Making it Work
"Done, Mama."
Sage Parker Stokes looked up from her reading to see her eight year old son beaming as he waved his pencil in the air. She glanced at the twins sleeping in their bassinets and smiled before getting up and walking to the desk where Nicky was to do his schoolwork now that the schools were closed due to the pandemic that was raging across the country.
As a professor, she was not considered essential and thus had to work from home. She made it work with her online sessions and maintaining her strict deadlines. The benefit was that she had more time with her children and Nicky was always glad to defer to his mother for things and eager to help look after the twins.
Even though Nicky was connected to his teacher through the Google Meet platform, Sage made sure that he kept up with his studies and did his homework. Right now, they were to do a writing assignment. It was to be a story about an adventure they had. Sage was enthusiastic about it since she was a writer herself. She set Nicky to the task and he just finished.
Nicky was beaming at her when she came over and said, "I wrote about the time Daddy took me to the lab."
"That was an adventure," Sage agreed. "I'm going to read it. You can have a snack in the kitchen."
"Okay, Mama," Nicky said and went to grab the apples that Sage kept cut for snack time.
Sage picked up his paper and started reading. She smiled at the practice with handwriting. Nicky was only in second grade, but he wanted to learn to write pretty like his mama. So, she started teaching him cursive and made the deal that he was to hand write his writing assignments first. Then when she approved, he could type it up and send it to his teacher.
She read his story and was surprised at the level of detail. Then again he had been so excited to visit the lab where his father worked. He told her everything that he saw, the microscopes that he called the telescopes to see germs. He described the ballistics lab and the garage, not knowing that she knew about the lab, but she acted amazed as well. He even told her about where he and his father ate lunch. It was all described in an eight year old manner.
As a writer, Sage appreciated detail. Sometimes she was deliberate with it to keep her readers in suspense. It was a gift she had when she wrote DC Homicide and Sin City. Her newest series, Ocean's Breeze was a little different since it was focused on Rick Strong and was just as widely received as her others. Reading Nicky's work, she could see a talent in writing but also as a scientist since his observation skills were extraordinary.
"I practiced my letters like you showed me," Nicky said as he came back holding an apple.
"Yes, you did and you're getting better," Sage replied. She turned and looked at her son. She then asked, "Why did you write about when Daddy took you to the lab?"
Nicky swallowed the bite before saying, "It was an adventure, Mama. The telescopes that see the small stuff is like going to the magic lands in the stories Daddy reads to Jace and Jordan and me. I'm the explorer and I learn new things."
Sage thought about it and nodded. "I see. You are very good at describing it." She smiled at the boy.
"Cause I can write like Mama," Nicky replied. "Daddy said so. He said I could write the stories for my brother and sister if I wanted to."
"And do you?"
Nicky nodded, "I wrote about our trip to see Papa Luke and Gramma and Granpa."
Sage was amazed at her son. She ruffled his hair affectionately, "You are a good writer and you take care of your brother and sister. This is a good story. You may type it up and send it to your teacher. First, go play with Kelly in the back. Get dirty."
Nicky cheered and ran, calling for his dog, Kelly. Their other dogs Duke and Daisy followed, eager for some exercise. Sage chuckled as she put down Nicky's paper and went to pack up the twins to take them to the back yard to enjoy the fresh air and sun. They enjoyed themselves until it was time to go in and for Nicky to finish his schoolwork for the day.
Nicky was on the floor, playing with the twins when Nick came home for the day. Jace and Jordan saw him and babbled, "Dada!"
Nicky was on his knees. He wanted to run but he didn't want to leave his brother and sister alone. "Daddy!"
Nick Stokes was tired from a long day, but he dispelled it the moment he saw three beaming faces turned in his direction. He tossed his jacket on the couch along with his bag and joined his children on the floor. He ruffled Nicky's hair, "Hey buddy, how's it going?"
"Awesome," Nicky replied as he tried to ruffle his dad's hair. "Mama told me to get dirty today!"
"She did?" Nick cast a look at his wife as she came out of the kitchen. "Well you and me know better than not to listen to her right?"
"Mama always right."
"Telling fibs now, Ness," Sage said as she came into the living room. She bent to pick up Jace, recognizing the signs of a dirty diaper. "You're going to teach Nicky bad habits." She smiled as she adjusted her grip on the toddler.
Nick pouted a little as he picked up his daughter. She was giving him a look that mimicked her mother's. "Aw Sass, it's not a fib if it's the truth. Right, buddy?" He looked at Nicky.
Nicky nodded in agreement, "Mama is always right bout lotsa things."
Sage smiled at her son and ruffled his hair. She looked at her husband and said, "You're lucky your son is so smart." She smiled as she went to change Jace's diaper.
Nick chuckled as he held his daughter. He looked at her and said, "I'm right about your mama, princess."
Jordan made a sound and reached and grabbed his ears. She studied him intently as she played with his face. Nicky said that it was her favorite game. He played with his daughter while he listened to Nicky tell him about his day. He chuckled when Nicky giggled and said, "Mama gave the look in school again."
Nick was well aware of what that meant with the look having been on the receiving end of it multiple times before Nicky was born. He still got it, but now that Sage was a professor, she had a new target. It was always funny to watch her students become so embarrassed, and no one complained about it. Nick suspected that she used that cultured breeding she had being the granddaughter of Luke Parker. That was her life growing up even when her family moved from military base to base.
As a CSI in Vegas, she had a way that had the big fish in town seem small. They may have had the money, but they were made to be aware that it was nothing compared to where she was coming from. She exhibited the ideals of a true noble and yet was not snobbish about it. She had standards and expected them to be met. She was disappointed when they weren't and made it known.
"Lucas apologized and said that he would get his paper in today," Nicky was saying.
"Your mama has a way of doing that."
"She made you fix the sink."
Nick laughed at that. His son wasn't wrong. "Well it seems you had a good day. Do you miss school?"
"I miss seeing and playing with my friends," Nicky admitted.
"Do you know why?"
"So they stay safe with the pan… pand… pandemic." Nicky paused as he remembered how to pronounce the word.
Nick nodded, "That's right. But I bet they are okay. You're okay and Jace and Jordan are okay."
"And Mama let's us play outside with Kelly and Duke and Daisy."
"Your mama is smart about that kind of thing."
The evening was spent with Nicky telling about the story he wrote for school and the new trick he showed the twins during play time. Nick listened and watched how happy his family was despite the stay home order. Sage made it work.
He had been concerned since his wife had a job on top of taking care of the kids. Granted it wasn't like working in the lab, it still was demanding on her time and energy. He marveled how she was able to balance it. Nicky and the twins were not neglected in time and attention. He sensed that she was relieved with the stay home order because of the twins.
They hadn't expected twins when she became pregnant when Nicky was six and just starting school. That had its own set of complications since Sage had high blood pressure and was put on bed rest during her last trimester. No regrets though. In the end, things worked out despite the fact that the twins seemed to have issues with allergies and when they were born they were colicky. He worried about health problems. Sage said they would grow out of it and be fine. She was pretty much right.
It was how it was with them. Nick was the worrier and she was the reassurance and often the voice of reason. He had his moments when the roles were reversed and he often did the John Wayne act on a lot of things, but she was the steady influence in his life. It almost made people not believe what he said when he said his wife was a southern hurricane.
"I think Nicky is shaping up to be a good writer."
Nick was diverted from his thoughts as he looked up and saw his wife walking into their room carrying the monitor. She had just put the twins to sleep. The evening was a quiet one and no one complained. They would have family night that week. He was certain the neighbors appreciated it. He replied, "I'm sorry, what?"
Sage looked at Nick. He had been sitting on their bed and was reading, probably one of the forensic journals. She repeated, "I said that Nicky is shaping up to be a good writer."
"Really?"
"And definitely a good storyteller." Sage smirked at her husband.
"So that was all the noise I heard," Nick teased.
"The twins love to hear his stories. They like his voice." Sage sat on the bed opposite of him. She set the monitor in her lap.
Nick took a moment to study her. She looked tired but happy. He knew her days were long. "Long day?"
"Feels like it. Not being able to go out just because. I'm ripe for rebellion." Sage smirked as she said that, knowing it would spark fond memories.
"And since when has a stay home order stopped you? You couldn't even do it when ordered on bed rest with Nicky and the twins."
Sage shrugged her shoulders. "I guess I don't like being bossed and I've always kept busy even when I caught a cold in school."
"Except when you had pneumonia. You're worse than a doctor when they're sick. Wait… you are a doctor." Nick looked at her with a playful narrowing of the eyes to make her laugh and was pleased when she did.
"You're right," Sage laughed in agreement. She sighed as she smiled, "They are long days, but I don't regret having them. I'm home with the twins. With Nicky."
She had reached out and grasped his hand. She rubbed her thumb on his knuckles. Nick let her, knowing full well it was not just affection motivating it. With a gentle tug, he pulled her close to him and held her after plucking the monitor out of her hand and putting it on his nightstand along with his journal. "I know it seems long, but…"
"It's be okay, Ness," she said as she cuddled into him. "I'm just glad you come home every night and take your days off."
"It was a promise I made when Nicky was born. Even with our busy schedules, if I had a day off, I would spend it doing what mattered and that is being there for my family. Being there for you, for Nicky and the twins."
Sage hummed at that as Nick wrapped his arms around her. They were truly blessed in that they were still able to work and be at home for their children. They were lucky and he was reminded of that each day he came home. They went through each day like they did before this. They were making it work.
A/N: Just something in light of current events and how Nick and Sage deal with the stay home order with their children. Enjoy.