Coffee Shop | Elizabeth Olsen

87: Coffee Shop

I could feel the summer sun shining on my face from the open curtains that Nell and I were too lazy to close last night after putting the kids to bed. "Angel?" I mumble. "Mhmm." Her response was still hazed with sleep. I rolled over and hid from the warm rays in her chest and her arm lazying wrapped around my waist not really holding me there but the gesture was nice. "Morning, Princess." She managed out after a few more minutes. I lifted my head up to look at her. "Morning." I smiled and leaned up to peck her lips.  

After 15 years I still feel lucky to wake up to her every single morning. We pecked each other's lips a few times before pulling away and I gazed into her eyes for a few moments before she began to frown. "What time is it?" She asked sitting up slightly holding me properly this time. I rolled my head against her chest to look at the alarm clock. "10," I mumbled closing my eyes again and snuggling further into her chest wanting to go back to sleep. "The kids are quiet." She says sitting up further. "Shoot." We both sprung out of bed and rushed out into the hall. "Kids," I called looking around waiting for one of them to call back. "Kitchen!" K called out. I rushed down the stairs and Nell followed after me. We were shocked to see our four kids with a homemade card and breakfast on the counter. "Happy Mother's day, mummy and muma." They say in unison smiling at us. "You guys." Nell gushes hugging them all at once. I hug them in turns and thank them. Over the past 10 years, we've had 3 more children and they're the light of our lives. 

We have Isaiah he's 9 he and K are super close it's really nice to see their bond. He's really into his water sports like his uncles, he's taking surf lessons now which took a lot of convincing to allow him to actually do them, we were worried he'd get hurt but he's taken swimming lessons since he was 3 years old and we know he can handle himself out there with his instructor, of course. 

Then we had our twins Taylor and Hayley they're 6. everyone says Taylor is like me she's quiet around new people but totally random and loud when she's comfortable. She puts these little shows on for us in the evenings and she sings and dances and she's so funny. Very dramatic too. She's asked a few times to do what mummy does meaning acting like me. We're trying to keep her away from acting as a child, she can do it at her theatre school she goes to but not professionally, I saw how it affected my sisters I don't want that for my baby girl. 

Hayley is still finding herself, some days she's loud others she's quiet. Sometimes she wants all the attention on her other days she wants to be left alone in her arts corner of the playroom drawing and creating things. She liked hugs from her Muma not from her siblings, she reminded me of Nell in that sense. She was really good at picking up on people's emotions, Taylor's especially she always knew if someone was mad or upset even if they were trying their best to hide it. 

All three of our girls dance, Isaiah did it for a while but decided it wasn't for him and took up water polo instead. Life with four kids wasn't always easy, Nell and I sometimes found it difficult to get time together, our date nights have reduced massively and we often have to quickly meet each other on our lunch breaks to be able to catch up with one another. Sometimes it causes small arguments between us mostly because we lack the energy to efficiently communicate, we'd always get over it after an hour or so. But they were worth everything. 

I didn't carry Taylor and Hayley at that point my body wasn't up for it and the chance of harm coming to the baby or myself was too big of a risk so Nell actually carried them. It was nice to experience that with her and she really enjoyed pregnancy it suited her, she was glowing and happy nothing like I was. I was a bag of nerves both times I was pregnant. 

K she takes care of them all so well, she's very relaxed and she goes with the flow of things but she's always there to dry their tears. She's the first to say I love you, she's the first to comfort someone.  We still read with her every night, she reads to us now which she's been doing for a while. She was our little bookworm, all the reading to her when she was young paid off. The other three still prefer us to read to them so we do.