One String Attached

13.

.Riley.

"I can't get over how quick Asher and Liyah have grown," Maisy says to me as the two of us were sat in the local café.
"Tell me about it. Look at how quick your Vi's growing too," I chuckle in response.
James and Maisy's partner, Shaye, were sat on a separate table to us having their own conversation while the kids were in the play corner together. Aaliyah and Violet were trying to control their brothers, Ash and Kendrick, as they ran about, chasing one another while Maisy and I kept our eyes on the lot of them.

"It's crazy, isn't it," Mai continues, gaining my attention again as I look away from my children to face her. "One minute they were babies in the cot and now the girls are in year one while Ash and Ken are heading into primary school in September," she tells me, making me breathe in and out again jokily, making her chuckle.
She was right though. It was crazy. Aaliyah and Violet will be in year two in only seven months, while Asher will be heading to Reception and won't be needing to hold onto my hand so tightly anymore. They're growing, and watching the two of them develop is one of the most beautiful things.

"So have you got any plans for the rest of the week before the kids go back to school?" I ask her.
It was mid-February still and the children only had four days left before they were due to go back and their half-term was over.
It was a short one as it was only two weeks long, but it was better than nothing. And with James and I running the studio together, it meant we were flexible enough to navigate around the dates and do things with the kids.

"No, not really. Shaye's due to go abroad in a couple of days to Australia so I'll be left with the kids. We might do a few day trips to the cinema, beach, museum, et cetera," she says, causing me to chuckle with a nod in understanding.
Shaye had a job as part of the cabin aircrew, meaning he went away often so he was rarely around to spend time with the kids. 
"What about you?" she asks me.

"James and I will be going away to his parents on Thursday for two or three days. They live about two hours away so it'll be a fun little journey," I tell her with a slight laugh, making her nod as she smiles softly.
"Let's just make sure James doesn't fall asleep whilst driving," she responds, saying the last bit a little louder as she leans her head back so that James would hear her. 

He turns his head around to face the two of us before rolling his eyes at the two of us.
"As if. I've driven across borders without falling asleep, Maisy. I'm pretty sure I can go two hours without taking a nap," he replies, sending me a soft smile as he smirks at my friend. 

Before anything else can be spoken, Aaliyah rushes over to me at the same time as Violet rushes over to Mai and each of the girls place their hands on our laps, causing us to look down at them in alarm.
"Can we have a sleepover?" both of them say at the exact same time.

Maisy and I look at each other with the same exhausted looks on our faces before sighing. I comb my fingers through Aaliyah's soft and straightened hair before shrugging.
"Okay, but only for one night, alright," I say to her, making Mai nod her head in agreement as she looks down at her own daughter. "Vi can come to ours and she can stay in your room."
"Yay! Thank you, Mummy!" Liyah squeals before reaching forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I love you," she tells me quickly. 

I chuckle and kiss her cheek before she pulls away from me and then grabs Violet's hand for the two of them to go running back towards their brothers.
"Isn't it funny how they only love you when you give them what they want," I smirk, facing Maisy once again. She nods her head, her lips pursed together as she smirks as well.
"Tell me about it," she chuckles.

. . .

Later that night, Asher, Kendrick, Aaliyah and Violet were all sat beside one another on the sofa, watching a Disney Pixar movie on the large TV screen in front of them. James and I were in the kitchen, both of us sat by the kitchen island on stools beside each other. He was on his phone scrolling through something whilst I sat there, keeping an eye on the kids.
I couldn't get mine and Maisy's conversation out of my head. They were all growing so fast and I couldn't tell if I liked it or not. Ash and Liyah were my babies. Watching them grow up is a lot scarier than I thought it would be.

"They're really not babies anymore, are they?" I speak up to James. At the sound of my voice, he turns his had around to look at me before realising I had said something. he takes a moment to process my words before he puts his phone down, then looks over to the children before gazing back at me. He sighs and places his hand on top of mine, linking our fingers together.
"They're growing," he tells me and I nod my head, watching as the lot of them started to laugh at something Buzz Lightyear had said. "But that doesn't mean they're changing," he says to me, making me lick my lower lip as I look at him.

"What do you mean?"
"They might be growing but that doesn't change anything, Ri," he tells me with the shake of his head. "They're still the same children you gave birth to in the hospital, the same children who cry when you tell them off and laugh when you tickle them. Asher and Aaliyah are still your babies, lovely. Just because they might not exactly be babies anymore, that doesn't mean they're not yours," he explains, making me sigh.

I know he was right. But why does it still scare me?

"Being a parent comes with a lot of challenges," he continues to say when he takes in how uneasy I was feeling about this whole topic. "Watching your children grow up is one of them. But we'll get through it, and so will they. They'll be the best versions they can be, even better than we ever were, okay. We'll get through it all together," he tells me, making me smile at him softly as he reaches forward to press his lips against my cheek, then I sigh and rest my head on his shoulder.

"Ewww!" all four of the kids chorus at once and it's when I look ahead of me that I see all of them pointing their fingers at James and I, making me roll my eyes as James chuckles. 

He stands up, moving his hand to my hair as he strokes it softly but looks at the kids sternly.
"Don't complain otherwise you'll be getting kisses too!" he says to them all, making them scream suddenly and then they jump off of the sofa and start running up the stairs in a panic, making me smirk as I watch them. James rolls his eyes as they toddle on upwards, but then I blink, looking towards the staircase again to see all the children gone, including little Ash . . . 

"Did Asher just go up the stairs on his own?" I question. James pauses then looks to the staircase again as well before breathing out, his eyes widening as I look up at him.
"I think he did . . ." he says, making me smile before he leans down to press his lips against mine.

When he leaves me to go upstairs and start playing his own little game of fun with the kids, I smile to myself as I grab my phone before taking to Instagram.