What Have You Learned?

"Ella leave your brother alone!" Eli screamed at his six year old daughter. She was driving him nuts with picking on her three year old brother Daniel. He sighed not knowing how they were gonna do with another kid on the way. It was just no way. Ella still picked on him making him cry. "That's it Ella! Go in the time out chair now!" He told her and she ran crying to the chair.

Clare looked over at what was going on and smiled. She new Eli hated getting on to Ella, but sometimes had no choice. It was just how everything was. She had been around some of her cousins to long.

Darcy and Peter had only had one other baby after the last. They now had seven kids. Darcy had always wanted a big family of nine or ten kids. She was on her way. Her kids were growing up fast. Their oldest one, James, was now fifteen, the twin girls, Abigail and Annie, were now twelve, the next set of twins, Jackson and Jared, were ten. The little girl she was pregnant with was named Addison and was now six along with Ella. They had one more after her, another girl, and named her Annabella. Spelled just like that. She was now four.

"Eli I know you hate doing this to Ella, but your just showing her she can't have it her way. She's been around Addison to long, and they hardly discipline her. You know that." Clare told him and He sighed. He new she was right. He hated how she was always right.

"I know Clare, but its still hard to be mean to my baby girl. I still say boys are harder to take care of. I don't get how Darcy and Peter can handle seven kids. Four of them being girls. Just my one baby girl is hard enough knowing she's growing up. I just want her back to when we first brought her home. I miss those days."

"Hey, hey, hey, Eli she isn't a teenager or getting married. She's only six. You still have a good six years left ahead of you. She doesn't start to rebel til about fourteen to fifteen. That's how old I was when I met you anyway." She told him with a laugh. She had the three year old in her hands.

"That doesn't make me feel any better. And put him down. I don't want you hurting the baby or you." He said and she smiled. He was just like that when they had the last baby. He was that way with Ella when she tried picking up her nieces and nephews.

"Look, you don't get much guy time with Daniel even if he is only three. I'm going to take Ella and have a girls day shopping for the baby since its a girl thing. Don't worry we won't have any girly stuff since its another boy. Get to know your son though. He needs his dad even if he is a Momma's boy." She told him with a smirk smacking his butt.

"Well, Mrs. Goldsworthy aren't we getting feisty?" He told her with a flirty wink and smirk. She just gave him a smile and shook her head.

"Don't get use to it Mr. Goldsworthy. Its only the hormones talking." She said and little Daniel looked up at his mother with confusing eyes.

"Mommy what's hormones?" He ask and Eli started laughing while Clare's eyes got big.

"Well, you see its- its- its- Ella, sweetie, get your coat, were going shopping." She told her daughter and Eli laughed even harder forgetting his little girl was in trouble. She didn't though.

"Daddy is it okay to get up now? Mommy told me to get my coat." Ella told her father who smiled at how she at least ask first.

"Sure baby girl but come here first." He said and she got up going to her dad. He got eye level with her. "Do you know why you were in trouble?"

"Yes cause I was being mean to Daniel." She told him giving her dad a hug. "I'm sorry Daddy. I love you." She said then went up to Daniel. "I sorry Daniel. I love you." Daniel didn't know what to do so he just said it back.

"I love you too sissy." He said while Eli and Clare smiled at how caring there kids were. Its how it was suppose to be.

...

Eli sat with his son not really knowing what to do. He was always with Ella while Clare was with Daniel. Even Clare new both her kids. Eli felt like he failed as a father when it came to his son. He sighed while his son was bouncing off the walls. He got an idea.

"Hey, little man you wanna go with Daddy and play catch?" He ask and the little boy smiled big nodding his head. Eli smiled and went to get the ball.

They tossed it back and forth for a while. He was learning his sons personality. It was quiet and relaxed. A mix of him and Clare. Eli was more relaxed and took it as it came. Clare was quiet and just stayed out of everybody's way. He smiled thinking about his wife forgetting he was playing ball. Next thing he new he was on the ground clutching his private area.

"Daddy are you okay?" Daniel ask coming up to him. Eli rolled over to face his son and nodded his head. Daniel gave his dad a weird look, but didn't think nothing of it. "Are you sure Daddy?"

"Yea." Eli manged to groan out. "I'm just fine. Don't worry about Daddy. He's a big boy." He said and Daniel giggled. Once Eli got better he looked over at his son. "You think this is funny?"

"Very." The little boy giggled out.

"Oh really now?" Eli ask then dove for his son putting him on the ground and tickling him. "Well, I think this is funny." He said while still tickling him.

"Daddy! That tickles! Can you please stop?" He ask and Eli smiled. These were the moments he wanted to keep forever. He didn't want them getting older. He loved his kids just the age they were.

"Okay, fine, Daddy will stop. Only cause you said please." Eli told him picking his son up in his arms. He sighed walking to the swings and sitting there with him. "How do you feel about having a new baby brother soon?" He ask him and his son looked in his fathers eyes.

"I hate it!" He said and Eli gave him a weird look. Why would he not want a little brother to play with?

"Why?"

"Cause then I can't be the baby anymore. I don't like it!" He said crying by now.

"Hey! We had your sister before you, and we still love her right?" Eli ask and Daniel nodded. "Then that means we will still love you. Your the best little boy we could ask for." He said and Daniel still frowned.

"But I'm still scared you won't love me anymore. Mommy won't at all. She's to busy getting ready for the baby." Daniel said crying really hard by now.

"Hey I tell you what." Eli said.

"What?" Daniel ask while hiccuping.

"We will still love you. The best part about being the oldest is that you get to help out with him. When he gets older you can teach him all kinds of stuff. You get to do stuff that he can't do since your the oldest." Eli told him and Daniel started smiling.

"Really Daddy?" He ask and Eli nodded his head. "That's so cool. I can't wait to be a big brother now!" He told Eli who started laughing. He smiled at how happy his son was.

"That's right Buddy. He's gonna have a great teacher with you teaching him everything." Eli said and the little boy smiled even bigger, if that was possible.

They laid there on the little canopy just like he and Clare had all those years ago. He smiled thinking of his wife, while his son was in his hands.

Daniel looked just like Eli. There wasn't anything on him that didn't scream out 'Eli's kid'. He had the same lips, eyes, nose, mouth, and hair. Just the way Clare wanted her first son to look like. She may not have got to have him first, but he looked just like Eli. That was all Clare ask for.

Ella, on the other hand, looked just like her mom. The same long dirty blonde hair that Clare had before she dyed it and got it cut. Same face, those blue eyes Eli loved so much. Everything she looked like just screamed 'My Mommy is Clare Edwards, now Goldsworthy'. Eli smiled loving how he got his wish just as much as Clare did.

Eli hadn't payed attention to how quiet it had gotten til he looked down to see his little boy a sleep. He smiled at how he at least had Clare's smile. It made him proud to be the father of Clare's children. Just the way he wanted it to be.

If all his kids would be like his two now, he wouldn't mind having a thousand of them. But Eli new that each one would have their own personality and look their own way. He still wanted it to just stay this way.

Eli hadn't noticed he had fell asleep til three hours later he had someone tugging on his arm. He opened one eye to see two people standing in front of him. He just closed his eyes again.

"Daddy," He heard his sweet little girls giggle, "You need to wake up. You and Bubba both." She said getting up there with him and snuggling down. Clare had went back inside thinking they would come later.

It was now another hour later when nobody was inside but her and the baby still in her stomach. She sighed thinking maybe they were just out playing. She started talking to the baby.

"Come on little guy. Let's go make sure your Daddy, brother, and sister are okay. You'll love them I know you will. I just hope you love me too." She said and went outside.

What she saw made her smile and get her phone out taking a picture. There on the canopy was Eli with his arms around both Ella and Daniel all three a sleep. Eli being in the middle with Ella on his left and Daniel on his right. Both kids were snuggled to him while he had his arms wrapped around them being protective.

"Eli, Eli, Eli baby you need to get up and come inside." She said and Eli's eyes twitched.

"Mmh, Mom, let me sleep for five more minutes." Eli said making Clare giggle. He hadn't been living with them for a good six years. They had been married for seven. Plus when he went to college.

"Eli, this isn't your mom. Its your wife and she needs to get your kids ready for bed. Come on inside with me." She told him and he got up. He looked over at her and smiled.

"And how was my beautiful wife's trip to the store?" He ask her and she smiled leaning down to kiss him on the lips. She went to pull back when he just held her there longer. "I'll never get tired of that." He whispered.

"I won't either. And I had a wonderful time with our little girl. The only girl we have right now." She told him with a sigh. He just smiled.

"Hey, I know you want to have another little girl who's a momma's girl. We still have plenty of time to make another baby. Don't worry about it. We're only twenty-nine and thirty. Its gonna be okay." He told her and she smiled.

"I know. I just don't want to be like my sister with seven different kids and six of those being boys." Clare said and Eli got up making sure not to wake his kids. He went and hugged her.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm sure its just your hormones talking right now. Everything will be okay!" Eli told her and gave her another kiss on the lips. He looked over to see his two sleeping children. "I'm gonna take them up to bed." He told her and she nodded. After today she was tired.

Eli picked up his little boy first and carried him to his room. He put on his night time stuff without him even trying to get up once. He slept like a rock. He gave him a kiss on the forehead and turned out the light going to pick up his sister.

Eli then went and got Ella. He picked her up like she was a baby taking her to the pink room she had. He wanted the best for his kids and that's what they got. He did exactly the same to her as he did to Daniel. He kissed her on the forehead and she started moving around in her sleep.

"Daddy?" She mumbled turning in her sleep.

"Yes baby girl?" He ask looking at her with a smile. She had a smile on her face.

"I love you." She said going back into her dreams. He smiled turning out the light.

"I love you too baby girl. More than you'll ever know." With that he went back in to his room where his wife laid on there bed. "There growing up to fast." He told her with a sigh.

"I know Eli but you have to let them." She said as he got in the bed. He sighed and turned out the light. He sat there cuddling with Clare.

"I know Clare, but sometimes its just so hard. I want them to stay kids forever." He said and Clare smiled into the dark room. She new Eli loved the kids more than anybody in the world.

"I do too. Just one question." She told him and he smiled at the familiar question he new she was about to ask.

"And what's that?"

"What have you learned?" She ask him with a smirk. He smiled thinking about his answer very carefully. Then it hit him on just what to say.

"That you shouldn't blink. It makes time go by fast. Oh, and whatever other kids we have I'll be spending every moment I can with them." He told her and she smiled.

"You and your answers." She mumbled getting as close as to him as her big belly would let her. He smiled having the perfect family and the perfect moment with his girl. "I love you." She told him going into sleep.

"I love you too." He told her kissing her hair just as the baby kicked him. "And you to mister sports player." He said. With that he fell a sleep.


Here's the second to last chapter! Just one more to go and this short story is done!

I'm sorry for any mistakes I made in here. Its one-thirty in the morning here and I'm tired and still have to get up at seven to go babysit! Just let me know and I'll make sure not to make that same mistake next time!

Tell me what you think of the story! =) It means a lot to know that people are still reading this even though its been forever since I last updated! I'm sorry about that!

Welp, by for now! =)