Okay, this one is going back in time to when Alfie was just a baby. Just some everyday family fluff and a little mishap. It's 4 chapters of Family Fun.

Sam looked at the list on the bench and chuckled to himself. She really did have doubts about him and his ability to manage looking after his girls for three days. "Nice list Babe." He tapped it lightly as Polly came into the kitchen. She handed him his son and gratefully accepted Sam's kiss.

"I think I have covered everything."

"Ya think?" Sam kissed his boy; he was awake but only barely. Polly had obviously just fed him because he looked drunk. "He's ready for bed?"

"He is, he just finished a feed and he took forever." While Alfie was doing well he wasn't the quickest feeder going around at night. Sam had decided he was doing it just so he got his Mom's undivided attention and it made her relax after the hustle and bustle of the day.

"I'm going to miss you buddy." He loved Alfie grabbing hold of his finger, even if it was just instinct when Sam uncurled his fist and placed his index finger in his palm and he bought it up to his lips. "You just wait until we can send Mom off with the girls and you and I can hang out all weekend watching sport and doing manly things."

"I can imagine you two in sweat pants, scratching your balls, farting and burping." Sam was late home from work and had missed dinner so Polly was heating him something up. Ada was close to having her baby and Sam was knee deep in it all.

"Heaven." He lifted Alfie up onto his shoulder when he started to squirm a little and rubbed his back. "How are the queens?"

"Asleep, they were exhausted. I am sure you'll see Mae soon." They weren't quite sure how the girls were going to cope with Polly going away for a weekend but Sam was keen for her to go. Things were settling down but they were still finding their groove again after a challenging few months.

Once a year she had a weekend away with her Mom, Aunt and cousin Zoe. Rhiannon was also coming along as well as Zoe's teenage daughter Niamh. It was a retreat that had started way back when Polly was a teenager and they hadn't missed a year. Sam had always encouraged her to go and he had coped quite well with being left with both Lola and Mae in previous years. The list was the same each year though even if it got longer. Lola was seven months old when Polly left her for the first time and Mae was over a year old and he managed to keep them in one piece.

She wasn't going to go this year, Alfie was only eight weeks old and she didn't want to leave him yet, he was too young so she was going to say no this year. Kim and Nicole convinced her that while it was a girl's only event Alfie could get a free pass, just this year. He just needed his Mom and after all the drama of the past year Polly needed the break. It was also a little earlier than usual, generally they waited until spring to go but it needed to be bought forward this year.

It was also a little bittersweet and Kim really wanted Polly to go. She didn't want her to miss out on what was potentially Zoe's last trip. Sadly Zoe had been diagnosed with liver cancer. It was a tragic twist of fate because it was a donated liver and the discovery that it was a genetic form of cancer had been a bitter pill to swallow. Zoe had fought long and hard and had held it at bay for a long time but lately she had been going downhill and they knew time was limited. She had been looking forward to this weekend after a brutal round of treatment.

"Mom asked Nicole about Alfie coming, if it would be too much for Zoe and she checked with the retreat and I can take Alfie." She had approached Sam nervously. It was more the fact he would just hate not having Alfie around.

"Great, then you will go?"

"Do you mind?"

"Nope." He had pushed himself up off the couch and stopped to whisper in her ear on his way to the kitchen. "As long as I get my usual goodbye screw." It was the deal; if you were going to be away overnight then it was your obligation to pony up for sex the night before. It was an unwritten rule of their marriage and they had a few. Kim had told Polly many years ago when she asked how she stayed happily married to her Dad that they never went to bed without a goodnight kiss, no matter how pissed you were with the other person and you said I love you at least once a day. It became a rule for them too; Sam added the sex thing. They also had a once a week minimum rule and while they thought it might become a bit of a chore they actually looked forward to it and would get excited and desperately try and get the kids to sleep so they could get it on.

"So if I say no I can't go."

"No you can go, just don't come home." He winked. "Although you'll need to send Alfie back."

"Will you be okay with the girls?"

"No, we are going to party all weekend, I'll take them to a bar, they can be my wingmen and we will eat take-out for every meal."

"They will love it and be an absolute fucking nightmare the entire time." Polly took the cup of tea from Sam as he came back from the kitchen. They were very well aware of what happened when they gave the girls too much junk food, it sent them off the rails. They didn't get it a lot but they weren't that strict that they missed out all together. "Zoe is really looking forward to it, she wants to meet Alfie."

"How's she doing?"

"Not great, but excited about the weekend." It was still a few weeks away and things could change pretty quickly but the hope was that Zoe would be well enough to go. "I'd hate to miss it."

"Then you have to go. Let my boy cheer her up."

Lola and Mae were not overly impressed with the idea of Mom going away, the fact that Alfie got to go too basically 'sucked' according to Lola. Her language left a lot to be desired lately. "He's a baby and he needs Mom." Sam tried to explain and Polly had a fair idea this was going to go pear shaped. Lola and Sam were butting heads way too often lately.

"Well she can milk herself and put it in the fridge and Daddy can give it to him." She argued. "It's not fair."

"Lola, Alfie is too little to be away from Mom for that long."

She planted her hands firmly on her hips but that could see she knew she was losing the argument. That didn't alter the course of her attitude though. "And what am I supposed to do?"

"Stay here with me and Mae."

"Great." She rolled her eyes and Polly stifled a laugh when Sam glared at her. She put her hand on Sam's arm and shook her head knowing that he was about to snap back at her. Lola had also tried the argument that she was a girl too and it was a girl's weekend. Explaining to her that she needed to be bigger didn't work because Sam had told her recently that she was a 'big girl' and she threw that back at him. Adam just laughed; he was going to get the same amount of shit that Polly threw at him growing up, only twice.

By the time it came around Lola was excited about the weekend because Sam was taking them to an Indoor water park. When they told them that Alfie was too small to go to a water park so if he was around they couldn't go Lola thought about it for a few moments and then decided that it would be 'awesome'. They were also going to have a lunch date and go to a movie. All in all Sam would keep them busy and hopefully they wouldn't miss their Mom too much.

At the end of the weekend they would head over to Pop's house, help him cook dinner for the ladies and wait for them to come home. He always cooked up a meat feast after they spent the weekend eating compost, drinking green sludge and embracing their downward facing dogs.

Sam watched Polly pack her bag, she had already packed Alfie's and the boy needed some shit and a half. Diapers, wipes, enough clothes for a week, warm clothes, cool clothes, toys, blankets and his stuffed giraffe. Lola and Mae had picked it out for him so they all had one of Daddy's animals to cuddle. Lola still had her leopard, Mae loved her Rhino and Alfie couldn't really give a shit about his giraffe yet but the girls made sure he always had it with him.

Alfie was lying on the bed beside him and had just drifted off to sleep after a feed; he was flat on his back in his sleeping bag and had one arm up over his head and the other resting on his face. He was impossibly cute right now. He probably should put him into bed but he was enjoying watching Polly while resting his hand on his little boys stomach as it rose and fell steadily in his sleep.

"Have you packed enough?" Polly's bag was tiny compared to Alfie's. "Why does he need twice as much as you?"

"Because unlike me he spews and shits on his clothes with regular monotony."

"True." Sam picked him up and settled him into his bassinette. He wouldn't be in it for much longer; he was getting too big for it. It may have taken him a few weeks to get into the swing of growing but now he was like a weed.

When Polly came out of the bathroom in a robe Sam was back on the bed. "You ready?" Polly tugged at the belt. "Let's get this over and done with."

"So romantic."

"I didn't know this required romance, isn't it just like paying a bill."

"You know, words hurt too." Sam clutched his chest but his eyes were twinkling as Polly danced her way over to the end of the bed as Sam shuffled down and sat on the edge just as Polly stepped between his legs. He ran his hands up the back of her thighs and pulled her close.

She undid the robe and let it fall open and Sam smiled as he buried his head into her waist as she was completely naked underneath. "To save you time."

"You can make this a workmanlike as you want but it's still turning me on."

Polly smiled and took a deep breath as Sam kissed the tops of her thighs. "That's not hard."

"No, but I am. Climb on Baby."

This was not a chore, or a rule that they had any interest in getting rid of.

Sam got up to Alfie when he woke early, he changed him and bought him back to bed for Polly to feed. "I'm going to miss you, both of you." He was laying beside them and playing with Alfie's foot while he tucked into his breakfast. "Who would have thought this little termite would steal our hearts like he has. The house will be quiet without him." Mornings were always his best feed, he generally slept from about midnight until somewhere around 6am and then would guzzle his breakfast. It was like he surprised himself by sleeping so long and then remembered he had an empty belly, he'd go from sleeping to wailing in an instant and would thrash about, jerking his hands and legs until Polly got the nipple in his mouth. He saw it coming and his mouth was open and he latched on like a magnet and there was no getting him off until he was done. Surprisingly they were still alone in bed when he woke, Mae hadn't come in. Not long after Alfie started feeding though she appeared at their door and Sam reluctantly got up and headed downstairs to start breakfast.

Kim was picking Polly up at seven so they were on a tight timeline and one that usually ended in a frantic dash to the finish line, although packing up one of them was a vast improvement on trying to herd all three of the cats into the car at once. It was a four-hour drive and the earlier they got on the road more time they had to relax. They would probably have to stop along the way for Polly to feed Alfie so it was going to be a longer trip than usual. Adam had made them up a thermos of hot water for tea and coffee and some snacks so they could have picnic no matter where they stopped.

Alfie was a rule breaker already, he was the first boy ever allowed on this weekend. It had been a strict no boy policy since the beginning. Usually they had no contact with home either but Polly would send Sam a message letting them know they had arrived safely and how Alfie was doing and most probably talk to him once a day.

It surprised them how people often commented that while it was okay for a mother to check in with her husband if she was away from her kids but they seemed bemused that a father would want to do the same. Sam was a good Dad, he was involved in their lives every day, he knew what was going on with them and they thrived when he was around. He'd been around every single day of Alfie's life and lived through Polly's traumatic pregnancy and being away from his boy, even for two days was not something he was looking forward too. At least Alfie obliged and smiled for his Daddy as he buckled him into the car. "Be a good boy, make the most of it, it's your only chance and then you can tell me what they say about me." He tucked his blanket around him and touched his tiny nose. "I'll miss my little termite."

There were tears. Lola and Mae, along with Polly and Mimi all had a little cry.

"Right, let's get ready for school." Sam got Lola organised and to school on time, he dropped Mae off at his mother's and made it to work. It was a short day for him; he wanted to pick Lola up because he knew it would make her day. She loved it when Daddy came to school and he grabbed Mae on the way. They were starting their weekend early and it was an indoor playground on the way home and pizza for dinner then they hired a movie and chilled.

"Oh my god, look at him." Nicole could barely wait to get her hands on the baby. "He's even more beautiful in real life. Congratulations Polly." It was the first time that Nicole and Zoe had seen Polly since last year and Polly was a little shocked at how frail Zoe looked. They just didn't catch up as much as they should, especially now. Even Kim didn't see her sister and niece as much as she would like and with Polly's terrible pregnancy they didn't stray far from home in the past year.

Zoe was besotted with him and Polly was happy to let her cuddle him once he had been fed and fallen asleep. She would never get to see her own grandchildren and this was about as close as she would get. It made everyone a little emotional but it was a beautiful moment and the photo that Polly took showed just how happy Zoe was to see him.

Sam carried Mae up to bed when she fell asleep on the couch and then came back down and cuddled up to Lola. "Now this is fun isn't it Chicken. Just you and me." They watched a movie and Sam let her fall asleep on his lap and it was late when Polly called him. He glanced at the clock and realised it was probably Alfie's last feed.

"Hey Baby, how are the girls?"

"I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. I am missing you."

"Sorry sweetheart." She rushed out, she did feel a little guilty for talking to Sam and wanted the call to be short. "How are you? I miss you."

"I'm good and the girls are good. We had a pizza and movie night, they both fell asleep on the couch." Sam flicked off the light and headed up to bed. "How's Alfie?"

"Just feeding now. I have barely had to lift a finger; he's the star of the show. I am lucky I've got his food packed inside me otherwise I don't think I'd be allowed to touch him."

"Is he charming the ladies?"

"He is."

"Just like his Daddy."

"Really?"

"Well I charmed our two ladies tonight." Sam flopped down on his bed. "Hey, I really miss you. Can you come home? Our bed is cold."

"What's the bet you have two little warm bodies in with you by morning."

"I hope so."

And he did, Mae came in about two and Lola was crawling in before the sun came up. He took them out for breakfast and loved seeing their little faces light up when the pancake stack arrived. Mae gasped with delight and he loved watching them share their breakfast as they chatted away happily.

"Daddy?" Lola rested her elbow on the table and propped her head up with her hand. "Did you talk to Mommy?"

"I did, it was very late last night."

"Is she missing us?"

"She is and Alfie is too."

"Can we make her a cake? I think she'd like that. Do you think she would like a cake? Maybe chocolate?"

"We can make Mommy a cake and take it over to Pops tomorrow."

"Pops?" Mae perked up. For some reason unknown to either of them, Adam was her favourite at the moment and she just wanted to see him all the time. She was obsessed with him and Adam would just shrug when they mentioned it and tell them 'why wouldn't she, I am awesome.'

"We see Pops?"

"Tomorrow Monkey."

"Ohhh." Her face fell. They had long realised that children were the world's great manipulators. "I miss Pops."

"I know you do. How about we give him a call and see if he wants to come to the waterpark?" Sam would enjoy the company as much as Adam would. It would also be easier to manage the two of them as they were both at different stages in their swimming abilities.

Adam could think of nothing worse than spending half a day in a waterpark with a million screaming kids but spending the day with Mae and Lola was worth every ounce of pain. Mae was so excited when he arrived and flung herself at his legs. "Pops. I got new swimmers." She lifted up her sweater to show him her new pink swimmers and he had to laugh, they were on inside out. Mae had obviously got herself dressed, she was learning but paid zero attention to whether it was inside out, back to front or upside down. The amount of time she had her shoes on the wrong feet was amusing. Little miss independent was cute as a button.

"Did you put them on yourself?"

"Yes." She jumped up and down and he hated crushing her joy.

"Well Monkey, let's try that again." Kneeling down in front of his little granddaughter he managed to strip her off and fix it up.

Mae hugged him. "Love Pops."

"I love my Monkey, and I get to spend the day with you so it's all good."

"We making cake." She was like a pinball machine and Adam did wonder what the hell Sam had fed her for breakfast. "Bus coming?"

"No Bus."

"Oh dear." She looked disappointed but her Pops swung her up in the air and she was giggling within seconds and forgot all about Gus.

The one good thing about a waterpark was that it absolutely wiped the girls out and Sam had them in bed by seven. Adam stayed for dinner. He didn't really like his quiet lonely house either. "Was that woman hitting on you?" Sam accepted another beer from Adam when he came down from putting Lola to bed.

"I think so. I must say it's been a long time since anyone tried. It was good for my ego."

Adam had been a little bemused by the middle aged lady who managed to spend the entire afternoon at a pool and her red lipstick did not budge. "Well aren't you two the cutest?" she eventually stopped trying to make eye contact with Adam and just went for it.

"She is very cute." He threw Mae up in the air and caught her squealing slippery body before she went under the water. And she was cute, her pink bathers were adorable and Mae looked so happy.

"Your daughter?"

"Granddaughter actually."

"No way, you don't look old enough to be a grandfather. They must keep you busy to stay in shape like that?"

"They do. My wife does too." Adam shut her down and her face slipped just a little. "Shall we go find your sister and your Daddy?" he let Mae go and watched her carefully as she tried to stay afloat. When she started to flounder he held her up and let her swim and it was the cutest sight watching her thrash around like shark bait. As to the lipstick clad woman, he left her wallowing in the shallows.

Sam had a chuckle. Lola had loved having her Dad's undivided attention and they had gone on waterslides together and squirted each other with water cannons and had a hoot. It was nice for Sam not to have to worry about Mae. If he had both of them Lola would have missed out on all this because her sister was too little.

"It's a bit creepy isn't it? I don't get why women try and hit on you when you have a child with you?"

"It's weird but Mae and I just ignored the red-lipped wonder."

Sam wasn't surprised to hear footsteps on the stairs. "Come here Monkey." He didn't even bother to look and suddenly Mae appeared from around the couch and climbed into his lap with her Rhino clasped in her hands.

"Polly used to do this."

"Is this how it all started? The late night chats with Pol?"

"Pretty much. I loved it and I kinda miss it now. I like how you are doing that with Mae though."

"I don't have the heart to stop it."

"She's still so little, if it keeps her happy. We used to talk about it and wonder if it was spoiling her but they grow up so quickly."

"I think Polly loves it because it reminds her of you."

"Well I am awesome." Adam finished off his beer. He left, bitching and moaning when Sam's phone rang and it was Polly. He wasn't allowed to contact Kim and she never called him in all the years she'd been doing this. The only time he got anything from her was the first time they went and Gus was as sick as a dog and she was more worried about her son than missing Adam.

"How was your day?"

"Tiring. Early morning bed warmers, too many pancakes for breakfast and swimming with Pops all afternoon. Your Dad has just left, he's pissed that Kim never calls him and Mae is being Mae right now."

"So she's asleep on your lap."

"Nailed it." Sam kissed her soft little head. "How's your child?"

"Sleeping in Zoe's arms." Polly had taken the call outside. "She's really struggling." Sam heard the sob catch in her throat. "it's so sad."

"Then I am really glad you are there. I hope Alfie is giving her some love."

"He is, me not so much. He was a shit last night."

"He's missing his Daddy."

"Probably. Why is it my kids miss you so much?"

"Because they love me." Sam tightened his arm around Mae as she squirmed a little. "And I love you."

"Good to know. Hey, I can't wait to see you tomorrow."

"Sunday fun day Baby" He just had to remind her of that.