Married Life

Author's Note: I didn't get reviews for the last chapter, so please review this one. Okay? Give me any feedback, negative or positive. I don't care, so long as you guys continue to like it.

Bailey: age 5. Max: age 2 ½.

Chapter 22: The History of My Life

Chase's POV

Today is July 30th. The anniversary of the day my father left home. Left my mother. I felt so helpless then, to say that I survived was a miracle. My mother hadn't been so lucky. She drank herself into oblivion, and eventually forgot who her own children were. I sheltered my baby sister from the brunt of it.

I made sure she was taken care of before I did anything. Now, it was just second nature for me to worry about everyone but myself; to make sure they're all taken care of before I even consider worrying about myself. My wife and sons come first…forever and always. I took a personal day today, and am taking the kids to the park. They love the park. Max always plays in the sand, and Bailey swings on the swing set. I typically swing with Bailey for a little bit.

Bailey is definitely his mother's child. And Max is mine. Max does everything almost exactly how I would have at his age. He acts first, and asks questions never. Bailey is very thoughtful, and sensitive. Max is the kid that sits on an anthill with a magnifying glass on a very sunny day. Bailey is the one that cries at those kids.

Allison kisses my temple, "Have a good day with the boys." she whispers in my ear, before she eases out of bed to get ready for work. I fall back asleep only to be awoken by two small bodies crawling all over me. I grin, and open my eyes. "What are you two doing?" Bailey and Max smiled and jumped up and down. "Wake up Daddy!" shouted Bailey. "Bay, get off. I'm up, I'm up…" I said, trying to lift myself up.

After a few minutes, I was finally able to get up and make breakfast for the boys. I picked out some clothes for the kids, and helped them get dressed. Brushed their hair, teeth and helped them tie their shoes. I did all my chores before we finally headed out the door.

I pushed Bailey on the swing, and Max played in the sand. Everything was normal. Until I looked up, and saw someone stealing my son's bucket that he liked to fill with sand. I was about to do something about it when Bailey came rushing over, and snatched it away from the mean kid to give it back to his brother. I smiled, and they came running to me. "Daddy! Bay-Bay saved Mr. Bucket Man!" exclaimed Max with a big grin. I lifted both of them high up in the air, my hip throbbing in response.

What was the matter with it? God, I winced and swallowed my pain that threatened to burst through my lips. I groaned when Bailey got out of my arms and pulled me towards the swings. He said, "Sit, Daddy! Swing!" I obliged, and started swinging. My hip throbbed like a little kid was poking it with a stick. I looked down, and Max WAS poking it with a stick. "Daddy, you make a funny jerk when I poke you." I tried not to get too mean when I took the stick and snapped it.

Max bit his lower lip, much like I do when I'm upset. Then, ran off. I felt so bad. My face flooded with shame, and I got up to go after him. I promised Allie nothing bad would happen…but now, I made my youngest upset.

I felt so guilty. Bailey was confused, and he stood right where he'd been when it happened. It happened so fast, I was a little confused. My hip hurt, so I was a little unruly I admit but it didn't give me the right to be rude to my son. I love my sons. Completely. Since the moment they were born.

I found him under the jungle gym. "Max, come on out." "You…you…you were mad at me…." he wailed into his arms that were folded over his tiny legs. "Max, kid, come out from there. I want to talk to you and your brother." He looked up, his little eyes full of tears and confusion. I recognized that look from myself.

He came out, and I scooped his little body up into a hug, tightening my arms around him. He sobbed a little more, but eventually calmed down. Bailey looked at me, and looked at Max. "Daddy, is he okay?" I nodded. "Hey, Bay…you mind if you, Max and I take a break from the park? And go talk somewhere private?"

Bay nodded, and came with me. He held my hand, and we walked off to the car. We sat on a bench beside it, and looked out at the bright blue sky. "Kids, you always ask me what your grandparents were like. Well, I'm gonna tell you. My mother was the most beautiful person I had ever laid my eyes on. She would have loved you both and I see so much of her in you, Max. Bailey, you look so much like your mother that it's hard to see anything else. That's why you stole my heart the moment you were born. My parents weren't very happy but they didn't regret having us 4 Chase kids ever. I loved them, and they loved me. But, after a while…our life wasn't as good as I thought it was. My parents divorced and I haven't been the same since." Bailey looked at me. "Mommy showed me a picture of you and Grandma."

I looked at him. "When?" "A long long long time ago. Before Maxie was born." He shrugged. "Why did you snap the twig, Daddy?" "Because, I hurt my hip at work. And it hasn't stopped throbbing since."

Max and Bailey kissed my cheek. "Let's go home, Daddy." I nodded, and limped off to the car.

Cameron's POV

I twisted the key in the lock, exhausted from a long day of work. When I came in, the boys were all on the couch watching old home movies. I didn't recognize this one. I smiled, and sat on the arm of the couch, and spotted an ice pack on my husband's hip. The hip that had been bothering him since that patient Mitch made him fall down the stairs.

"Rob, you need to get that checked out. I know you're in pain." He rolled his blue eyes at me, and I scoffed. Leaning over our babies' heads, I planted a soft kiss on his lips and looked at the screen.

"Who's is this?"

"Mine. This was the day they brought Rebecca home from the hospital. See? That tall kid is Lucas, the little girl with the blonde hair and the front teeth missing? Is Janine, and the little baby boy in the diaper and messed up hair? That would be me." I laughed when I saw the little boy. He looked so much like the Robert I knew but also so different. So carefree, and innocent.

"You look so happy here." I noted. "You all do." I added.

He grinned, and kissed my cheek. The kids were completely knocked out, and it was the two of us. "Well, my baby sister was just born. I was happy. But, I was naïve. I thought that happiness would be there forever." "Robert, you were a little kid."

"Listen…Allie…I've been thinking…I want to go back to Australia. To live. For a little while. Not forever. Just…I want to see my nieces and nephews grow up. I want to be able to bring our sons to visit Mum's grave. I want to go to family reunions. And, furthermore…my specific profession is more wellknown there, I can get a good job. A better job. And you can too. Not right now, but…eventually."