See the Joy - Chapter 4
I've learned that you can tell a lot about a person by the way he/she handles these three things: a rainy day, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights. - Maya Angelou
Getting dinner on the table for three kids (plus one baby) isn't the easiest thing in the world, but he's got a system going that's close to foolproof. He wears Eva on his chest while he works on the food for himself, Lily, and the twins, listening to the three who can talk tell him about their days. Sometimes he gets all three of them in on cooking, but on nights where they're running behind (like tonight, which is his fault; they'd been at the park a little too long after school) he tackles it himself.
On nights like this, he gets Lily in on helping him set the table, while Reece and Jake are in charge of folding the napkins into abstract shapes that he and Lily pretend look exactly like what they say they are.
"Okay, PB and J, Sprout, it looks like we are almost ready to eat. Is everything on the table?"
"Ya Daddy!" Reece chirps. "Da monkey, da dwagon, da turtle, an' da snake are on da table. Eva doesn't need one yet. 'Cept if she burps up stuff."
Castle chuckles. "Perfect, bud. Lily, all plates accounted for?"
"Uh huh," Lily says, leaning over to switch two of the napkins so she doesn't get the "snake" from her brothers.
Rick hides a smile against Eva's hair.
"Drinks?" he asks, keeping this dinner service going.
The boys scramble for their water bottles, running past Rick into the kitchen to grab their stool and use the dispenser to fill them. He notes with amusement that Jake's the one in charge of opening the bottles while Reece gets to be the one to fill them.
Lily follows at a more sedate place, filling her water as well before reaching into the fridge and grabbing one of the pre-cut lemon wedges from the fruit drawer. Just like her Gram, always looking to add flair to life.
Rick hides his smile against Eva's head, patting her back as she kicks her legs and squirms. "Yes, I'll get your food too. That way you can eat with your brothers and sister."
He skirts around the kids, reaching into the fridge for a bottle. In the time it takes for Lily and the boys to settle into their seats, he's able to put it in the warmer and grab a drink for himself.
"Okay," he says once he's at the table too, freeing Eva from the sling and resting her in the crook of his arm. "It's dinner time."
All three of the kids dive into their food – pork chops and mac and cheese – with a gusto that speaks to how hard they played at school and then during their time at the park.
And oh, they played hard. He does hope Kate gets home before he ushers the kids upstairs for baths; dinner he can handle, but getting the three crazies in and out of the bath is always a time. Having his partner on hand is always appreciated.
As if he's summoned her by thinking her name (impossible, he knows, since he thinks her name dozens of times a day and it never brings her through the door then), there's a scrape of a key in the lock and Kate steps through the doorway, looking windswept and a bit chilly.
"Mommy!" Lily grins, glancing at him for permission before sliding out of her chair and running to Kate with the boys hot on her heels. "You're early!"
Kate drops her bag just before the kids reach her, freeing up her arms to catch them and hold on. She greets them quietly, doing her best to listen to their chorus of greetings and rapid-fire questions.
He takes a long look at his wife's face, watching her eyes slip shut as she puts whatever she'd seen at work away and comes home. She's been back at work for a couple of months, having taken a longer leave after Eva was born to recover from the birth and spend time with their newborn for an extra few weeks before returning to part time and then three-quarters time, but this time of year is always difficult for her.
After a moment, Kate's eyes open and she presses kisses to their head. "I can't wait to hear more. But you three need to go eat your dinner first while I go change."
They listen to part of her directive, letting go of their mother's waist but reaching for her hands and tugging her to the table instead. Lily breaks away to retrieve another plate and silverware (and yes, a napkin the boys fight over folding into a fish, of all things) for Kate.
"Or I can sit down and have dinner first," she says, her tone dry. "Hey, babe," Kate adds looking amused.
Rick chuckles. "Looks like it was decided for you." He's careful not to jostle Eva or her bottle when he leans over to kiss his wife. "Hi, by the way. Rough day?"
Kate's fingers brush his cheek, cold against his skin. She comes back for another kiss, gentle and sweet. "Busy. So busy. I'll tell you about it later," she says, bumping her forehead against his. "In the meantime, though, why don't you tell me what you guys did today? What'd I miss while I was doing boring work stuff."
He nods, passing the baby over to Kate, bottle and all, as the boys dive into their tale of playground insanity. Kate smiles, listens to every word and more, asking questions that make their sons giggle before nudging Lily to give her details about her day. It takes the girl a little time, but eventually, their daughter elaborates and offers more than a few highlights.
She's tired, he knows that from the way she's sitting a little lower in her chair and the way she keeps shifting Eva to cuddle her closer and blinking when she thinks nobody's looking, but she hangs in there to have dinner, herd the kids into their baths, and be with them until the kids fall asleep happy.
There's no shame in the fact that they fall asleep curled together on the couch either; they'll wake up when Eva gets up and end up in their bed eventually.
Thank you for reading! I appreciate you all. Until next chapter.
Prompt: Coming Home