The Next Step: 16 Years On

Milk and Cookies

Zac POV
"Em. Wanna come grocery shopping? We need a few things for tomorrow's lunch to bring to Victoria's" I call out and I hear tiny little footsteps racing down the stairs as soon as I finish talking.
"Yes yes yes!!" She squeals and I smile
"Ok. Quick. Run. Go and get your coat and gloves on." I instruct and she smiles nodding as she runs back upstairs. She has been so bored lately. So have all the other cast's children. It's recently been snowing a lot lately and the kids have been trapped inside doing indoor activities all day. Feeling full of cabin fever. Emily would kill to get out of the house right now which is exactly why I asked her.
"Ok" I say as I strap myself into the car
"So daddy actually needs to get a present for mummy" I say in 3rd person to Em who giggles. I love her giggle it's adorable.
"You forgot!!"
"No. I just didn't remember" I say and she laughs as I take a right to the mall.
"Daddy!!" She laughs again and I chuckle watching the road carefully. It's Christmas tomorrow and I still can't believe I forgot her present. We have been so busy lately though
"What are you going to get her?" She asks as I slam the door of our and Emily hops on my back as we walk into the supermarket.
"Something nice"
"And pretty" I add and she grins
"She'll like that"
"You think so?" I ask and she giggles.
"Yep!"
"Ok. Come on princess. I need a coffee to warm me up. You want a hot chocolate?" I ask her and she squeezes my hand from above and nods and I smile propping her back down on the ground again. She smiles as she grabs into my hand as we head into Starbucks.

Alex POV
I am just finishing off the last of Emily's presents. Taping and cutting out each present fitted for the wrapping for each one. It's tough and the big ones like the bike and the big doll house, zac both had to set them up and wrap them. I guess the little ones are a bit easier to manage, hence why I do them.

All of a sudden I hear the phone ring and it's odd because it's Christmas Eve and most of the cast would be with their families today but we are family after all.
"Hello?" I ask picking it up and putting it on speaker phone.
"Oh----my----god Alex. Thank god." It's briar. And she's crying
"Oh my goodness. What's wrong honey?" I ask her and there is a slight pause so I put down my tape and scissors, taking her off speaker phone and listen to her.
"Myles" is all she says through the tears.
"He's jetting off on January 2nd for a meeting with some directors in L.A and that's when our wedding is. We had it all planned out and all the guests have already scheduled that day and I feel awful and i just really don't know what to do" she sobs and I put my hand over my mouth in shock.
"Oh god. That's quite a dilemma but hey we have 8 days till then and Trittany come back on the 28th so why don't we have the wedding on the 31st like New Year's Eve and then you can go on a later honeymoon" I say simply on the spot. I don't want to upset her anymore
"Wow Alex that's genius! Oh! Thank you so so much. That's helped a lot. Can you call the cast please and tell them and I'll tell all our other extended family. Thank you. I really appreciate it." She says still sniffling
"It's ok briar honestly. Glad to help. See you tomorrow ok?"
"Ok bye" I hang up the phone and sign. She really sounded panicky through that call. I wonder what she usually is like in that situation....

Zac POV
"This one?" I ask Emily. She at he moment is my Personal Assistant, my hand model, my organiser, accountant and my 8 year old daughter all in one. She's genius. Amazing help. Purely why I chose her and not Victoria to come with me to choose.
"What about this one? It's really quite beautiful daddy" she says and I smirk at her making her giggle as I walk over to wear she is standing with a bracelet with the initials A on it (picture attached.)
"It's beautiful. Yep you're so smart you know that. Amazing job beautiful"'I complement her she smiles as I take the bracelet and pay for it before walking out of the store.
"Great job. Mission complete" I say high fiving Em. She giggles before we move onto the next store.

~~
We've been here at least an hour, seeing if we can und anything Christmassy throughout the mall but we do have a lot at home already so we end up just purchasing some milk and cookies to leave out the front for Santa in which Emily was very keen to do tonight.

When we got home, em put on a magnificent disguise and distracted Alex claiming she was hungry, while I sneakily wrapped it up and tied a ribbon around it. Then I hid it under the tree before going back out to join the others as I hear the clock switch 7:00.
"I hear you bought some milk and cookies today? That it babe?" Alex asks giving Emily her dinner and giving me a side hug
"I left the shopping list at home. Didn't I Em so we had some father daughter bonding time" I half lie before I look at Emily while Alex is turned away and wink at her. And she winks back.

That's my girl. That's a daddy's girl.