"Ian, Avery over here." Addley called from the spot she was standing with Jax and Alex. The twins turned towards the direction her voice came from. Avery was the first to see Addley. A huge smile formed on her face.
"Mommy!" The young girl yelled taking off in the direction of her mom. Ian followed suit. Soon enough both twins were in her arms. Ian was the first one to leave his mother's arms. His eyes trailed up the tall Swedish man who was holding his little brother.
"You are really tall." Ian said in wonder. Alex laughed at the comment.
"It's nice to meet you Ian." Alex replied to the young boy.
"Are you a friend of my mom's?" the boy asked.
"Yes, I am a very good friend of your mom's." Alex agreed.
"Mami, what are you doing here?" It was then that Addley noticed that he mother was with her children. "Who's helping Danny take care of the babies?"
"John Sr. is with them Mija." Paloma answered taking a few steps closer to her daughter. "May I ask who your friend is."
"Mami, this is Alexander Skarsgard. He's the man who got me the part on the show. I met him while I was out here with Meghan and John last year." Addley explained.
Paloma raised a brow but she held her tongue for the time being. "It is very nice to meet you Ma'am." Alex said to her before offering his hand for her to shake.
"It is indeed a pleasure Alexander."
"Well come on guys let's get your stuff unpacked and then we can grab something to eat and catch a movie or something. Tomorrow we are going to go to a water park with Auntie Meghan and the girls."
"Cool!" Ian gave a shot and a fist pump.
"You have been hanging out with Uncle John way too much bud." Addley laughed before wrapping an arm around the small boy.
"I missed you Mommy." Ian hugged her waste.
"Missed you too Love Bug."
–
"So what time are we heading out tomorrow?" Meghan asked her friend once she had gotten the girls down for the night. Charlie sat next to her nibbling on her shoulder blade. She shot him a look telling him to knock it off while she was on the phone.
"I don't know. It all depends on what time I get the three kids up and fed in the morning. I'd say not earlier than noon."
"Is Alex coming?" Meghan asked. Although Addley swore up and down that they were just friends Meghan was having a hard time believing that one.
"He says he's going to sit this one out. He's not a big fan of public pools. They sorta skive him out but Stephen and Anna and his two kids Billy and Lilac are going. So there will be plenty of kids and adults to have a good time."
"Now Anna is the main girl right? The one who reads minds?" Meghan questioned.
"Yes, she plays Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress who lives in a small town in Louisiana. Meghan have you been watching the re-runs?"
"No, I started reading the books." Meghan informed her friend.
"Number four is my all time favorite." Addley gushed.
"Shh I am only on three."
"I gotta go. I promised the twins we would watch a movie before bed."
"What movie?" Meghan asked.
"Umm … I dunno some movie with a princess or something like that. Bye."
"Bye hun." Meghan threw her phone onto the couch. "Now Charlie you know you are not supposed to try to romance me when I am on the phone."
"Sorry I couldn't resist." he grinned at her.
"Well you're going to have to next time because I could have been talking to my parents and I am so not ready to explain this to them."
He pouted, which she found adorable, but she would not tell him that. No that might hurt his precious male ego.
"Now I am going to get changed for bed. The girls and I have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." she rolled away from him. "You coming."
"Yes Ma'am."
–
"Come on guys it's time to get up." Addley had been up for two hours before she decided to wake the children. She had made them french toast for breakfast and they needed to get up soon if they wanted to eat it before they got ready to leave. It was a little after nine in the morning and Meghan had called a little while ago saying that she and the girls would be over around eleven. They were meeting the rest of the group at noon.
"I'm still sleepy Mommy." Ian grumbled before turning over onto his stomach and placing a pillow over his head.
"Well I mean I guess if you guys don't wanna go to the park we can just stay in bed all day." Addley said knowing full well that would get both children up.
"Fine I am awake." Ian said exasperatedly as he flung the covers off of himself. Avery sat up in bed and stretched
"Ian, ever the morning person." She kissed the top of his head as he made his way to the bathroom.
"Mornin' Baby-doll." She greeted her daughter. "How'd you sleep?"
"Alright." The girl replied. "I had a little trouble falling asleep because Daddy is not here." She admitted.
"You'll be alright baby."
"I know." She said. "But I don't think I will really be ok until you come home and we can be a family again."
"Sweet Pea no matter what we are still a family." Addley went over and had a seat next to Avery. She cupped her small face in her hands. "Whether we all live together as a family or we live apart like Grandpa Fabo and Grandma Carol we will always be a family.
Meghan left Charlie sleeping in her bed and loaded the kids up to head to the water park. She pulled into McDonalds to get their breakfast and placed an order. While she waits she gets lost in thought. In theory, she knows there is nothing wrong with sleeping with Charlie. she and John are over and she needs to move on but her heart just wasn't getting the message.
As much as she likes Charlie, every touch, or smile, and hell even each conversation makes her feel like a traitorous bitch. Plus Addley hates him and she hates that. But then again Addley usually hates everyone so maybe she can give herself a break on that point.
"I miss him damn it." She mutters to herself. She looks into her rearview mirror. Lily is peacefully napping but Wyatt is staring right at her. "Do you miss Daddy too Wy?"
"Uh huh." the two year old agreed. "Dada."
"What about Charlie? Do you like him?" Meghan continued her conversation with the toddler. It seemed as of late that Wyatt was the only one on her side.
Wyatt scrunched up her little nose, making her look all the more like her father. She shook her head vigorously making her light brown curls bounce. But then she burst into a fit of giggles. She grinned goofily at her mother. Meghan had to admit that she had one very cool kid.
Finally she gets to the window and pays for their food. She drives out of the drive-thru but parks nearby so that he and the kids can eat before they meet up with Addley and the others
"At least mommy's not the only one Bug. Who else do you like?"
"Ry Ry!" Wyatt shouted.
Meghan smiled thinking of her SoA buddy. "He's married Wy, you got some stiff competition."
She reached back and handed Wyatt her chicken nuggets. "Tank you." the toddler chirped before taking a bit out of one of them.
"Don't thank me Baby because you know no idea what is in those things. I unfortunately do." she sighed before taking a bite out of her own cheeseburger.
"Alright now everyone has their bathing suits on correct?" Addley asked looking from one child to the other. They all nodded. "Right ok then. Let's see we have extra diapers for Jax, also sunscreen and pool floaties. Are we missing anything?" She paused to wonder when her life stopped being her just grabbing her purse and leaving to having to pack tons of things for small children. It was a phenomenon that she still did not understand.
"Snacks Mommy." Ian chimed in.
"Of course." Addley tapped the side of her temple lightly. "Thank you for reminding me." She went over to the refrigerator and pulled out a small cooler that she had loaded with fruits and veggies as well as juice boxes. 'Alright kids are up and fed and dressed. Everything is all packed and ready to go. Kids I think we might have done everything we needed to do this morning and still have time to spare." she was very proud of herself indeed.
"Can we call Daddy?" Avery asked.
"Not right now Sweetheart. But I promise you can call him the moment we get back from the park. That way you can tell him all about the fun day you had." Addley told her. Avery's face fell a little bit but she nodded none the less. Addley's heart ached for the little girl, she was struggling so hard to just try to find a sense of security. Addley had never felt like such a horrible person as she did at just that very moment.
There was a knock on the door. Addley was thankful that she could stop hating herself long enough to answer the door. Meghan and the girls were on the other side. She plastered on a huge smile and welcomed her extended family into the now cramped hotel suite.
"Auntie Meghan!" Avery yelled making a b-line for her aunt. She jumped into the wheelchair bound woman's lap and hugged her tightly.
"Wow what a great hug." Meghan beamed at her niece.
"I missed you." Avery laughed.
Although it made her happy to Avery was finally starting to relax it made Addley's heart ache that it was Meghan who brought it out in her. She knew Avery loved her aunt very much, Addley did too but she felt so disconnected from her daughter at that moment.
"You all ready?" Meghan asked.
"Yes Ma'am, we're all packed and everything." Addley remarked still really proud of herself.
They managed to get all the kids plus Paloma loaded up in the van, Addley had the forethought to rent one the night before. All the kids were singing along to whatever song was playing on the station. Well everyone except Jax, he kept yelling because Wyatt kept trying to hold his hand and he was not having any of it.
"What's go you all sulky?" Addley asked stealing a glance at her best friend while they were stopped at a red light. "If it's because I don't like that stupid Brit I will try." But they both knew that she wouldn't, not that Meghan expected her to.
"No, you are free to like or not like whomever you want." Meghan responded with a sigh. Addley knew something was definitely off now.
"Come on talk to me." Meghan could not help but snort. Addley sent her a mock glare. But she knew that Meghan's snort was justified, it wasn't like she had been very forthcoming lately. Granted she was dealing with much heavier stuff.
"Talked to John, he wants to come take the girls out." Meghan admitted rather sullenly. "He got all pissed because I kinda brushed the whole thing off. I told him I didn't think he could handle the both of them by himself. I mean they are both walking now and they bicker like crazy."
"What's wrong with that?" Addley asked.
"I am scared alright. What if he has to stop to sign autographs and Wyatt wanders off because she is John's daughter after all." Addley snickered a little. She had remembered Dan telling her once that their mother would have to clip a dog leash onto John's clothing as a child to keep him from wandering.
"And then top it all off I have to walk Dox because Charlie fears him and do not laugh but the damn dog dragged me behind him for three streets because he saw a bird. Do have any idea how hard that is for me to do!" Addley could not stop herself. She began to hysterically laugh, so much that tears fell freely from her eyes. "Stop it Addley it was not funny" Meghan scowled but it soon softened when she saw how hard Addley was laughing. She began to laugh softly herself. "Adds breathe...ok it wasn't funny until later...like way later."
"I would give my first born to have seen that." Then she looked back at the kids. "Sorry Jaxy."
Meghan frowned again. "Plus the dirt sheets are reporting that John is messing around with AJ."
Addley looked at her surprised. "Meghan you know better than to believe what those stupid websites have to say. If something was going on Randy would tell me. He knows better than not to tell me. Because if I found out that he knew and didn't well let's just say he would regret it."
"Maybe you are right." Meghan relented.
"I know I am." Addley stated firmly. "Now no more talk of husbands or stuff that will bring us down. We are going to have a good rest of the day. I will be damned if anything is going to ruin my good mood." If only she could allow herself to honestly let herself be in a good mood, and Meghan said she was a bad actress.
