"You are so sleeping on the couch Adam Ross," Lindsay sighed. "For a week. At least."
He couldn't stop giggling as she tried to politely dig the peas out of her shirt.
"Seriously, how old are you?"
He shrugged and waited until she'd gotten everything out, then launched another pea at her.
"Mac, would you make him stop?"
Mac just laughed and shook his head while Danny tried yet again to toss a pea down Austin's shirt when she wasn't looking. He missed.
"This is not Thanksgiving behavior. I'm very disappointed in you Adam."
"Hey, you should be proud that I finally beat Danny at something somewhat sport related."
"Maybe I should be but I'm not."
"I just can't win. Even when I win."
"Maybe you should not use your wife as a backboard."
A looked passed between them and she bit down hard on the side of her cheek to keep from laughing.
"Okay. Lesson learned."
"Very good."
"I think it's time for you boys to go get some dishes done," Jo remarked, surveying the table and feeling satisfied that the cooking was still a harder job than the clean-up. The guys didn't seem to agree, grumbling as they gathered plates and dishes and took them into the kitchen.
"I like this tradition," Lindsay said, discreetly checking down her shirt for more peas. "But I don't always enjoy what food overload does to our men."
"Sometimes I think that maybe they have reached the highest level of maturity they can possibly achieve, and they have to backslide a little."
"You're giving them too much credit, Jo."
"Hey, at least we've got them."
"I guess that's true."
Avery ran into the room at that moment, tears streaming down her face. She jumped into Lindsay's lap and sobbed with everything she had in her, crying so hard that she sounded like she was going to get sick.
"Honey, take a deep breath. Be calm."
"They say I too little!"
"Who did?"
"The big kids! They gonna play a game and I too little!" she reported, trying as hard as she could to get her story out without tears. "Sarah telled me no! Said I eat the pieces! I not eat pieces! I not! I not a baby!"
She scrubbed at her eyes as if to prove her point, then hiccupped and buried her face in Lindsay's shoulder.
"Mama, they so mean to Avery!"
"Honey, they're just older than you-"
"I not like this. I gettin' mad!"
"Why don't you and I go for a walk?"
"Just you an' me?"
"Yeah, just us. It's starting to snow. We can bundle up and see if anyone is making a snowman yet."
"Okay mama! Babies not have walks in snow."
"You're right, I would never take a baby out in the snow like this. Let's go get your shoes and coat on."
Avery nodded and ran into the front hallway where Jo had hung all their coats when they arrived. She found her boots and pulled them aside and was just tugging on her plaid pea coat to try and get it down from the hook when Lindsay joined her.
"Here, let me lift you up so you can reach."
Avery smiled and grabbed the coat and they both bundled up before heading out the door. It was just cold enough to snow and the sidewalk was still almost visible, but Avery was delighted anyway.
They walked slowly through the neighborhood, leaving footprints behind them, and making occasional comments to each other.
"Mama?"
"Yeah honey?"
"You like my hat?"
Lindsay chuckled and reached her free hand over to fix the ear-flap winter hat that Avery had picked out at the store last week. It was made to look like an owl and had caused much happy squealing from Avery when she first saw it.
"I love your hat. You know what I love more?"
"What?"
"The girl wearing the hat."
Avery chuckled and squeezed Lindsay's hand.
"Mama, I not mad."
"You're not?"
"No. I like this. Me an' you an' the snow."
"I like it too. Did you know that me and your uncle Freddie used to take walks in the snow when I was a little girl in Montana?"
"You was little, mama?"
"Yes I was. I was little just like you. And your uncle Freddie and I used to go on walks in the snow in the afternoons. Sometimes we would just take a walk around outside the house, but sometimes we would get in the truck and drive into town. And we would go to this restaurant and get hot chocolate and he always let me get extra whipped cream on the top."
"Oh mama! Mama! Me an' uncle Freddie, we haved hot chocolate! Boys at school!"
"Last time he came over?"
"Yes! I not know you do that too!"
"Yep, we did."
"Mama, I so like snow. It pretty. Why it fall?"
"It's just like rain, only colder."
"Oh."
They continued on their way around the block, arriving back at Mac and Jo's just as it was getting too dark to be wandering around the neighborhood.
"Mama," Avery said as they started up the porch. "Thank you for walkin' me."
"You're welcome honey. I bet by now the kids are done playing their game so you could go join them."
"Well… I want sit with mama an' the ladies."
Lindsay laughed and swung Avery up into her arms, kissing her cheeks softly.
"Averylin, I love you so much."
"I love you so much mama. We go inside the house an' talk with the ladies now."
"Okay sweetheart."
By the end of the night all the kids were grumpy and arguing with each other and Avery had thrown a fit of such grand proportions when she'd been told it was time to go, that she'd worn herself out and fell asleep right in Mac and Jo's entryway. She'd crawled onto the pile of shoes and grabbed one to cuddle with as she slept and while it was funny that she would chose a loafer for comfort, Flack had been the unfortunate owner and had to endure teasing from Austin that Avery wasn't really asleep, she was just passed out from the smell.
Adam pried the shoe from his daughter's chubby fingers, then pulled her up into his arms while Lindsay put her coat over her. Ben was getting tired too, holding onto Adam's leg and whining about having to leave Junior and asking repeatedly why they couldn't have a sleepover. Junior was similarly upset, crossing his arms over his chest and declaring that he wasn't going home unless Ben was coming too.
"Boys, I know you love each other, but it's getting late and it's time to go home. You'll see each other on Monday at school."
"That's too far!" Ben protested, whipping his glasses off so he could wipe his eyes. "Me and Dunner want to still play!"
"Hey Ben. I'll play with you for a while when we get home," Colton offered with a little shrug. "After all, that's why we have brothers and sisters, to play with when our friends aren't there."
"Hey yeah! Dunner, is that okay with you? You could play with your sisters."
Junior sighed and nodded.
"Okay Binyin, but next time we need to plan this earlier."
They hugged each other and pretty soon everyone was heading home, laden down with leftovers that Jo insisted they all take. Ben was asleep before they reached the end of the block and Colton was yawning every few minutes. The snow was slippery on the roads and hadn't been plowed yet, so it was slow going from Manhattan to Brooklyn. Lindsay leaned over and turned the radio on quietly, putting her feet on the dashboard and leaning back in her seat just a little.
"So was Avery okay when you went for your walk?"
"Yeah. I think she just needs to be reassured that she's not a baby. The other kids are so much older than her and sometimes they do stuff that she just can't keep up with."
"Feels a little left out huh?"
"Yeah. Maybe we should think more about putting her in preschool. It might help her to have friends her own age."
"Does Ben's old preschool take them that young?"
"I think so. I can check next week. We need to think of something for her."
"She'd enjoy something that was all her own. Especially if it made her feel grown up."
"Yeah probably."
"So you want to stay up and watch a dumb movie with me?"
"Sure. What did you have in mind?"
"Maybe like Napoleon Dynamite?"
"Nah, Austin and I watched that a couple weeks ago."
"You quoted the whole thing and she kept asking why in the world you were watching it."
"Exactly."
"We'll find something stupid. Hey, stop light coming up."
"And?"
"Aren't you going to kiss me?"
She chuckled and leaned over the console to kiss him briefly, before pointing to the road again.
"Now, pay attention."
"Yes ma'am."
They arrived home late and Colton had managed to stay awake enough to get inside the house under his own power, but he wasn't able to change his clothes before crashing face first onto his bed. Lindsay carried Ben carefully up the stairs, realizing suddenly how big he was getting and how hard it was to carry him.
She tucked him in gently and removed his glasses, watching him for a moment as he slept. He had a loose tooth and the baby fat was slowly leaving his cheeks, and he didn't sleepily scramble for a stuffed animal to hold onto at night. She wasn't looking at a baby boy anymore. He was a little kid now. She leaned down and kissed him a few times, then smoothed his hair back and tucked him in, leaving his jeans and polo on, because he would be thrilled about it when he woke up. She spent a few minutes cleaning up the room, then tucked Colton into his bed, smiling when he reached his hand out lazily until he found hers, then pressed it to his cheek, just like Adam sometimes did.
"Goodnight son, I love you."
He gave her a sleepy half-grin and rolled over, pulling the blankets up to his chin. He looked older somehow too; maybe it was the fact that his ninth birthday was looming just around the corner, or possibly it was the magic way that he looked more and more like Adam every day. No matter what it was, she couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for the nights when she'd rocked him to sleep in that little bedroom that was lit up by a novelty nightlight, where the cats curled at her feet and Colton kept his eyes on her until he just couldn't keep them open anymore. She missed those times more than she thought.
Quietly making her way out of the boys room, she checked on Avery, who was already in bed, snoring like crazy. She definitely needed a good nights rest after a day with no nap, and hopefully tomorrow would be okay. Her tantrums had been few and far between, but much more intense when they did happen. She didn't seem to get as mad as before, but she still whined and screamed until she wore herself out or accepted the fact that she wasn't getting what she wanted. No matter how frustrating it was, Lindsay couldn't help but tiptoe over to the bed and give her little girl a goodnight kiss, then stand there for a moment and watch her sleep.
"Hey babe," Adam whispered from the doorway. "You left your phone on the couch. You have fourteen missed calls from Taylor. Might want to call her back."
"Yeah okay," Lindsay agreed, leaving Avery's room and taking the phone from Adam, then following him downstairs.
"Fourteen calls is a lot. Did she leave a message?"
"Of course not. She hates the way her voice sounds and she doesn't want anyone to record it to play back later."
"She's not even related to you and she acts just like you."
"I trained her."
Adam laughed and opened the cabinet, looking for a movie while Lindsay stretched out on the couch and returned the calls.
"So you don't answer your phone?" Taylor greeted, sounding like she was trying to fake being mad but not succeeding very well.
"I left it because I was scatterbrained this morning. What warrants fourteen calls? Did you and Josh with the lottery?"
"No, but if we did I would probably only call you seven times because after taxes, the lottery isn't that awesome."
"I see. So what's going on?"
"Well… first of all, I don't want you to feel old."
"Taylor."
"I'm kinda pregnant."
"What?"
"I mean I'm really pregnant but just coming out and saying it like that is still awkward to me, so throwing the 'kinda' in there helps to make it better."
"You're pregnant."
"Yes."
"I'm so happy right now I don't even know what to say."
"I'm glad you're happy. I'm scared to death."
"Happy at all?"
"I think I'm in shock Linds. We weren't planning on having kids. And I'm afraid I'm going to suck at it."
"You won't suck Taylor. No one ever gets it completely right."
"You do."
"No, not at all."
"You did with me."
"That's not the same. You don't worry about being perfect, you just worry about being good. And you are going to be good, sweetie. I promise you."
"Will you be here when it happens? I'm due at the end of July."
"Of course I will. I wouldn't miss it for anything."
"Good. I am kind of excited too. Josh is going to be a really good dad. He can't wait."
"Well, share in his enthusiasm. I think pregnancy takes so long so you have time to adjust to it."
"Maybe. Do you mind being called granny?"
"Yes, I mind. I'm not ninety-four."
"How about nana? Is that okay?"
"I can deal with that."
"Okay. I need to go throw up some more."
"Alright sweetie. Call me back tomorrow and we'll talk more. I love you."
"I love you too."
They hung up the phone and Lindsay stared at it for a while.
"So, you're gonna be a grandma?" Adam chuckled, sitting down with her.
"And you're gonna be a grandpa, old man."
"No, just you. Grandma."
"Stop."
He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, kissing the top of her head.
"Is she excited?"
"She's scared, but I think she'll be excited really soon. She just has to get used to it. And it's quite the change in plans for them."
"It's an adjustment for now but she'll be fine. She's been around you and your mom enough that she's going to find herself a lot better prepared than she thought."
"I'll let her know."
"Feel old?"
"Shut up."
"Maybe we'll send you out there in a few months to help her get ready. I'm sure it would make you both feel better. Maybe you could take Avery with you."
"That's a good idea. Just a long weekend or something. Avery does keep talking about wanting to go to Montana because Colton said there's horses."
"She'll love it. We'll look at tickets tomorrow, and then we'll figure out when we can all go this summer."
"All of us?"
"Yeah, you promised your mom we would do vacation there this summer. Might as well kill two birds with one stone."
"Okay. You're wonderful, do you know that?"
"I'm just making up for the fact that my parents are spending Christmas here again."
"You don't have to make up for anything, I love your parents. And the fact that your mom cooks the entire time she's here, leaving me enough leftovers that I don't have to cook for another week after they're gone."
"You're really spoiled sometimes aren't you?"
"Yes, and I'm comfortable with that."
"I'm sure you are."
"Avery, let's go!" Adam shouted up the stairs, checking his watch.
"I comin'," she hollered back. "My shoes on!"
"Come down here and I'll help you."
She appeared at the top of the stairs with a shoe in each hand, then looked at the handrail and whimpered. She didn't like to go down the stairs without holding onto something.
"Just roll your shoes down the stairs honey."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, go ahead."
Giggling, she pushed her shoes down the stairs and clapped as they clunked all the way down.
"Where we go?"
"We're going to go pick up mama's clock. It's finally fixed."
"Oh," she sighed, hanging her head as she walked slowly down the stairs. "I break that clock. With mad."
"Yeah, I remember, but mama forgave you and the clock is fixed so we don't have to talk about it anymore."
She sat down on the bottom step and he crouched down to put her shoes on while she sighed.
"Daddy, I so sorry."
"I know you are."
"I bein' a good girl?"
"You've been a very good girl lately. I know it's hard for you sometimes when you get frustrated, but you're learning."
"Yes, I learn. But… the boys is good. I is bad."
"You are not bad. Making mistakes does not mean you're bad. Mama and I both make plenty of mistakes."
"No, you not."
"Yes we do. Everyone does. You just have to learn from them."
"Oh, okay. That good. We go now?"
"Yes, we're ready to go."
She raised her arms and he picked her up, giving her a tight hug and kissing her head.
"I love you Tink."
"I love daddy. We go get mama's clock an' a present?"
"A present for who?"
"Me! Because I learnin'!"
"Well, we'll see. Maybe we can pick up a movie for you and the boys to watch tonight."
"Okay! That be most fun."
He chuckled and they went outside where Lindsay and the boys were playing in the leftover snow that had only accumulated to an inch.
"We're leaving but we'll be back in a little while. Boys, be good."
"We will daddy! How could we be bad playin' in the snow?" Ben asked, his hand on his hip. "Extra-specially on a day when I waked up wearin' the clothes what I wored all day long!"
"I knew he'd be happy about that," Lindsay chuckled, adjusting Avery's hat. "You guys be safe okay?"
"We will. Have lunch ready for us when we get back."
"Yes sir."
Avery laughed and saluted as they made their way to the car.
"Daddy, we have music?" she asked after a while.
"Sure honey."
She nodded along to the music he found on the radio, staring out the window at the passing cars and kicking her legs gently against the seat.
"Daddy?"
"Yeah sweetheart?"
"I 'joy this. With you."
"I enjoy spending time with you too."
"I your little girl," she announced. "Mama say I get big but still be little girl for you."
"Yeah, that's right. Papa still calls mama his baby girl."
"Oh."
"That's just what daddies do."
"I love my daddy. You the goodest."
"I am?"
"Yep."
He smiled and let his eyes float from the road to her reflection in the rear-view mirror a few times, wondering just what he had done so right in life to deserve the kids he had.
They arrived at the clock repair shop a little while later and hopped out of the car. Avery looked longingly at a puddle in the middle of the parking lot, but then looked down at her boots and decided that she didn't want to get them dirty.
The bell on the door tinkled as they entered and an old man came out of the back, adjusting his glasses.
"Hi man!" Avery said, giving him a wave. "We get mama's clock. I breaked it."
"Oh that's right," he chuckled, reaching under the counter to get the box. "I've got it right here, good as new."
Avery smiled and stood on her tip-toes, trying to see until Adam lifted her up.
"Sorry I break you, clock," she said, reaching down to pat the box. "I not do again."
Adam chuckled and paid for the repair, then set Avery back on the floor so he could carry the box.
"Come on sweetie, let's take this to mama."
"Okay!"
She took his free hand and skipped as they went back to the car, then stood patiently while he put the box in the trunk and made sure it was secure.
"So, what do you think about having some hot chocolate before we go home?" he asked when he buckled her into her seat.
"Oh yes! Most yummy daddy!"
"Good. We'll go get some. It will be our treat."
"Oh daddy, love you so!"
"I love you too little girl."
"Daddy?"
"Yeah?"
"I like be good girl. It happy."
"Yeah sweetie. It makes me happy too."
She reached up and patted his face and he gave her forehead a little kiss, glad that the lessons they'd tried so hard to teach were finally sinking in.