Kids Are Forever

Kate's POV
"Mum can I come shopping with you and Zach?" Clark sat up in the stool at the bench.
"Why? You don't like shopping," I shook my head at him with a smile.
"But I don't want to stay at home with Dad and the others," he began tracing circles with his tiny fingers on the bench top.
"Why not? You can play and have lots of fun here," I put my hand on his back.
"No my basketball is broken, it's boring here," he shrugged.
"Well what happened to your basketball?"
"Rocky chewed it up," he grumbled, "Luka and Nickolia were playing with it yesterday and left it outside and he chewed it."
"Well I guess you could come along."

Rocky was our Rottweiler who just loved to chew on anything he could get his big old mouth around.

"Hey babe, I am taking Clark with us."
"Why he not stay, we were going to go to park to play."
"Rocky chewed up his basketball so he says it will be boring, I am going to go and buy him a new one."
"No, no let me take him to buy it," Evgeni insisted.
"He doesn't know that I am getting him a new one, it's a surprise."
"Exactly, I get him surprise."
"Ok, but he is still coming shopping with me," I gave him a kiss goodbye and headed on my way.

Evgeni's POV
I had spent the last few years focusing on hockey and my family had really been pushed to the back of my mind.

"Dad do you miss playing hockey?" Luka asked as he stepped onto the frozen pond.
"Sometimes, but I like hanging out with you guys more."
"Really?"
"Of course I do," I ruffled up his hair.
"What about Clark?" Lacey grabbed her hockey stick with pink tape on the blade.
"What about him?" I helped Nicky up onto his skates.
"Do you like playing with him? He's not like us."
"Clark isn't different, he just like different things. I love him no less then you guys."

The kids were so naive sometimes, but they would understand sooner or later.

"Dad!" I heard my baby girl scream.
"Lacey?" I turned around and she was laying on the ice holding her ankle, "what happened?" I raced over to her.
"I tripped."

It was then that I noticed her skates weren't nearly as tight enough as they needed to be.

"Come here," I picked her up and carried her over to the park bench were our stuff was.

"Ouch dad," she cried as I pulled the skate from her foot.
"I am sorry you should have tied them tighter," I took her sock off to see her already swelling ankle.

"Boys lets go," I stood up packing Lacey's skates into her bag.
"But dad!" they whined.
"Lacey's hurt we have to go," they gave up arguing and followed me to the car.

Kate's POV
The house was quiet as Clark and Zach played on the lounge room floor before the crew came barging inside.

Luka was recapping to me how Lacey had fallen like a tonne of bricks and her ankle bent backwards on itself and there was blood and gore everywhere.
"Ok um Luka what are you talking about?"
"Lacey," he pointed to the door as Evgeni carried our princess in.

"Omg baby girl what happened?" I sat next to her as Evgeni put her ankle up on a pillow.
"She not tie her skates tight enough."
"Is it broken?" she cried as Evgeni ran his thumb over the joint.
"I don't think so. I take her to hospital to be safe."

I was left looking after the kids by myself all afternoon and even though they were being good I was still really exhausted by the end of the day.

"Mum?" Clark spoke up.
"Yeah?" I turned around.
"When is dad getting home? He promised we could play outside together," his little blue eyes looked so sad.
"He is busy sweetie, Lacey is hurt and he had to take her to the hospital."
"Is she ok?" he sat up next to me on the couch.
"I don't know yet."

By the time Evgeni got home all of the kids had occupied themselves with games but Clark on the other hand was still upset that he hasn't spent anytime with his dad yet.

"How is she?" I ran my hand through her long blonde hair as he placed her on the couch.
"Sprained ankle," he headed into the kitchen and reappeared with an ice pack.

"Where all the kids?" he looked around the empty room.
"Zach is having a nap, Luka and Nicky are upstairs playing Lego and Clark is somewhere around here, he's upset you didn't get time to play with him today."
"Put ice on her ankle I go find him."

"Daddy?" Lacey looked up at him.
"Yeah sweetie?" he knelt down and grabbed her hand.
"Stay with me," Lacey always seeked comfort in her father.
"Ok."

Evgeni's POV
I wanted to go and apologise to Clark for not doing something with him but my princess needed me too.

I hated when this happened, I wanted to be there for them both. I wanted to be out playing with Clark because I never got the chance but I needed to be there with Lacey right now.

Once Lacey had fallen asleep I snuck out to go and find Clark.

I found Clark sitting outside in the freezing cold all on his own.
"What are you doing?" I sat down next to him.
"Nothing," he shrugged.
"Hey I am sorry we couldn't play today," if there was one thing I hated doing it was breaking a promise especially to one of my kids.
"It's ok," he started swinging his legs underneath him.

"Dad why am I different to everyone else?" he continued to stare at the floor.
"Your not different, you just like different things," I explained.
"Do you like different things to Uncle Denis?"
"Denis and I like lots of different things."
"Like what?" He looked up with hopeful eyes.
"For one Denis doesn't like basketball, but I love it."
"Really?" He smiled widely.
"Yes."
"So I am like you?"
"Clark you don't have to be like me for me to love you, I will love no matter what," I explained pulling him into my side, "but between you know you are the only one who I speak russian to."
That was true. The other didn't really like speaking russian that much. They knew it but it was hard for them to keep up with. Clark on the other hand loved arts and language and took to it like a duck to water.

"Look for your birthday how about we go see a basketball game together?"
"Really? You know Knick are my favourite team?"
"You want to go to New York?" I smiled at him.
"Yeah!" He jumped into my arms and wrapped his little arms around me.