Growing up is 2 hard

"Make sure I see my baby again, soon."

(December 1st, Friday, 8:07pm)
Cadey's POV:
"Dacy, why do some people have a mommy and a daddy?" Caeli came up to me holding two Barbie dolls.

"Uh... because some people are normal?" I don't even know what to say to that?

"Yeah, but why?" Her brown eyes shine with curiosity. Her golden locks lingering behind them.

"Because they love each other."

"Do you love, Berty?"

"Of course I love Berty he's my best friend." I explain.

"My Daddy an Poppy love ea o eryyyy mushhh." Karder (or Keegan) speaks as he pushes a car across the floor slowly.

We all coo at him.

"Daddy gets real happy, when daddy home from cooledge." Ella tells us.

"Say that last word one more time. Where does Daddy go Ella?" Pony giggles.

"Cooledge." She stuck her head out thinking she's said that perfectly correct.

"Mh, okay." He started laughing after she said it again.

"My Poppy, My Daddy, warmy!" One of the boys threw his arms up in the air.

"Warmy?" Steve raises an eyebrow.

"Keegan, sit." Karder sits his brother down before sitting beside him. He then lifts Keegan's shirt and sticks his little feet straight onto his brothers body.

Karder wiggles a little, "brrrr, cold!" He mocks.

"It is cold. Your Poppy tries to freeze me." Steve says.

"One time my Daddy said my Daddy, so white frosty didn't got no-ting on him." Ella shook her head and laughed at her comment.

"That's really funny cause he is." Mrs. Curtis started laughing again.

"That okay, Me like frosty." Ella pushed a blonde chunk of her hair out of her face.

"I do too." Mr. Curtis agreed.

"Karder, girl!" Keegan is pushing his brother back out of Ella's room and into the living room.

"No, girl. Do hair." He pointed to the bows in the pigtails in the top of his head.

They both talk long strings of gibberish, before Karder points at Soda, "Pretty, like Poppy."

Keegan points the other way, "Daddy, stong!" He growls.

Karder rolls his eyes and walks away. Keegan does the same, but walks the other way. He sits down to play with Shayanne (Darry & Tracy's daughter).

Ella comes back out holding her pajamas in her hands. "Daddies, I'm ready to take a bath." She pops her hand in her hip.

"You are Ponyboy's child." Darry nods.

And dammit she is. Her big eyes look just like his. Everything does, but at the same time she looks like my brother.

"That's a great idea." Pony grins and the three of them are now all up and moving.

Literally when I look up I see Shayanne asleep in Tracy's lap so I ask, "wait, what time is it?"

"10:47" Mr. Randle tells.

"Oh shit." I gasp.

Caeli starts jumping and pointing, "see! I told you my Dacy curses!"

"Yeah, cause we've gotta go, Heaven."

She starts cleaning her mess, but her eyes fall sad, "why?" I hate kids. Cause when they say things in that voice, I feel like I'm gonna throw up tears.

"Because if I don't have you back by midnight. I might not ever get to take you out again." I explain.

"But I don't wanna leave our family Dacy." The rasp in her voice kicks in, then she starts crying and I feel like if the pit in my stomach gets any deeper my body might just fall apart.

The whole room is looking at her, and I feel the sadness spreading through the walls.

"I don't wanna leave them either, and I promise we'll both come back, together. Maybe we can bring Berty next time." I really hope I did not just lie to her.

"Okay." She starts wiping her face, "can I tell everybody bye?"

"Of course." I encourage.

She proceeds to give everyone in the room a hug including the babies.

"Bye, Sarah." She falls apart in Mrs. Curtis's arms, and Mrs. Curtis visibly melts. She lets her sit there for a while before she gets down.

"Bye, Heavenly." Her frowns is sad and after I say goodbye then pick her up for us to head out she falls after me.

"Morgan." She looks serious which is an odd expression for her.

I look up in response.

"Make sure I see my baby again, soon."

I smile at her, almost relieved.
"You will, I promised."

(December 9th, Sunday, 1:23pm)
Soda's POV:
Two days ago, I went to the doctor to talk about what might be wrong with me. Of course Steve and his soon-to-be-degree were right. Depression, AFRID, and moderate anxiety. He gave me meds, that I took. And I do feel a little better. A little more motivated, but meals can still be hard.

Like today at lunch. We were out and just stopped by McDonald's. I was trembling before he even ordered. I just got a burger and some fries. I've eat a million of these in my life, but when I was a teen it was a whole lot easier.

Now it's like staring at a puddle of greasy fat and having to push it down my throat.

I sat there holding my warm food and just hoping that it could teleport into my stomach without me having to take a single bite. In that moment I wanted salad so very badly. I felt like I needed to go workout just by holding such a thing.

Steve had parked and opened it for me.

I looked over at his focused glare.

"No I don't t-"

"C'mon, baby. You're hungry, right?" He held my hand, which was still shaking despite this.

"Yeah." I couldn't really see by this point because I was crying.

"Well then eat. You can eat a salad or something for dinner if you eat this for lunch." I had forgotten about our deal. I get one perfectly healthy meal a day.

I started taking bites of my food. I'm straight lying if I said it wasn't good. It was fucking great. But the way I felt after wasn't. I was full. I was guilty.

So I cried, and cried. Then we got home, put the babies down for a nap, then I cried some more. Until finally Steve held me in his arms and told me to go to sleep.

Then I woke up here, still in his arms, but with him asleep.

I don't think I'd know what to do without him.

-sleeppyyyy 🥱 gn guys, hope you liked!-