Title: A Little More For You And Me
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: ~2,200
Characters: Jaime/Cassie
Summary: She wonders if he minds being alone with the kids while she runs to the grocery store to get the ingredients. He tells her that she's silly for even needing to ask.
A Little More For You And Me
He really shouldn't find it funny, that look the kids get on their faces that pretty much says how confused they are in the new house. And, well, it's technically just Hayley and Leo who make that face, because they're the only ones old enough to actually remember the first house, but still. Sometimes Hayley walks into the living room from the staircase because she thinks it's the kitchen, or Leo will open the hallway closet between his room and the room Hayley and Savannah share because that's where their bathroom used to be.
Their little scowls are totally adorable and pretty much all him, and make them look practically identical if you, you know, ignore the fact that they're different genders and have totally different hair colors and everything.
"Daddy," Hayley huffs, and Cassie elbows him lightly to get him to stop chuckling.
"Sorry, baby." It's been three days since they've moved, and every morning on her way back from the bathroom, Hayley's walked into his and Cassie's room because that's where her room used to be, right across from Leo's. Now the kids are all on one side of the hallway while he and Cassie and the nursery are on the other.
"Come here," Cassie says, sitting against the headboard. Hayley crosses the room and Jaime pulls her onto their bed, setting her between them. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah, but I miss my old room." Cassie meets his eyes over Hayley's head, frowning in concern. "I miss all my stuff."
Crap. Yeah.
They weren't able to get much unpacked other than toiletries, the kitchen, and everyone's clothes, because it took two days to move everything and their main concern was making sure beds were in place so everyone would have a mattress to sleep on. Yesterday they couldn't unpack, either, because they met with the principal for Hayley and Leo's new school and then with the owner of the pre-school for Savannah. They still need to figure out who'll be watching Erin as soon as Cassie starts working again, but luckily that doesn't need to be decided right away.
"You still have everything, just in boxes. We'll get them unpacked," he promises. "And do you know what you want to do to your room?"
They used to rent before, so there wasn't much that could be done in terms of decorating. The kids may still be bummed out about the move, but they're excited that they actually get to like, paint their walls different colors and add those floating shelves (they think they're the coolest things ever).
Plus, this house is a lot bigger and fits them more comfortably, with larger yards in the back and front. It's more suitable for a family as big as theirs. They're young and moving is a big change, especially since they're starting at a new school, too. They'll be more comfortable once their house starts feeling like a home and not some strange, new place.
"Can my room be lavender?"
He arches an eyebrow. "Lavender," he repeats.
She bobs her head in a nod and tells them how she wants a Victorian room. He doesn't know any other second grader that has any idea what the Victorian era even is, but she probably learned it from HGTV. They both swear Hayley's going to be a high-end, interior designer someday. She loves kind of stuff.
Then they hear giggling on the other side of the wall, from Erin's nursery, so they get out of bed and he lifts Hayley into his arms (she's getting heavier, but he'll always love carrying her) and follows Cassie into the hallway.
Leo and Savannah are sitting on the ottoman for the rocking chair, which they've pulled up to Erin's crib so that they can play with their baby sister through the bars.
"Good morning," Cassie says, scooping Savannah into her arms and kissing her cheek. Then she reaches over and ruffles Leo's hair, making him try to swat her hands away. Erin bursts into laughter. "So, what do we all want for breakfast?"
... ...
There's a park within walking distance of their house.
It's literally just the next block over and it's huge, with a new play structure and that foam padding instead of tanbark and all this grass and these beautiful oak trees. The kids have seen it a few times already when they've driven passed, except they've obviously been too busy to actually go. But the neighborhood is holding a sort of block party at the park for lunch and it's the perfect excuse to get out of the house and meet their neighbors. Hopefully the kids will make friends that'll be going to the same school as them, too.
"I have no idea what to make."
He comes to stand behind her, setting his hand above her elbow. She has her folder of recipes open and is flipping through the pages of desserts, and Erin is fast asleep in her car seat that's propped up beside them on the counter, because she knocks out instantly as soon as they buckle her in the thing.
"I thought Mrs. Hill said you didn't have to bring anything."
"Yeah," Cassie says, "but I'll feel bad if we don't." He chuckles, kisses her temple. "Where are the kids?"
"Watching Up on my laptop in the living room." They usually try to limit how long the kids are in front of a screen, but obviously they can't do much else right now with all of their stuff packed away. "Why don't you just make your cookies?"
"They're not my cookies," she laughs. "I didn't come up with any of those recipes."
"No one makes them as delicious as you do, babe." She smiles, and he kisses the corner of her mouth, setting his hand at her hip. "They're your cookies."
"Which ones should I make, then?"
He chuckles again and pulls out the pages for her chocolate chip, macadamia, and peanut butter cookies—his absolute favorites. She giggles a little because she knows they are, too, and wonders if he minds being alone with the kids while she runs to the grocery store to get the ingredients.
He tells her that she's silly for even needing to ask, turns her to face him and presses her between him and the kitchen island so he can kiss her properly.
... ...
No more than five minutes after they've made it to the party, Hayley and Leo are running around and playing tag with some other kids about their age. Honestly, he should've known that they'd have no problem at all making friends. They get that from their mom. Even Savannah, who's always been shyer than her older brother and sister, is sitting at these plastic tables where they have some of the younger kids working on arts and crafts, giggling with another girl as if the two of them have been best friends since birth.
Cassie's sitting down with Erin in her arms as she's talking with Maria, who lives across the street from them, and this newly married couple that introduced themselves as Scott and Emma. He'd offered to take Erin once she got tired of carrying her, but of course Cassie just waved him away for being silly.
"She's beautiful."
Jaime turns as a man comes to stand beside him, plastic cup in hand. He's pretty sure his name is Steve, and the only reason he remembers is because Maria pointed him out and said that Steve and his wife, Natalie, have a son named James who's going to be classmates with Hayley when school starts at the end of August.
The guy nods in Cassie's direction. "She's your wife, right?"
"How did you…"
"I can tell by the way you look at her." Jaime just laughs. The guy holds his hand out. "I'm Steve, by the way."
"Jaime," he supplies. "That's my wife, Cassie, and our youngest, Erin."
"How many kids do you have?"
"Four." Steve smiles, like this doesn't surprise him at all. "Actually, Maria said that Hayley's going to be in the same class as your son… James?"
Steve nods, says, "That's him over there," and points the rim of his cup towards the play structure where Hayley is swinging beside this boy with dark red hair. Even from this distance, Jaime can tell that that's Steve's son. Except for the hair, he looks just like his dad.
"And that must be Hayley, right? She's going to be as beautiful as her mother."
"Yeah," Jaime sighs. "Heaven help me when she gets older."
Steve chuckles and claps a hand to Jaime's shoulder. "I know what you mean," he says. "My wife's expecting a girl in a few months and I'm already worried because she'll look just like her mom, too. But man… Maria told me that you have three girls?" Jaime nods. "I can't imagine how I'd handle that. Natasha would get a kick of it, that's for sure."
"So would Cassie," Jaime laughs.
He talks with Steve for a few more minutes until his wife, Natasha, comes over to tell him that they need to leave soon if they plan on making Tony's engagement dinner, whoever Tony may be. Natasha is definitely beautiful, with her red hair that's just as bright as her son's, and it's interesting, the way she complements Steve. She introduces herself and then apologizes for taking Steve away, kisses his cheek and pretty much gives them no choice but to come over for dinner tomorrow night after Steve mentions that Hayley and James are going to be classmates.
Jaime walks over to Cassie, sits in the empty chair beside hers and tells her about their new dinner plans.
Cassie looks amused. "You do realize you're probably setting Hayley up for her own Nicholas Sparks story, right?" He blinks, and she laughs and shakes her head. "I guess you've never heard the story of the two childhood friends that fall in love."
Huh.
Well, crap.
... ...
Hayley, Leo and Savannah crash on his and Cassie's bed as soon as they're home from lunch (which ended at like, 5:00).
It isn't a surprise, really, considering how long they were all running around. And Savannah sat down for most of the picnic, but she's the kind of kid that can fall asleep whenever without really trying, so she's out right after Hayley and Leo are. Even Erin was out again after the first hour and a half or so while he and Cassie were unpacking.
He moves the last of the boxes into the garage and when he comes back, Cassie's sitting on the couch with her legs tucked underneath her and a glass of water in hand.
It's definitely one of his favorite looks for her.
Honestly, she's got her hair clipped up in this messy bun, water in one hand and a pen in another and the notepad she writes her shopping and to-do lists on in her lap, and despite the long day they've just had, she looks perfectly relaxed and not at all tired.
"What do we need for groceries?" he asks her, and she looks up and smiles at him as he sits beside her on the couch.
"Everything," she says. He laughs. "No, I'm serious. Our fridge is empty."
"We just moved, babe. You don't need to restock the whole kitchen in one shopping trip."
"I know, but…"
He chuckles, though, because she really does look worried that their kids are going to starve if their kitchen isn't spilling over with food by tomorrow morning. They went home with enough leftovers to get them through tomorrow, but still.
It's probably because they feed so many mouths and the kids snack a lot rather than always eating full meals (because they can't always sit still long enough), so they usually have snacks coming out of every nook and cranny in the kitchen. They're probably going to end up dropping $400 in groceries at Costco soon, but it's not like they don't eat everything, so he doesn't feel as bad. Besides, he never considers spending on his kids a waste, even when it comes to clothes and toys. They really do appreciate the things they're given.
He takes the glass from her hand and sets it on the coffee table. "Relax," he tells her, and she does, just leans back into the couch and blows out a breath that seems a lot heavier and more exhausted than she actually looks. "Feel better?"
"You always make me feel better."
It's one of the best things he could hear from her, honestly, because Cassie is just so energetic and passionate about everything and he likes to be the one that calms her. He never tries to diminish or belittle her excitement, but he knows that it can be exhausting for her to feel so much and he loves being the person that can make her feel totally relaxed.
"I love you," he says, because he hasn't said it to her since they got home and it just seems fitting right now.
She smiles at him widely and says the words back to him against his lips before kissing him soundly. He takes the glass from her hand and sets it on the coffee table, angles himself towards her a little more and kisses her a little harder.