Alaina-14
Ryan-12
Ava-10
Scarlett-10
Isabella-10
Connor-10
Madeline-6
Dylan-3
A couple days later, Tuesday November 14th 2034
Eddie was still at work while Jamie was home with the kids. Ryan was watching tv and the rest of them were upstairs doing homework.
"Can you guys come down and clean up the kitchen for your mom please?" Jamie yelled up the stairs.
"Can I finish this chapter?" Alaina asked yelling back from her room.
"Sure. Ryan you too, cmon." Jamie told him.
"I'd rather do laundry." He said and headed up the stairs.
"Okay? Who's?" He asked confused.
"Mine." He replied, Jamie still was confused and turned his eyebrows at him.
"Remember that thing you said that happens sometimes..?"
"Got it. Go." Jamie shooed him off not needing to hear more.
"What happens?" Ava wondered passing him on the steps.
"Nothing." Jamie told her in hopes she'd drop it, Scarlett came down the steps too. Jamie went up to see if Ryan needed help or wanted to talk about anything.
"Dad no. Go away." He told him as he stripped his bed quickly.
"Okay…just making sure you don't wanna talk?"
"No dad." He clearly was embarrassed.
"Alright…well let me know." He said and left his door ajar.
"Alaina please go help your sisters, I'm gonna get a shower." Jamie told her peaking into her room next.
"Why can't Ryan!? Or better question, why do 3 people need to clean up the kitchen!? I do it all alone half the time just like mom!" She argued. While she had a point, Jamie was in charge and he didn't like her back talk. He took a deep breath and tried to keep calm.
"I asked you to go down and help your sisters so that's what I expect. Don't worry about what your brothers doing or anyone else for that matter. Your job is to do as you're told. I was nice and said you could finish your chapter, let them get a head start. It seems like you've finished, so now I need you to go help. End of discussion." Jamie tells Alaina before walking away to take a shower.
"So sexist." Alaina mumbled heading angrily towards the steps.
"What did you say?" Jamie stopped her.
"Just because we're girls shouldn't mean we have to do all the housework! What's that teaching him!?" She was very angry about this.
"You know that's not at all true. He plays baseball, he can't help out much during the week like you guys and he's doing laundry, not whatever he wants."
"Excuses excuses! If he gets the week off then why can't I have the weekends off! I'll mow the yard and take out the trash!" She argued.
"Deal. But you gotta do it right, you can't half ass it." He told her.
"I won't!" She said.
"Good, we'll start it this weekend, go help your sisters in the kitchen." He told her and watched her head off. She was getting more stubborn with age.
——
When Jamie got out of the shower, he was surprised to see Eddie changing rather quickly into regular clothes."
"Hey, you're home earlier then thought…?" Jamie pointed out.
"Didn't someone call you?" She asked flustered.
"Who? About what?" He asked confused. Eddie came closer so the kids wouldn't hear.
"Danny called, Maria's in the hospital, she got a knife thrown at her or something. I don't know. I have to go pick up Isabella and she's gonna stay with us tonight." She was flustered.
"What!?" Jamie was surprised.
"She was going into surgery half hour ago-"
"Who go shot!?" Ryan asked hearing Eddie.
"Sh! No one! Go! I will talk to you later!" Eddie shooed him away and Jamie shut the bedroom door before any of the other kids heard.
"Why wouldn't anyone call me?!" He pulled his phone out to check for any missed texts or calls.
"I don't know, but I have to go. Don't tell the kids what's going on!"
"Oh cause that's easy, Ryan isn't stupid!What am I supposed to say?!"
"I don't know Jamie make something up."
"I'm not gonna lie to Alaina and Ryan, the twins sure. I'll make something up."
"Neither one them better say anything, Isabella doesn't know what's going on, it's our job to keep it that way."
"Don't you think we should match our stories? Whatever Isabella thinks is going on should be the same thing I tell the twins."
"Well as of right now, she thinks they're both busy at work."
"Oh well that's easy enough, I can run with that." He says getting dressed.
"Good, I gotta go, I'm just gonna pickup pizza for dinner."
"Perfect. See ya soon." He said and she left in a hurry.
He went downstairs and called the older two into the other room, they had all been watching tv and didn't need the twins hearing.
"Dad what happened? Ryan said that-" Alaina started.
"Sh. Listen. We're not telling your sisters what's actually going on but, Maria got hurt at work today, she's in the hospital, so Isabella's gonna stay over tonight."
"Hurt how?" Alaina wondered.
"She got shot! Duh!" Ryan said.
"Sh! No she didn't, she got cut. As far as your sisters and Isabella are concerned though she's just working late tonight. Got it?!" Jamie said with firmness.
"Is she okay?" Alaina asked.
"I think so, I honestly don't know much right now. Mom went to get Isabella, and pizza for dinner, so put on a happy face and let's go tell your sisters about the surprise sleepover." Jamie said and they followed him out.
The girls were thrilled and didnt suspect a thing. Eddie came back with isabella and 3 pizzas for dinner.
They all sat down and ate, talked about school and funny things that happened today, they all laughed and had a good time.
"Now, beings its a school night were not staying up any later then normal alright girls?" Eddie clarifies before they all run upstairs to play.
"We know!" Ava answered and the 3 of them all raced up the steps.
"Danny say how Maria was?" Jamie asked Eddie while she cleaned up from dinner.
"She was still in surgery, why dont you call him." she suggested. he pulled out his phone and went outside.
"You two finish your homework?" Eddie asked redirecting her focus to Alaina and Ryan at the table.
"Yeah, I finished my science project, we present them tomorrow." Ryan said.
"Thats exciting, are you nervous?"
"Not really, Grant said it was fun." he shrugged and put his dish in the dishwasher.
"Thats cause Grants a jock, popular, and knows he's cool." Alaina explains.
"Well I'm still not nervous." He tells her.
"Just don't mess up." Alaina says with sass.
"Hey, knock it off." Eddie says with a cocked head. Alaina shrugs and cleans up her plate before going back up to her room. Jamie comes back inside and tells Eddie that Maria is out of surgery, it went well and she's gonna be good to go home tomorrow sometime. They were both relieved obviously.
Later, after Eddie got Isabella set up on the twins floor to go to bed, and the rest of them off to sleep. She was exhausted too and decided to head to bed too, where Jamie was already.
"I snuck this up for us." Jamie pulled a bottle of wine out of nowhere and Eddie laughed.
"Oh you're the best." She said and sat on the bed while he poured her a glass.
"You know you're the best mom right?"
"No one's the best Jamie." She says shaking her head.
"Well in my eyes you are. You took care of 5 kids tonight like it was nothing. I feel like I can barely manage our 4 half the time." He admits.
"Honey stop, you're great." She rubbed his back.
"I just mean, sometimes they really run my patience thin."
"Well if you think that doesn't happen to me…" she raised her eyebrows.
"No I know. Just, like for example tonight, I asked Alaina to help clean up the kitchen and she gets so pissed Ryan wasn't asked. And that I'm being sexist."
"Oh geez." She shook her head.
"Like what the hell?"
"She has been a little off, maybe she's taking this whole thing with Cade harder then we thought." She shrugged.
"Maybe, but she's young, it's not like they were full on together and dating like she was 18. She's 14 Eddie."
"Can't put an age limit on heartbreak." She shrugged and sipped again. She was right, Jamie just had to give her some space maybe.
"I'll talk to her tomorrow after school, see what she says." Eddie told him.
"Good, because she won't say anything to me I don't think." Jamie said.
"Yeah no. Leave me to it, okay?"
"Yeah." He leaned in for a kiss, they finished their wine and passed out.
——
Random extra busy night! Glad Maria's okay! Who would've thought as the kids got older the more work it still would be haha. I think they are both definitely glad they didn't have anymore kids, at least Isabella is a sweetheart. Leave your thoughts