Super Busy

“You’re definitely badass when you tap,” she agreed. “It’s really really fun creating stuff and helping kids grow, right? And pay is always fun. Do you choreograph tap for all ages?” She chuckled lightly. “Tv star. But movie star sounds much cooler, so I might have to get on making that happen. My daughter doesn’t even believe that Im gonna be on a Netflix show. She’s been hearing about it for a long time and doesn’t understand how long it takes to develop everything so she thinks I’m just pretending to be a show for laughs.”

Thank you, Sir. And thank you so much for letting him keep in touch with me. I saw him at the welcome picnic and Im hoping to see him again.

“Well then I’ll find him and thank him too,” she said immediately, still just enjoying his company. “Do you wanna help me do something on campus for April Fools Day? If I can get you for an hour or two, Im thinking I go buy a stupid amount of water guns and we put them in the courtyard and embrace the chaos.”

Archer immediately wanted to say no to Kyla’s idea. He really shouldn’t be involved in any sort of pranking whatsoever, but as he listened to her plan, he realized it wasn’t terrible. He might still get in trouble for it with Sam, but something told him his owner would enjoy the prank that was mostly harmless. “Sure,” he said eventually. “We can try that, yeah.”

“Yay!” Kyla squeezed him tightly. “You’ll ask Sam first right? So you don’t get in trouble?” She knew Archer wasn’t in the position to get to play around, but maybe they’d be allowed a couple hours to be relatively carefree siblings again.

“I agree with you there. They’re typically nice to have around.” She was still leaning against him, trying to not become upset while her daughter was nearby. “You’re welcome, Archer. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for doing your best to keep in touch with me over the years.”

Archer shrugged a bit, careful not to dislodge Kyla from where she was propped against him. “I’m just lucky I ended up in a place where I’m able to use a phone and can keep in touch,” he said, his voice mostly flat. “Really, you should be thanking Sam, not me.”

“Well then I’ll find him and thank him too,” she said immediately, still just enjoying his company. “Do you wanna help me do something on campus for April Fools Day? If I can get you for an hour or two, Im thinking I go buy a stupid amount of water guns and we put them in the courtyard and embrace the chaos.”

“Badass, huh?” She couldn’t picture a five-year-old tapping in a badass way, but she rarely even watched them, so what did she know? “The studio teaches singing, acting, dancing, modeling, and we just added lessons for some instruments. I may or may not have a favorite out of those activities so Im pretty involved in it. We get kids from all over who come to train, sometimes for a while and other times just for a weekend, so we end up doing a lot of comps! And after all this time, Im only sometimes mildly annoyed that I myself don’t come home with a title and a trophy,” she chuckled. “I just wrapped filming though so I haven’t been at the studio in a while. I’m excited to go back home.”

“Yes I do. How Hunter and Delilah have four little ones running around, I can’t understand.” One was certainly enough for her and Annabeth. Maybe some day, if they decided to stop traveling..but honestly, she didn’t see a second child happening. “Im just going to have to stop buying her the dresses she wants with tulle. They’re not supposed to go in regular cycles.” Lily decided to return to cartwheels, and Kyla just rested her head on Archer’s chest for a while; just needing to be close to him for a minute.

“It’s... nice, having kids around,” Archer admitted, and he rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sometimes, at least.” His own kids would be the same age as the twins, and that was always a hard thought for him whenever something made him think of them. “Probably a good idea. Outsmart her if she’s going to be determined to be a handful.” He smiled sadly to himself as Kyla leaned into him and Lily played nearby. “Thank you for coming, Ky.”

“I agree with you there. They’re typically nice to have around.” She was still leaning against him, trying to not become upset while her daughter was nearby. “You’re welcome, Archer. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Thanks for doing your best to keep in touch with me over the years.”

“LA is far,” she whined, wishing Madeline lived closer so they could see each other more. “I’d love to come though. LA is fun. And someone happens to like Disney princesses a lot.” Lily wiggled with excitement in Madeline’s arms; the prospect of seeing Tiana and Elsa being very fun to her. “Well thank you,” Kyla grinned. “Do the twins do any sports or clubs?”

“If we made it out here, you could totally make it out to California,” Madeline teased. When Lily began to wiggle, she held onto her for a few seconds and then set her back down onto the ground. “You know you all would be more than welcome to stay with us, and we’re not that far from D-I-S-N-E-Y.” She was pretty sure Lily would be able to understand her even with the letters spelled out, but she knew that it would make her feel like such a grown up to figure it out. “They’re both still exploring. Jack takes after his dad and likes quieter activities, but Dot likes acting a lot. She’s been in a few of her school’s shows so far.”

“Im not sure who will be more excited there- me or here. Probably me, really,” Kyla kept talking while Lily wrote the letters in the air with her finger to figure it out. “At least their personalities haven’t changed since they were little. Oh, school productions were so fun! I bet she really enjoyed herself.”

“Ugh,” Kyla enlightened him with a little roll of her eyes. “Im constantly having to say no to things that I think would be totally cool! I have to say no to ice cream for dinner, how lame is that?! Plus she gets her dresses dirty when she plays outside. I never did that! Like I did it maybe twice in my twelve years of basically wearing exclusively dresses!” Lily had gone back to cartwheels and hand stands, talking to Archer upside-down. “But have you ever climbed a tree? And jumped in puddles? It’s fun!” “It’s dirty,” Kyla added, to which Lily nodded. “Exactly!”

As well as he was treated by Sam, Archer still winced internally at the way Kyla complained about having to say no to things like ice cream for dinner. It wasn’t her fault that he was a slave, though, and he focused on the discussion about Lily’s dresses. He laughed softly at the young girl’s antics. “You have your hands full with that one,” he told his sister. “And there’s always a washing machine.”

“Yes I do. How Hunter and Delilah have four little ones running around, I can’t understand.” One was certainly enough for her and Annabeth. Maybe some day, if they decided to stop traveling..but honestly, she didn’t see a second child happening. “Im just going to have to stop buying her the dresses she wants with tulle. They’re not supposed to go in regular cycles.” Lily decided to return to cartwheels, and Kyla just rested her head on Archer’s chest for a while; just needing to be close to him for a minute.

“They did most the filming in Boston. Lily didn’t love it there; she said the accents are weird. But it was slightly less cold than Vermont so I didn’t mind it. I ate a lot more pizza than I should have,” she chuckled, remembering how Boston’s pizza was almost to the degree of New York’s, which she had discovered in college. “The teen years are weird ones,” she nodded. “Plus they’re old enough now that I can’t get them cool toys anymore. Makes my job as a cool aunt a lot harder.”

Madeline laughed softly at Lily’s thoughts on Boston accents. “You’re going to have to bring her with you the next time you come out to LA. I bet she’d enjoy our accents much more than the Boston ones.” She winked at the little girl. “You know Dot and Jack will love whatever you get them, just because you are the cool aunt.”

“LA is far,” she whined, wishing Madeline lived closer so they could see each other more. “I’d love to come though. LA is fun. And someone happens to like Disney princesses a lot.” Lily wiggled with excitement in Madeline’s arms; the prospect of seeing Tiana and Elsa being very fun to her. “Well thank you,” Kyla grinned. “Do the twins do any sports or clubs?”

“Of course,” she said as she watched their bodies move around. “It’s great that she has you. The twins, too. I bet they all really love you.” Kyla laughed and nodded. “Definitely still have a tap block. I haven’t even tried it anytime recently, because I don’t have to. Little tapper kids are really cute though.”

I know exactly what you mean! I packed my uniform, though I have no idea if it will fit

My Sir seems to think mine still can but after four children? I’m not so sure!

Hunter is typically a supportive guy like that! I have no idea how you have four kids; its so much work!

“He can say that word because he’s a grown up,” Kyla excused her brother, still buzzing from getting to see him. “Thank you, Archer,” she said genuinely. “I was sure everything about being a parent would annoy me. Turns out only about half of it does.”

Archer nodded to emphasize Kyla’s point before cracking a small smile. “Only half?” he repeated, teasing her just a little. “How can any of it annoy you when you have someone like this cutie pie around all the time?” He nodded toward Lily and gave her a wink.

“Ugh,” Kyla enlightened him with a little roll of her eyes. “Im constantly having to say no to things that I think would be totally cool! I have to say no to ice cream for dinner, how lame is that?! Plus she gets her dresses dirty when she plays outside. I never did that! Like I did it maybe twice in my twelve years of basically wearing exclusively dresses!” Lily had gone back to cartwheels and hand stands, talking to Archer upside-down. “But have you ever climbed a tree? And jumped in puddles? It’s fun!” “It’s dirty,” Kyla added, to which Lily nodded. “Exactly!”

“Thank you,” Lilly said still giggling a little as her mother talked. “Oh I almost didn’t. But Miss Annabeth talked to..I don’t know- some important person- and got filming to wrap last week instead of this week.” “My mom’s pretending to be on Netflix,” Lily told Madeline what she was pretty sure was true. “She obviously doesn’t believe that Im cool enough for a Netflix show,” Kyla explained. “How are Dot and Jack doing? Are they tired of high school yet?”

“Maybe one of these days she’ll surprise you and it won’t just be pretending, hm?” Madeline suggested to Lily, giving her a goofy grin before setting her back on the ground. “Where have you been filming?” she asked. “The twins are good. Excited to be back in Ohio to see where they spent their first few years. But let me tell you, no one prepares you for what the teenage years are like! And these two are only 14.”

“They did most the filming in Boston. Lily didn’t love it there; she said the accents are weird. But it was slightly less cold than Vermont so I didn’t mind it. I ate a lot more pizza than I should have,” she chuckled, remembering how Boston’s pizza was almost to the degree of New York’s, which she had discovered in college. “The teen years are weird ones,” she nodded. “Plus they’re old enough now that I can’t get them cool toys anymore. Makes my job as a cool aunt a lot harder.”

“Ooooh!” Lily giggled as if Archer had just committed a misdemeanor when he said ‘the d word’. “I can start in the official division in two years!” She said excitedly. “And I practice a lot, it’s super fun!” Kyla hugged Lily into her side. “And by that she means that she thinks ‘bedtime’ means its time for a bar workout.” Lily shrugged confidently. “Uncle Archer said to practice. Im gonna be on a poster one day!” Kyla had to respect her daughter- she was very driven. “He also said to listen to your mother,” Kyla snuck in there, planting a seed.

Archer pulled a face at Lily’s giggle, looking over at Kyla to make sure she was okay with his language. She hadn’t chastised him, so it was probably okay, but he still should know better. “You need to practice, but you also need to listen to your mom when she says it’s time for bed, okay? I mean it.” He gave Lily as serious of a look as he could muster while looking at her adorable face. “You’re doing a great job with her, Ky,” he said, turning his attention back to his sister.

“He can say that word because he’s a grown up,” Kyla excused her brother, still buzzing from getting to see him. “Thank you, Archer,” she said genuinely. “I was sure everything about being a parent would annoy me. Turns out only about half of it does.”

“Miss Madeline!” Kyla had video chatted with Madeline and he family several times of course, but in-person was much better. “Im so happy to see you!” She turned around to her daughter, who had earlier said she wanted to meet everyone. “Lily this is-“ The small blonde ran to Madeline immediately and hugged her. “She studied an old yearbook, and Im sure she’s heard your name a bunch of times by now,” Kyla explained. “Mama! You’re right! She gives the best hugs,” Lily said cheerfully

Madeline scooped Lily up into a hug, shifting to get the young girl’s legs comfortably around her body. “Why hello there!” she said brightly. “You’re just as pretty as in all of the photos your mom sends to me.” She grinned at her and turned back to Kyla. “It’s so good to see you! I’m glad you were able to make it.”

“Thank you,” Lilly said still giggling a little as her mother talked. “Oh I almost didn’t. But Miss Annabeth talked to..I don’t know- some important person- and got filming to wrap last week instead of this week.” “My mom’s pretending to be on Netflix,” Lily told Madeline what she was pretty sure was true. “She obviously doesn’t believe that Im cool enough for a Netflix show,” Kyla explained. “How are Dot and Jack doing? Are they tired of high school yet?”