Veni, Vidi, Vici

Summer bounced Kori in her arms, smiling at her baby girl happy to see her happy. The infant cooed at Summer her smile wide, happy to have just woken up from a nap. Kori’s small hand curled around one of Summer’s braids and she played with it happily, cooing and giggling to herself. Smirking, Summer adjusted Kori in her arms as she moved to sit down on the couch, turning her laptop as she rested Kori in her lap against her chest. She double tapped and started the children’s show, grabbing the remote and flipping through the connections until she found it, her laptop hooked up to the TV. Sitting back she bounced her knees lightly as she watched the show with Kori.

Clinton finished up his work, closing his folders and laptop and putting them away. He stood from the desk, sliding on his sandals before heading to the living room. Leaning against the wall, he watched silently as Summer interacted with Kori, smiling. “What are you two watching?” He chuckled, pushing himself off of the wall and moving to sit next to the two on the couch. “Hey, babe.” Clinton said softly, pressing a kiss to her cheek, then dropping one to Kori’s forehead.

Ellie left her office building, leaving work for the day having received a text from Summer asking could she stop by and Ellie quickly shot her a text back telling her that she would. She slipped into the elevator down to the parking garage, she slipped into her car and made way to her old home. Ellie drove the twenty or thirty minutes to the home before she parked her car on the side of the road and climbing out.

Summer smiled down at Kori as she clapped her hands together happily, gazing at the TV, drool sliding down her chin as she giggled. Laughing, Summer glanced over at Clinton and smirked, “Little Einsteins.” As he plopped down on the couch, Summer leaned into him slightly, kissing his cheek back. “Hey love,” she whispered.

Clinton laughed softly at their drooling daughter as she curiously gazed at the television, draping his arm around Summer. “Ahh, my favorite.” He joked, crossing his ankles and turning toward the TV. “Is Ellie on her way?”

Ellie shut her door, locking it shut as she moved up the drive way towards the front door. Stuffing her keys in her small clutch Ellie rang the doorbell standing back in her heels as she waited tossing some curls over her shoulder.

Summer giggled softly at Clinton, shaking her head. “Is it really?” she asked him with a smirk before she nodded. “Yeah she’d said she was on her way,” she told him just before she heard the doorbell. Laughing softly she shook her head as she grabbed one of Kori’s many towels laying on the coffee table and wiped the drool from her mouth.

Clinton shook his head, chuckling softly. “Nah. I used to hate it. Janelle played it out when I would babysit. It’s growing on me, though.” Hearing the doorbell, he pushed himself up from the couch. “I got it, I got it.” He said, walking over to the door and opening it, his mouth dropping instantly. “Whoa. Hey, Els.” He murmured, giving her a warm smile. “You look great. Come on in.” He said softly, moving to let her inside.

Ellie watched as the door before her opened and Ellie caught Clinton’s reaction smirking smugly “Hey Clinton” she smiled as she moved to walk in moving around him. “Summer told me to come by” she said softly looking to him before she awkwardly move to hug him before she pulled away, tucking some hair behind her ear.

Summer listened to Clinton and gasped softly. “Blasphemy, this show is awesome,” laughed out as she shook her head, letting out a small yawn. She nodded as Clinton pushed off the couch and she shifted, adjusting Kori in her arms a little as she looked down at her, chuckling softly as she gazed at the TV mesmerized. “Daddy doesn’t know what he’s talking about, huh?” she cued, “Little Einstein’s is the show!” she smirked as Kori looked up at her, clapping her hands, “that’s right bumble bee,” she snickered as she lifted Kori and planted a wet kiss on her fat cheek, looking towards the door.

Clinton nodded, closing the door behind Ellie. “Yea, I know.” He said, gladly opening his arms and pulling Ellie into a welcoming embrace. “Rae and Kori are right over there.” He gestured toward the couches. “Want anything to drink? Water, juice?”

Ellie nodded to Clinton “oh water please, that would be amazing” Ellie said as she moved to the couches. Ellie moved around the corner towards Summer and Kori waving “Hi” she said with a small smile before she moved to the other end to sit down. “Loved what you guys have done with the place” she said looking around seeing all the Minnie Mouse stuff Ellie played with her engagement ring waiting for Clinton to return.

Summer looked up as Ellie moved into her line of view and she smiled, raspberry Kori’s chubby cheek causing her to squeal and laugh out, wiggling and kicking in Summer’s hands. “Hey!” she smiled at Ellie as she moved into the living room and sat down on the couch. At Ellie’s words, Summer chuckled softly and looked around at some of the clutter. “Sorry,” she said softly, “I would have cleaned but time slipped away from me,” she said honestly as she sat Kori back in her lap.

Clinton moved to the kitchen, opening the fridge and grabbing three bottles of water before closing it and going back to the living room. “For you,” he said handing Ellie a bottle, “and you.” He reclaimed his spot next to Summer handing her one as well.

"Thank you again," Ellie smiled grabbing the bottle and opening. “I mean you have a new addition in the house, I don’t expect it to be Martha Stewart clean in here” she giggled softly before she sipped from the bottle of water, her dress rising as she crossed her ankles.

Summer smiled at Clinton as he came and sat down and she took the water from him with a small thank you as she sat it aside. “I know, I know…” she laughed softly to herself, looking down at Kori as she cheered about something happening on the TV and she snorted softly, “like you can understand,” she said, tickling her lightly. Looking back at Ellie, Summer smiled. “So…”

Clinton looked down at Kori with a soft smile before, turning his attention to Ellie. “So… Have you thought any more about our last conversation?” He finished for Summer, glancing over at her.

Ellie looked between the couple and she dropped her head nodding at them both, before she looked back up. “I have thought about it…and…” Ellie said looking to Kori not wanting to meet Summer’s gaze. “I don’t want to leave my new home…it means a lot to me….Derrick bought it for me….for his family” she continued. “He was amazing man and I owe to him to keep it, but I don’t want to be here” she said gesturing the house “why paying for it where it is” she trailed off looking up at them both.

Summer nodded as Clinton finished her sentence and she looked at Ellie, licking her lips as she spoke. Listening to Ellie, Summer tucked her lips in nodding slowly as she let out a small sigh. Kori cooed and smiled happily, looking up at Summer clapping her hands as the episode went off, finally giving their guest her attention. Giving Ellie a gummy smile, she mushed her hands together, drool dribbling down her chin as she lurched forward, trying to crawl over Clinton’s lap. “I understand,” Summer said softly, nodding as she held Kori’s hips keeping her steady as she tried to crawl.

Clinton listened to Ellie explain herself and nodded understandingly. “Yea, I wouldn’t want to give that up either.” He said softly, looking down at Kori, giving her a soft smile. “It honestly comes down to what you want to do, Els. You have the final say. We can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do.

Ellie looked to Summer before her eyes moved to Clinton hearing him as well, Ellie chuckled slightly licking her lips slowly before she looked up at the couple. “I think the family dynamic here is doing perfectly fine without me” she said looking to Summer before she took another sip of her water.

Summer licked her lips as Clinton spoke and she guided Kori as she crawled over Clinton’s lap and babbled at Ellie, trying to reach for her. Leaning forward, Summer held Kori firmly trying to pull her back when she realized her main objection. At Ellie’s words, Summer looked up at her and pursed her lips slightly before she looked away, letting Kori go, allowing her to crawl right into Ellie’s lap as she wished. Turning Summer grabbed her water bottle, popped the top, and chugged it down quickly.

Clinton bit his lip softly, shrugging a bit as he watched Kori scoot her way towards Ellie. “If that’s how you really feel then we won’t push the issue. Just know having you around won’t mess anything up. We care about you and your baby. We just want to make sure you’re good.” He said meeting her gaze. “You’re not alone.”

Ellie looked to the child as Clinton replied and she sat her water bottle down on the coffee table allowing Kori to reach for her and Ellie picked her up sitting her down on her lap. Ellie nodded at Clinton before she spoke again “so…is there some fear deep down that I won’t be capable of doing this alone that you guys have or are you both into guilt tripping?” she asked licking her lips her eyes moving from Summer and Clinton. “I mean….this was just tossed at me out of the blue and I found this system and this way of life to live no that really works…I’m doing really good right now.”

Summer gulped down her water, finishing off the bottle. She sat the bottle down on the stand by the couch and looked at Clinton as he spoke, shaking her head. She tugged at one of her braided pigtails, licking her lips as Ellie began to speak and Summer grabbed her laptop and shut it off. “I’m sorry… this is my fault. I shouldn’t have over stepped, let’s just forget I even brought this shit up,” she said as she moved to stand, “we can all go back to how we were before a week ago,” she breathed as she began to move to the kitchen. “We can all pretend like this never happened,” she licked her lips.

Clinton shook his head, pursing his lips as Ellie spoke. “Ellie…” he said softly, “you know that’s not the case.” Watching Summer get up and leave, he sighed softly, running a hand over his face before he moved closer to Ellie, resting his hand on her knee as he caught her eyes. “You have so many things going for you. You got your degree, you businesses, you’ve joined the motherhood club,” he smiled “You’re tenacious, strong willed, beautiful…and you’re going to be a great mother. We would never try to take that from you.” He said sincerely, giving her knee a gentle squeeze.

Ellie looked to Summer as she moved out off the couch and walked towards the kitchen, Ellie turned back to Clinton as he moved closer to her. She licked her lips looking down at his hand as it squeezed her knee gently. Ellie looked back up eyes straight ahead as Clinton concluded and she sucked her bottom lip into her mouth swallowing hard after she did.

Summer walked into the kitchen, opening up the fridge and pulling out a fresh bottle for Kori. Sitting it on the counter, Summer moved to make herself and Clinton something to eat. Licking her lips as she sighed out to herself, shaking her head. Kori gurgled softly, wiggling around in Ellie’s lap and she grabbed a tiny handful of her hair, pulling at it.

Clinton pulled his hand back, sitting back on the couch. A small chuckle left his lips as he watched Kori. “Sorry. She has a thing for hair and the grip of a grown as man.” He said jokingly.

Ellie looked to Kori and she yanked at her hair and Ellie gently tugged it back with a forced smile on her face “I see she breathed counting back from ten to zero as she crossed her ankles her eyes moving to something else.

Summer prepared three sandwiches, one for herself and two for Clinton. Holding the plates in her hand she grabbed Kori’s bottle and moved back into the living room. Kori whined softly as Ellie pulled her hair away and she kicked slightly before she began to fuss. Summer let out a deep sigh as she sat the plates on the coffee table before Clinton and reached for Kori quickly, taking her from Ellie’s lap and holding her in her arms. “Shh, shh. What’s wrong Bea?” she asked softly bouncing Kori a little as she sat down, cooking at the infant. “It’s okay, it’s okay,” she said as she popped the cap off the bottle and held it for Kori. Kori latched onto the bottle quickly her small hands wrapping around the bottle and holding it to her lips. Slowly Summer looked from Kori to Ellie and cleared her throat. “Well…” she licked her lips, “you look ready to go, should I show you to your car?”

Clinton sat awkwardly in silence, looking everywhere but at Ellie. Seeing Summer return with a plate, he gave her a grateful smile. “Thanks, baby.” He murmured, frowning a bit as Kori began to whine. “Hey, what you making all that noise for, baby girl?” He cooed as Summer picked up the infant.

Ellie watched as Summer grabbed Kori when she started to whine and Ellie looked to Kori licking her lips until Summer sat down, Ellie took notes in her head chuckling to herself only partially before she shook her head at Summer. “No you don’t have to” she said softly as Ellie picked up her clutch and her bottle of water moving to stand up, headed for the front door.

Summer looked back down at Kori, cooing at her sweetly as she sucked from the bottle. Summer gently caressed Kori’s chubby cheek, looking at Ellie for a few seconds as she nodded, before she turned her attention right back to Kori. “Babe… can you lock the door behind her?” she asked softly, licking her lips.

Clinton nodded, pushing himself off of the couch. “Yea, sure.” He said following Ellie to the door, opening it for her. “Guess I’ll….see you around.” He said hesitantly, closing the door behind her as she left.

Ellie dropped her head walking towards the front door and she looked to Summer briefly before she walked out “okay” she said softly turning from Clinton she lift her hand to say bye awkwardly before she walked down the drive way moving towards her car. Ellie quickly grabbed her keys out of her purse swallowing hard again as she climbed in.

Summer smiled at Kori, pressing her lips to her cheek and gumming softly, Kori giggling around her bottle. Smirking Summer relented, resting Kori against her with ease before she reached for her plate, taking a bite of her sandwich. Her eyes flickered over to Ellie briefly before she walked out the door and she let out a small sigh, biting her lip as she looked down at Kori, stroking her soft hair a little. “I love you Bumble Bea,” she said softly to Kori.