A Dad is a Son's First Hero and a Daughter's First Love

Evgeni’s POV
After driving the whole day we had finally made it to my parents place in my home town and I was excited to show Kate around.

“Pop!” Asher ran passed me and up the front stairs into my father’s arms.
“Hello,” my father beamed giving him a big hug in return. .

“Hello Zhenya,” my mother hugged me trying no to squish Lacey in my arms.
“Hello mama,” I gave her a kiss on the cheek.
“I hold her, you and your father can unpack the car,” my mother waved me off.
“Mama the car can wait awhile,” I sighed.
“Nonsense, the sooner you unpack the sooner you can relax, go on Vlad,” my mother always liked to take control and before I got a chance to protest Mama was ushering Kate inside with the kids.

“Denis!” my mother’s voice truly did ring through the house.
“What?!”
“Go help your brother unpack,” she ordered.

My brothers happy face soon appeared outside as my father and I began unpacking.
“Is she still really bossy?” I laughed at my brother.
“Like never before,” he took the pram from my hands putting it on the ground.
“Boys that is your mother you are talking about there,” my father warned.
“Yeah but it is the truth but that doesn’t mean we don’t love her,” I shrugged.
“Umm Zhenya, how do you work this?” My brother stood in front of the pram scratching his head.
“Pull that lever.”

I let him struggle for a little while longer before actually helping him with, “so you and Olga aren’t planning on having kids yet?”
“Not yet, but I will figure it out before then,” he defended himself.

Denis and Olga had been together since high school and mother had been waiting on him to give her their first grandchild but I struck again.

“Daddy?” Asher ran up to me as we finished carrying the last few things inside, “we go play?”
I picked him up and even that was struggle on my tired aching body, “give daddy 10 minutes, then we play.”
“Ok,” he was happy with that until Denis said he would go and play with him.

Asher was also ok with that but I wasn’t. My brother would now be getting extra brownie points for playing with and I would be losing some for being a boring old man.

Kate’s POV
I was glad Denis was around to distract Asher until dinner time. He was being a really big help without even knowing it.

“Mummy, Daddy, Denis said he take me skating tomorrow,” our son came running into the kitchen as we were getting the twins ready for a bath and bed time.
“That’s great honey. I am sure you will beat him just like you do daddy,” I smiled at Denis who scrunched his face up.
“No I not suck at hockey like Zhenya,” he boasted.
“Who is professional hockey player?” Evgeni chirped.
“Only because they feel bad for you,” Denis walked away.

“It’s not true,” Evgeni pouted with a sad face while Asher laughed at him.
“Oh course it’s not honey, you are a great hockey player,” I put my hand on his chest and kissed his cheek.
“I know,” he grabbed Luka from me.
“Don’t get to cocky now,” I reminded him as he walked into the lounge room.

I watched Asher go from being happy to sad in a flash as Evgeni walked passed him as if he wasn’t there. I felt so sorry for my little guy.
Evgeni doesn’t mean to do it. He is just lost in the moment of being at home, having his brother around and his parents, he’s excited.

Evgeni’s POV
I was lying on the couch in the lounge room with the twins in their carriers on the floor in front of me while I watched some television. I was so exhausted from the drive I was dying for some sleep.

If there is one thing I hate about being tired it’s not the part where I don’t get to sleep it’s being easily agitated and overreacting. When I am tired, I get stressed and when I am stressed I say and do stuff I don’t mean.

“Daddy can you draw with me?” Asher shook my shoulder.
“What?” I was in that daze where you awake but not actually thinking.
“Can you draw with me?” he was growing impatient with me.
“Daddy is trying to sleep buddy,” I went to reach out and grab him.
“No,” he pushed my hand away, “you never play with me,” he pouted.
“Ok I will play,” I sat up.
“No, you don’t play because of the twins,” he turned around and raised his hand.

“Asher!” I grabbed his wrist, “what you doing?!”
“Let me go,” he tried to pry his hand from mine.
“No you don’t hit them,” I scolded.

That was when Kate came in and rushed over to us, shock and anger all over her face.

“Evgeni what do you think you are doing?” she grabbed my hand and made me let him go.
“He was going to hit them,” I tried to justify my actions.

“Asher,” she looked down at him with sorry eyes.
“I hate you,” he screamed and if looks could kill I would be dead a thousand times.

“Asher come back,” Kate looked rather disappointed at me but there was a hint of apologetic eyes there too before following him with a purpose.

I picked up our twins and hugged them as Luka began to sob in my arms, “It’s ok, we love you and Asher does too, he just doesn’t realize it yet.” For some reason my Russian always seemed to calm the kids down.

Kate’s POV
I was disappointed to think that Asher would actually try and hit the twins but I felt bad for him because I saw what he was going through.

“Asher,” I opened the door and snuck into his room.
He rolled over and his tear stained eyes looked up at me, I could see how sorry he was.
“You can’t hit people,” I sat down next to him in the bed and pulled him into my grasp.

“Daddy doesn’t love me,” he whined.
“What? Why would you think that?” I made him look at me.
“Because,” he pulled my hand away from his face, “he always with twins.”
“That doesn’t mean he doesn’t love you,” I ran my hand through his hair.

“He never plays with me, he doesn’t like anything I like, I don’t want him to be my daddy,” his lip quivered.
“Asher don’t say that, of course you do, your just angry.”
“Why can’t it just be us again, no more twins.”

There was a soft knock at the door and Evgeni walked in.
“Go away,” Asher buried his face into the blankets.
“Asher,” Evgeni placed his large hand on his back.
“Go away,” he pulled away, climbing out of bed and ran down the hall.

“What have I done?” Evgeni sat on the bed shaking his head before letting it fall into his hands.
“It’s ok honey,” I put my hand on his back.
“How do I fix it?” he looked up with his sad eyes threatening to let out a tear.
“Just give him some time and then we will go talk to him,” I wrapped my arms around him and pulled him into a hug.

Evgeni’s POV
After making sure the twins were asleep I went to go find Asher after letting him cool down a bit. I had to make things right with him now or I wouldn’t be able to sleep.
“Mama, do you know where Asher is?”
“He is with Denis,” she frowned, “is everything ok?”
“I hope so,” I ran back upstairs to get Asher.

“But he is always busy,” Asher’s little voice seeped through the door of my brothers bedroom.
“That doesn’t make him love you any less,” Olga had mastered the English language unlike Denis and I.
“Yeah, he is proud of you,” I looked through the cracked open door to see Asher perched up between my brother and his girlfriend.
“He ring me first time you skate and he not stop about it, he’s proud, he loves you. When he talk to me is always about you.”
“Really?” Asher looked up at him and a little smile appeared on his face.
“Always,” Denis confirmed for him.

I knocked lightly on the door before pushing it open.
“Ash can we talk?” he looked up at Denis for help but Denis was pushing him up to his feet and down the bed towards me.
“Come here,” I put my arms out and was thankful that he walked into them.

“I am sorry little man,” I rubbed my hand up and down his back as I carried him back to his room.
“I not mean to say I hate you,” he wrapped his arms around my neck and rested his head on my shoulder.

I laid down in his bed and kept a hold of him so he knew I was being genuine about my apology.

“Hey, how are my boys?” Kate stood at the door with a smile on her face.
“I think we ok now,” I went to move so I could tuck him into bed.
“No stay,” he pleaded but I managed to get him under the blankets before lying back down next to him.

“I have an idea,” Kate walked over to us and laid down on the other side of him.
“What?” Asher looked up with curiosity.
“What would you say if when we get back to America we picked one day a week when daddy is home for just you. We can do whatever you want. If you want to spend the day with just daddy you can, if you want it to be us three we can and if you want, only if you really want the twins can come,” she taped his nose with her finger.
“That sounds fun,” I put my hand on his stomach.
“Ok,” he gave up.
“But no more hitting, no more saying hate and we would love it if you gave the twins a chance.”
“Ok.”

“Come on smile,” I poked him in the side.
“No,” he pouted.
“I love you smile, please,” I begged.
“No,” he didn’t last long before I began tickling him and he cracked up with laughter.
“See not so hard.”

“I love you daddy,” he wrapped his arms around my neck.
“I love you too buddy.”
“Hey what about me?” Kate pouted.
“We love you mummy,” Asher smiled pulling us into a hug.