Frank got dressed first and headed down stairs to check on his children,
who were already awake and making as much noise as possible. Dressed in
black slacks and a white shirt he made his way to the family room. Both
children were still in their pajamas and playing with their respective
toys. When their father entered the room, they forgot what they were doing
and rushed to him.
"Daddy!!!!" They both yelled as they ran towards him. Frank bent down to receive them both in his arms.
"Tristan said that you wasn't coming home, but I says you was." The little girl informed her father.
"No I didn't." The boy said firmly.
"Yes you did."
Frank smiled. "Alright, alright it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you two get dressed and ready. Tristan, mommy said she laid out some clothes for you. Run upstairs and put them on."
"Do I have to go to school? I want to stay with you." He complained.
"Yes, besides I have to go back to work."
"Alright." The boy agreed and ran up the stairs to his room.
"What 'bout me, Daddy?" The little girl said smiling.
"Well, you little lady," he began as he scooped the little girl into his arms, "are going upstairs with me to get dressed. Sound like a plan, Bella?"
"Can I wear a dress?"
"Well, let's see what we can find." He took the little girl back upstairs to her bedroom. Her room was painted lavender with flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies on the walls and on the door it read "Rosabella" in pastel colors. Frank set her down and she rushed for the closet. With her hands on her hips she stood there debating in her head which dress to wear. A trait she obviously picked up from her mother.
"I want that one." She said pointing.
"Well, let me see. This looks like a good one." He said pulling out a red, white, and blue plaid sundress and white sweater. "Now what else do we need?"
"Um, shoes!" She said proudly. She dove into the closet and pulled out a pair of white sandals.
"Anything else?"
"Underwears!!" She laughed with her hand covering her mouth like she had just said a bad word.
"Alright, here you go. Mommy will be right in to do your hair." He said leaving the little girl to dress herself. "Well, don't you look beautiful this morning?" He said when he spotted his wife in the hall. Her curly hair had now been dried so it was strait and pulled half way back in a barrette, with two small, curly strands that fell on either side of her face.
"You don't look half bad yourself." She commented before giving him a small kiss.
"I especially like the professional attire, Dr. Donovan." He said admiring her blue and white scrubs and tennis shoes.
"You know, I figured why bother. I'm only going to get puked on and better this than my nice clothes." She said defending herself.
"Mommy, Mommy, look!" Bella yelled as she ran out of her room. "I bootiful?"
"Yes, you are angel, but honey, your dress," she started to smile and tried to hold back her laughter, "it's on backwards. Let's go back and fix it. I'll help you." Natalia said as she guided the little girl back into her bedroom.
"No help! I big girl!" Bella demanded.
"I know." She said while giving Frank a smile. Frank watched as they both went back into the room. He then turned his attention to the boy's room down the hall. Frank reached Tristan's room which was painted a light blue with Thomas the Tank Engine characters on the walls. On his door, his name, Tristan, was also printed but in primary colors.
"How are you doing in here?"
"I'm ready, but I need you to tie my boots." Tristan lifted up his right foot to show him. Frank sat down in the chair beside the bed and tied both boots. He also gave his son the once over, making sure he was truly ready. Tristan stood up and showed off his dark blue cargo jeans and green t- shirt with a soccer ball in the middle, and tan hiking boots.
"Hey looks good to me, let's get breakfast started."
"I'll race you."
"I don't think so, Mom would kill us both." The two walked down the hall towards the stairs. "Looks like the girls beat us." They continued their way to the kitchen where the women of the house had already begun breakfast.
"Daddy!!!!" They both yelled as they ran towards him. Frank bent down to receive them both in his arms.
"Tristan said that you wasn't coming home, but I says you was." The little girl informed her father.
"No I didn't." The boy said firmly.
"Yes you did."
Frank smiled. "Alright, alright it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you two get dressed and ready. Tristan, mommy said she laid out some clothes for you. Run upstairs and put them on."
"Do I have to go to school? I want to stay with you." He complained.
"Yes, besides I have to go back to work."
"Alright." The boy agreed and ran up the stairs to his room.
"What 'bout me, Daddy?" The little girl said smiling.
"Well, you little lady," he began as he scooped the little girl into his arms, "are going upstairs with me to get dressed. Sound like a plan, Bella?"
"Can I wear a dress?"
"Well, let's see what we can find." He took the little girl back upstairs to her bedroom. Her room was painted lavender with flowers, butterflies, and dragonflies on the walls and on the door it read "Rosabella" in pastel colors. Frank set her down and she rushed for the closet. With her hands on her hips she stood there debating in her head which dress to wear. A trait she obviously picked up from her mother.
"I want that one." She said pointing.
"Well, let me see. This looks like a good one." He said pulling out a red, white, and blue plaid sundress and white sweater. "Now what else do we need?"
"Um, shoes!" She said proudly. She dove into the closet and pulled out a pair of white sandals.
"Anything else?"
"Underwears!!" She laughed with her hand covering her mouth like she had just said a bad word.
"Alright, here you go. Mommy will be right in to do your hair." He said leaving the little girl to dress herself. "Well, don't you look beautiful this morning?" He said when he spotted his wife in the hall. Her curly hair had now been dried so it was strait and pulled half way back in a barrette, with two small, curly strands that fell on either side of her face.
"You don't look half bad yourself." She commented before giving him a small kiss.
"I especially like the professional attire, Dr. Donovan." He said admiring her blue and white scrubs and tennis shoes.
"You know, I figured why bother. I'm only going to get puked on and better this than my nice clothes." She said defending herself.
"Mommy, Mommy, look!" Bella yelled as she ran out of her room. "I bootiful?"
"Yes, you are angel, but honey, your dress," she started to smile and tried to hold back her laughter, "it's on backwards. Let's go back and fix it. I'll help you." Natalia said as she guided the little girl back into her bedroom.
"No help! I big girl!" Bella demanded.
"I know." She said while giving Frank a smile. Frank watched as they both went back into the room. He then turned his attention to the boy's room down the hall. Frank reached Tristan's room which was painted a light blue with Thomas the Tank Engine characters on the walls. On his door, his name, Tristan, was also printed but in primary colors.
"How are you doing in here?"
"I'm ready, but I need you to tie my boots." Tristan lifted up his right foot to show him. Frank sat down in the chair beside the bed and tied both boots. He also gave his son the once over, making sure he was truly ready. Tristan stood up and showed off his dark blue cargo jeans and green t- shirt with a soccer ball in the middle, and tan hiking boots.
"Hey looks good to me, let's get breakfast started."
"I'll race you."
"I don't think so, Mom would kill us both." The two walked down the hall towards the stairs. "Looks like the girls beat us." They continued their way to the kitchen where the women of the house had already begun breakfast.