Hopelessly Devoted #Wattys2014

Hopefully Devoted - Wedding Plans

Layla's POV

"Mommy!" Andrew yelled as he ran into the kitchen where I was cooking.

"Yes baby?" I answered turning my attention away from the chicken that I was seasoning.

"When is Uncle Bran and Uncle Brant coming home?" He asked. I rolled my eyes and chuckled.

"They'll be home soon, son. Where are your brother and sister?" I asked.

"Aiden is looking at his book and Ava is in Aunt Hope's room." He replied with a sigh. My child was obviously bored because his siblings were 'busy'. He was hoping that his uncles would play ball with him when they got home.

"Well, would you like to help me cook while we wait for your uncles to get home?" I asked him, and he perked up.

"Yes!" He answered enthusiastically. "Are you going out tonight Mommy?" He asked curiously as I moved a stool from the bar for him to sit on at the counter.

"I am. " I told him with a smile. Eric and I had been going out for four months.

Most of the time we took the kids with us. They liked him as a doctor but when it came to me dating him they were a little wary of him.

"Why?" He asked.

"Because I like him." I answered truthfully as I handed him the bottle of lemon-pepper to put on the chicken.

"But him not Daddy!" Andrew exclaimed and I sighed.

"I know Baby, but..." I sighed again. There was no way to explain this.

"I want Daddy." Andrew told me. He set the seasoning on the counter and hopped off the stool, then strolled out of the room, away from me.

I watched him walk away and I leaned against the counter. What was I suppose to do?

Aiden walked in a few minutes later, carrying his picture book with him. I smiled at him and he walked over to me.

"Can I have a snack?" He asked me.

"You can have a pack of fruit snacks, but I'm fixing y'all supper." I told him. He smiled at me and told me thank you as I opened the pack and handed it to him. "Aiden.." I said.

"Ma'am?" He answered as he placed a Scooby shaped gummy into his mouth.

"Do you like Mr. Eric?" I asked him, curious as to his opinion.

"Him nice... but.." He said and then he kind of sighed.

"But what, Sweetheart?" I asked.

"I want my Daddy." He told me simply. I nodded and he went along his way. Probably back to their room to look at some more of his picture books.

I finished seasoning the chicken with lemon-pepper and red wine vinegar and placed it in the oven. I sat down at the bar and placed my head into my hands. Was I a failure as a mother?

Brandon was the first to walk into the kitchen and I lifted my head to offer him a smile.

"What wrong?" He asked in an oddly cheerful mood, then I remembered that Molly was arriving in a few hours.

"My kids want their daddy." I said with a sigh. "I wasn't expecting it this early.."

"Did you think they'd wait until they were teenagers?" He asked amused.

"I was hoping they would." I grumbled.

"Those pictures will only keep them happy for so long." He told me gently and I sighed again, I was doing a lot of sighing that day.