Parenting
"Hey! How was the vacation?" Cassie smiled, walking into her parent's kitchen with Chase, finally seeing them after their three week getaway. Being so close with her parents, she definitely missed them, as did Chase.
"Papa!" Chase yelled excitedly, running over to Punk who picked him up right away.
"Hey, have you gotten taller?" Punk teased as AJ smiled.
"Hi, baby." AJ smiled to Chase who giggled, cuddling into Punk happily.
"Jeez, who missed us more?" Punk chuckled, feeling Chase hugging him tightly whilst Cassie hugged AJ.
"How are you?" Cassie asked AJ, "You ok?"
"Yeah, I'm good." AJ assured her daughter.
"How was the vacation? Was the place nice?" Cassie asked.
"It was amazing. We loved it." AJ nodded, "We kept saying the entire time that it'd be so good to get everyone out there together." She said, "But it was really good. Quiet and peaceful."
"I think that's what you needed." Cassie nodded.
"Yeah, I think so too." AJ laughed a little, "How has everyone been? How's Theo doing with his shoulder?"
"Not listening to anything I say." Cassie nodded, "I came home from work yesterday and he was in the yard cutting the grass." She shook her head unhappily, "He can't sit still. We're gonna end up fighting about it. Seriously."
"Well don't do that." Punk said, "He's obviously just restless. To be out of work for that length of time is a bummer. Especially when he's a young, fit guy who loves his job. Just take it easy on him."
"I have. Now I'm just losing my patience." Cassie shook her head.
"Mommy's mad with daddy." Chase repeated, telling Punk.
"She is?" Punk asked, looking over at Cassie.
"No, mommy's not mad at daddy." Cassie assured him, turning to AJ quietly, "He's picking up on literally everything. I said shit the other day and he repeated it right after." She shook her head.
"Mommy, are you talking about me?" Chase looked over.
"No. Of course I'm not." Cassie scoffed as AJ smiled.
"So how's your sisters been? Have you heard from them? I only got one text from Thea and a couple from Jude." AJ said.
"They've been fine, as far as I know." Cassie laughed a little, "Thea's been actually out a couple of times with Lucia."
"Oh, yeah. She said they'd gone for coffee." AJ said, "I'll catch up with her soon."
"I think it went well." Cassie nodded, "It's nice to see her with a friend. I don't think she's ever really had one. Not a proper one." She said as AJ nodded.
"Well that's good. I'm glad they're hitting it off." AJ nodded.
"I haven't talked with Jude in a couple days but she's been fine too. We were all ok when you were gone." She assured her mother with a smile, as if she was still a child.
"Well that's good." AJ smiled.
"Papa come outside." Chase took Punk's hand, trying to lead him over to the door which lead to the yard.
"Ok." Punk nodded, following him wherever he was going as Cassie smiled.
"He's really missed you guys." Cassie nodded, "Last week he had a big tantrum about going to Theo's mom." She said.
"Bless him." AJ smiled, looking out the window where Punk was walking round the yard with Chase, "You know I obviously don't want to ask but… what's going on with Joey?" She asked. She'd done well to forget about things for three weeks. Of course it popped up from time to time, but for the most part she'd done pretty well to cast it out of her mind. Now they were back, it felt like the inevitable question.
"Well he's still in county jail." Cassie said, "He's got a trial next week and then sentencing the following week. He's under twenty-four hour supervision after what happened." She said, "And all I've heard is that he's very difficult." She nodded, "Not surprising.
"How long will he get?" AJ asked.
"Life." Cassie nodded, "You can't give anything less for what he's done." She assured her mother as AJ nodded.
"I was surprised at myself for being able to sort of… get it out of my mind for three weeks. It was so nice just to be out of this place and just be me and your dad on our own."
"Well you deserve it." Cassie nodded, "When are you back at work?" She asked.
"Monday. So I got a couple days." AJ said.
"How do you feel about it?" Cassie asked.
"Well… not thrilled but, it's my job, I gotta go." AJ nodded.
"Couldn't they let you work from home for a little while until you feel more ready?" Cassie asked.
"Oh, I'd rather just go in and get on with it." AJ waved her hand as Cassie nodded.
"Well if you need me come by on my lunch break, I will. I'll bring you a sandwich and we can have lunch together." Cassie suggested.
"Oh, that'd be nice sweetie." AJ smiled.
"Ok well I gotta go before I'm late." Cassie said, "Let me see if my son will say goodbye to me." She said, walking outside where Chase was having fun with Punk, "Mommy's away to work now." Cassie called over.
"You gonna say bye?" Punk asked Chase.
"Bye." Chase just waved over to Cassie quickly as Punk chuckled, looking over at Cassie who just shook her head with a smile.
"Short and sweet." Cassie nodded, "Bye, dad." She called.
"Bye." Punk chuckled.
"Look." Chase pointed to some weeds on the path as Punk chuckled a little.
"Yeah thanks for pointing out the gardening I need to catch up on." Punk nodded to him, "Hey did mommy give you your breakfast?" He asked him.
"Yeah I… I had oatmeal." Chase told him, "I ate it all."
"Wow, that's so clever." Punk nodded.
"What did you have?" Chase looked up at him.
"I had a bagel." Punk said.
"I have bagels in my house." Chase nodded to him as Punk smiled. He could have spent all day listening to his grandchildren talk to him and tell him stories. It made him smile so big.
"What else is in your house?" Punk asked him.
"Umm… nanas." Chase nodded sweetly.
"I like bananas too. They're my favourite fruit." He nodded.
"Hey, are you boys coming in? It's really cold." AJ said, standing outside on the step, coming to see what they were up to after Cassie had left.
"Will we go inside?" Punk asked Chase, "And we can see what toys your mommy packed for you." He said as Chase nodded.
"Yeah!" Chase said excitedly, "She packed my cars." He said, running towards the door as Punk chuckled, smiling over to AJ who just shook her head with a smile. The vacation was great. Everything they needed and more. But they were glad to be home.
"What a shift." Thea groaned, walking into the kitchen around 7pm after getting home from work, "I envy office workers." She shook her head.
"No you don't." Dominic scoffed, "You'd hate working in an office." He shook his head, clearing up after the kids dinner.
"I would." Thea figured.
"Sofia decided she didn't like chicken pasta tonight." He nodded to her, "She said, daddy I'm not eating that so don't bother trying to tell me." He mimicked as Thea raised her eyebrows.
"She's a little asshole." Thea nodded teasingly as Dominic chuckled.
"I did give her into trouble for it, though. I feel bad cause she got upset and now she's not talking to me." Dominic nodded.
"Well clearly she was cheeky." Thea laughed a little, "She's gotta be told off." She nodded.
"I know but it sucks." Dominic said as Thea nodded.
"She needs to learn she can't talk to people like that, though. I mean, she had Mirren terrified when they were playing together." Thea said, "I really am doing my best to make sure Sofia doesn't turn out like me." She nodded.
"Don't say that." Dominic scoffed.
"Don't feel bad. She can't get away with things like that. Not now she's getting older. When she was younger it was cute and funny but she's at school now. She can't talk to people like that." Thea shook her head.
"I know." Dominic said, "It didn't help that James was laughing at her after and teasing her for getting into trouble."
"Well that's just a big brother being a big brother." Thea nodded, "Are they in the living room?"
"Yeah, watching TV I think. They're already in their pyjamas and ready for bed." He told her, "And I got you some dinner to heat up when you're ready for it." He said as she smiled.
"Thank you." Thea smiled, walking over to him and kissing his cheek.
"You better go see them, and make sure Sofia isn't plotting my murder." He nodded as she chuckled.
She left the kitchen, walking into the living room where the kids were, watching their usual cartoons before bed time.
"Hi, mom." James said whilst still looking at the TV.
"Hey, mommy." Sofia smiled, looking up at her mother, standing on the couch and jumping towards her as Thea chuckled and caught her.
"Hey." Thea smiled, "How are you guys?" She asked.
"Fine." James said.
"Mommy, daddy gave me into trouble." Sofia told Thea whilst playing with her hair.
"Because you were bad." James inserted as Sofia turned to him angrily, "You were." James smirked to her.
"No, it was because I didn't like dinner." Sofia turned to Thea to get things straight, "I just didn't wanna eat it."
"No, you were cheeky to daddy." Thea corrected, looking at Sofia who looked back at her.
"I don't think so." Sofia debated.
"You were." Thea nodded sternly as Sofia looked at her, "Daddy made you a nice dinner and you were cheeky to him, that's why you got into trouble. Because you can't speak to people like that. Certainly not daddy." She said as Sofia huffed, wriggling down from Thea's arms and jumping back on the couch.
"I didn't mean to." Sofia mumbled as Thea nodded.
"I know. As long as you don't do it again." Thea nodded to her, "And we all know you like chicken pasta."
"Maybe." Sofia said as Thea nodded.
"Maybe you should go tell daddy your sorry? And then get a big hug from him?" Thea asked as Sofia nodded.
"Alright." Sofia agreed, getting off the couch.
"Good girl." Thea nodded, watching Sofia run off to find Dominic in the kitchen.
"She's so annoying." James rolled his eyes as Thea smiled.
"You love her." Thea said, sitting down on the couch beside him, wrapping her arm around him and kissing his head, "How was school? Tell me something cool you learned."
A/N: Thanks for the reviews guys I've taken them all into account! The story isn't finished just yet I'm gonna be tying up some loose ends with some smaller dramas. Thanks for the support.
