I can’t be the only one who thinks they’re perfect. Me and Chris...yeah, maybe we’re biased, but they’re just beautiful kids. [scratches his beard, chuckling tiredly] Amazing...rewarding....terrifying. They’re gonna be in high school before I know it. Hell, two more years they’ll be at school five days a week. That’s insanity.

Damn. Talk about a full house.

[he snorts] You’re telling me.

Point taken! *laughing, she settles back in her seat, and plucks her phone from her bag, giving it once more look over* How are the girls, anyway?

[his gaze softens] Amazing. Beautiful, kind, caring, smart... [he smiles, suddenly away thinking of his girls] I’m biased...but I think I got the best kids of anybody on the planet. Soph’s about to be in middle school, the girls are almost three.. time’s flying. I wish it’d slow down. I don’t want to miss a second.

… are you positive you knew Christie as a Case? I’ve never met a family better at holding a grudge. Even the misplaced ones! 

[he snorts with laughter, glancing at her] What do you think the issue was with him before?

I’ll get back to you on that one! *clips her seatbelt into place, and waits until Ryan’s in to twist in her seat, listening* That’s true! I’d think it’s about six and half a dozen with Danny. From what I hear though, he likes you! 

‘Preciate it. [he grins, driving off away from the school] Yeah, he likes me now. He never used to. Really can’t anymore. I married his sister. His nieces are my daughters. He’s stuck with me.

Of course! But I warn you, I do charge for the more dangerous requests. *pats his shoulder, a little in sympathy and a little in comfort, before she laughs, thanks him, and hops into the passenger’s seat* Just armed with a little more experience! With all of them, don’t forget.

Well, what’s your going rate? [he chuckles, closing the door and getting into the driver’s side, turning the engine on] Yeah...yeah, I know. [he chuckles, shaking his head briefly] I just know my Chris. You know Megan and Parker way better.

You poor thing with your poor, young man’s heart. *grins, before she waves a hand at him, and shakes her head* Nodding, smiling, and agreeing has always served me best. It’s a failsafe! 

Young man? Hey, do me a favour--tell Chris you called me that. She keeps calling me old. [he grins at her, unlocking his car and pulling open the passenger’s side for her] You’re a smarter woman than me, Mei.

New age— Ryan, anyone might think you were twice as old as you actually are. *shakes her head at the question, chuckling* I know much better than to answer that.

I am, Mei. In my heart. [he snorts] You gotta teach me how you do that. Keep outta trouble.

icicle - do you prefer living in small towns or big cities?

Small towns. Never lived in a big one before...but I know it’s not my style.

sugarplum - what is one of the most important life lessons you’ve learned thus far?

Know what you deserve from people, but let people show you what you deserve too.

fireside - do you have any irrational or strange fears?

Jasmine Tea : If you could go anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Probably...somewhere in Europe? Just travel around in a car? I dunno. Chris is pretty dead set on not wanting to go to England, because she doesn’t like it there, so that’s ruled out...but I love driving and I love road trips, so let’s say that.

Iced Cafe Mocha : Favorite thing to do on rainy days?

Fix the car, listen to music, eat pie, spend time with my family, repeat.

Hot Chocolate : Are you an affectionate person?

What? No. Heh. No way.

Kids plural?

[he chuckles] Yeah, kids plural. I got four. 

It was with her shoulders bouncing, silent laughter prompting it, that Chris settled in again. And it was there that Christie remained, even as his hand touched her cheek, even as she smiled, even as she pecked his lips in return. ‘That’s a relief. We’ve wasted an awful lot of everyone’s time otherwise …’

Poking his side with the finger at his side, arm still draped across his middle, Chris grinned, right in time for the door to burst open. She would never have put money against Ellie coming straight for the bed, but it was still with a startled laugh that she lifted her arm from Ryan, extending it to the little Cady racing towards them. ‘Dotty, Dotty, Dotty.’

‘Da!’ Finishing the chorus with a chirp, Cassie bounced from Ellie to Ryan’s side of the bed. She knew - from experience the previous night - that she couldn’t clamber up there unaided. It wasn’t like her parents’ bed at home, she couldn’t get her feet in the right spots, and Sass wasn’t there to help her, leaving her to reach up now instead, patting at the mattress in the hope of finding herself a helping hand. ‘Dada? Good morming!’ 

“And an awful lot of hours getting everybody here.” he mused in a murmur, leaning his head toward hers. “They’ll get it.” he raised a brow, seeing if she agreed, trying his best not to let his lips twitch toward a smile.

Ellie couldn’t stop running. As soon as her confidence in walking had gotten high enough, she was ready to race across the room at lightening speed, and she had seldom stopped running since. Her mother was always one of her favourite people to run to, since Christine always had her arms open, ready to catch her. As she threw herself into her mother’s arms and was lifted into the bed, Ellie wriggled toward her, overwhelmed with excited giggling “Mama!” 

Soph: You’re not gonna do that! Then what are we gonna snack on for TV time? *grinning, Sophie flops to the side, against him, and shovels another cracker into her mouth before holding it up to Ryan in offering, laughing at Cassie’s hand shoots out to scoop one out* 

*stroking Ellie’s hair, and chuckling and the trio beside them, Chris’s gaze scans the park, stopping first on two birds hopping down the edge of the slide, and then the young boy who’d been on the swings with her eldest daughter before, catching his movements just in time to see him scoop the apple, at which point Chris’s hand darts out, squeezing Ryan’s knee, tight*

Something healthy for you while me and your mom eat something yummy. [nevertheless he takes his goldfish, albeit with one less thanks to his cass, and offers one more just for good measure. happy in his own world, he looks up and looks over the park, just until his christie’s hand touches his knee, when he looks over to her, ready to smile, until he sees her expression, when his smile fades, mouthing ‘what’s wrong?’]

Wedding planning and whatnot?

Yeah, and looking after our kids and stuff.

Without telling me first? I’d hope not. But I could let it slide … for a postcard. *lips twitching, Mei falls into step beside him, murmuring her thanks in the second before she chuckles* Someone told me once that if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

Yeah, but you never know with this new age technology, do you? [he grumbled aloud as he dug in his pockets for his keys] That person wouldn’t happen to be my wife, would it?