Hey guys! I know I said i would update after the holiday, but i could not wait. So here is chapter 5.
Camera off
The 2 months Ben was away dragged on.
Mal missed Ben so much.
He did keep his promise about calling every night.
But Mal really missed talking to him in person.
The worst thing is Ben would be missing Vanessa's 18th birthday.
But Mal knew Vanessa was sad, even though she didn't show it.
She knew that Vanessa was just holding it together for her siblings.
That broke her heart.
The night of her birthday when Lillian, Aria, Bella, and Matty were asleep, Mal went to Vanessa's room.
Vanessa was in there, on her phone.
"Did he call yet?" Vanessa said as soon as Mal walked in.
"No." Mal said.
"Oh." Vanessa said.
Mal walked over to her daughter.
"He probably forgot. He probably also forgot it was my birthday." Vanessa said.
"No, honey, your father did not forget about your birthday. He's probably in a meeting right now." Mal said.
"Mom, its 9:00 at night." Vanessa said.
"His meeting could be running late." Mal said.
"Yeah, I guess." Vanessa said.
Suddenly, somebody knocked on the door.
"Who is it?" Mal called.
"Open the door and you'll find out." A voice that sounded like Ben's said.
Mal opened the door.
Ben was standing there.
Vanessa immediately ran into her fathers arms.
She started crying tears of joy.
Mal, who also had tears of joy in her eyes, smiled.
Ben lightly kissed her head.
"How are you here?" Vanessa asked.
"Did you really think I would miss my little girl's 18th birthday?" Ben asked.
Vanessa started crying tears of joy again.
Ben just kept hugging her.
After another couple of minutes, Vanessa pulled away so her mother could say hi.
Ben and Mal stared at each other for a little bit.
"Mal, have you always had those golden flecks in your eye?" Ben asked breaking the silence.
Mal laughed and immediately hugged her husband.
After 5 minutes of hugging, They kissed.
Vanessa smiled, happy to see her parents together again.
They broke apart from the kiss.
"Should I wake the rest of them up?" Ben asked.
"I just put them to bed. Do you think there going to want to go back to sleep after they see their dad who has been away for 1 month and 1/2?" Mal said.
"If I put them to bed." Ben said.
"Okay, fine. You can wake them up." Mal said.
"I gotta see this." Vanessa said.
Ben first went into Lillian's room.
Mal and Vanessa stayed outside her bedroom and listened.
Ben walked over to his daughter.
He lightly kissed her forehead.
Lillian opened her eyes.
When she saw Ben, she hugged him.
Ben hugged her back.
Mal and Vanessa stood in the doorway smiling.
Ben picked Lillian and walked over to them.
"I'm gonna go wake up your brother and sisters, okay?" Ben said to Lillian.
"Okay." Lillian said.
Mal, Vanessa, and Lillian followed Ben to Aria's room.
Ben went in while they stayed outside the room.
He turned on the lights once he got in there.
Aria pulled the covers over her head.
Ben laughed.
Once Aria herd that laugh, she pulled the covers off of her.
"DADDY!" Aria shouted, running into her fathers arms.
"Hey Princess." Ben said as he picked up his daughter.
Ben wrapped his arms tightly around Aria.
Ben walked outside the room.
"Are you going to wake up Bella and Matty?" Aria asked.
"You bet I am." Ben answered, putting Aria down.
Ben walked into Bella and Matty's room.
He turned on the lights.
"Awe have to wake up now." Matty said, shoving his face into his pillow.
"We just went to bed!" Bella said, her face in her pillow.
"Okay, I guess you don't want to see your dad after he got home from his trip." Ben said.
Bella and Matty looked up to see their father standing there.
"Daddy!" They shouted as they ran to Ben.
Ben picked them both up.
He carried them out of there room.
"I have presents." Ben said.
"YAY!" The kids shouted.
Mal laughed.
They all went downstairs to open the presents.
Matty got a Lego set.
Bella got a yellow dress.
Aria got a signet ring just like her mothers.
Lillian got a phone.
"Okay Vanessa, open yours." Ben said.
Vanessa opened hers.
It was keys.
"What are these for?" Vanessa asked.
"For your new apartment." Ben said.
"You got me an apartment?!" Vanessa asked.
"Yep." Ben said.
Vanessa ran and hugged her father.
"Thank you daddy." Vanessa said.
"You're welcome, princess. Ben said.
Ben walked over to Mal and handed her a big box.
"Ben, you didn't need to get me anything." Mal said.
"Just open it." Ben said.
Mal opened the gift.
It was a small framed picture of them at there wedding.
"I know you wanted a picture of us at our wedding to put in our room. So, while I was gone, I got a picture from our wedding framed." Ben said.
Mal started tearing up.
"I love it." Mal said.
She kissed him on the cheek.
"And I love you." Mal said.
They hugged each other, Then kissed.
The kids did not say ewe because they knew Vanessa would get mad at them.
"Okay, Bed time!" Mal said after they broke the kiss.
The kids all ran upstairs.
Ben and Mal followed.
They kissed them all goodnight and then went to there room.
"I really missed you." Mal said.
"I missed you too." Ben said.
They kissed again, then got in there pajamas.
"I am so fat." Mal said.
"No you are not. You look beautiful." Ben said.
He kissed her on the cheek.
After that, they got into bed.
Mal snuggled up next to Ben.
He kissed her forehead and rapped his arms around her.
They both went feel asleep.
This I think was one of my favorite chapters to write. I hope you guys have a merry Christmas. I might update later today if not, tomorrow. BYE!