If You're Happy and You Know It
Two
Going to the grocery store is an adventure. Brendon learned that very quickly, so he tries to limit the trips. However, having as many kids as he has always seems to surprise him. They’re always out of orange juice, and he still can’t find the jar of grape jelly he bought months ago. That’s why he came up with a system; he took only two kids on each trip.
Brendon glances at Carrie in the passenger seat. She’s flicking through her IPod, so when they get to a red light he pokes her side quickly. “You can hook it up,” he says, pulling the cord out from the middle consol.
She blushes a dark red. “Oh, um. It’s okay, Daddy.”
Brendon frowns, and glances to the back seat of the van. “What do you think Pepper? Should we bug Carrie to put some music on?”
Carrie sends him a glare, but Pepper nods her head, clapping. Brendon smiles in the rearview mirror, and if he sighs to himself no one hears it. No one hears his content.
“Fine,” Carrie huffs. “No laughing, though.”
“Promise,” Brendon answers, and waits for her to hook everything up.
Carrie cringes when Brendon turns up the volume, but as soon as Brendon starts singing she smiles. Pepper giggles from the back and sings along too. It takes a while, but eventually, if Brendon strains, he can hear Carrie singing along. The faintest things have changed for me brushes past her lips.
He turns to her with a smile. “You know, if you really like it we could put on a little concert for you guys.”
“Forget it,” Carrie states, and she leans over to poke Brendon. “I’ve already seen Live In Chicago.”
-
“Apple sauce?” Pepper asks, holding up the package with hopeful eyes.
Brendon stares hard at her for a minute. “I don’t know if you’ll like it, baby girl.”
“I do!” she squeaks.
“You’ve never tried it before,” Brendon states, taking the package from her arms to scan the nutrition label.
“Yeah I did,” Pepper says, folding her arms across her chest.
Brendon stops himself from rolling his eyes. Ryan really needs to stop teaching their kids how to sass him out. It’s not fair. “When have you?” he asks, folding his own arms.
“At school,” Pepper replies. “Charlie’s mom gave it to us for his birthday snack.”
Brendon twists his face. “She brought in apple sauce?”
“Yeah,” she says, and Brendon dumps the package in the cart. He picks her up and settles her on his hip. “It was really yummy, Daddy.”
“You guys are in preschool, and they gave you apple sauce for whatever-his-name-was birthday?” Brendon asks. “What happened to, like, cookies and brownies? All that good sugary stuff?”
Pepper shrugs her shoulders. “I dunno.”
Brendon shakes his head, but smiles at Pepper. “You think your sister’s done yet?”
Pepper shrugs again, “I dunno. She takes a long time, Daddy, especially in the bathroom. She almost takes as long as Jasper!”
Brendon let’s out a laugh. “Shall we call her then?” He pulls out his cellphone and calls his daughter. “Carrie,” he says in a singsong voice. “You almost done over there?”
“Right behind you,” she replies, and Brendon turns around to see her walking up the aisle towards him and Pepper.
“Oh,” he grins, and hangs up.
When Carrie reaches them she all but throws the package in the cart, and for her sake Brendon acts like nothing happened. He can see her cheeks are still red, and she picking at her nail polish in a nervous habit.
“Ready?” he asks.
Carrie nods and so does Pepper. When they reach the check out counter and the cashier rings up the maxi-pads he pretends not to notice; he only starts whistling.
Brendon glances at Carrie in the passenger seat. She’s flicking through her IPod, so when they get to a red light he pokes her side quickly. “You can hook it up,” he says, pulling the cord out from the middle consol.
She blushes a dark red. “Oh, um. It’s okay, Daddy.”
Brendon frowns, and glances to the back seat of the van. “What do you think Pepper? Should we bug Carrie to put some music on?”
Carrie sends him a glare, but Pepper nods her head, clapping. Brendon smiles in the rearview mirror, and if he sighs to himself no one hears it. No one hears his content.
“Fine,” Carrie huffs. “No laughing, though.”
“Promise,” Brendon answers, and waits for her to hook everything up.
Carrie cringes when Brendon turns up the volume, but as soon as Brendon starts singing she smiles. Pepper giggles from the back and sings along too. It takes a while, but eventually, if Brendon strains, he can hear Carrie singing along. The faintest things have changed for me brushes past her lips.
He turns to her with a smile. “You know, if you really like it we could put on a little concert for you guys.”
“Forget it,” Carrie states, and she leans over to poke Brendon. “I’ve already seen Live In Chicago.”
-
“Apple sauce?” Pepper asks, holding up the package with hopeful eyes.
Brendon stares hard at her for a minute. “I don’t know if you’ll like it, baby girl.”
“I do!” she squeaks.
“You’ve never tried it before,” Brendon states, taking the package from her arms to scan the nutrition label.
“Yeah I did,” Pepper says, folding her arms across her chest.
Brendon stops himself from rolling his eyes. Ryan really needs to stop teaching their kids how to sass him out. It’s not fair. “When have you?” he asks, folding his own arms.
“At school,” Pepper replies. “Charlie’s mom gave it to us for his birthday snack.”
Brendon twists his face. “She brought in apple sauce?”
“Yeah,” she says, and Brendon dumps the package in the cart. He picks her up and settles her on his hip. “It was really yummy, Daddy.”
“You guys are in preschool, and they gave you apple sauce for whatever-his-name-was birthday?” Brendon asks. “What happened to, like, cookies and brownies? All that good sugary stuff?”
Pepper shrugs her shoulders. “I dunno.”
Brendon shakes his head, but smiles at Pepper. “You think your sister’s done yet?”
Pepper shrugs again, “I dunno. She takes a long time, Daddy, especially in the bathroom. She almost takes as long as Jasper!”
Brendon let’s out a laugh. “Shall we call her then?” He pulls out his cellphone and calls his daughter. “Carrie,” he says in a singsong voice. “You almost done over there?”
“Right behind you,” she replies, and Brendon turns around to see her walking up the aisle towards him and Pepper.
“Oh,” he grins, and hangs up.
When Carrie reaches them she all but throws the package in the cart, and for her sake Brendon acts like nothing happened. He can see her cheeks are still red, and she picking at her nail polish in a nervous habit.
“Ready?” he asks.
Carrie nods and so does Pepper. When they reach the check out counter and the cashier rings up the maxi-pads he pretends not to notice; he only starts whistling.