#japrilnetwork

He grinned to himself in adoration of the woman in front of him, knowing she didn't feel comfortable with these type of gatherings, but she went through with it anyway, knowing it's what he wanted. She did it to make him happy, and that made her even more incredible, yet he wished she had hung in there a little longer. She was his best friend after all, and she organized all of this, so he wanted her to have fun too. She clearly wasn't, since she had resorted to washing dishes by hand, even though they had a perfectly good dishwasher to her left. He wasn't able to enjoy it knowing that she wasn't there and having fun right along with him. That's why he suggested a quiet movie night instead. Just the two of them, a pizza and some beer. She refused, of course, telling him that he should celebrate the way he wanted to. ’It's what you deserve, Jackman!’ she had said while patting his shoulder and writing a guest list on a piece of paper along with planning a grocery list for the dinner she insisted on cooking for them. Even though they all should be studying for the boards, and no matter how much people saw her as a bookworm and constant studier, April insisted on throwing him a party. She promised him that it was fine and it would run as smoothly as they planned, however, here she stood in the kitchen instead.

He made his way towards her, propping his elbow on the counter to her right. She rolled her eyes at him and the goofy grin on his face but continued sloshing water around as she washed, rinsed and then dried them.

“Jackson, it's your birthday. You should be in there having fun.” She shooed him away with the towel, but he snatched it from her mid air and tugged on the end to pull her closer. She yanked the towel back and reached for another plate to wash but he picked it up first, capturing her attention once again. Her eyes slowly lifted to match his.

“Dinner was delicious by the way. As always.” He held her gaze, but knew she wouldn't be able to hold it, knowing how she reacts to compliments.

She blushed at his comment and turned her head away from him to focus on cleaning, “Thank you. I know Chicken Parmesan is your favorite. Lucky for you, it's pretty easy to make.”

 “Yeah. I am lucky, aren't I?” He smirked.

 “I guess? So you should go back in there and enjoy your party. Unless there was something you needed?”

 “I just thought you could use some help.” He whispered in her ear while walking behind her and grabbing her waist, pinning her between him front side and the counter they were standing at before he leaned down and kissed just below her earlobe. He continued to slowly trail kisses down her neck, one by one, until he reached her shoulder, causing her to gasp quietly. He slowly pushed the material of her sleeve down over it to expose her bare shoulder, pushed her bra strap out of the way, blowing softly on the spots where he kissed. April could barely hear the music at this point as goosebumps appeared across on her skin, proof of where his lips had been. Jackson had her undivided attention and the party in the room was the last thing she was focused on. All she could hear was his rapid breathing and her heartbeat pounding in her ear.

“Wait, Jackson.”

“Mhm.” He hummed back to her, his lips still attached her neck as his hands wrapped around her waist and stomach to flip her around to face him, “What?”

She leaned away from him as his lips returned to her neck, his hot breath tickling her skin, “We-we shouldn't do this. Not right now. Not here.” She stuttered. She could barely think straight but in the back of her mind, there was a tiny voice that reminded her that they had another roommate, not to mention the room full of party goers next door, whom they were supposed to be hosting. He ignored her and continued what he was doing. He knew she would give in soon and she knew she would melt if he managed to capture her lips so she had to stop it now, or else she would be a goner.

"Jackson we can't." She stated again, a bit firmer this time, and pushed his arms off of her. He stepped back slightly but she could see the mischief shining in his eyes masked behind his pout. 

"Why not?"

"Oh, I don't know, maybe because we have a dozen of our coworkers here for a party, for you?" “I can make them leave." "You can't be serious!" Her eyes widened as he turned around to make his way to the doorway.

He sent a smirk to her over his shoulder, "Watch me." "What? Jackson! No!" She wrapped her hand out around his forearm and jerked him back to face her once again, “We can’t just kick them out! This is your party! We invited them here!”

“And now the party is over.” He rested both his hands on her shoulders to hold her steady and nodded his head slowly to help her understand what he was saying .

“No. You can’t do that. You didn’t even really get to enjoy it!”

“April, You know I appreciate your efforts and this party-” He gestured to the other room where their friends were still gathered around chatting with the music was still blaring, “This party was amazing, but that's not me anymore. That's what the old me would've wanted. This is the type of party Charles would've thrown. Minus the amazing dinner, of course, that was all you. But this isn't me anymore.”

April scrunched up her face in confusion, going over her mental checklist of everything he had requested his party consist of. She was pretty sure she fulfilled every wish plus some. Nothing was missing, at least, she thought so.

“What do you mean? This is what you said you wanted. I did exactly what you said. I thought I made it perfect, I-”

“April,” he placed his hand back on her shoulder to calm her down and reassure her that everything was fine, “April you did. You did exactly what I said, I know, because I was too scared to tell you what I really wanted.”

“I'm confused. Why didn't you just tell me? Now I feel bad! You know you can tell me anything, I wouldn't have judged if you wanted a guy’s night with like a-a stripper or something.” She sputtered out slightly embarrassed that she basically suggested her best friend needed a stripper party, but she didn't really know what guys liked on their birthdays. She assumed guy’s birthdays generally included women and their “birthday suits”. She wasn't quite ready to give him that herself, with her being a virgin and all.

“No! No. Nothing like that. I swear it's nothing like that.”

“Then what is it Jackson? What do you want? Maybe we can get-” 

“You.”

“What? I'm sorry I-”

“Dammit, April, I want you!” He yelled, hoping no one else at the party could hear him over the beat. He was sure that if the loud music didn’t get them a noise complaint, yelling added into the mix surely would.

“Oh.” April whispered, staring at him with an unreadable expression on her face and range of emotions present.

“I want to spend time with you. I wanted us to just hang out and order pizza or maybe take out and drink beer and watch dumb movies because that's what makes you happy, and that makes me happy. You.”

“I-I don't understand.” She shook her head in confusion at him in attempt to make sense of what he was saying. Had she even heard him right? He wanted her. Her.  

They were both standing in the middle of the small kitchen in their shared apartment just staring at each other. April wondered how it got to this point, because they never did stuff like this. She was never the type to have secret rendezvous, especially with the guy who is also her best friend. The two had been best friends for years, friends for even longer, but this, what they were doing now, was completely new. Neither of them really knew when it started but looking back, they could see the build up. It was bound to happen. They were both trying to ignore the pull, between Jackson dating Lexie, and April being chief resident, but once they were alone together, studying and blowing off steam, it just happened. No distractions and nothing keeping them from it. They were studying one minute, and next thing they knew they were kissing, and Jackson would be lying if he said he hadn't thought of it before. Of course, it was pushed deep down within him because he didn't think he should act upon it. He also didn't foresee enjoying it as much as he did. April didn't either. And neither of them could've seen the desperate desire to repeat it, over and over. Worst of all, Jackson saw himself falling deeper and deeper under her “spell”, yet he didn't see the same happening to April.

“Please let me kick them out and then we can watch whatever kind of rom-com you want. I promise.” Just like that, the tension and awkwardness was gone from the room. He was actually pleading for her to let him kick their guests out. She rolled her eyes at how silly it seemed. Forcing party-goers to leave so they could watch a movie and maybe make out? She’d be lying if she said it didn’t make her giggly and give her butterflies.

“Whatever one I want? My choice?” She quirked eyebrow smugly and bit her lip to refrain from grinning and giving herself away.

“Your choice. Even if it is Pretty Woman for the hundredth time.”

“You're sure?”

“I'm sure.”

“That's what you want? It is your birthday and I don't mind watching your pick this time.” She insisted on giving him the chance to object to his own words, but he stood by it.

“It's my birthday and I said I want you to pick, geez!”

“Ok, ok!” she held up her hands in defense but she smiled, “Are you sure there isn't an ulterior motive here?”

 That caused him to laugh because, of course, he had hoped that stuff could happen, “Well… I may want to mess around a little bit.” she smacked his arm and he laughed heartily, a lot louder compared to her melodious giggle, “But I mostly want to spend time with my best friend, who happens to be you.”

“Fine. I guess we’re gonna have to clear out the living room somehow….” She pretended to think while tapping her finger on her chin.

 “I've got this,” he ran right into the middle of the room and shut off the music. April’s ears rang at the silence before Jackson spoke up, "Ok, party's over, everybody get out!"

"Jackson, really?” She glared at him and rolled her eyes at his blatantness then she looked around at everyone apologetically, “I'm so sorry everyone but it looks like we are going to have to cut this party short. He, uh, he doesn't mean anything by it, um, I think he's just cranky and tired. Thanks for coming!" "Oh. He's 'cranky'. You gonna fix that for us, Kepner?" Mark wiggled his eyebrows encouragingly at her, hinting at their previous conversation and what he thought would be best for his plastics protege. The April-Jackson thing had been going on a bit before Mark Sloan had suggested furthering their relationship beyond friends, but he didn’t know that. April found it inappropriate, yet oddly comforting that they weren’t the only two who saw they were good for the other. He didn’t know that either, and he didn’t need to. "What? Dr. Sloan!" "My boys finally getting laid!" Mark shouted before he shut the door behind him, leaving April and Jackson alone in a silent living room. Streamers were all over the floor, beer cans were scattered everywhere, the ‘Happy Birthday’ banner she had hung was ripped in half, thanks to Alex. April started picking stuff up and tossing it in a pile so she could throw it out in the garbage.Jackson watched her as she cleaned for the second time that night instead of enjoying his birthday. This time it was for her enjoyment too.

“I think Alex left. You must’ve scared him off, too.” She smiled up at him, finally noticing the complete emptiness of the house.

“Yeah, he probably got the hint.” He smirked at her, the feelings from the kitchen returning to her body and she felt her face flush again. She still wasn’t used to him looking at her like that. She’s seen him send that look to a couple other girls, but never her. It was heart stopping.

“Did I tell you already how amazing dinner was?”

“Yeah?”

“Did I tell you how amazing dessert could be, too?”

“Oh?”

“Yeah.” His voice going deeper as he walked closer to her, “So, how about it?”

“I think…” She bit her lip and looked fully into his blue eyes as she met him in the middle, “I think, I was promised a movie first.” She grinned and he grabbed her by the waist, tugging her towards him where her neck was positioned with easy access for him. He chuckled lightly into her ear before he kissed her softly. She was becoming quite the tease over their time together. It about killed him every time.

“How about we watch a different movie tonight?” She leaned away from his body just enough so they were face to face.

“Oh, yeah? What?”

“I rented Friends with Benefits last night and I haven’t watched it yet…”

 Oh yeah, she was definitely going to kill him.

"No problem! They were just sitting around in a box in the attic. I was just lucky to get rid of them. I mean, what were we going to do with princess party decorations?" Meredith responded to April as they kneeled in front of the couch where their daughters, who were decked out in pink tutus and tiaras, sat as Harriet continued to tear through her . Harriet squealed loudly, causing both of them to redirect their attention back to the girls. Harriet was waving around papers and a little headband and April knew immediately what they were.

"Excuse me," she gave Meredith an apologetic look, "I need to have a word with my husband." April stood up from her crouched position on the ground as soon as Harriet had opened her last gift. She left Meredith's side and made her way to the kitchen where Jackson was standing around the island bar with some of the guys from the hospital.

"Uh oh. Here comes the big bad wife," Alex joked when he spotted April's upset face, "We better go." He patted Jackson on the shoulder for good luck as he exited the room, even though he wasn't sure why April was mad, but he knew that Jackson would need the support.

"April," Jackson started to defend himself, "I know what you are going to say-"

"Jackson! We talked about it and we said we didn't have time for something this big right now! I can't believe you went behind my back!" She crossed her arms and glared at him. Honestly, she wasn't upset with the gift he had given their daughter, she was upset that he went against what they had agreed on together.

"April, look at her! She's so happy!" He pointed over towards the couch where Harriet was jumping and dancing in excitement, "Plus, I'm the head of the freaking board, we can make time!"

April sighed and glanced over her shoulder at the little girl. A grin spread across the little girl's face as she talked enthusiastically to Zola and Sophia about her father's surprise. The scene made a small grin form on her face as well, and she couldn't deny that she was slightly excited herself, never having actually been to this specific destination when she was younger, but always longed to go. She couldn't let Jackson have the satisfaction of knowing that though.

"April, we agreed on taking a family trip! You can't get mad at me!" He justified his actions and the amazing gift he had surprised his family with. It wasn't just a trip for his daughter, it was for the whole family. That was something Jackson had always longed for, so it was a win-win for the both of them. He, of course, knew from his in-laws that April wanted to go to Disney as bad as his daughter did. Growing up, Jackson's family didn't take family vacations, unless it was a fancy gala or something associated with The Harper Avery Foundation, but that wasn't anything fun. He didn't want that for his kids. He wanted memorable moments with his family so they could look back on them and be proud of their upbringing. Not the disappointing, pressuring, boring, nanny-filled one he had.

"I meant to the zoo or something!" she huffed in exasperation, "Not Disney World!"

"Well, she's been talking about it for months! She's having a princess themed party for crying out loud!"

"Jackson, she just turned six!"

"So? Why not?"

She quirked her eyebrow at him in astonishment, "Why not? How about the fact that we both have jobs and patients to take care of! How about the fact that it's in Florida!" He seemed to have forgotten that they had jobs, responsibilities and a life that they couldn't just drop.

"I'm the head of the board!" He argued back. Unbeknownst to her, he already ran it past the board before booking the trip. He wanted it to be a surprise for her as well, and it definitely was, but her reaction was not the one he had been hoping for.

"So? We can't use that as an excuse every time or people will think we are slacking!"

Jackson chuckled softly at her statement, "Babe, trust me. No one thinks you are slacking." He put his hands on her shoulders to steady her, because she looked like she was ready to blow, even though he knew she wasn't actually that mad, "You run that ER practically single handedly and you're the only person who basically never takes vacation. Everyone agreed that you need this." He rubbed her shoulders with his thumb, hoping all of this would butter her up enough that she couldn't refuse.

She sighed and finally gave in to him, "Fine."

Harriet ran over to them, interrupting their conversation. Her tiara was now replaced by her new Princess Minnie Mouse headband, "Thank you, thank you, thank you, mommy and daddy!" She shouted as she launched herself into her father's outstretched arms and she looped her arms around his neck, pulling him tightly to her in appreciation.

"Anything for my little princess!" He winked at his wife while still holding onto his daughter, causing April rolled her eyes.

"Don't roll your eyes," He told her, "besides, if Hattie is the princess, what does that make Mommy, baby girl?" He pulled her back so they were looking at each other.

"The Queen!" she giggled and shook her head at him, "Silly, daddy!"

"Of course," He nodded his head in agreement before he shifted his eyes back to April, "And, you know what most queens are in disney movies, right, Apes?"

"No, what?"

"Evil!"

"Hey!" She smacked his shoulder and Harriet giggled at her parents antics.

"Kidding!"

"Daddy, did you get me a pink magic band?" Harriet butted in, slightly curious for their trip, but also wanting the attention back to her, since it was her birthday.

"Of course I did, sweetheart!" He placed her on her feet and opened one of the kitchen drawers, revealing a box full of five different colored magic bands. Each one was engraved with the name of the family member it belonged to.

"Yes!" she squealed as she took her pink one from the box and wrapped it around her wrist. She ran back into the living room to show everyone her new accessory, whipping it around to let everyone see.

April smiled at her as she watched her daughter's face light up once more, then she turned back to her husband, "So when do we leave?"

"Oh yeah, about that… Our flight leaves tomorrow at 9am."

"Seriously Jackson!" Her eyes widen at the realization that he probably hadn't done any packing and she was going to have to do it all tonight. She suddenly felt overwhelmed and needed this party to end soon so she could get ready. Her mind was already racing while she created a mental checklist of all the things they needed to take, and all the reservations they probably needed to make. She had little faith that Jackson actually knew the amount of planning a family vacation involved.

Jackson only grinned sheepishly at her and shrugged his shoulders in apology, "Sorry."

"There - there is so much to do!"

He smirked at her freak out, "Don't worry, babe, I took care of it all. Tickets, reservations, hotel, all done. Amelia helped me pack for you and the kids, so everything is ready to go. You don't think I'm that stupid, do you?"

“He will be back soon. I know you miss him. Did you have a bad dream?” April pulled her daughter close and twirled with her curly ringlets around her finger. She soothingly rubbed Harriet’s back in a circular motion. Harriet nodded against April’s chest in response while rubbing her eyes.

“Do you want to tell me what it was about? Maybe that will make you feel better.” April asked as Harriet sat back up to face her mom.

She caressed her daughter’s cheek and Harriet sniffled again, “Um, while Daddy was visit Grandma Cat in Boston, he was trying to-to get home but the snow storm made him not get to.” More tears rolled down her face and April moved her thumb to brush them away.

“Oh, baby, that was just a dream,” she reassured her and kissed her forehead, “Daddy will be home soon, in fact, he called me a few hours ago and told me that he was getting on the plane right now. No snowstorm to worry about, ok?”

“Ok.”

“I could use some snuggles while I wait for him. Do you know someone I could find to snuggle with me?” April pretended to think as she tapped her chin with a small smile on her face.

“Me, Mommy! Can I snuggle here?” The little girl giggled as her mom wrapped her arms around her tightly and squeezed her to her chest. They both closed their eyes and settled under the covers. They both laid on the bed wrapped in each other’s arms. April loved having her daughter to cuddle with while her husband was away.

“Mommy,” Harriet spoke softly into the dark room, “the bed smells like daddy.”

“I know, baby.” April replied as she ran her hand through her hair to sooth her once more.

“Does it make you sad when he has to leave?” Harriet peeked up at her mother and yawned.

“Yeah, it does. But I know he will be back.,” April told her truthfully, “Go to sleep, baby. I will wake you up when daddy gets here.”

They huddled together on one side in the king sized bed and April stroked her daughter’s back to coax her to sleep. When April heard Harriet’s breath even out, she relaxed and drifted off to sleep herself. About an hour later, April woke up to a faint cry drifting down the hall. She slowly untangled herself from her sleeping daughter, careful not to wake her up, even though she knew it wouldn’t bother her since she was a heavy sleeper anyway. Once she managed to free herself from her daughter’s grip, she made her way next door to her one year old son’s room. She walked over to his crib and lifted him. She smoothed his wild hair down and rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet to calm him down. After a few minutes, his crying reduced to whimpering and then he was silent, signalling his loss to the sleep he had been fighting. She placed him back in his crib and tucked his fuzzy blanket around him, making sure to leave room for his stuffed elephant under his arm. She gave him one last glance before she exited the room and left the door open a sliver behind her.

Next, she walked down to the very end of the hallway to the last door that was slightly ajar. She pushed on it lightly and peered inside her 4 year old son’s room, just to make sure the unusual commotion of the night hadn’t disturbed his sleep. His light, curly brown hair fell over his eyes and his arm was slung over his head. He was laying on his back and his covers were tangled at his feet. April guessed that his winter pajamas had been too hot for him to sleep comfortably, but all her children had the habit of moving too much in their sleep. Most of the time, their covers ended up in the floor and Harriet even kicked sometimes. She smiled at him sleeping soundly before she backed out of the room and closed the door back, leaving it open just a crack.

“How are the boys?” A deep voice asked from the dark hallway behind her, causing her to jump. She gripped her chest in panic as she turned around to face the shadowy figure. She let out a breath of relief as she saw Jackson standing behind her. Even though she had instantly recognized his voice, she hadn’t heard him come in, so she had been startled nonetheless.

“They’re fine. Lucas was crying, but he has calmed down. Michael is still asleep in his bed.” April answered. Jackson peeked in both his sons room’s before he went to check on his daughter.

“Where’s Harriet?” He asked when he noticed the door to his daughter’s room was wide open. Usually, they left all of their children’s doors open only a crack, so it wasn’t normal for her to leave it open.

“She’s in our room. She’s been waiting for you to get back.”

Jackson reached out to her in dark hallway and wrapped his arms around her back. He bent down to greet her with a slow, gentle kiss on the lips and then he pecked both her cheeks. They exchanged greetings and a few words about his trip before they pulled away. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her into their master bedroom. There he saw his 5 year old daughter curled up on his side of the bed, her mop of brown curls spread across his pillow. April walked over to the side of the bed and gently shook her to wake her up, “Hattie, daddy is here.” she whispered softly in her ear.

Harriet stirred from sleep and rubbed her eyes, blinking in confusion.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He whispered as she slowly woke up.

As soon as she realized who was there, she shouted with joy, “Daddy! You’re home!” she leapt up from the bed and into his arms, “I missed you so so much daddy.”

“I missed you so so much, too, Hattie.” Jackson held her tightly to his chest and kissed her cheek. He ran his fingers through her tangled hair and attempted to tame the mess they surely were going to have to deal with in the morning.

“Luke missed you too. He cried and cried last night when you weren’t here. Mommy and I sang your song to him though, and he went to sleep. But he was sad that you weren’t here daddy. So was I.” Harriet held Jackson’s face in her hands and sadness flooded her voice as she spoke.

“Hattie, you know daddy has to go to Boston sometimes to see Grandma.” April stood up from the bed and reminded her daughter of the conversation they have every time Jackson has to leave for a business trip.

“I know. Can I go with you next time, daddy? I promise I will be good and I can go see Grandma Cat.” The little girl’s eyes lit up at her idea and she looked at her father with hopeful eyes.

“Maybe.” Jackson responded as he rubbed his nose against hers. He loved being with his family again and he was going to cherish this little moment with his daughter because he knew that she wouldn’t be his baby girl for much longer. There was something about being away from his family that made him appreciate the little things so much more and it made coming home that much sweeter.

“I love you, daddy.” Harriet murmured as she returned his eskimo kiss and rubbed his slightly stubbly chin. She giggled at the scratchy feeling against her hand. Watching the scene made April’s heart so full of love. Her body was so overcome by emotion that it brought tears to her eyes.

“I love you too, bug.” He responded and gave her little body a tight squeeze, bringing her closer to him.

April watched them embrace for a few more seconds before she decided that she had no choice but to break it up, “Ok, let daddy change into his pajamas, baby. He’s tired too, and you have school tomorrow. You need to go to sleep.” She plucked her from her father’s arms and settled the young girl on her hip.

“Can I sleep here Momma? Please?” Harriet begged her mom stuck out her bottom lip for emphasis. April looked over at Jackson to see if he agreed. She normally let the kids sleep in their room when he was gone. Jackson, on the other hand, believed in making them sleep in their own beds. He always said that it was important that they did, but she guessed he was making an exception tonight. He missed his baby a lot, and this trip made him realize how much time work and the Foundation consumed. His mother even talked to the board into relieving him of some of his duties so he could be more involved at home again. That meant fewer trips to Boston, and Jackson was glad. Harriet’s reaction to his return made him even more grateful for what his mom did. So, if snuggling with her is what his daughter wanted, then snuggling is what she was going to get. Jackson changed out of his business clothes and threw on some sweatpants and a light t-shirt before he climbed into bed. He scooped Harriet up into his arms and reached out for April to join them. April placed her arm over his waist and he squeezed them all together, “Harriet sandwich!”

“Daddy! Mommy! You’re squishing me!” Harriet giggled at his antics and squirmed in between their arms in attempt to free herself.

“I just missed you so much, Nugget. Goodnight.”

She looked in the small mirror that he held in his hand and her smile fell, an upset look taking its place, “No daddy! That’s too messy!”

“But messy buns are popular, right?” He looked at her confused. He didn’t understand the problem with the job he had done. To him, it looked perfectly fine, but to her, it was a wreck.

She stuck her bottom lip out in a pout at him, “Not in ballet, daddy! They have to be perfect!” She whined and puffed out her cheeks in distress.

“Well, I’m not a master of the bun.” Jackson held his hands up in defense. He did not understand what was so wrong with a few loose strands. April’s quick text message instructions to him weren’t very helpful, and the youtube video he had watched didn’t make any sense either. He was at a complete loss with styling hair.

“Because you have no hair.” She bluntly told him, motioning to his hairless head.

He looked at her stunned, “Ok, rude. I don’t know what else to do.” He really wanted to laugh at her for being so frank with him. It amazed him at how similar their senses of humor were. He took pride in knowing that his daughter took after him in that aspect. No offense to April, but he definitely believed he was superior in that area. However, he was epically failing in the hair and all things girl department, and April was striving. He really didn’t know to how to fix the fly away problem, even with all the instructions she left and the use of google.

“Daddy, we need bobby pins.” She rolled her eyes as she slid off the bar stool that she was sitting on. She ran to her parents bathroom, pulled open April’s drawer and picked up a few bobby pins. She came back into the kitchen and placed them in Jackson’s open hand before she climbed back up the stool to sit. He started pushing the bobby pins into her poofy updo in order to tame the frizzy fly aways. Harriet handed him a bottle of hairspray and he took it from her, slightly confused. She lifted her hand and motioned it around the top of her head, her finger curved like she was spraying. He followed her gestures and started spraying all around the bun to hold it in place. She put her hand over her face to avoid getting it in her eyes. Once he was done, he spun her around to view his work.

She sighed and bit her cheek, debating whether or not it looked good this time. She finally nodded her head slightly, trying not to shake it too much, “Mommy does it better.” She determined and hopped off the stool, making her way to the front door.

“Well, right now, you’re stuck with me, kiddo. That’s as good as it’s gonna get.” He told her while grabbing her ballet bag from the hook by the door. She stood in silence while she waited by the door for the rest of her family. Jackson watched her as she quietly stared at her pink ballet shoes on her feet, “Are you ok, sweetheart? I can try to redo your bun if you really don’t like it.”

“Is mommy gonna make it to my recital?” She looked up at him as tears brimmed her eyes and worry filled her voice. This was her first dance recital since she started dance lessons and April had promised she would be there to see her. She knew that sometimes her parents jobs caused them to have crazy hours because hurt people needed help, but it didn’t make it hurt her any less. She had hoped and prayed that the hospital wouldn’t call her mom or dad in just this once.

Jackson bent down in front of her and used his thumb to brush away a tear that had fallen down her cheek, “She is. She will be there,” he reassured her, “She just had an emergency that she needed to go to the hospital to check on. She’s going to meet us there.” April had been paged 911 only 20 minutes before they had to leave to take Harriet to the dance place, leaving Jackson alone to get her ready. April really hated that she had to go, and she might’ve called and told them she couldn’t come in if it hadn’t been about the little boy she had just performed surgery on the day before. The little boy had barely survived the car wreck he was in, then his surgery had some major complications. It struck a nerve in her, reminding her of her own children, so she felt obligated to go see how he was doing and take care of the thing that needed handling. April wanted to make sure he was alright before she headed to Harriet’s recital.  

“Ok.” Harriet nodded and wiped away the rest of her tears.

“Ok.” He repeated and kissed her forehead, “Let’s go get the boys and we will be ready to roll.” He stood up and winked at her causing her to giggle. He walked up the stairs towards his son’s rooms, but before he reached them, Harriet yelled for him.

“Wait! Daddy?” She hollered up the stairs after him in panic.

“Yes, sweetheart?” He called back to her from the top and she popped into view at the bottom.

“What about my pink tutu?” She gestured to her bare torso where her tutu was supposed to sit. She had her pink tights and pink leotard on, but her tutu was missing to complete her outfit.

His eyes widen, “Oh, crap. Where is it?” He had no idea where April had left it, and she had failed to mention that in her text messages.

Harriet shrugged while walking up the stairs towards him, “Mommy said that she left it hanging up. I can’t reach it, though.” She looked at him expectantly.

“Oh, right. The closet.” He walked into her room and opened her closet doors. He scanned the rows of clothing until he spotted it amongst her other pink clothes. He rolled his eyes at his wife. Of course she would color code their five year old daughter’s closet, as if it was going to stay that way. He grabbed the poofy tutu down from the top rack where it was hanging.

“Here, let’s put this on,” He held the tutu up towards her and she grabbed his shoulders to keep herself steady while she stepped into it. He pulled it up to her waist and made sure it was snug before he let go, “Now we are ready! Let’s go get the boys!”

Jackson placed Lucas in the baby car seat in his new family car, which April liked to call his ‘man van’. Harriet climbed into the seat beside the baby and Michael headed to the very back. They all buckled up and were on their way to the dance academy where Harriet was enrolled in ballet classes. When they pulled into the parking lot, it was only 30 minutes until the recital started, so Jackson rushed in with all three of his kids to make sure Harriet was where she needed to be.

“Ok, you wait here with your teacher and do what she says. Good luck, sweetheart. You’re gonna do great!” He instructed her and then grinned, already excited to watch her perform her dance. He had seen it probably a hundred times already with the way she was at home. She ran around and danced to her heart’s content, and April was no better. He could bet that his wife knew all the moves as well.

“Daddy, we don’t say good luck! We say break a leg!” Harriet chastised him. He had no idea what that meant, but he knew it was something performers always said before they took the stage.

To please her, he decided to change his wording before she got worried and thought it was bad luck, “Break a leg! I love you!” He leaned down to her level and reached over to kiss her cheek. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his nose to thank him, but she noticed one thing missing, “Momma’s not here yet.” She noted sadly. Before Jackson could remind her of what he had said earlier, April rushed through the doors right on time, “I’m here! I’m here, don’t worry!” She yelled as she crossed the room

“Mommy!” Harriet unlatched herself from Jackson’s neck and lept into her mother’s arms as she made her way over to them.

“Good luck, baby and I will see you when it’s over! Now, go back to your group before you’re late! I love you!” She whispered in her ear. She kissed her cheek, told her to “break a leg” per her daughter’s request and then sent her on her way with her class.

He took Michael’s hand in his and settled Lucas in his other arm. They made their way into the auditorium and sat in the very front row. April wanted to take pictures, and refused to sit anywhere other than the front row. Lucas sat in April’s lap, mesmerized by the camera she was holding. He reached for it and April let him play with it for a few minutes while they waited. Michael sat in between them with her phone in his hand to keep him occupied before the performance. The lights blinked to signal that the show was about to begin and April placed Lucas in Jackson’s lap so she could get a clear shot of Harriet as she danced. The lights dimmed and 10 little girls dressed in identical pink leotards and tutus walked out in front of the crowd. April lifted her camera as her daughter took the stage, front and center, as usual. April leaned over and made a joke about their daughter’s need for attention coming from Jackson. She laughed, he did not. The music started slowly and their attention went to the 10 little girls. As five year olds are, it was very hard for most of them to keep up or keep interested in the dance, but then there was Harriet. She knew every move and position, granted she wasn’t perfect, but she didn’t even need to look to the teacher for help. Some of the girl’s just stood there, but not their daughter. Amongst the chaotic mess of little girls, she was dancing her heart out, and Jackson even thought he saw her humming along. The whole auditorium was giggling at the adorable mess on stage as the classical song came to an end. All the little girls posed at the end beat of the song, and Harriet sassily stuck out her tongue at her dad before she took a bow. April giggled and rolled her eyes while Jackson clapped and cheered loudly. He always thought dancing ballet was boring to watch, but his daughter made it much more interesting.

“You two are too much alike. I don’t think I will be able to handle it when she gets older.” April smiled as the five year olds exited the stage and their daughter skipped off behind the curtains. They watched as the rest of the groups took the stage one by one and showcased their dances to the audience, but Jackson barely paid attention. He was focused on keeping his sons occupied. They were getting restless from all the sitting and the ballet dancers were not capturing their interest. After the last group performed, all the girls came to the stage and everyone bowed. The audience gave a standing ovation and Jackson and April stood up and cheered.

“Yay, Hattie!” Michael hollered out for his sister and clapped along with the crowd. Lucas giggled at his brother from Jackson’s arms and tried to clap as well.

Harriet saw her family and gave them a big smile and waved at them. They waved back and she blew them a kiss. The girl’s were ushered off stage and went to the lobby to meet their families.

“You did such a good job, baby! I’m so proud of you!” April scooped up the little girl into her arms and gave her a tight squeeze. She set her back down on the ground and reached into her purse. She pulled out a mini bouquet of roses to show her how proud of her they were.

“You got me flowers? Mommy! You’re so sneaky!” April laughed at her daughter’s statement but couldn’t help the pride that filled her when she watched her nail all the dance moves on stage. She had never felt more proud of anyone ever before. Not even herself, or Jackson.

“That’s why I was running late, silly. You were so worried and I was just out picking up your flowers!” She explained and Harriet grinned. Jackson gave her a hug as well and congratulated her. Lucas patted her bun from Jackson’s waist when he bent down to hug her.

Michael went up to her after their hug was over and his small hand grabbed hers, “You did so good, Hattie. You danced pretty.”

“Thank you, Cael!” Harriet hugged him, her cheek pressed to his and her arms wrapped around his shoulders. He grimaced slightly as she gripped him tighter. He started to wiggle to get away from her but April noticed the moment and thought it was too cute to not capture.

“Oh! You two stand there and let me take a picture!” April exclaimed. She got her camera from her purse and pointed it to them. They both smiled and Michael tried to pull away from her as April took the picture.

“Excuse me, ma’am.” A lady tapped April on the shoulder.

“Yes?” She politely asked the lady.

“Would you like me to take a picture of all of you?” The lady offered causing April to smile.

“Oh, that would be great! Thank you!” April grinned at her and then showed her how to work the camera. The lady nodded in understanding and pointed it at them.

“Ok, Jackson, you stand on the left and I will stand on the right. Hattie and Cael stand in front of me and daddy. Jackson, put Luke in between us,” April moved everyone to their places, “Ok, we’re ready!”

“Ok, everybody, say cheese!” The nice lady snapped the picture and handed her the camera back. They all thanked her for the picture. Harriet was bouncing on her feet, still buzzing from her performance. She could barely stand still. She began twirling around as April and Jackson looked over the pictures they had taken throughout the night.

“Harriet Marie Kepner-Avery! Your eyes were closed in this picture!” April said when she saw the picture they had just taken. Her daughter’s eyes were barely open, but her smile was still wide in delight.

“Sorry! The flash was too bright!“ She stopped twirling and apologized, pretending to not be able to see very well while blinking her eyes.

“Mommy, can we go get dinner? Please?” Michael interrupted their exchange when his stomach growled.

“Oh, please mommy!” Harriet begged along with her brother.

“Please mommy!” Jackson imitated his children and April giggled. It was already dark outside and they hadn’t eaten anything before they came.

April sighed, “Fine! How do waffles sound?” She asked, giving in to her family. They all cheered, exiting the building to the parking lot.

“Who’s riding with me and who’s riding with dad?” April asked as they made it to their cars. Jackson took Luke with him, since the carseat was already in his car and hard to move. The older two kids grabbed their booster seats and rode with April.

They ended their night at their favorite diner, The Waffle Stop, eating various types of waffles. They all sat together eating waffles, and baby food for Luke. April smiled as her family chattered and joked with each other. Harriet danced around in her seat to the music playing over the sound system. When they all finished, it was getting really late and it was already passed everyone’s bedtimes. All three children were on the verge of falling asleep in their seats.

“Ok, my little dancing queen, let’s go home! Time for bed!” April picked up Harriet from her chair and carried her outside, while Jackson took care of the boys. They got settled in and they started their way home. The car ride was rather quiet and she assumed both children were fast asleep.

Michael coughed, startling her and ruining the silence, but Harriet snoozed on. He couldn’t go to sleep as fast as his sister so he spoke to April instead, “Mommy? I wanna do stuff too!” He complained from his spot in the backseat.

“Like what, baby?”