anchor down

“I feel like I’m twenty,” Chandler said to his friend. “If I was one of the many twentysomethings that have a kid in this town.” 

“That’s how she shows love and if I remember correctly she learned that from you,” Hannah said poking him in the chest with a smile. “Well I am quite fortunate to have all of this family to help me out and I will keep that in mind this go around. Five kids will just be a lot for anyone to take on so ya’ll might really need to divide and conquer there.” Hannah said with a small laugh, it was funny because it was true. 

“Its all about how you use the time ya have. Multitasking is blessing. when it comes to stuff like this. I swear if I want to have any hobbies its got to be something i can share with one of them tiny monsters I gave life to.” She joked. “She loves Reese, been begging for sisters for a while. So hopefully we get her a sister and make that happen. If it ends up being boys though she might riot. In which case I am sending her to live with her Uncle Chandler permanently. Thank you in advance for that.” 

“She learned badly,” he said, making a face. “You’re starting to sound like her, you know.” He hummed at her, craning his neck to see if the kids were coming back any time soon. As much as he loved his sister, they had a plan today, and that plan involved getting all of the children out from under her nose. It was that divide and conquering thing she meant. “I can barely task, Hannah.” 

Tanner tried not to laugh too loud. If they woke up even one of the kids it could start the whole energy madness cycle all over again. “Is it sad that I don’t remember what that was like at all? Soon this’ll be the happy times I’ll look back on when there weren’t two cryin’ babies in the house.” He didn’t want that to sound like he wasn’t excited for the twins, he was, but their lives were about to seriously change. “You’re gonna have to remind me that shows other than peppa pig and paw patrol exist, and that it’s possible to stay up past 9 pm.”

In the almost twenty years since Hannah and Tanner had gotten married, Chandler had gotten used to Tanner just being there. Tanner had always been there, a part of the family, slipping into the family photos so seamlessly no one had ever bothered to wonder of a time before Tanner. 

Most of that time coincided with the pre-Madison years, and as much as Chandler would tease her, he didn’t remember much of those years, either. “I don’t remember a lot of things,” he said, lifting his arm from his forehead. “Half the time I forget to bring milk home, and Will gets annoyed about it. Good luck getting me to remind you of anything outside of those things, except maybe baby shark.” 

“I thought you were trying to charm me, I’m kinda hurt now.” He smiled, watching the children stumble out and run into the house. He was amazed at how Chandler was able to balance it all. “Well, I’m glad not everyone in the neighborhood gets one.” He nodded. “So, how’re the kids? Your little man looks like he could be a professional player.”

“Oh did they?” Her brow raised with the thought, “I swear those boys are somethin’ else. Now that you’ve said it, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before they are out here askin’ for all the bedding now.” She laughed softly, “Gone and jinxed it now.” She told him with a playful and chiding tone. 

Nadia placed a hand over her heart, “Oh, Chandler Heine. In an alley way? I never thought I’d see the day.” She laughed, tipping her head back. “I am so proud of you.” She added for good measure, a smile settling on her face. “It’s nice to see you happy and she seems like a good fit for you if anything.” She told him, “I can see bein’ scared. Lord knows if Ricky and I ever split, dating with a kid would be hard, but you’ve got yourself a good support system and an A plus babysitter if I may say so myself,” she gestured to herself, “but you gots to take things at your own pace. You got kids to think about.” 

“They have enough supplies, they don’t get more.” They really did have more than they needed, especially for only the two of them. They were both starting to get taller but neither of them were tall enough to stick out of the space on the living room rug. “No, no, no jinxing, we don’t believe in that.” They really could not afford to. He could not afford to. They’d just take and take and take and he’d have no sheets left and then it’d be a complete hassle. 

A little startled by yet another thing to come out of Chandler’s mouth tonight without any warning, Morgan wasn’t as quick this time to be concerned or protest. She gave him a minute to finish his thought, knowing there must be more to come with it. “I’m sure Will is very pretty in his own right. It’s not very fair to compare us like that.” She said with a little chuckle. Though it was a very sweet thing to say and like any compliment a slight blush grew on her cheeks. “Does that being a priority really start so young?” 

Thankfully she just let it slide, bless Morgan, so Chandler didn’t want to go rehashing his slip of the tongue. “Will is related to Rafe so that really does affect the comparison. He’ll lose the prettiness test compared to anyone. Professionally, no. In my family, I think so, yeah. You’ve met my sister and her husband right?” 

“Aw come on, Heine.” Austin said knowing full well he was never gonna get Chandler dancing. He really just came to get his friend to come out for beers but it was a funny image. “Tell me ya don’t want to boogie just a little.” Austin joked giving a little shake. “I mean I will if you will? He said with a wide grin, he was a big fan of the mechanical bull so he wasn’t about to pass that up. ”So you’re in? My Reese Piece already in bed? No way I can get a hug out of her before we go?”

His best friend was happy and laughing. Not super uncommon, but Chandler still liked to see Austin happy. He’d almost died once. They’d all thought he’d died. “I’ll boogie with Hazel, you don’t look like Hazel.” As he got his keys and coat, he picked up the baby monitor on the kitchen island and put it in Austin’s hand. “She’s fast asleep. Completely out. Spent a lot of time today running around the backyard telling me she should be on Rafe’s soccer team.” 

“Uh-huh,” She sat up a little straighter in the bed, turned to face him. “And are you gonna get up and go make a lot of noise in the kitchen possibly wakin’ up Reese and Rafe just to make pancakes half-past midnight?”

The moment Hazel moved, Chandler wanted to walk back on the whole idea. It was warm in bed, and even if it was summer in Alabama, he’d always found the middle of the night and early mornings to be the coldest. It was psychological, the air around the bed feeling colder and more unpleasant when all he really wanted was to be wrapped under the covers again. “They sleep through everything. I had to host game night and they slept through Jolene’s karaoke. I’m sure it’s fine. Besides, you don’t want pancakes? Like on a little tray and everything? I can make them with little smiley faces.” He rolled out of bed and grabbed a shirt from the back of the bathroom door, pulled his sweats on and then stood there, half-dressed, looking at her sitting up in his bed. 

He could probably be happy with just this for the rest of his life. Kids asleep. Pancakes, minutes away. Hazel, right there, hair rumpled and cheeks flushed and eyes gleaming with the next witty thing she was going to say to him. “You look really comfortable sitting there,” Chandler told her. “Really makin’ that spot your own.” 

“Thank you!” Finally, someone agreed with him. Chandler was a lot calmer than Ivan, a lot like Jolene, but at least he acknowledged this was out of character for Georgia. Jolene was at home, calm as ever, trying to get him to see Georgia’s side of it, but what was there to see? She got arrested! “I know! This isn’t like her at all. I don’t know why they were trespassing, I don’t know how long they’ve known each other–” Ivan paused, recalling something Jolene had told him about the Strawberry Festival. “I did hear that Georgia punched a guy at the Strawberry Festival a while back, and I thought, good for her, that guy probably deserved it.” Ivan grit his teeth, a slight bounce to his knee as he continued, “It was Joel. Jolene told me about it, said the guy was being a douche and Georgia decked him.” There was more, things Ivan didn’t want to think about, nor share with Chandler.

How long since someone had validated Ivan? Jolene was very chill, the kind of person who could take a deep breath and just keep moving, he’d seen it in action. Chandler had also heard stories, a lot of them, that kind of sounded like this. In the grand scheme of things, getting arrested once in your twenties sneaking around with a boyfriend wasn’t the worst thing in the world. But it was out of character enough for Ivan to worry, the same man who trusted his children and believed he and his wife raised them well enough to make good decisions. “So she decked the guy and then ended up trespassing into a public with him? And then ended up in jail with him? That’s not... conventional. But at least you know she’s not doing anything she doesn’t wanna do. She did punch the guy.” 

 “It doesn’t matter, Chan! You got the same score.” Jolene gave him a smirk. “I have to prove that I’m better than you. I have a title to defend!” Even if she did win, she would still offer to have game night at the Dyer’s. It was easier to just plop into bed after a night of rambunctious fun than to go home then plop into bed. Besides, she didn’t even know if she could trust Chandler’s cooking. “Are you chicken?” She put her hands to her armpits to make wings with her arms then started bawking like a chicken.

“I’m not chicken,” Chandler said, a little too insulted at the term. That was reserved for Will telling his parents about romantic relationships or Owen trying to climb the water tower at the grand old age of 38. “I’m not chicken. I just would like some fair terms, that’s all.” 

“Oh, yeah, ‘course. Luca Ferraro, nice to meet you.” He clapped Chandler on the shoulder with a grin. “Honestly, don’t worry about it. I’ve never had to break up a date before, it’s a good story. Go on and do whatever you gotta do. I think we could still sell the broken pipe story. You know any plumbers we could call, maybe make it a little more convincing?”

“Fitz Davenport,” Chandler said. “Someone in this kitchen probably has his number. But I don’t think you need to call. I’m gonna— I’m gonna go end things with my date.” By the time he got out to the dining room, though, she was gone, and a waiter had picked up his jacket and came to hand Chandler the check. He paid, quickly, stinging with embarrassment and relief, and headed back to the kitchen, where everything was as it should be. For the first time all night, he felt relaxed. He unbuttoned his collar and tried to breath deeply. “So, thanks for that. It’s not a usual situation. Dates just aren’t my thing these days.”

“I make no promises,” Colton replied with a grin as he led Chandler to into the barn, grabbing a stall fork and handing it over to his friend and taking one for himself. “Alright, fine– if you fall on your ass, I will take that secret to my grave. Won’t tell Hazel a word. It’ll be our little secret, but you can’t expect me to not laugh,” he murmured, chuckling slightly as he gestured for Chan to follow him. “C’mon. –We gotta rake through, get all the muck out– put it in the wheelbarrow.” He pointed to a wheelbarrow he had set up, ready for them. “Think you can handle it?” 

Chandler didn’t like that. Make the damn promise, Colt, he wanted to say, very loudly. But he’d never choose Tanner’s side over Hannah, so he could understand. Besides this was going to be the funniest thing Hazel would ever have over him, and she deserved that. His ego could take a hit. His dignity could also take a hit. Also his knees, probably. Tailbone. Maybe he’d land on his arm oddly, that wouldn’t be good for surgical purposes. 

But people walked around on the farm all the time without completely injuring themselves, so Chandler was fairly confident he’d survive the day. Maybe the mud wasn’t everywhere. “I don’t believe you, but I think it’s nice that you’re trying anyway.” He looked at the wheelbarrow, focusing his attention on the things inside it. Tools, completely unfamiliar to him. 

He could do this. He could handle a fucking scalpel, Chandler would be fine here. He took a step and then another, letting out a breath at the solid ground despite the worry of mud, and then just walked to the wheelbarrow. “I’ve got no choice,” he said, grinning at Colton. “I’m here, aren’t I? Teach me everything.” 

“I’m a fuckin’ bartender, not a therapist. I’m not even bein’ paid enough to listen to all y’all squawk all day. Anyway, where do I find the fuckin’ fruit roll ups?” @frostfordstart​

“Kyle, please, there are children here,” Chandler said. He raised his eyebrows at the kids, all at the end of the aisle, looking over suspiciously. “I think Rafe is trying to convince Olive to grab something off the second shelf, do you wanna risk just seeing what happens?”