Christian
Crying brings me out of my sleep and I quickly drag my ass out of bed before Katie wakes up Sophie. "Good morning princess." The moment I pick her up and hold her close to my chest while placing a gentle kiss on her head she stops crying and as always it tugs at my heart.
As I do so often I start to wonder who she thinks I am. I mean she's obviously comfortable with me but then she's also comfortable with my brothers and parents still, I can't help but wonder if she thinks more of me. I wonder if she thinks I'm her dad from hearing Sophie and Brody calling me dad. I know she's only 6 months old but still, babies are more intelligent than we give them credit for.
She starts babbling bringing me out of my thoughts and I walk her over to the chair that I have by my window and lay her across my lap so that I can change her diaper. I really need to invest in a changing station.
Once she's all clean again I check the time and slowly groan when I see that it's 4 am and a wide-awake Katie at this time means no more sleep for me. I grab the baby monitor so that I can listen out for Sophie and head downstairs to the kitchen to make Katie a bottle.
I'm almost at the bottom of the stairs when I notice that one of the lights is on in the kitchen. I'm sure I turned them all off last night. I turn around the corner bouncing Katie on my hip when I'm met with the sight of Molly. She's sitting at the table with her arms resting on the table and her head on her arms and she's sleeping.
She must have woken up again after I left her room last night. My mind wonders back to last night and that horrible feeling quickly reappears in my chest at seeing her so upset. Once I had managed to calm her down after her nightmare I sat on the bed with her until she was sleeping before going to my own bedroom.
And once I got to my room I couldn't get to sleep for ages because every time I closed my eyes I replayed everything in my head despite trying my hardest to let it all go. And then when I finally managed to get her out of my head my mind wandered to today and the visit with Sally and what's to come. Fuck I'm tired!
I walk over to Katie's high chair and sit her in it, well it's Sophie's old high chair. Zack got it out of the storage barn a few days ago and disinfected it and there's not a mark on it and perfect for Katie as she's just gotten to the age where she can sit in a hair chair.
She happily babbles away as I place her in there and secure the lap belt for extra safety. Once she's happy I walk over to Molly and gently shake her arm "Molly!" I lowly whisper but she doesn't move an inch. "Molls wake up." Still nothing.
I huff out in frustation. Frustration at her sleeping down here when she has a perfectly fine bed upstairs, frustration at her not waking up when I call her but more than anything frustration at how unbelievably fucking cute she looks. Fuck my life! Why am I so attracted to her when I dislike her so much?
After another two failed attempts at waking her up, I carefully scoop her up in my arms and walk over to the couch, if she keeps sleeping at the table in the shape that she was she'll have one hell of a stiff neck. She stirs a little as I carry her then leans her head on my chest and hmms a content sound in her sleep.
I carefully lay her down on the couch and take the throw that's hanging over the back and cover her over so that she doesn't get cold. I head back over to Katie smiling at her cheeky smile that she's giving me and place a kiss on her forehead before I go over to the kitchen unit and flick the kettle on ready to make her a bottle.
The light on the kettle turns blue as it starts to boil but as I start to prepare Katie's bottle my mind wanders to the feeling of Molly in my arms as I carried her over to the couch. She's so small and light and she curled into my body too perfectly, as if she was made for me. I need to find out what she's hiding and she needs to go before I drive myself insane.
The kettle coming to a boil brings my attention back to the room. I concentrate on making Katie's bottle while I change my thought process and think about what I need to buy and do today to get the bedroom ready for the kids plus I have to head down to the courthouse at some point today.
"Morning Chris, Good morning bubble bum!" I look up to see Callum heading towards us, yarning and stretching while smiling brightly at Katie.
"Morning Cal, what's got you up so early?" I take Katie out of the highchair and pull back a chair to start feeding her.
"Couldn't sleep and we've got a busy day today so thought I'd get a head start." He walks over to me and takes Katie from my arms and sits across from me feeding her.
"Thank you, Cal. I hope you know how much I appreciate your help, I really do," I dont thank my brothers or show my gratitude half as much as I should.
"No need to thank me Chris we're family and we look out for each other and there's nothing that I wouldn't do for you or these beautiful kids of yours,"
I look over at him and the look on his face shows how truthful he's being right now, not that I'd think any different, I know he's telling the truth and he knows that if it was the other way around I'd do the same for him.
"Coffee?"
"Yes please."
"Now your talking!" I look across the room and see Zack strolling in half asleep. He didn't have any of the kids in with him last night so I'm guessing his alarm must have gone off, there's no way he'd be up this early otherwise.
I get to work on the coffee just as Sophie starts calling me through the baby monitor. She knows that if I'm not there when she wakes up just call and one of us will go and get her.
"I've got her." Tom's voice comes through the monitor just seconds before I hear Brody's small feet thump down the stairs.
"Morning Daddy!" He sings out as he makes a bee-line for Zack and lands up on his lap.
"Good morning, handsome!"
"Goo moring Daddy!" Sophie sings out as she gets comfy on Tom's lap.
"Good morning princess!" Fuck it's gone from quite calm to busy and noisy within 10 minutes and just to complete the family gathering not 30 seconds later my mom and dad come down and we've got a full house.
I pour everyone coffee and juice for the kids before I join them at the table.
"What's the plan today?" Every morning my dad asks the same question it's pretty much become a morning routine of us all sitting around the table drinking coffee and arranging our day although I will admit that it has been a long time since we've all been sat here at the same time.
Usually, someone is missing mainly Callum and Jack. Callum because he does a lot of the night shifts at the pub and Jack because he spends most of the nights that he's not working hooking up with some girl and not crawling into bed until the early hours. We all take it in turns with the night shifts at the pub, in fact, rarely, I'm not there when I dont have the kids.
"I was on the day shift today but I've arranged for Connor to cover me so I can be here to help with the bedroom," Zack speaks first and I nod his way silently thanking him.
"Tom and I have the fields covered and Hunter will be here at 12 so Tom will come back in then and help you guys. Jack adds in.
"I've got the late shift tonight so I'm free all day for whatever is needed," Callum tells us.
"And your mother and I will take care of the kids and the school runs today so you dont have to worry about them," Dad tells me and again I'm reminded of how lucky I am to have these people as my family.
"I can help where ever you need me." we all turn our heads to the gentle voice of Molly as she stretches and walks towards the kitchen. She's wearing tiny shorts and a tank top that somehow I failed to notice earlier and I swear I'm bastard drooling. Fuck, I'm so screwed!