The Future Of Us: The kids grew up!

Get Used to it

"Mom! My feet really hurt."

"Catie you're pregnant. Your feet are going to hurt. Get used to it."

I roll over, trying to fall back asleep since she is waking me way too early.

"But mom, look at them. They're weird."

"Caitlyn..." I sit up to see that she has forced her way into the bed and has her feet laying between Brad and I "They do look weird. Did you try wearing sandals or something?"

"Yeah, my favorite. They're too small now."

"Well that happens. I have a whole row of shoes I still can't wear because the four of you have left permanent damage on me. You should know this stuff, you're a nurse."

"Guys, seriously it's early..." Brad turns towards me, finally looking up from his pillow "What the hell is on your feet? Go take a shower."

"It's not dirt. They're swollen."

"So go get some ice. Go home or something. Let me sleeeeep."

"You gotta get Kaid up for school, it's your week." I nudge him until he almost falls out of the bed, hoping he doesn't realize that it's actually my week. Catie climbs in his spot before I can sprawl out and get some extra sleep, complaining even more.

"I can't sleep either. This is so unfair. Jake was sleeping perfectly when I left this morning."

"Yeah, I was too until you woke me. It's been 26 years since I've had a real nights sleep."

"I just want a few hours."

"Okay come here," I reluctantly pull her closer, wrapping my arms around her slightly swollen belly, finally getting to feel some movement "You'll miss all of this, trust me. But you guys would stop moving after awhile if someone was touching me, that's how I slept at least a little."

"Did we all move this much? I only remember Kaid."

"Well he was the most active, but you'd all move like crazy as soon as I would lay down. You used to lay with me for naps when I was pregnant with Ally and try your best to stall by saying you wanted to feel your baby move. You knew she was always kicking when we laid down."

"I wish I remembered things like that better. All I remember is fighting with her when we were little."

"Yeah, you guys were great at that."

I notice her eyes getting heavy as we talk, and know she'll soon be asleep. She still looks like my precious baby as her hair falls slightly over her face, reminding me of all those times I'd fight to get her to sleep for just a few extra hours myself.

I soon drift off myself, thinking of all the long nights we had with her cuddled up between us, fighting for hours to get her to sleep. All the memories seem so long ago, but closing my eyes brings them back perfectly, like I'm reliving them.

"Mom wake up."

I feel the blankets being ripped off me, but really want the extra sleep.

"Seriously mom, I'm hungry."

I finally open my eyes to see Josh standing over me with no intentions of leaving anytime soon.

"Joshua, you're like 20 something. Make your own food?"

"You don't remember how old I am?"

"I have too many kids to remember things like that. Let me go back to sleep."

He starts to leave the room, but turns back around knowing exactly what will get me out of bed.

"Can I try that idea I saw online the other day with your car? Where you try to make cookies inside of it? Since mine doesn't have enough room."

"Hell no! Josh!"

I finally get out of bed, throwing the blankets on Catie who is luckily still sound asleep.

"Why are you so dumb? We have a perfectly fine oven downstairs, you have one in your apartment too."

"Yeah but if I come here and annoy you I don't need to cook for myself."

"What did you do to your oven?"

I wait for an answer from him, but can instantly tell it's not going to be a good one.

"... I kinda forgot about a pizza i had in there the other day."

"Joshua... you have to be more responsible than this. That oven better not be broken."

"It's fine, mom. Just smells really bad if I turn it on."

I start making us both some breakfast, throwing some extra pancake mix in when I hear Catie moving around upstairs and know she'll be hungry.

"This smells good," She looks around at everything as she walks in the kitchen "How much did he make?"

"None. Do you really think I'd let him use new appliances?"

"Well no, not if you use your brain at all."

They sit at the table, surprisingly not fighting for once as I finish up everything listening in on their conversation about how Josh thinks she's actually going to trust him with this baby.

"Josh I love you but I'm not letting you forget about my child and leave it laying on the floor or something."

"I'm not an idiot, Catie. I know to only walk out of the room if a baby is on a couch or something soft."

"Okay Josh, we really need to work on you before you're left with the baby. You never leave a baby unattended on a couch where it can roll off."

"But dad used to leave Kaiden anywhere and he turned out fine. He probably did the same with the rest of us."

"Well I'm sure he did," I put the food on the table as I sit across from them "But I'm not letting you do the same."

"Can I at least use it to maybe finally get a girlfriend?"

Catie stuffs her face, flat out ignoring his ridiculousness at this point not wanting anything to do with it.

"Okay I know you fan hear me. I'm trying to be a good uncle."

"No, you're trying to use my unborn child to get sex. I'm not stupid."

"I don't need any help getting sex. I have no problem with that, it's just getting someone to stay with me afterwards."

"Joshua, the fact that your apartment is a maze to walk through and smells like dead rats isn't helping."

"But mom that's what a teenager is supposed to live like."

"No, Josh, it isn't. But if it makes you happy I don't care."