doppelgänger --> there's never just one {sequel}

scout

After Dani had Grant, she magically became much more responsible, and then it occurred to Scout that she was basically all grown up now, which made her proud but also sad at the same time. She actually reminded Scout of herself when she was Dani's age after she had Dennis, able to handle everything and putting her family first before everything else, obvious that she was meant to be a loving, caring mother, and eventually a wife someday.

Scout rested up at the thought that her second baby was already almost grown up and would probably move out of the house in a few years too, already. Dennis and Bex had moved out of the house and into their nice, new one built just for them with the kids in the next neighborhood just two months ago, and now that there were four less people in the house, it felt weird. Those rooms could now be used, though, which was about the only upside to them being out of the house, to Scout at least.

Now, Grant would be a year old soon, and time was flying right before Scout's eyes. Her kids were growing up much faster than she's originally wanted. She felt so alone and like Andy understood, but not fully. He was a dad and a guy, so it was a little different. And even though she wasn't near being a complete empty-nester, she felt like she needed to join one of those empty-nester support groups who felt like they were alone and sad about their kids leaving home on Facebook or something.

Ugh.

That day, Dani had ever done some laundry of theirs, which she'd been doing for them more often since Grant was born, and Scout heard Ethan sling Dani where his shorts were.

"In the dryer!" Dani yelled back from upstairs in her room.

Ethan walked to the bottom of the stairs. "I already checked there!"

"The red and black ones, right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeah, I know they're in there, E. I promise you that."

"Well....."

"Just check again!"

"Fine," he answered, walking up the steps. Scout followed behind him, realizing she had to grab her phone from her room and check it again to make sure Sadie hadn't called her since she and Grayson left to go get their late breakfast. She hasn't called, it turned out when she looked.

As Scout walked back out of her room, she saw Ethan pull the shorts he was looking for out of the dryer. "Dani," he called.

"What?" she responded, stepping out of their room to look at him. "Hm, you found them!"

He smiled guiltily, knowing he should've believed her in the first place. "I mean, I was going to check again anyway —"

"Uh-huh." She smiled victoriously. "No more explanation needed, I got it, E. I know what you were thinking. 'Dani's so smart; I should've listened to her.' Right?"

He shook his head, and she laughed, walking towards him and wrapping her arms around him, kissing his cheek and then his jaw. "I love you."

Ethan laughed, hugging her tight and lifting her up in his arms for a moment, kissing her lips a couple of times and holding on the last time until she pulled away, and then their lips met again. "Damn, I love you so much," he told her.

Scout smiled, walking back downstairs. As much as she was upset about her kids growing up, she was very happy that they had, so far, found really good people for them and that Scout was almost sure they would end up getting married to. She was so glad for that at least, and then she realized it was something she often took for granted.