Ethan smiled as he shut the bedroom door carefully on Matilda fast asleep in her cot. He turned around to see Cal flop onto the sofa as he stifled a yawn and padded over to the kitchen in his socks.
"Want a coffee?" he asked as he clicked the kettle on and got the last mug from the cupboard. He smiled fondly at the messy flower design Matilda had customised it with for his last birthday.
"Ugh, i'll have the biggest cup we own." Cal groaned as he stretched and settled into the crease of the sofa with his feet resting on the coffee table.
"You'll have the have the stripy one i'm afraid." Ethan said as he pulled the small mug out of the sink and rinsed off the suds. "Someone forgot to do the washing up." he said with his eyebrow raised looking at Cal who just shrugged it off.
"I've got work soon." moaned Cal as he checked his watch and gratefully took the mug of coffee from Ethan. Ethan sat down next to his brother with a sigh of relief as he sunk into the cushion and took a sip of his drink. They sat in silence for a few moments, taking in the tired atmosphere and replying the day's events in their thoughts.
"Why do you always have to sit like that?"
"Sorry, long legs." Cal laughed lightly as he took his feet off the coffee table and replaced them with his empty cup.
Ethan shook his head, "No, the sofa. You always squash the cushion down and now it's per mentally creased."
Cal just shrugged and chuckled. "I'm going to bed bud." he said as he stood up and stretched again.
Ethan smiled weakly and put his hand on Cal's arm as he passed him which made Cal frown in confusion. "I enjoyed today." Ethan said as he moved his hand off Cal's arm and smiled at him instead.
"Me too." Cal said with a look of joy but also confusion still.
"I'm glad you decided to keep Matilda." Ethan said solemnly.
"Me too bro." Cal said as he put his hand on his brother's shoulder reassuringly before leaving.
Ethan smiled widely to himself and sipped his coffee as he sat in the quiet, dim flat, listening to the clock tick the seconds away. The coffee table was littered with photo frames of Matilda and Cal and himself waiting to be hung up on the walls. The sink remained full of soapy water after Cal had abandoned the washing up in the morning for the football game and the baby bottles bobbed up and down like ships on a wavy sea. The floor was littered with toys and the bin was overflowing in the corner, dropping two empty boxes of cereal on the floor that would inevitably be picked up by Matilda in the morning as she explored. The colourful banner from last week still hung limply on the wall, only being held up by the last few late wishes of Happy Birthday and the cards lined up on the kitchen surface baring Matilda's name and the number 2 in various shades of pink. The kitchen counter also held bills, takeaway menus and a layer of dirt and dust that Ethan had not yet managed to clean as he'd come home from work exhausted and then looked after Matilda every night.
The flat was a mess and so they were they but he was happy and that's what mattered Ethan thought as he took in his surroundings. He turned off the last lamp and headed to bed, still smiling to himself happily.
Earlier that day
Ethan held out his arms with a big grin on his face as he watched Matilda slowly walk over to him out of the bedroom on her wobbly legs. She fell into his arms and giggled as he swooped her up and spun her round in the air.
"Careful nibbles!" Cal said as he entered the room with a wrinkled nose and nappy in hand.
Ethan wrinkled his nose too in disgust and sat down on the sofa with Matilda on his knee. She giggled as he lightly bounced her up and down.
"If you're throwing that out you might as well empty the bin too." Ethan said as he looked at the overflowing rubbish in the corner.
"Nah, can't be bothered. I'll be back in a minute." Cal said as he held his arm out in front of him as far as he could and left to go to the rubbish chute down the corridor.
"You need to convince him to take the rubbish out because i'm certainly not going to do it." Ethan said in a high voice as he spoke to Matilda's giggly face.
"Let's go to the park." Ethan suggested with a smile as Cal returned.
Cal thought for a moment then shook his head. "There's a fair in holby this weekend, let's go there."
"Caleb, Matilda's barely a toddler, she's only just turned two." Ethan said lifted a wiggly Matilda from his lap and carefully he put her on the floor. "We can hardly take her to a funfair with rides she's far to small to go on and groups of rowdy teenagers!"
Matilda stood up with wide eyes and walked across the lounge in small timid steps with her arms outstretched. Her face remained determined as she managed to wobbly walk over to Cal and tugged on his trousers with her chubby little hand.
"Daddy! Daddy!" she gurgled as she pulled on the denim fabric and looked up at Cal.
Cal looked at Ethan pleadingly and said "Come on, Matilda clearly wants to go."
Ethan sighed and stood in defeat. "Get your coats on then."
Cal picked Matilda up from his feet and swooped her though the air and Ethan sighed as he watched him. "Come on toad, we're going on an adventure!" Cal laughed and smirked as he heard Ethan chuckle and the mood lifted.
"I hope you've got bus money because only have change for me." Ethan said suddenly seriously as he pulled on his coat but his mouth remained in a little amused smile.
"Awh man, I'm broke!" Cal said with emphasised sarcasm to Matilda, whom was sat in his arms. "We'll have to take nibble's money."
"You'll have to catch me first!" Ethan exclaimed and pulled open the door before speeding down the corridor away from his laughing brother and Matilda.
"You're such a child!" Cal called down the corridor as he locked the door and watched Ethan stop running and start skipping down the corridor.
"So? We're going to the fair!" Ethan beamed at his brother and shrugged as he walked backwards. He continued to walk backwards, making silly faces at Matilda until his back slammed straight into the door handle behind him and he cried out from the brief pain. Cal put Matilda down and cracked up with laughter, bent over holding his sides. Matilda ran as fast as she could on her little legs to Ethan then cuddled his legs whilst saying, "Efan! Efan! Efan!".
"Get up off the floor you idiot." Ethan said as he watched Cal on his knees still holding his sides as if they were splitting from the loud laughter that echoed in the flat corridor. "It wasn't that funny!"
Ethan grimaced and held Matilda tighter as Cal spun the pink tea cup they were sat in faster and faster. On the other hand, Matilda clapped her hands in delight and chucked an infectious laughter that made Cal grin in delight as he twisted and turned the wheel.
"Alright nibbles?" Cal shouted over the blaring funfair music as Ethan squeezed his eyes shut and gripped onto Matilda and the edge of the tea cup tighter, his knuckles turning white. The ride slowed down and stopped just as Ethan muttered, "Please stop spinning". Cal took Matilda from Ethan's shaking hands and watched cautiously as he stumbled off the ride, bent over and proceeded to empty his stomach on patchy grass.
"I told you…I..I don't like spinny rides." he managed to stutter before being sick again. Cal swallowed a laugh as he rubbed his brothers back sympathetically and bounced Matilda in the other.
"You okay?" He asked as Ethan stood up and pushed his glasses up further up the bridge of his nose.
"Yeah, let's get Matilda some candyfloss." he said quietly as his cheeks burned and he tried to avoid the gazes of worried people around him.
"Ferris wheel next?" Cal questioned as they gazed at the colourful seats moving round and round whilst eating the sweet sugary candyfloss.
"Sure, what's the worst that could happen?" Ethan said and Cal looked at him with a bemused expression. Ethan blushed as he recalled the earlier events and relied hastily. "Actually, don't answer that."
They sat down in an orange seat as they came to the front of the que and the nerves rose in Ethan as the safety bar came down and secured itself into place. He'd never liked heights, just like some others didn't like the dark or spiders but as it slowly rose into the air and he watched the dusty pink evening sky all traces of worry in the pit of his stomach vanished. He looked at Cal who was taking to Matilda excitedly about the although she could only reply in few words or didn't reply at all and just laughed or smiled. As he watched the sun set in front of him he thought about how lucky he was to have a such a family. It was surprising to find out that Matilda was Cal's baby after all and Taylor hadn't lied but he was more surprised at how well Cal was coping at bringing his daughter up. He'd had grown up over the last year and was slowly loosing his old habits of breaking hearts for now his own heart was filled with love only for Matilda. Ethan looked back at Cal and Matilda and smiled as they descended to the ground. He was so proud.