"I'm sending you away."

Alexis slowly looked over her shoulder at me, still rifling through the stack of mail in her arms. "You're exiling me?"

"Yes," I said, "to a spa retreat."

"With other women?" She asked, the expression on her face strong, as they usually were.

"What's the problem with that?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Other women don't typically like me."

"They're jealous," I muttered, pressing a kiss to her temple, "what do you want for breakfast?"

She sighed, resting her chin on my shoulder. "Peace."

I chuckled. "You wouldn't trade the chaos for anything, mama."

She smiled. "Yeah. You're right."

She pressed a kiss to my shoulder and rubbed my back. "Henry's soccer game is today, you know."

"It's been on my calendar for a month," I said, beaming down at her.

"And Josie's-"

"Got piano lessons, yeah," I said, opening the cabinet beneath the stove.

I pulled out an iron skillet, spinning it around in my hand with a smile on my face.

"That's heavy," she said, leaning against the counter.

"I'm strong," I said, grinning down at her.

"Mm hmm, you are," she suggestively muttered, lifting an eyebrow.

I placed the skillet on the stove, scooping her up into my arms. "Four minutes. Max."

She giggled and wrapped her arms around my neck, resting her forehead against mine. "As tempting as those four minutes sound-"

"Mornin'!" Josephine pleasantly greeted.

I sighed, smiling up at Alexis. "Almost had it."

"Almost," she said, giggling as I placed her on the counter.

I smiled down at Josie, throwing her over my shoulder. "How's my princess?"

"I'm good! How's the king?" She giggled, "get it? Your last name is King!"

"She's going places," I chuckled, placing her on the counter beside Alexis.

"Hey, smile," I said, scrambling around for my phone.

"Haha!" Henry yelled, jumping up on the counter behind the girls. I chuckled as he wrapped his arms around them, and the three posed for the cutest picture.

"Super cute," I said, "Henry, nice jump, dude. Gonna be a football star before we know it."

"Please don't do it again," Alexis said, wrapping an arm around his middle.

"He does that all the time," Josie said.

"Tattletale!" Henry yelled, scoffing.

"Troublemaker!" She yelled, turning around to face him.

I grabbed Henry's leg, pulling him over my shoulder. "Before you break a bone."

"Fred, please don't grab him like that," Alexis said, her hand over her chest, "you're going to give me heart failure."

"Tell Mommy that this is what boys do," I said, turning on the stove eye.

"Yeah, Mommy, this is what boys do," Henry said, still hanging upside down.

"Why can't girls do that?" Josie asked.

"Yeah, Daddy?" Alexis asked, earning my attention in the blink of an eye.

"Why can't girls do that?" She asked, tilting her head over.

I clenched my jaw, clearing my throat. "You're a delicate little flower, my sweet Josephine Fleur."

"I don't wanna be," she said, folding her arms over her chest.

"What if I want to be a delicate little flower?" Henry asked, somehow contorting his body to make his eyes meet mine.

I smiled, looking over at Alexis.

"Best of luck," she whispered, patting my backside.

~*~

"How you doin', Hero?" I asked, looking down at him.

He shot me a thumbs up, and sped ahead of me.

"Hey," I yelled, running to catch up to him.

Hero had been joining me on my morning runs. He was essentially a lightning bolt, and could easily finish a mile in less than five minutes if I'd let him.

"Hero, you gotta slow down," I said, "your old man's not as agile as you."

"Well, then, get more agile!" He shrugged, running alongside me.

"Do you even know what that word means?"

"Hmm. Young?" He asked.

"Sure," I muttered, looking down at my watch.

"Shit."

"Bad word," he said, and I could finally hear a trace of breathlessness.

"Sorry," I breathed, typing a message out on my watch.

I stopped in my tracks, gripping my hips. "We're done."

"This is cool," he said, jogging over to me, "that we have this cool track thingy in our backyard!"

"Yeah, don't you think?" I asked, holding my hand out to him.

He high-fived me, smiling.

"Ready for your game tonight?" I asked, bracing my hands on my knees.

"Hell yeah!"

"Hero," I chuckled, "you can't say that."

"You and Uncle Fred do," he said, copying my stance.

I squinted up at the sky. "Let's go inside. Wanna grab some flowers for Mommy and Frannie?"

"Yeah," he said, kneeling down to pick a few small flowers.

"Dude, out of Mom's garden?" I asked, making him look up at me.

"Don't tell her?" He asked, plastering on a smile.

I chuckled and he held one out to me. I grabbed it and we walked up to the front door, opening it to hear Francesca singing.

Lena spun around to face me, smiling. "Hi, my beautiful boys."

"Good morning," I greeted, wrapping my arms around her waist. I lifted her off of the ground and she giggled, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Hello," she said, her eyes meeting mine.

I pressed a kiss to her lips and palmed her backside, making Hero giggle. "Gross, Dad!"

I chuckled and placed her down on the ground. "Here is your flower."

"Ah, right from the garden," she said, turning around to face Hero.

He smiled up at her. "Mommy, you just did such an amazing job of planting them, so they're really beautiful-"

He was cut off by his own giggle as Lena scooped him up into her arms, pressing kisses to his cheeks.

"Mommy, stop!" He laughed, sprawling out in her arms.

I walked over to Francesca, kneeling down. "Your flower."

She pressed a kiss to my cheek and I sat next to her on the piano bench, rubbing her back. "What song were you singing? It sounded beautiful."

"Play!" She said, gently tapping the keys.

"You're cute," I said.

"Please," Lena asked, biting down on her lip, "it's been forever since you've played."

"I played, like, a month ago."

She smiled. "Please?"

I sighed, making Hero rest a hand on my shoulder.

"Hey, word of advice, fall in love with a woman who you can't say no to."

He nodded, smiling.

I placed my fingers on the keys, smiling up at Lena. "Don't judge my rustiness."

She grinned, leaning against the piano. I began playing and Fran gasped, sitting on her knees.

I very rarely played anymore, and I was unsure as to why. Lena and the kids loved to listen to me play.

"Wow, Dad, you're good," Hero said, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"You think so?"

He nodded, and I continued to play for the three of them. I looked up at Lena and smiled, finishing off the short tune I played.

"More, Daddy!" Francesca yelled, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"Daddy's got to get ready for work," I said, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose.

She pouted her bottom lip out, her big, brown eyes staring into mine.

"Hey, don't do that," I said, "you look like your mom."

Lena smiled, holding out her hand to Fran. "It's the eyes."

She picked Francesca up, pressing a kiss to her cheek.

"Mommy and Frannie have pretty eyes," Hero said, "mine are weird."

"What?" I asked, looking over at him, "you've got grey eyes, dude."

"They're boring."

Lena grabbed his chin gently, tilting his head up. "Your dad and I have had this same conversation before. You have beautiful eyes."

I smiled up at her, standing up. "All of you have the most beautiful eyes."

I grabbed Lena's chin and pressed a kiss to her lips, making Fran cover her eyes. Hero laughed and ran into the kitchen. "Cooties!"

~*~

"That's my boy!" I yelled, laughing as Henry made a goal.

He shot me a smile and waved, fist bumping Hero as he ran to the middle of the field.

"I don't ever want them to take the business."

"They're five, Jo," I said, "I don't think we need to worry about that right now."

"Henry lives and breathes soccer and football, Fred," he said, looking over at me.

"Okay, and we'll worry about that when they aren't five."

"I could take the business, Daddy," Josephine said, peeking over at us with a smile.

"Yes ma'am, you could," I said, high-fiving her, "you could run it all with your pinkie finger."

Alexis giggled and rubbed her hair. "Watch your brother play. He's about to go again."

Jo smiled and rested his elbows on his thighs. "Look at Hero. He's Henry's biggest fan."

Lena giggled.

"You got it, Henry," I yelled, keeping my eyes glued to him as he ran at the speed of light.

"How does he run that fast, God?" Alexis asked, keeping her eyes locked on him.

Jo and I stood up. "Fred, he needs to watch out."

"Henry!" I yelled, and the entire crowd gasped when he hit the ground with a loud grunt.

Alexis shot up, making me place a hand on her shoulder. "Calm down. He's okay."

Jo tilted his head over, biting down on his lip. "Give him a second. He just got the wind knocked out of him."

"Hero?" I heard him say, making me chew on my lip.

"He's okay," I said, gently rubbing Alexis's back.

Hero ran across the field to him, helping him up. Henry shot me a thumbs up and I let out a sigh of relief, making Alexis angrily spin around.

"Who does number eight belong to?" She asked, making my eyes go wide.

"Baby, that's soccer," I muttered.

"You look extra guilty," Alexis said, standing up on the bleachers, "considering you're wearing your number eight jersey, with your team's ugly colors, by the way."

Jo covered his mouth with his fist, attempting to hide his grin.

"If I see your child tackle mine again, so help me God-"

"What are you going to do?" The lady asked, making my eyes go round.

"Holy shit," Jo and I said in unison.

"Do you want me to show you?" Alexis asked, making me scoop her into my arms before she could make her way up the bleachers.

"Nope, not today," I said.

"Yeah, don't let your kid play soccer if he can't take a hit."

This time, it was a man's voice, making me slowly spin around with Alexis still in my arms.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Phone, quick!" Jo whisper-yelled, scrambling around for his phone.

"My kid can take the hit," I said, "let's see if you can take a hit like that."

"Yeah, let's see-" Alexis began, squirming in my arms.

"Mom, Dad?"

Alexis and I both turned around, seeing Henry standing at the bottom of the bleachers.

"I'm fine," he said, smiling with a nod.

"Promise?" Alexis asked, shooting him an innocent smile.

"Yep," he said, nodding.

"Love you, Henry!" Josie yelled, "take em' down!"

Alexis shot the couple a threatening glance before sitting down, placing her hand on my leg.

"God, that's the way to strike a nerve," I muttered, rubbing my jaw.

"Come here," she whispered.

I leaned closer to her, lifting an eyebrow.

"That really turned me on," she whispered, "so feel free to take that anger out on me whenever you see fit."

I pulled away from her, tilting my head over. "At the soccer game?"

She giggled and rested her head on my shoulder. "Not now."

~*~

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