Kids Are Forever

Kate’s POV
I knew Evgeni wasn’t taking it all too well and he just wouldn’t talk to me so I didn’t know just how bad he was feeling until I woke up in the early hours of the morning to find looking lost and all alone.

“Evgeni what are you doing?” I walked downstairs to see him sitting in the darkness of our empty house.
“You know this my fault?” he stared blankly at the wall in front of him.
“Why do you think it’s your fault?” I sat down next to him on the sofa.
“Because, heart conditions they run in my family,” he looked at me briefly and he eyes told me how hurt he really was.
“That doesn’t mean it’s your fault,” I ran my hand through his hair.
“I can’t help but feel like it is,” he sighed.
“Well it’s not,” I lent over and kissed his forehead, “and you blaming yourself isn’t helping anyone,” I explained.
“But…”
“Evgeni,” I stopped him, “acting this way is tearing a hole in our family, it’s tearing a hole in us,” I played with his hair as it stuck up all over the place making it obvious as to just how restless he had slept.
“I know but what do we do?”
“For now we relax, try and enjoy Christmas with the kids like we always do and get some sleep,” I yawned and relaxed into his arms.
“Ok we sleep here then, too tired to move,” he stretched and wrapped himself around me.

Evgeni’s POV
I was trying to keep it all together for the kids. I didn’t want them to see their mum and dad fighting so we just had to stay calm and be there for all the kids.

I woke up and didn’t feel rested at all but I was dying to see my little boy it didn’t matter.

We walked into his room to see Clark with his head on Asher’s chest and his arms wrapped tightly around him.

“Asher,” Kate walked over and shook our older son awake.
“Mum,” he stirred before sitting up.
“Morning,” she lent down and kissed his forehead.
“Mum,” he tried to swat her away. No matter how old Asher got he would always be her little boy who she would shower with kisses.

“How’s Clark?” I sat down on the edge of the bed and ran my hand through his hair.
“He was up all last night feeling sick,” Asher looked down sadly at his brother.

“Clark wake up bud,” I shook his arm.
“Dad?” he looked up with sad eyes.
“Yeah?”
“Dad?” he began to cry unwrapping himself from Asher.
“It’s ok, I am here,” I pulled him into my lap and ran my hand up and down his back.
“I missed you,” he cried holding onto me so tight I was certain I would never let him go again.
“Shhh, it’s ok,” I wasn’t exactly sure how to react to his new dependency on us but at the same time it broke my heart to see him this upset.

“Come on,” I picked him up and he attached to my hip and wrapped his arms around my neck so tightly.
“I go take him for walk,” I held him to my chest and took him out into the halls so he could calm down.

Kate’s POV
“Hey,” the doctor walked in and looked around for Clark.
“Um Evgeni took him out for a walk he was upset,” I explained.
“Oh ok it’s just the nurses and I were talking and we are thinking that maybe Clark can go home. I mean being home for Christmas might do him some good, right?”
“I am sure it would do him a lot of good and everyone else.”

The doctor sat with us waiting for Evgeni to come back because he wanted to give them the good news himself. He had spent so much time with our son lately, I was surprised that Clark had taken rather a big liking to someone who comes and gives him needles all the time.

Evgeni walked back in about 15 minutes later with our son still holding onto him tightly. His head nestled into Evgeni’s neck with just a few stray tears rolling down his cheek.

“Hey bud,” the doctor walked up to him and sat on the edge of the bed as Evgeni put him down, “I’ve got some good news for you,” he put his hand on Clark’s leg so he would pay attention to him.
“What?” he pouted holding onto Evgeni’s arm.
“How would you like to go home in time for Christmas?”
He nodded slowly before whispering a small “yes please.”
“Well ok, I will be right back,” he offered a smile before disappearing.

“You excited?” I sat down on the other side of him to Evgeni and kissed his forehead.
“Yes,” he perked up a little.
“The doctor said you’re probably going to have to keep this tube though,” I pointed to the feeding tube in his nose, “you need to eat more before it can come out.”
“Ok,” he shrugged as if it didn’t faze him.

“That’s the kind of smile I want to see,” the doctor walked over with some paper work for me to sign and tickled our little guy making him crack up laughing even though he clearly didn’t want to.

“Come on if your going home for Christmas I want to see you smiling and happy,” the doctor picked him up and hung him in the air, “ok?”
“Ok,” he smiled.
“and when you come back for your check up I want to hear that you have been eating everything on your plate, alright?”
“Ok.”
“Good,” he put him back down on the ground.

I guess coming home was going to make Clark better because already he sat up straight with a smile on his face.
“You want help your shoes?” Evgeni knelt down in front of him and he smiled widely at him.
“Yes please,” it was still hard for him to bend and move but he would get better soon.

Evgeni’s POV
“Clark!” Luka yelled and came running to the door when we walked in with our little guy.
“Clark!” Nicky jumped from Flower’s lap and raced over to us.

“Be careful boys,” I warned stopping them from smothering their brother, “he can’t play yet.”
“Aww that not fun,” Nicky pouted.
“Well that’s too bad,” I chased after him, “because when I say no I mean it,” he began screaming and ran away.
“Come back here!”
“No Daddy!” he giggled as I snatched him up.

“What?” he gave me an obscure look.
“Nothing,” he smiled and wiggled from my arms.

“Hey Geno we are going to get going,” Flower announced as the headed for the door.
“Ok thanks for everything.”
“No problem, see you later.”

I headed back into the lounge room to find Kate standing by watching over our kids as they played together.

“Our families back,” I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head on her shoulder.
“Yeah it is,” she turned around in my grasp.
“I love you,” I lent down and captured her lips.
“I love you too,” she wrapped her arms around my neck to depend the kiss.
“Mum! Dad!” they all complained.
“What?” we pulled apart but I kept her in my arms.
“That’s gross,” Luka scrunched up his face.
“It’s love,” Lacey put her hands on her heart and battered her eyelids.
“Love is gross,” Luka pretended to vomit.
“I said the same thing,” Asher smiled, “girls aren’t bad,” he put his hand on Luka’s shoulder.

I loved having all my kids together at home. Even though Clark sat back from them a little and watched it was good to see him happy at home with everyone around him.