Rose petals

Chapter 17

"Good morning my loves." I whispered as I watched my two four year olds turn away from me. "You're not going to give me a 'welcome back' hug?" I pouted as Emerson squinted his eyes open and looked at me in confusion before shaking Elle awake. He looked unsure if I was really here or not.

"Daddy it's too early." She groaned as she pulled her blanket over her head.

Three.

Two.

One.

"Daddy?!" She yelled as she threw the blanket off and looked at me in shock.

The two of them wasted no time throwing themselves at me as I burst into a fit of laughter. Wrapping their arms around my neck, I held them as tight as I possibly could. I haven't held them in an entire week and it's the one thing I missed the most. I went from holding them twenty-four hours a day and cuddling them whenever I wished, to not being able to hold them for seven full days.

"Don't go for that long ever again." Emerson mumbled as he pulled away and kissed my cheek before hugging me again.

"I thought you guys didn't miss me." I pouted as they both pulled away and rapidly shook their heads. "Okay fine, I believe you." I grinned as I peppered their faces with kisses.

"Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Elle glared as she pulled away from me and crossed her arms. "We had a whole entire big surprise planned for you." She groaned as Emerson nodded in agreement.

"Because I wanted to surprise you both." I said as I rolled my eyes in amusement and picked them both up in my arms and carried them out of Everly's old room and down the stairs.

"Gigi, did you know daddy was coming home today?" Elle asked accusingly as Athena shook her head and slid three plates in front of us filled with small pancakes, half of an omelet, and toast.

"You kids have been eating good." I gasped as I dumped them to the side and dug into my breakfast.

"After you've eaten, go upstairs and get some sleep. You must be exhausted." Athena frowned as she sat with us and started eating while I cut up the twins pancakes.

"No can do, I have seven days to make up for." I said, winking at the twins who could barely sit still in their seats.

"Daddy, we have so much gossip to spill." Elle said with a mouthful of toast.

"It's not gossip, Elle. Uncle Noah said it's called 'spilling the tea'." Emerson corrected as he rolled his eyes while Elle waved him off. "Dad, did you drink tea in London? Uncle Max said England people have tea in their bodies instead of blood." He asked. I almost choked.

"No sweetheart, British people don't have tea in their bodies instead of blood." I chuckled as he shrugged his shoulders and sipped on his apple juice. "Now what 'tea' do you have to spill." I asked in amusement. I missed this more than anything else.

"Well, Elle and I were playing in the backyard with Aunt Rach and I heard Emma tell Elle that she had a boyfriend. A whole boyfriend, dad! And I remembered that you said boyfriends are bad so I told East because you said that brothers protect their sisters from bad things. So East and me and Kai made Ari spill the beans and you'll never guess who it was." He said dramatically while Elle smirked in her seat.

"Who was it, love?" I asked, unable to stop the smile on my face.

"It was Justin from next door!" He yelled as I gasped in shock.

Justin is the same age as Emma, Easton, and Ariana. Their family moved in just a year ago and the kids absolutely adore playing with him. They all welcomed him with open arms and he's probably the shyest and sweetest kid I've ever met, after Ariana of course. The rest of the kids in our family are crazy.