If there was one thing which Gill had grown to both love and hate, then it was rainy days.
Scrubbing furiously at the countertops in the kitchen in one of the rare chances which he wasn't busy, he listened to the steady pounding of the rain drops hitting the windows, smiling at how surprisingly soothing the sound was.
His wife had gone into town to do some errands, taking their now four year old little girl with them. Gill had to admit, it was quite lonely without their constant talking about the house.
After carefully scrutinising the now perfectly polished worktop, he looked up to the slowly ticking clock upon the wall, and sighed.
The reason why he also hated rainy days was about to be brought about. Or rather, brought in.
Walking over to one of the many store cupboards in their house (Gill knew that a farmer would have a lot of tools, but that many? Seriously?) he pulled out a bright plastic bucket and mop, and began set about the task of filling up the said bucket with warm water. Counting down under his breath, he waited for the approaching onslaught.
3...2...
"DAMN THAT RAIN IS COLD."
One could have mistaken the crash of the door opening as the sound of thunder as a dripping wet Angela stormed through the door, desperate to get out of the cold, dank weather. Peeling of her coat in the doorway, and hanging it outside under the wooden veranda (At least she had the good grace to do that, Gill thought) she then proceeded to walk into the house, her boots dripping with God knows what after tramping through the now mud covered path in order to reach their house.
Letting out another sigh as he turned off the tap, Gill took the now full bucket of water over to the waiting doorway, frowning as he saw the trail of mud which led to it.
"Angela." He began calmly, "Why did you take your coat off and not your boots?"
Turning to his wife who was now stripping of the rest of her wet clothing off, he noticed her giggling as she fought to pull off the leg of a trouser which was clinging to her.
"I don't know, it's a habit now I guess."
Placing his hand to his forehead, Gill decided not to question his wife's logic any further, and leant against the doorframe, prepared for the next incoming.
And sure enough a few seconds later their daughter, Maria, came running in, just as soaked as her mother.
"WAAAH MUMMY YOU'RE TOO FAST!"
Unfortunately for Gill, his daughter didn't have the graces to take off even her coat, resulting in the spraying of water as well as mud as she came flying through the door.
Shaking his head in an amused manner, he closed the door before looking at the scene which unfolded before him; Angela (Still half dressed) was rubbing Maria's hair with a towel, whilst trying to unzip her coat with the other hand, earning protests from the little girl, claiming that she was being too 'rough' in her gestures.
Deciding to leave them too it, Gill dunked the mop in the bucket, preparing for the mass of mud which he was about to have to clear up. Just as he was about to take the first wipe however, he paused and noticed something in the dirty substance. There, inside the larger footsteps of Angela's were tiny replicas of them, the crinkly pattern of the identical boots standing out clearly.
Laughing to himself as he looked on in awe at the contrast, he realised that Maria really was going to follow in her Mother's footsteps.
Literally in more way than one.
A/N just wanted to say thank you for all the kind reviews so far! They're appreciated. :3