Kids Are Forever

Kate's POV
"Asher don't leave," it was getting hard to wrap my arms around his broad shoulders now a days.
"Mum, your not going to cry again are you?"
"I am not crying," I sobbed.
"I will be back for the summer and Christmas is a few months away I will be home then too."
"Really?" I tried to wipe away the tears.
"Yes really," he laughed as he pulled away and straightened me up.
"Ok, you promise?"
"I promise."

I missed Asher when he went away for the weekend on a team trip, heck I missed him when he spent the night at Rhys's who lived a few streets away. He was my baby and it had taken a lot for me to be able to let him go.

"He will be fine," Evgeni put his arm around my waist and kissed my temple.
"Your just saying it because you did the same thing to your mum."
"Yeah, but look now, life's pretty good," he smiled watching Asher say goodbye to the other kids.
"I guess so," I gave up worrying.

Asher and Rhys were smart kids. They wouldn't do anything to throw away their chances, they loved hockey too much. I guess it would just take a while to get used to it.

Evgeni's POV
You would think one less would be easier. No we never get the easy way out. Not having Asher around was chaos, worse than before. At least we would get some time to relax with Ash around. He was always helping out, always there to look after the kids and always there to remind us that they will grow out of it.

"Dad! Lacey took my nerf gun."
"Because Luka shot me in the eye with it."
"Look I tell you two to do homework and then dishes, no playing until done," I took the toys from their hot little hands.
"But dad!" they whined in unison.
"No buts, go now!"

"Daddy Daddy!" Nicky ran up and grabbed onto my legs.
"What little man?" I picked him up as I headed towards the stairs to find Kate.
"We play Lego?"
"Not now, you had bath?" I noticed a smudge of dirt across his face.
"No," he looked guilty.
"Ok let's go... Kate!" I called out trying to find where she was in this big house of ours.
"In the bathroom!"
"Oh good, Nick needs bath," I put him down and helped him get undressed before sticking him in the bath with Zach.

"Where's Clark?" I stopped noticing I hadn't seen him on my wonder through the house.
"He's in his room."

I took off on a mission to find my little man.
"Hey Clark," I opened the door to see him lying on the floor with his colouring book, "what you doing?"
"Colouring," he tilted his head and poked his tongue out as he tried to stay in the lines.

"You done homework?" I asked as I sat down next to him.
"Yeah I did it when I got home from school."
"Wow, wish twins were good like you."
"Mum says its because they are like you and I am like her," he smiled up at me.
"Mummy is right."

"I can't do it," he sighed sitting up.
"What?" I laid down next to him.
"The lines," he pointed to his book where he had gone out, "can you go around for me?"
"Well here I show you," I helped him outline and begin to colour before we were disturbed by the twins fighting downstairs.

"DAD!"
"Not again," I climbed to my feet, "sorry bud, I be back."
"Ok."

The twins were being terrible tonight. Normally Asher would be around to show them right from wrong and set a good example but now we were on our own.

"What are you two doing?," I walked in to find water all over the floor, "you better clean that up."
"What have they done?" Kate walked in looking rather annoyed, "all right that's it you two are in big trouble now," she handed over Zach.
"You are cleaning all of this up and going straight to bed, no dessert" she grabbed a mop and bucket from the cupboard, "and you can do your homework in the morning when you wake up. Now go!" Kate had a short temper with them sometimes as she took Zach back and headed upstairs.

"We are sorry," Lacey looked so sweet and innocent but they weren't getting away with it this time.
"You heard mum, come on clean this up. I will finish these," I grabbed the sponge to wipe up the last of the dishes.

This was one of those times that I got lost in dealing with the other kids that Clark got left in the shadows.

"Hey bud I am sorry about..."
"Shhh they are asleep," Kate knelt down and collected up Clark's colouring book.

"Daddy?" his sleepy little voice seeped through the room.
"Yeah?" I stopped at the doorway and turned my attention back to him.
"Nothing, it not matter," he rolled over.
"No what? I have time now," I walked back over to his bed and sat down next to him putting my hand on his back.
"I don't feel well, can you read me a story? you never read me a story anymore," he looked up at me with those same blue eyes as his mothers.
"I think I can do that," I had read him the same Russian story book since he was born every time he was sick and I wasn't about to stop anytime soon.

Kate's POV
I was a little angry with the twins because they had really been making it difficult since Asher left. I wanted to be calm and ok but they really struck a nerve tonight.

"Mum we are sorry," Lacey looked so sad.
"Please don't do it again, I know we all miss Asher but please just help me out. You two are the oldest and the others are going to be looking up to you now."
"Really?" Luka sat up.
"Yes especially Nicky. But if you guys promise me to be good and do your homework, dad and I are going to consider pocket money soon."
"Pocket money!" they were both wide eyed and excited.
"Yes, but only if you do your chores properly, no more of that from tonight ok?" I explained.
"Ok."
"Now goodnight," I leant down and kissed Luka's forehead before ushering Lacey off to her room next door.

"Hey little man, you all good?" I peered into Nicky's room to see him all tucked in.
"Yeah," he could truly be a little angel sometimes.
"Ok good boy, I will see you in the morning. Goodnight."
"Night," he kissed my cheek goodnight.

I was headed to our bedroom not knowing where Evgeni had gotten to when I passed Zach and Clark's room and heard Evgeni's Russian voice seeping through the cracked open door.

I poked my head in to see Clark curled up in Evgeni's side. I couldn't remember the last time he had done it.
"Goodnight Clark," Evgeni lent down and kissed the drowsy boys head before slipping out from underneath him and tucking him in.
"I love you dad."
"I love you too."

"Hey," I smiled catching him trying to sneak out of the boys room.
"Hey," he looked a little surprised to see me waiting for him.
"I love when you speak Russian to them," I wrapped my arms around his neck.
"I love when you speak Russian anytime," he captured my lips.

Yeah we had been married ten years, and boy did time fly but that didn't mean the spark had died. How do you think we ended up with three more kids? I wasn't ever going to get enough of this man.