Chapter 21

Caleb frowned as he made his way down the stairs, bright and early on a Saturday morning with Rosie lying on his shoulder gurgling away as she waited for her eight o'clock feed. Connor was there, sprawled across the sofa, his eyes focused on the front door and his feet dangling off the edge of the leather arm.

"What are you doing up?" He grumbled sleepily as the fourteen-year-old sat up and propped his feet up on the coffee table in front of him as Caleb slumped into the sofa beside him, Rosie still happily lay against his chest.

It had been about a year since Connor had made it out of bed before lunch on the Saturdays he didn't play soccer, he was by far the laziest in the house so Caleb was surprised to see him alive before midday.

"I'm waiting for the mail." Connor yawned back, rubbing his big brown eyes as he looked at his Dad who frowned.

"Why?" His hand ran down Rosie's back as she let out a whine.

"Because," Connor sighed, messing with the worn fabric of the cussion by his side and not looking up. "The letters are coming from the Philly Soccer Academy today, some of the people I know have already got their's and if I don't get one today then I haven't got a place."

Caleb had to bite down on his lip to hold in the smirk that was trying to spread across his face as he took in the nervous expression on his sons face. "You know the mail doesn't come until lunch time on a Saturday?"

Connor blinked twice before he let out a groan and threw his head back against the sofa. "So I got up early for nothing?" He mumbled, looking at Rosie as she began to whimper in Caleb's hold.

"Yup." He replied, standing up and lifting her from his chest as he pressed a kiss to her tiny nose. "You can help me instead." He smirked, turning her around in his arms and lying her back down against Connor as he went to make her bottle.

"No- I- I'm gonna drop her," He stuttered, his eyes widening and he tried to keep hold of his baby sister without her falling off him. He had only held her a few times and every time he'd had someone with him. He didn't know what to do or how to make sure she was comfortable.

"You'll be fine Con," Caleb grinned from the kitchen, rolling his eyes slightly. "Just make sure you've got her head."

The blonde nodded, his hand resting against the back of her neck as he scooted her up on his chest, her little hands gripping at his white t-shirt and her head settling into her big brothers warm embrace.

"There you go," Caleb smiled, sitting back down on the sofa as he gave the bottle a minute to cool down. "She's not as scary as she looks." He shot his son a wryly grin.

"Shut up," Connor laughed, his hand running down Rosie's back as he breathed in her baby scent. "I just didn't want to hurt her." She was still so tiny and delicate it felt like she would break under his hold.

"She's fine," Caleb smiled softly as he reached down to smooth out some of her thin, dark locks. She seemed to settled as she lay against her big brother, until her face scrunched up and she let out a cranky cry.

"Here," Caleb laughed as Connor quickly handed Rosie back to him as she began to whimper until he tucked her head into the crook of his neck.

"Shh," He patted her butt. "Your food is coming, you need to let it cool down first." That seemed to satisfy her and she quietened down, twisting her head to the side so she could see Connor.

"She's staring at me." The blonde chuckled, his dimples showing as he watched the two bright blue eyes follow his every movement. She didn't stop until he reached a finger out and gently poked her soft cheek, a grin never leaving his face.

"So," Caleb turned to look at him again. "What's all this about the letter?"

"They're coming today, some people got them yesterday but today is the last day to get one." Connor bit his lip nervously. "So if I don't get one today then I haven't got in."

Caleb bit back a smirk again. "Stop worrying Bud." He squeezed his knee twice.

"I'm not." Connor argued.

Caleb raised his eyebrow as Connor chewed on his bottom lip and looked up at him. "God you look so much like your Mom when you do that," He rolled his eyes slightly. "Which is how I know what's going on in your tiny brain."

"It's bigger than yours." Connor grumbled.

"Sure." Caleb smirked back at him unconvinced as he rubbed small circles on Rosie's back. "But seriously Con, stop worrying."

The fourteen-year-old nodded and looked down at his feet. "I just really want to go there, it has like all the newest equipment and loads of connections to professional and all I wanna do is play soccer." He let out a long sigh and slumped even further into the sofa, rubbing his tired eyes.

"You will, I promise." Caleb gave him a small smile before a yawn escaped his mouth and he titled his head back against the leather back of the sofa.

"Caleb," Ten minutes soft voice echoed down the stairs and fell on two pairs of sleeping ears. Hanna huffed, calling out to him again before she made her way down the stairs from where she was stood at the top, wondering what was taking him so long. He was only supposed to be warming up a bottle for Rosie and bringing it straight back to bed.

A smile grew on her face though as she rounded the corner of the banisters and found her two boys fast asleep on the sofa with Rosie tucked up against Caleb's chest, happily cooing away to herself.

She reached forward and gently peeled the baby away from her husband, patting her back as she looked into her blue eyes. "Have you had your feed yet?" She asked in a whisper, looking around for an empty bottle. "Is daddy starving you?" She cooed, smiling gently as the baby blinked twice.

She held her close again, pressing kiss to the top of her head as a smile spread across her face as she watched the two sleeping bodies in front of her. They were almost identical as they both sat there in a t-shirt and boxers, their chins resting in their chest and light snores coming from both their noses.

"Let's leave them to sleep." She murmured against Rosie's head as she glanced back at her handsome boys one more time before heading into the kitchen. "It's gonna be a nice day, we should have you breakfast outside." She breezed past the bottle of milk and the side and unlocked the back door, stepping out onto their patio and under the warm summer morning sun.

With Rosie lay carefully in between her thighs as she sat on the outdoor sofa, she untied her cotton dressing gown and undid the top few buttons on her pyjamas. Then she picked Rosie up and started to nurse her as she looked across the garden and enjoyed the peace and quiet.

Only now, three weeks after having Rosie home, were they starting to get into a routine. Her energy had been zapped the first two weeks with her body still recovering from surgery and her baby needing constant attention.

She felt bad for Caleb having to take some of the night feeds just so she could sleep, especially when he had to go in and do full days at the office everyday, but as Rosie got used to the house and her family everything was becoming easier. She guessed it was just a big change for her baby girl, going from a quiet hospital room to a house with two rowdy teenagers.

The back door clicked behind her and she craned her neck to see as Ava stepped out, in some old t-shirt and a pair of pj shorts. "Your up early," Hanna smiled as she came to sit next to her, curling her body into her mothers side as she fed her baby sister.

"Everyone is." Ava murmured back tiredly, her eyes dropping down to Rosie's bare foot and tiny toes. "It's too hot in my room anyway."

"Did you open the windows?" Hanna asked, wrapping her free hand around her eldest to stroke some of her hair back as she nodded. "It's gonna be hot today, summers finally coming."

They settled into silence as Ava took a while to wake up fully and Rosie finished up with her feed, before being burped. "Did you see those two in there?" Ava asked with a chuckle as Hanna wrapped her dressing gown back around herself and lay Rosie on her chest. "It's cute."

"I know," Hanna grinned as she thought back to her boys who were still napping. "It's adorable, they almost look like twins sat there."

"Yeah totally, accept Dads twenty years older, got brown hair, a beard and wrinkles." Ava muttered sarcastically.

"I said almost," Hanna rolled her eyes at her daughter. "Here," She smiled, passing Rosie over to the sixteen-year-old who carefully took her into her arms. "I'm gonna make us all breakfast, look after Ro."

With that she jumped up and headed inside, rifling through the fridge until she found what she was looking for and set up a frying pan to make her family a cooked breakfast.

The smell of bacon and eggs must have filter through the house because the door to the living room creaked open and Caleb trudged in, heading straight for the food that was cooking before he turned to his wife. "Good morning." She grinned at him.

"Hmm," He grunted something back before he pressed his lips against hers, his hands wrapping around her body as he kept it as close to his as possible.

"Your eager this morning," She chuckled at him, reaching up to run her fingers through his messy hair as his dreary eyes closed. "How come I found you and Con asleep on the sofa?"

"Oh shit," His head shot up instantly as he looked around the kitchen before his eyes landed on the bottle full of milk. "I was supposed to feed Flower, where is she?"

"She's outside with Ave, I fed her after you fell asleep." She watched as he frowned and picked up the bottle. "Straight from the boob," She added. "I want to try and only use a bottle when it's you feeding her, I like having quiet time with her whilst she eats."

Caleb nodding in understanding, placing the bottle back down in the counter and leaning in for another kiss. His hands found their way around her back and reached down to cup her butt as she pulled back and looked up at him. "What?"

"You still haven't answered why Con was awake before lunch, I don't think that's happened in years."

"And that's why he's gone back to sleep." Caleb laughed in reply. "He was down here waiting for the post when I came down, he said the letters from the academy were coming today."

"You haven't told him yet?" Hanna's eyes widened as she took in the smirk on her husbands lips and slapped his arm. "Caleb, it's cruel not to tell him- it's like torture to keep him away from his soccer balls."

"I know the feeling," He murmured, his eyes dropping down to her full chest and then her toned legs that were on show as he squeezed her ass again.

"I haven't got the all clear from the doctors yet so get that look off your face," She shook her head at him with a laugh. "And stop trying to change the subject."

"I didn't want to tell him without you there," He answered. "And besides I wanna see his face when he gets the letter addressed to him and I wanna remember the look on his face forever."

"How do you go from mean to sweet in a few sentences." She grinned at him, pushing up on to her tiptoes so she could kiss him again. She loved her boys and Caleb knew exactly how to make her heart strings tug whenever he talked about their son with that proud glint in his eyes.

Her lips dipped back in for more as her fingers trailed over his hips and along the waist of his black boxers before her finger tips poked under his grey t-shift to trail over his abdomen muscles. "Mmh," A moan left his lips as his tongue met with hers, loving the feeling of her hands on his bare skin.

Hanna let out a content sigh as he peeled his lips away from hers and tucked his head into the crook of her neck where he took some of her soft skin into his mouth to suck as she pushed her hands even higher to run along his stubbly chest.

She squeezed his strong shoulders one final time before they broke apart and she took in his adorable morning face. "You look tired," She commented as she pulled her hands out from under his t-shirt.

"You don't." He tucked a piece of messy hair behind her ear as she turned back to the bacon that was cooking. "Which is good."

"I know, I just woke up with loads more energy today," She said, smiling as she glanced out the window to see the back of Ava's head as she cuddled Rosie close on her shoulder. "Maybe it's the sunny weather, I dunno."

"Well I'm glad, you were starting to worry me." He murmured, pressing a kiss to the side of her face before he moved over to the fridge to grab some ketchup. "Come on," He shook it before he stole a piece of bacon from the pan. "Help me make some food, I'm starving."

"Oh, just look at her, she's so precious and tiny and gorgeous." Claudia gushed as she stared at her youngest grandchild through her computer screen as Hanna sat the baby against her chest. "I'm so glad she's all healthy and at home with you guys now, there's no better pace for a newborn than with their parents."

Caleb had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as he reached down to take Rosie's hands between his fingers as they sat on the outside sofa in the shade and away from the glaring sun. He'd thought that his mother would have made it out to them by now to see her grandkids, especially since summer was here and they wouldn't be able to fly out to see her with Rosie's complicated birth.

"I'm sorry I haven't come to see her in person yet," It was like she could read his mind as she smiled through the screen. "I'll try to get out for September but James came home last week with his girlfriend, Erica- you've met her before a couple of Christmases ago- and he proposed so we're starting to plan out the wedding now."

"Give him our congratulations then," Hanna smiled at her Mother-in-Law. "When's the wedding?"

"Oh it won't be until next year but it's never too soon to start planning." She chuckled. "I can't wait to have all my boys back in the same place again, you're all grown up and living in different states now."

"Yeah, we saw James a few months ago, he was working in Pennsylvania and dropped by for a few beers." Caleb nodded. "And Clay came to see that Phillies game with me and Con before Christmas."

"You see those two more than me then," Claudia smiled at the close relationship all her sons had with each other before a body caught her eye in the background. "Ava!" She grinned. "God your so grown up, how are you doing sweetie?"

"I'm good." Ava said, grabbing her brothers arm so they were both in the shot. "Connor's here too."

"Your so handsome, I bet all the ladies are falling for you in school." She winked at him before her eyes shifted back to Ava. "And your still as beautiful as always, just like your Mom, I can't wait to come visit again."

"When are you coming?" Connor asked.

"Soon, I promise. Rosie needs to meet her Granny Claudia." The dark haired woman smiled at the family in front of her. "How's your Mom and Ted doing Hanna?"

"They're good, I'll tell them you fee asking." She replied, her attention focuses on Rosie as she began to squirm in Hanna's hold. "She's due a sleep now." She smiled, stroking the baby's cheek as she became restless, ready for her mid-afternoon nap.

"Alright, well I better let you go then," Claudia smiled. "Keep me updated on how she's doing and I'll keep in touch about when I'm visiting."

"Will do," Caleb smiled back as everyone waved before she ended the call and he closed the laptop.

"Can you bring me Rosie's blanket from the living room Ave?" Hanna asked as she looked up at her oldest daughter.

"Which one?" She nodded.

"The fluffy one she loves, I'm gonna see if she'll go to sleep out here." Ava nodded and disappeared inside as Connor took a seat on the end of the sofa, now clad in only a pair of shorts. The five of them had spent the morning sat out in the sun, eating breakfast and lunch together as they relaxed.

"Am I burning?" Connor asked, trying to reach around to feel his back as he squinted.

"I don't think so." Caleb shrugged, placing his palm on the skin at the back of his shoulder before he pulled it away and propped his bare feet up on the table. "Nope."

"Here," Ava reappeared and handed the blanket to Hanna as she placed it over Rosie's back and started to soothe the baby to sleep. "Some letters were posted through-"

"Is there one for me?" Connor interrupted, his head shooting up as he watch Ava shuffle through them all.

"Yep," She nodded as he grabbed it out of her hand and she placed the others on the side. "Who's it from?"

"I think it's from Philly Academy." He bit his lip nervously.

"Well open it then," Ava looked at him expectantly but he just shook his head.

"But what if I didn't get in," His voice was quiet. "I'll have to keep going to Rosewood high and I hate it there."

Caleb pursed his lips, taking in the almost terrified look on his boys face. "Stop worrying Con, you've got in." He offered him a smile.

"You don't know that for sure."

"Yes I do."

"No you don't," The fourteen-year-old argued. "Stop trying to make me feel better."

"He's not Con," Hanna looked up at him.

"What do you mean?" He threw his head back slightly.

"The academy emailed me last night with a confirmation of your acceptance and saying that they were sending out a letter addresses to you as well." Caleb explained, watching his son for a reaction.

"What?" His eyes widened before he frowned and picked up the letter, taring it open and scanning the piece of paper to double check this all wasn't one big joke his parents were playing on him. "Thank fuck." He tilted his head back, taking a deep breath of relief as a huge grin spread across his cheeks.

"Connor!" Hanna rolled her eyes at him as she held Rosie closer although she couldn't be mad. Her baby boy had a look her sheer joy in his face and she loved it.

Caleb stood up and took the letter from him, reading it himself before turning back to his son, a proud grin written all over his face. Connor took one look at him before he let out a giddy laugh and launched himself at his father, wrapping his arms around his waist as they hugged.

Caleb was a surprised and slightly taken aback at first but quickly wrapped his arms around his son and squeezed him back just as tight. "I'm so proud Con." He grinned, his hand running through the blondes short hair as they pulled apart.

"Wait," His eyes widened as the bashful smile dropped from his face. "You've sat there all morning and watched me wait for the letter to come already knowing I'd got in."

"We wanted to see your face when you read the letter," Caleb shrugged at him. "But you were getting too impatient and it was annoying." He smirked, ruffling the 14-year-olds hair again before he sat back down next to Hanna.

"Oh," Connor blinked a few times as he let everything set it. "So I really got in?"

"Yes baby," Hanna smiled, placing a sleeping Rosie down in her basket they had brought outside before she turned to her only son. "Stop doubting yourself baby your good at soccer and these people can see it." She cupped his cheek, striking the soft skin. "Now come here, don't think you get to hug your dad and not give me one too." She teased holding him close as she pressed a kiss to the top of his head.

"Dad doesn't give sloppy kisses though," His face scrunched up as she pulled back and laughed, not being able to help herself as she pecked his cheek before siting down again.

Connor shuffled over to lie on the grass next to Ava in the sun as their tanned skin glowed. His head shot up again though as he thought about another thing that had been playing on his mind. "What about the scholarship? Can you afford to send me?" I don't think it said anything in the letter."

"It was in the email, you got half a scholarship so we can afford it." Caleb answers as he settled back into the cussion with Hanna.

"Are you sure? I was telling grandpa Tom about it when he visited Rosie last week and he said he could maybe pay some of it."

"No Con, it's fine we can manage it, I promise." Hanna told him, she wanted to pay for her children's education unlike her own father who seemed to think he could pay his way to a good relationship with his grandkids.

"Make sure you have enough to send me to collage too." Ava piped up.

"I don't know," Hanna shrugged teasingly. "I think we should keep up with tradition and make the boyfriend pay your collage fees."

"Haha funny." Ava just rolled her eyes as she sat up. "But unfortunately I don't have a boyfriend and even if I did not all boys are as good as dad."

"I'm sorry, was that a compliment I heard?" Caleb smirked up at her as he stretched his legs out on the sofa and lay his head in Hanna's lap.

"I meant not all guys are as pussy whipped as you were and agree to spend all that money of their girlfriends." She gave him a wryly grin as Connor burst out laughing beside her.

"Ava," Hanna gave her a stern look, it felt like all she did was correct her kids for swearing in front of Rosie. "Do I need to remind you that you have a baby sister with ears who does not need to know about pussy whipping for many more years?"

At that Ava and Connor laughing even more, both of their eyes wrinkling up as they threw their heads back. "You really didn't help yourself with that one babe." Caleb chuckled as she reached down to play with the hair behind his ears.

She just grumbled something at him and rolled her eyes. "You were still the best boyfriend though Mr Rivers." Her hand scraped his brown locks back as he leant his head against her bent knee.

"You know really your name should be Caleb Doyle." Ava said, leaning back in her hands as her looked at her dad. "I don't get why your last name is Rivers."

"It was Claudia's maiden name." Caleb replied. "I guess my Dad had already pissed off by the time they got around to signing the birth certificate so she had to give me her name."

Hanna pursed her lips as she felt his body tense under her touch and ran her fingers along his tanned arm. "He came back though." Connor mumbled, looking down at the grass as Caleb smiled at him. He always saw the best in people.

"He did," He agreed. "Eventually." His eyes trailed over to the basket where Rosie was sleeping peacefully before he felt a pair of lips press against his cheek.

"I prefer Rivers anyway," Ava said. "We'd be Ava, Connor and Rosie Doyle and that sounds bad. Rosie Rivers is so much cuter."

"Mmh," Hanna grinned, biting her lips slightly. "You know I had a boyfriend called Caleb Rivers," She murmured.

"Oh really?" He played along, turning from his side on to his back so he could see her face.

"Yep, we met when we were sixteen and fell in love and had three babies."

"Lucky guy." Caleb smirked, sitting up so he could place a firm kiss in her lips.

"Is this some kind of weird role play?" Ava rolled her eyes, disgusted as her parents ignored her and carried on kissing.

"I'm going inside." Connor scrunched his face up as Hanna laughed against Caleb's lips.

"Me too," Ava have a murmur of agreement as she stood up and followed her brother inside, scooping up her sleeping baby sister on the way. "Come on Ro, you don't have to stay and watch this disgusting behaviour."

Caleb just shook his head, releasing Hanna's bottom lip from between his as he proped himself above her on his forearms and her hands ran up his back to his hair. "I guess we can just enjoy the peace and quiet then." He smiled, leaning back in for more kisses under the Pennsylvania sunshine.

Plotless fluff but review? Xxx. Only four more chapters left to go so make sure you check out my new story Night Walkers Xxx.