I was stirring next cup of stock into the risotto rice, the little one in his bouncer on the kitchen bench next to me and the older ones in the living room with the dog, laughing and barking loudly. Everyone stops as the garage door whirls to life as his car drives inside. The children run towards the garage door, a car door shuts, as the door leading to the house from the garage opens loud squeals of "DADDY!!!!!!!!!!!!" can be heard as he greets his children. I can't help but smile as I hear them playing around in the living room. The little one's arms and legs are moving a hundred miles an hour, he knows his daddy's home and he can't wait to see him. You and me both little one. I give him a kiss and whisper "Daddy will be here soon, little one" and continue stirring tonight's dinner.
Gentle kisses down my bare shoulder and large warm hands running across the small of my back and across my stomach stop my continuous stirring. "Hello gorgeous, tastes delicious" I use my free hand to swat his head gently, smirking at his comment. I lower the heat and turn around and there he is, my husband, Edward Masen-Cullen, smiling his crazy crooked grin, making me melt into a puddle at his feet. He knows it too as his grin gets wider into his full on heart breaking smile which I know has broken hearts around the word, he steps towards me and kisses me gently on the lips. Not once... or twice... but three times, and with each kiss his lips linger on mine for just that little bit longer before our foreheads rest against each other and we stand in bliss bodies flush against each other savouring the uninterrupted moment.
It's only then I notice that the laughing and squealing have stopped replaced by the sounds of the television on the Lion King (tonight's chosen movie). The little one's arms are moving even faster than before, his excitement only growing now that his daddy is in sight. "Your son is really excited to see you" I whisper "he sat up by himself today for about thirty seconds before doing a Leaning Tower of Pisa and falling back onto his play mat". Edward smiles "hello, little one, are you excited to see me" he coos as he picks him up and lifts him high in the air before bringing him snugly onto his chest, his head crashing into Joes shoulder hiding his face into his daddy's shoulder in shyness. "Its bath time little one, time for you and me to have a bath" he continues to talk to the baby as he kisses me softly on the cheek before making his way upstairs. That's their father son bonding time, bathing before dinner. Joe would never miss it for the world, without fail everyday at around six o'clock my husband takes our youngest son Matthew Elliot Masen-Cullen (aka Little One) for bath-time rain, hail or shine.
Our children think he's the most wonderful thing in the world, he can do no wrong. Each child has their own special thing that only they do with their daddy. For Emily Laura Masen-Cullen (our oldest) it's the bedtime song where daddy reads her a chapter in a book and sings her Emily's Lullaby (composed by the Edward of course) until she falls asleep, for Kai Jackson Masen-Cullen it's music lessons every Wednesday where they jam and have fun together in the music room playing drums, guitar, piano, and whatever other instrument can be found in there and for Charles Franklin "Charlie" Masen-Cullen its cooking Pancakes for Sunday breakfast before church.
About half an hour later the food is cooked and the table set. I walk into the living room where my children are glued to the television. "Can we please wash our hands and sit at the table, dinner's ready" the children run off to the bathroom with me trailing after them. Supervision is necessary as sometimes hands don't get washed properly, water fights occur or soap gets in little eyes. Today everything goes smoothly, hands are washed one pair at a time, some more meticulously than others and are dried. A mad dash occurs to the table to see who can get there first (to sit next to daddy of course).
As the children scramble to their seats in the dining room Edward reappears with the little one, he's changed out of his work clothes and is now dressed in old basketball shorts and an old band tee his hair damp and the little one in his arms, with fresh footsie pants, a long sleeve top, clean bib around his neck and a big gummy smile on his face because he's had his daddy time. The little one is placed in his high chair, harnesses secured.
The children talk about their day whilst Edward dishes food for Charlie and Emily whilst I dish for Jack. Tonight is favourites night. The little one is eating his pureed carrots and beef. Charlie has a little of everything on his plate, he's not fussy although he really likes his rice. He has a little veg, a little sausage and lots of risotto. Emily has lots of veg, a little sausage and lots of rice, she's not so big on red meat. Kai has lots of meat and lots of rice and a little veg which he pushes around his plate until he has nothing left but the veg and is forced to eat it. Between feeding the little one I manage to feed myself, Edward is eating like he normally does, a lot and a lot of everything but he eats it with perfect manners, the kids try to follow his lead (some more successful than others). Every now and then he pinches Kai's fork and stabs a veg and hands it back to Kai in hopes he'll eat it. No such luck.
As the children finish one by one they filter into the play room where they begin to play quietly. Joe stacks the dishes into the dishwasher as I take the little one to play with his brothers and sisters. I place him on the floor of the playroom with his little baby gym and sit on the rocking chair in the corner nearby. As the children play, plates clink in the background as they're rinsed and placed into the dishwasher. Kai has decided today he wants to play with the little one; he dangles different bits of the mobile above Mattie's face and makes different parts light up to Mattie's delight. Emily is in the corner with her teddies and dolls having a tea party whilst Charlie is playing the chef making all the cakes and sandwiches for it. Edward quietly slips in about an hour later and sits on the nearby couch, I know that he's finished his evening calls and emails and other little errands he does after dinner. I stand up and pick up the little one much to his older brother's despair and take him to the couch and cuddle up next to Edward. Kai asks to join in to the tea party if he could be a waiter and slips casually into character. The little one starts to grizzle and headbutt my breast and I know he's ready for his last feed before bed. I quietly lift up my shirt and unfasten my nursing bra and position the little one who quickly latches on and starts feeding. Edward and I watch our children's game, his hands gently stroking our son's thick black hair as he nurses.
When looking at my children I think of how lucky I am to have found a wonderful husband who I've fallen in love with and whose beautiful children we've had together. Life couldn't get much better than this.