And we've reached day 7! I had fun doing this. It was so therapeutic and gave me the motivation and practice needed to write.
Day 7: Free choice
I have nothing to say, but enjoy!
Chimney awoke to little hands smacking him in the face. The very distinct weight on his stomach let him know him who was smacking him.
"Up, oppa, up."
He opened one of his eyes seeing the face of his youngest, Jae-Min, sitting on him.
"Good morning, Jae," Chimney shook off the blur of sleep and looked at the clock to see if it was early as it felt, it absolutely was. He sat up carefully making sure his son didn't fall, gathering him in his arms. "Did you have a good sleep, little man?" He nodded in response.
Chimney yawned, knowing that going back to sleep was absolutely not happening. It was fine, he needed to be up anyway as his wife would be home in the next couple of hours. She'd been working the night shift, which left him on the morning shift with their children.
Taking Jae-Min with him, as the 21 month old would allow nothing less, he sat him in the counter as he completed his morning routine. He just finished wiping the aftershave from his face when he heard the sound of something crashing to the floor downstairs, most likely in the kitchen.
"Uh oh!" Jae-Min commented, having heard it, too.
"Uh oh is right." Chimney paused to see if her heard anything else. When no other sounds were heard, he put his towel down, grabbed his son, and went to investigate.
There was no doubt in his mind that it wasn't a potential break in, as their alarm system would have alerted him to it. He had a sneaking suspicion who was downstairs. As soon as he walked into the hallway, he noticed the two bedrooms that were across from each other's doors were open. Taking a peak inside both rooms, he found them empty, confirming his suspicions.
His other two children were awake and doing something they weren't supposed to be.
He sighed and walked down the staircase, through the living room, and stood in the entrance to the kitchen. From his vantage point, he could see food all over the counter, cabinet doors opened, the fridge open, complete with his daughter trying to clean up the mess splattered across the wood floor and island. Off to her side was the large metal mixing bowl, most likely what made the noise they'd heard earlier.
"Jee-Yun and Joon-Tae, I know both of you know better." Chimney put on his sternest dad voice.
Jee-Yun made a small noise before quickly turning around to see him, dropping the rag. "Hi, dad!"
"Hi dad!" Joon-Tae mimicked from his seat on the stool. As Chimney walked further into the kitchen, he could now see the flour that covered the counter and his son.
"Tae go close the fridge, please."
"Okay!" He scrambles off the stool and did as he was told.
"What are the two of you doing? You know better than to do any of this without me or your mom," he reprimanded lightly as he sat Jae-Min on the other stool and got another dish towel to help clean up the mess. Picking up the bowl and placing it on the counter, he asked, "This bowl is really high in the cabinet, how did you get it?"
"I got on the stool and got on the counter to reach the counter," Jee-Yun's voice got softer as she spoke as knew she wasn't supposed to do anything she'd just said. Chimney's eyes widened in horror as multiple scenarios of how his daughter could have hurt herself flashed in his mind. "I'm sorry, daddy. We just didn't wanna wake you."
"We wanted to start on momma's surprise." Joon-Tae chimed in.
"Yeah, we weren't going to touch the stove or anything, just get everything ready."
"You do realize how dangerous what you did is, don't you?"
"Yes," she looked up at him, all pigtails and her mother's eyes, giving him that oh so effective puppy dog look that he could never stay mad at, "sorry, daddy."
He kissed her forehead, "it's okay yeon-in, just please don't ever do that again."
"I promise."
"And guys, next time please wake me or your mom or wait for us before attempting anything like this."
"Okay." Jee and Tae said simultaneously.
"Now, let's do this properly." He and Jee-Yun cleaned up the mess on the floor, de-floured the counter and Tae and cleaned up any other spilled ingredients they'd gotten out.
Since it was obvious that Jee and Tae wanted to go with pancakes for their mother's breakfast, that what they did. Jee and Tae mixed the ingredients, under his careful supervision. While Jae contented himself with being fed fruit while he watched what his siblings were doing. He made more than enough pancakes for all of them, mostly Maddie's favorite of blueberry, but made a couple tailored to what his children would like. Their specialty breakfast also included bagels, eggs, and bacon, fruit, some of Maddie's other favorite breakfast foods.
"Daddy, use mommy's pretty plates," Jee told him as everything was finishing cooking.
"Tae don't touch those, they're hot," he stopped his son as he went to reach for the bagels in the toaster. Turning back towards his daughter, "what's wrong with these, Jee?"
"The other ones are prettier daddy. Presentation's important," the eight year old said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
As they everything thing finished up, he plated everything, making sure to put it all on the "prettier" plates. The juice was the last thing he was able to put on the table before he heard the faint jingle of keys and the front door opening. "Chimney!" his wife shouted.
"Were in here, babe!"
As soon as Maddie walked through the kitchen entrance, "surprise! Happy birthday, mommy!" Jee and Tae shouted, running to hug their mother. "We made you breakfast!" Tae added.
"Oh, thank you so much guys, that's so sweet. And it smells delicious! And just the thing I need because I'm starving" Maddie walked to the counter, smiling at her him. She turned her attention to their youngest, "did you help too, Jae?"
"Yeah!"
"If what you mean by help is did he watch us while he just ate? Then yes." Chimney said as he walked around the counter and leaned in to kiss her. "Happy birthday."
"You didn't have to do all this, you know."
"This isn't me, I was only here to make sure they didn't hurt themselves. This is all our children. They wanted to do something special for mommy, who was I to say no."
Maddie smiled at him and their children, "alright guys, let's eat!"
As Jee, Tae, and Jae monopolized their mother's attention as they sat down to enjoy their breakfast, he took a minute really marvel at the woman he'd married and the lives they'd created. In the 10 years they'd been together, life had thrown so much their way. And they'd gotten through it all, together. They had many more birthdays, anniversaries, milestones, and every moment in between to experience. And he'd continue to share it all with her. Meeting her eyes across the table, he mouthed, "I love you."
"Ditto," she mouthed back with a wink.
I hope you like the choice I decided on. Let me know what you think!
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