Chapter 34- Serendipity

Lux spoke excitedly as she and Cate walked hand in hand through the exit of the zoo, their arms swinging.

Lux stopped and looked up after a few minutes, confusion written across her face. "Mommy?"

"Hmm?" Cate smiled down at her, pulling Lux towards her and wrapping an arm around her shoulder.

"How come daddy goes to school?"

Cate thought for a second, deciding how to answer. "Because daddy wants to learn too."

"But he's old."

Cate laughed, picking Lux up and carrying her on her hip as they crossed the car park. "Daddy's not old, babe." Cate wasn't sure how to explain to her daughter that they were a lot younger than most parents. "And he goes to school so that he can learn special things he needs for his job."

"At the restaurant?" Lux stumbled over the word restaurant causing Cate to smile at her cuteness.

"Is that what daddy told you he worked?"

Lux shook her head no, smiling widely. "Uncle Jamie."

Cate laughed, nodding as she placed Lux in her car seat. "Uh huh. At the restaurant with Uncle Jamie." She smirked to herself as she referred to the bar as a restaurant.

"How come I don't get to go to school anymore?" Lux broke the silence after a few minutes of driving.

Cate turned back to look at her as they paused at the traffic lights. "Do you want to go back to school?"

"Uh huh." Lux nodded. "Coz I got to draw lots and play and we got milk and Jones played with me."

Cate smiled slightly, her attention turning back to the road. "You know you can draw and play at home with mommy and daddy."

"Uh huh. Cept it's funner at school and I get to be a big kid and all my friends are at school."

Cate drifted the subject away from school, already nervous enough with just leaving Lux with Baze, let alone with a teacher who has another fifteen kids to take care of. "Who's your best friend?"

"Jones!" Lux giggled as if it was obvious. "And Erin and Max and Shelby and Beth and James and Alex and Same. Cept I don't like Connor coz he's mean."

Cate smiled, slightly amused. "Do you miss playing with your friends?"

"Uh huh." Lux nodded, though her response was a little quieter than earlier.

Cate thought before replying, wondering if it was too soon. "Well... do you want to have a play date with Jones or someone soon?"

Lux's face lit up and she nodded excitedly. "Uh huh! And Jones can see Daisy!"

Cate laughed, pulling into her driveway. "Okay. I'll talk to Jones mom and see if he can come over."

"Tonight?"

Cate smiled, lifting Lux and balancing her on her hip as she grabbed the things they had bought during the day. "It's too late, baby. Maybe tomorrow after Jones finishes school, okay?"

Lux frowned, resting her head on Cate's shoulder as Cate unlocked the front door. "I want to go to school too."

Cate frowned worriedly, unsure of how to answer. To was, she didn't want Lux to leave her sight. "We'll see, sweetie. I have to talk to daddy first, okay?"

Lux accepted the answer, wriggling out of Cate's arms and walking into the lounge room. Cate smiled, watching her before heading into the kitchen. Lux entertained herself for a few hours as Cate cleaned the house, both looking up when the front door opened.

"I'm home!"

Lux jumped up excitedly, running into Baze's awaiting arms. "Daddy!"

"Hey kiddo. How was your day with mommy?"

Lux began to relay everything she and Cate had done in the day as Baze carried her into the kitchen, greeting Cate with a kiss. "Hi beautiful."

"Hi." Cate smiled, wrapping her arms around Baze's neck and deepening the kiss.

Lux scrunched up her face, looking away. "Yuck!"

Cate and Baze pulled apart, both laughing and exchanging a smirk before smothering Lux's face in kisses, earning more disgusted exclaims from Lux. Eventually Lux wriggled free of Baze's arms and made her way back into the lounge room, leaving her parents alone.

Cate smiled up at Baze, her arms still around his shoulders as his hands explored her waist. "How was your day?"

Baze shrugged, leaning down to kiss Cate. "Better now?"

Cate pulled back, talking in between kisses. "How much better?"

Baze answered her by leaning back down, kissing a light trail along her neck. Eventually Cate pulled back, slightly flustered. "Lux." She warned, whispering.

"She's gotta learn sometime." Baze smirked, resuming the action.

Cate pulled away, slapping his chest gently and walking over to the phone, grabbing the takeaway brochures. "Lux, what do you feel like for dinner?"

Lux looked up and shrugged before resuming what she was doing, providing no real response. "Okay then." Cate mumbled, turning to Baze. "What about you?"

Baze smiled, coming beside her and wrapping his arms around her waist, looking over the brochures with her. "You choose."

Cate flipped through the brochures quickly, finally settling on Indian. By the time they had finished eating, Lux struggling to stay awake in Baze's lap, her head next to Cate's sleeping one on his chest. It wasn't really a comfortable position for Baze, but both Lux and Cate looked comfortable and Baze loved the feeling of having both of his girls in his arms.

Baze shifted Cate gently, careful not to wake her as he shuffled himself and Lux off of the couch. He carried Lux into her room, tucking her in as she mumbled, half asleep. "Mommasaidshe'dcalledJones."

Baze smiled slightly, amused. Lux had excitedly told Baze about the play date Cate was going to make with Jones at least three times through dinner. "I'll make sure she does, kiddo. Don't worry." He sat on the edge of Lux's bed, brushing her hair back as she slowly drifted to sleep. "Goodnight baby."

Baze smirked when he spotted Cate fast asleep on the couch, snoring loudly from the position she was in. He decided against waking her, instead flipping through her address book until he came across Jones' number.