An hour and forty-five minutes later, Lilah and I are through the checkout line and pushing our overflowing cart to the parking lot. Tomorrow is our anniversary, and I got everything to make homemade pizza, something I know the kids love to do, and enough for a triple batch of my no-bake cookies. Between my husband and the kids, they don’t last long in our house.
I get the groceries put away with Lilah’s help. She reminds me no less than ten times, if not more, that she’s my special helper. I’ve loved having this time with her, with all of our kids. Being a stay-at-home mom has filled my soul.
“All right, kiddo. We have some more errands to run. Let’s go grab some lunch, finish our errands, and we should have just enough time to swing by and grab some ice cream before picking your brother and sisters up from camp.”
“Mommy, won’t they want ice cream?” she asks.
My Lilah girl has such a sweet, kind heart. “You know what, that sounds like a great idea.” I glance at the clock, mentally calculating the time for everything we have left to do today. We need to get a move on. “Ready?” I ask.
/> “Shotgun!” she yells, racing to the garage.
I can’t stop the laughter that flows freely. She has no idea what shotgun even means, but she hears her siblings yell it as they rush to the car. The innocence of a child is something to cherish.
“What’s for dinner? I’m starving,” our son asks as he climbs into the back seat after karate practice.
“It’s a takeout kind of night,” I tell him. All four of them cheer. You’d think my cooking was complete shit by their reaction. However, I know it has more to do with the fact that we rarely eat out. I try to make sure they have balanced homecooked meals. It’s more than just that. I want the family dinners. I want our kids to experience everything I didn’t growing up. I want the loud dinner table as they tell us about their days. All six of us. It’s a tradition, and I very rarely stray from it. We’re making memories even if they don’t realize it.
“Can we get Chinese?” Gracie asks.
“What do you think, guys? You feeling like Chinese?” I ask them. Rhett and I love it, and I know they do too. A chorus of yeses and their favorite orders are called out. After grabbing my phone from the cup holder, I call in our order, making sure to get extra of everything, knowing that it will get eaten. “Everyone buckled up?” I ask. After checking in the mirror and beside me to make sure we’re all buckled in, I head toward the Chinese restaurant.
“Honey, we’re home,” Nora calls as we enter the kitchen from the garage.
“Hey.” Rhett greets us with a smile. “How was camp and practice?” he asks. He listens intently as the older kids tell them about their day. We all work together to unbag the food on the dining room table. Once we’re seated, Rhett gives his attention to Lilah, who has been quiet since we got home. “Lilah bug,” he says. “How was your day with Mommy?” He winks at her.
“So fun, Daddy, and I didn’t tell Mommy your surprise,” she says, taking a huge bite of her sweet and sour chicken.
I bite down on my bottom lip and look down at my plate to keep from laughing. The others do the same. My husband somehow keeps a straight face.
“That’s great, baby girl,” he tells her. “I’m thinking family movie night after dinner,” he suggests, and all the kids are in agreement. Even Gracie and Number Four, who are now teenagers and should prefer to do anything but hang out with their parents.
Chatter happens between the kids as they discuss which movie we’re going to watch. I find my husband’s eyes from the other end of the table, and he winks at me. It’s not just me physically that smiles at him, but my heart and my soul do as well. This life we created, the one I’ve always dreamed of, is happening around us. There is nothing greater than that.
3
Rhett
Baxter family movie night was a success. Not only are our kids passed out on the floor and on the sofa, but the empty popcorn bowls are another indication.
“We should start waking them up,” Saylor says, stretching her arms above her head.
Have I mentioned that my wife is more beautiful today than the day we first met? Leaning over, I slide my hand behind her neck and pull her lips to mine. “Yeah,” I say against her lips. “Daddy needs some Mommy time.”
She chuckles softly. “Whiskey, no way in hell am I going to start calling you Daddy when we’re having s-e-x,” she whispers.
That has me grinning. One, the thought never crossed my mind, and two, our kids can spell. All of them. Lilah might not be there yet, but the others, they can, and I’m sure even Nora, at the age of ten, knows what s-e-x means. At least in some context.
“They can spell,” I say, my lips next to her ear. She rolls her eyes and shrugs. “You take the little.” She points to Lilah. “I’ll get the others.”
I watch her as she wakes each of our older children and tells them she loves them and that it’s time for bed. I stand as well, hugging and kissing them goodnight. Bending, I lift Lilah from the chair she fell asleep in, and hold her close to my chest.
“She’s getting way too big for that,” Saylor says softly.
“She’s the baby.” I’ll carry her to bed until I physically can’t. Just like I did with the first three. Saylor shuts off the lights and follows me upstairs. I take Lilah to her room and help her get changed into her pajamas.
“She ready?” Saylor asks from the doorway.
“She’s zonked.” I pull the covers up over our baby girl and place a kiss to her cheek. Finished, I walk to where Saylor stands in the doorway and wrap my arms around her waist. “You ready for bed, Short Stack?”