It was the first day of school in the Puckerman household and three year old Layla Puckerman was up bright and early that morning.
"Mommy! Daddy! Wake up!" The little girl shouted bouncing on her parent's bed excitedly. Her parents have been talking about this day for months. How she was finally a big girl and going to a big girl school. It's safe to say Layla was excited.
"Layla it's five am go back to sleep." Puck groaned rolling over in the bed and pulling his daughter down beside himself and his wife.
"Daddy unhand me! You are going to ruin my dress." Rachel was laughing beside her husband as she stretched beside him.
"Are you already dressed young lady?" She asked leaning over and turning on the light. Naturally of course her daughter was completely dressed for her first day of school. Layla was wearing a pink and white stripped dress, knee socks, her new Mary Jane ballet flats, and a head band in her short dark hair.
"You say it is polite to be ready early mama. I am ready." Their daughter informed them as she scooted out of bed. "I going to watch cartoons downstairs. I expect you both downstairs and ready soon." Layla blew them both a kiss as she left and closed the door behind her.
"She is so your daughter. Seriously babe. It's like we cloned you or something." Puck moaned wrapping his arms around Rachel's waist, his hand resting on her swollen stomach.
"Well Noah, it is important that she uses her words. Obviously I have handled my duties as a mother well. She seems well prepared for her first day..." And then she was crying. Rachel never handled pregnancy hormones well. "Oh Daddy! Our baby is leaving us! What am I suppose to do with my day?"
Since Layla was born, she has practically been attached to her mother's hip. Rachel was big on the whole attached parenting. When she had rehearsal, Layla was often on set with her, or in her dressing room napping. Rachel would take her daughter to meetings, and the child behaved perfectly sitting there doing whatever task her mother set out with her.
She was the same with her father. While Puck was still in school (The joys of having a child right out of high school) she would go to the library and sit there quietly, or hang out with her father's friends like the little helper, a hat on the side of her head while she spoke of football. Puck has always felt a special bond towards his daughter. Probably because she reminded him so much of her mouth.
"Babe she will be fine. You'll see. Layla will blow them away." She blew all of them away. She was already correcting Finn. That in itself was scary enough.
"I know that Noah, but what if she gets scared? What if she needs me? I won't be there. I... I what am I going to do with my day Noah? I'm not working, I don't have my baby..." And she began to cry again. Puck hugged his wife and rubbed her back gingerly.
"Come on babe, man up. You can't fricken cry in front of her. You know how she gets." Rachel just nodded her head and closed her eyes as she wiped away her tears.
"You're right. We have to act normal. Oh daddy I just love you." It use to be weird (And kind of hot) when she called him daddy. It started after Layla was born. The first time Rachel called him that he tried convincing her to sleep with him, but with a newborn that didn't happen. It still turned him on, but at the same time... come on! Their daughter calls him that. Not a big turn on.
They all got ready for the day. Seeing that she was due in two months, Rachel was staying at home with Layla, while Puck went to school working towards a Culinary Degree. They both agreed to drop Layla off for the first day of school before Puck had class.
The school was a couple of blocks away, so they decided to walk. The weather was surprisingly cool for a September in New York, but really they couldn't complain.
"Do you think I should have grabbed her a coat?" Rachel asked biting her lips as she looked down at their daughter. Layla was in between them skipping happily as she held her parents hands.
"She'll be fine Rach. Seriously you worry too much. Look at her. She's happy." At that exact moment, Layla smiled up at both her parents. Like any parent, they were convinced their daughter was utter perfection. Layla looked a lot like Rachel with the wide doe eyes, but they were green like her fathers. She also had his nose and her mother's mouth in every way possible. Her shoulder length hair was cut in a cute bob, and every time she bounced her hair jumped slightly.
"Daddy! Do you think I will make a lot of friends? I like friends. They're im...im..." Layla's face squished up in annoyance as she forgot the word.
"Important Layla." Rachel smiled down at her daughter who flashed her an identical smile.
"IMPORTANT! Very important daddy! Do you think I will make a lot of friends?"
"I think you will make many friends Layla. Who wouldn't want someone as bad ass as you?" With the bad word, Layla gasped.
"Daddy! That's a bad word! You can't say bad words! Mama said so!" See, she was exactly like her mother. Rachel smiled at him and he rolled his eyes.
"Daddy is sorry. Now let's go, we're here." He opened the front gate to his daughter's pre-school. It was an older school near his school and their home so either one of them could pick her up.
"Do you remember your teachers name baby?" Rachel asked fixing Layla's hair. She was obviously nervous as she walked down the hall to Classroom four.
"Ms. Katie!" The three year old declared with pride as she began searching for classroom four. The growing family made their way down the hall, and as they walked closer and closer to Layla's classroom both of her parents noticed how their daughter held on to their hands tighter and tighter and that her steps slowed down.
They stepped in front of classroom four, and Layla was clinging to them. "I'm scared." She whispered. Both of her parents looked at each other, a knowing smile on Puck's face, and a relieved look on Rachel's.
Squatting down to her level with a bit of difficulty, Rachel ran her hand through Layla's hair. "It's going to be fine sweetheart." She whispered pulling her daughter into a hug. "You're such a big girl now. Starting a new school, next you're going to be a big sister.." Layla's tiny hands laid on her mother's belly as she clung to her. "You'll do fine."
She didn't seem convinced though. Layla's big green eyes turned towards her father as Puck got down to her level and sat her on his lap. "Where's the girl that spent the whole month talking about how amazing school is going to be? I know she's in there. Where is she?" The things he did for his girls. Puck began pretending to look around for her, and Layla smiled.
"I'm right here daddy! I'm a big girl!"
"Are you? Are you sure?" He asked smiling back at Rachel who just blew him a kiss. Moments like this reminded her why she fell for him. His complete and total devotion to his family.
"Yes daddy! I am Layla Beth Puckerman! I'm a big girl and I am ready!" Their daughter jumped out of his lap as she grabbed her parents hand and together they made their way into the classroom.
Inside were toys and puzzles and kids for her to play with. Layla smiled excitedly up at her parents and Rachel nodded. "Go on baby. Go play." She said nudging her daughter as Layla hugged them both quickly and ran off the play at a train table.
Rachel made her way over to talk to Layla's teacher and finally went back to her husband, wrapped her arms around his waist and watched as their daughter played for just a moment.
"She's doing so well." Rachel whispered in awe as Puck wrapped his arms around her waist. He said nothing. Looking up at him, she raised an eyebrow. "Is that a tear I see Noah Puckerman?" She asked in complete and total awe.
Puck just rubbed his eyes and coughed. "Of course not. It was an eyelash." He said looking at his daughter one last time as the two of them turned around to leave.
"I can't believe you cried. You kept telling me to be brave, and really you ended up being the one that started to cry?" Rachel shook her head and let out a soft laugh as she leaned up to kiss him softly on the lips.
Leaning into the kiss, Puck ran his hand across her swollen stomach once again. "I told you I had something in my eyes." Rachel just nodded her head in agreement, kissing him again.
"Of course you did. Just think. Three more years and it will be this one turn." She mumbled as she began walking down the hall. The familiar sound of her husband groaning behind her.
"I really don't think I can handle this again."