NYLON ~ 97 ~ GRAMMA
Hanna bounced Tai in her arms while Caleb taught JT how to slam dunk on his miniature basketball hoop. Her mother was in the nursery changing her namesake, an honor that Hanna had learned to use in her favor.
"I did it!" JT shrieked after dunking ten baskets in a row.
"It looks like you're gonna be the next all star," Caleb told him.
"Okay," Hanna interrupted, "now that we've got a new dunk record, can we pack up the hoop? It's almost lunch time."
"You heard it bud," Caleb told him.
"Fine," JT hung his head and pushed the hoop back into the storage closet.
Ashley came around the corner holding her granddaughter and gave JT a big smile.
"Gramma!" he said. "Are you staying for lunch?"
"You know it," Ashley told him.
"Caleb," Hanna handed her daughter to him. "Can you hold her while I get lunch ready."
"Sure," Caleb held Tai and followed Hanna into the kitchen.
She grabbed a few vegetables from the fridge and started chopping them up before dumping them into a pot of hot water. Meanwhile, Caleb took Tai into the nursery as she had fallen asleep. Hanna grabbed a frying pan and set it on the stove, dousing it with oil.
"Hey," Caleb returned to the kitchen. "Need any help?"
"Can you check the rice cooker?" she asked as she skinned a few filleted fish. "It should be ready."
"I think it's done," he replied grabbing a spatula.
"Can you set it on the table?" Hanna asked. "It should all be ready in a few minutes."
"Ashley," Caleb told his mother-in-law, "lunch will be ready soon."
"Thanks hon," she smiled as she got the children ready to eat.
Hanna finished cooking just as JT came running into the kitchen and crawled into his favorite chair. Ashley put the baby down in the nursery and then took her seat next to Caleb while Hanna placed a stack of plates on the table.
"Smells great," Ashley told her. "Your cooking skills have come a long way."
"It's only because you're here," Hanna told her. "Usually, I'm so busy with the twins, we just end up getting take out."
"You two really deserve a night out," Ashley told her daughter. "I can't imagine how much work it is with twins and this little guy."
"Hey!" JT piped in. "I help a lot."
"You're definitely a big help," Hanna told him.
"Seriously, though," Ashley continued. "You should go out tonight. Leave the kids with me."
"Yeah!" JT squealed. "Let Gramma watch us!"
"I don't know," Hanna sighed. "It's still too early."
"You leave me with the kids when you go to work," Ashley reminded her. "What's the difference?"
"I can't do that to you," Hanna said. "You already do so much."
"I insist," Ashley told her. "Go out, be young."
"Okay," Hanna smiled at Caleb. "We're going out tonight."
Hanna slid a gold bangle on her wrist and took one last look at herself in the mirror. The black sheath dress that once fit her like a glove now clung awkwardly to the newfound curves she had acquired. Luckily, she had an amazing new rack to distract from any part of her body that had yet to return to its pre-baby state.
"Hey Han," Caleb poked his head in the room. "Are you ready?"
"Uh yeah," she ran her fingers through her hair one last time and grabbed her purse. "Let's go."
Caleb smiled brightly when he saw her in a dress for the first time in months. She blushed and looked down trying her best to hide the weight she'd gained from having the twins.
"You look amazing," he told her.
"Stop," she blushed even more.
"It's true," he persisted.
"Okay," she pushed him out the door. "Let's go before I change my mind."
Caleb smirked and took her hand as they drifted into the living room. Ashley bounced Tai in her arms while JT sat on the floor playing with his actions figures.
"Alright," Hanna kissed Tai's forehead. "We'll be home soon."
"Mama!" JT stood up. "Can we have ice cream for dinner?"
"Maybe after dinner," she said, "but only if you're good to Grandma."
"Okay," he sighed.
"Alright," Caleb picked JT up. "You'll probably be asleep when we get back. But tomorrow we'll play catch, okay?"
"Okay!" JT replied.
Caleb set him back on the ground and he ran toward the living room to get his football.
"Have fun you two," Ashley said ushering them out the door as Tai's lip started to quiver.
Hanna and Caleb were waiting in the foyer for the elevator when Tai burst into screeching wails.
"Oh no," Hanna ran over to grab her. "I think it's a sign. We shouldn't go."
"Hanna," Ashley grabbed her grandchild back. "She just needs to be changed. You two need a night out."
As if on cue, Tai's cries stopped and Hanna breathed a sigh of relief. Caleb put a hand on the small of Hanna's back.
"It's okay," he whis
pered. "It's good for her to spend some time away from you."
"Yeah," Hanna shook her head. "You're right."
She followed Caleb into the elevator and then he pressed the button for the garage floor. He slid an arm around her waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.
"Damn," she sighed. "I can't even remember the last time we did this."
"It's been too long," Caleb told her.
She grazed her fingertips along his jawline. Caleb smiled and kissed her forehead. There was a silent pause as their eyes locked. He hit the Emergency Stop button on the touchpad and the elevator came to a sudden halt.
"What's going on?" Hanna breathed.
"I think our reservation has been cancelled," he told her.
Hanna smiled as Caleb's lips came crashing down on hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck as his hands ran along her sides. He pressed her against the wall and she grabbed onto the railing before hoisting herself against the wall.
"Fuck," she smirked. "We have got to do this more often."
"Honey," he laughed, "we're just getting started."
UP NEXT ~ THE FAMILY
Claudia visits to meet her new granddaughters
