Baby steps - A TNS Fanfiction

Epilogue - Dada

22 Greenbrier road, Toronto, Canada.

"Paris, Paris don't eat that." Piper tried to carefully take the tube of glitter glue off her toddler, before the little boy could squeeze it into his mouth.

Across the table, a fourteen year old Grace raised an eyebrow, before switching to a dark brown pencil to shade in the hair on her drawing. "You probably shouldn't let him on the table."

"Thank you, madame, but he keeps trying to jump off the stool and I can keep an eye on him up here."

"Just saying!" She held her hands up, before returning to her unfinished art piece. The reference photo was of her little brother in his favourite purple tutu, lying on his back with his foot halfway to his mouth. His jumper was dark blue and light blue stripes, and his blue eyes reflected the light above him.

The photo itself had been swiped from her mother across from her, as she had wanted to draw it.

Piper had many photos strewn across the table, and was desperately trying to organize them into a chronological order. At some point a few days ago, she'd suddenly decided to make a scrap book. Paris, being a natural Mummy's boy had insisted on helping in his own way - mainly by testing the craft supplies to see if they were edible.

"When Dada?" The toddler asked, crawling towards the edge of the table.

"Daddy's on his way back." She scooped him up and plopped him on her lap, where he immediately went for the hair. "Don't eat my hair please."

"Sorry."

"It's okay - aw, Grace look at this one of you and Paris!" Piper held up the photo, which displayed her oldest child sleeping on the mat next to her baby brother, who looked about a month old in the picture.

"Aw, cute! Hey that's a wedding one, it goes in that pile." The fourteen year old nodded to one that was lying a to the left of the pile, whilst tying her long hair up into a ponytail.

This photo had been taken from Kingston and Lily's wedding: the A-Troupe, or former A-troupe, girls.

In the middle, there was Lily in her wedding dress, with her arms around Davis and Kenzie, who had both been bridesmaids. Next to Davis was Jacquie and Richelle, and Amy on the end. Amy had petals in her hair from the bouquet that had landed on her head, and the aforementioned bouquet was in her hand still. On the other side of Lily, next to Kenzie, was Summer and Piper.

"I still can't believe it hit Amy." The woman shook her head with a fond smile. "She wasn't even trying to catch it!"

"I know this story Mum! Amy was distracted talking to Mr Brady, and it hit her on the head when she turned around. Then she actually ended up marrying him two years later."

"Oh okay- Ow! Paris I said don't eat my hair!"

The toddler looked up innocently, despite the fact that there was a clump of hair in his fingers, his mouth open ready to eat it.

After disentangling herself, Piper decided to perch Paris back on the table, where he immediately tried to eat a photo of his parents as teenagers.

"He's just like Dad. He'll eat anything." Grace laughed, having now moved onto colouring the tutu.

"You got that right."

As they laughed, a tiny Yorkshire terrier burst into the kitchen, yapping her head off, and scratching at the door.

"Looks like Dad's back!" The fourteen year old smiled, warned Paris away from her drawing and went to open the door. "Stay back Coco. You too Oliver." She nodded to the sleepy ginger cat, who had wandered into the room to see what the commotion was all about.

"Kitty!"

Oliver ran away again.

Paris made a disappointed noise, and decided to chew on a photo of his cousins - Georgie and Thomas.

"How can you be hungry - you just ate!"

"He's always hungry." Finn's voice came from behind her, and a second later he draped his arms over her shoulders and kissed her forehead.

"I'm gonna take this to my room." Grace decided, grabbing her sketchbook and pencil case, before sprinting up the stairs.

"Yeah, she still finds it gross." Her fiance laughed, as Paris crawled to the edge and flung his arms out.

"Dada!"

"Hey kiddo!" He scooped his son up, pretending to struggle. "You're getting so big!"

"That's cause he takes after you and will eat anything."

"Nothing wrong with taking after me, Pipes."

She smiled, fondly tracing her fingers over one certain photo. "I still can't believe you proposed with a Haribo ring."

"Look - it was Grace's idea."

"You took romance advice from a nine year old!"

"You still said yes!"

"Banana!" Paris wasn't happy with the short break in attention, and decided to demand feeding.

"Okay, let's get you a banana."

Piper propped her head on her hands, leaning her elbows on the table as she watched them both. Once Paris was sitting in his high chair in the dining room, Finn came back in, keeping an eye on his son through the door.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked, as she swung her legs round and leaned into his open arms.

"Just about how much I love you."

A smile played it's way across his face, and he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger.

"I love you too Pipes. God I am so lucky to have all three of you." Finn found his mind wandering back to his own Dad, and tears welled in his eyes.

I hope I made you proud Dad.

...

You did, Kiddo