Another Day




“Daddy?” She smiles at me.

Uh oh. She only calls me ‘Daddy’ when she wants something. Now she’s batting those eyes at me. “How much?” I ask, barely looking up over my paper.

“Dad!” she whines. “I don’t want money.”

“Isabella...”

“I don’t!” she insists. “Ugh! Brian, watch it!” She groans as the five year old comes tearing in and grabs her leg.

“Bewa!” he says.

“Come ‘ere buddy,” I say, tossing my paper aside.

“DADDY!” he squeals, diving into my lap. Yeah, he was a bit of a surprise. Right after I came back. Well, a few months after I came back. It was interesting, especially when we told the girls.


“Girls, we have something to tell you,” I begin. Sydney smiles at me nervously. I know she’s nervous about this, all of it. She’s nervous about having a baby over forty and starting all over with parenting. I am too. But it’s exciting....that little baby is going to keep us young while making us older. “You’re going to have a little brother or sister.”

“You’re kidding!” Bella gasps.

“No.” Sydney laughs.

“YAY!” Rachel cheers as she hugs us both.

“For real?” Bella asks.

“Yes,” I say.

“Oh well that’s... EWWWWWW!!” she screeches.

“What?” Rachel asks her.

“You guys still...,” she grimaces looking in between us. We blush. “EWWWWW god, I’m gonna be sick.”

“ISABELLA ROSE VAUGHN!” Sydney warns her.

“What are you talking about?” innocent little Rachel asks. Oh boy, now we’re in for it.


We were concerned about the age difference between the kids, but since Nadia and Eric’s kids are one year older and one year younger, Brian isn’t alone. He’s doing alright though, especially since he’s the only boy. Holding him in my arms for the first time, that’s when I truly felt alive again. I’ve never been more thankful that I got a second chance.

“Dad, please,” Isabella says impatiently.

“Yes, ok, I’m sorry, I am listening,” I say as I pull Brian into my lap and hold him around the waist as he lies back on my arm.

“Martin proposed!” she squeals as she holds up her left hand which is now sparkling.

“WHAT?!” I screech. “No!! No, no, no, no!!”

“Daaaaaaaaaad,” Isabella whines.

“Michael,” Sydney warns me.

“Oh, you’re ok with this?!” I ask incredulously.

“Hear her out,” Sydney says. I look back to my sweet, innocent little daughter (ok in my mind she’s always going to be little) and wait for something resembling an explanation.

“Dad, I’ve been with Martin for two years now.”

“But you’re eighteen!” I whine.

“Daaaaaaad, you and mom got married when you were eighteen!” she insists.

“Yes, we did. Do you know what the statistics are for people who get married at eighteen? Your mother and I are the only one’s still together!” I hear Sydney laughing but I don’t care.

Bella laughs too. “Dad, that’s such a lie.”

“It most certainly is not!”

“Dad, come on, we’re not getting married yet!”

“Do you promise not to get married in the next year? Swear it Isabella Rose, swear it on your brother’s head,” I say, holding up Brian in between us. He giggles, finding it to be a game.

Bella rolls her eyes and put her hand on Brian’s head. “I swear it.”

“Good,” I say, satisfied. Then, I put Brian down and he scampers off to his other sister.

“I’m proud, Dad,” Rachel says. “You didn’t freak too badly.”

“Yes well, I didn’t want to be too hypocritical,” I say casually. Sydney laughs loudly and I glare at her. “Who is this boy anyway? Have I met him?”

“Yes, you met him,” she says. I look to Sydney for a refresher.

“Dark hair back in a ponytail, purple glasses and an earring,” she says.

Oh god, I’m going to be ill. My daughter is marrying Ozzy Osbourne’s spawn. “Nooo, no, no, no,” I groan as I pinch the bridge of my nose.

“No, it’s ok,” Bella assures me. “He was just going through his art phase. I swear his hair is cut and the earring's gone!”

“But the tattoo isn’t,” Rachel snorts.

“TATTOO?! He has a TATTOO?! Where?! Of what?! God, I’m going to have a stroke.” I groan.

“Dad, no it’s fine. It’s just the number 85 in a circle,” she tells me.

“What? Why?”

“I dunno, he likes the number.” She shrugs.

“Wait, tell him where it is!” Rachel laughs.

“Where is it?!” I ask frantically. Bella looks away and mumbles something I can’t hear. I ask her to repeat it.

“It’s on his butt, ok! The left cheek,” she tells me. Rachel doubles over with laughter and is now crying on the floor with Brian jumping on her. Sydney is trying to hold back her laughter. I’m positive I’m having an aneurysm.

There are just so many things....

“Why is it on his butt? Wait, how do you know it’s on his butt? HAVE YOU SEEN HIS BUTT?!!? Has your sister seen the butt?!” I ask frantically.

“Michael, listen to yourself!” Sydney says through fits of laughter.

“Daddy said butt!” Brian cheers. Rachel laughs harder.

I’ve lost all control of my household.

Bella gives a flustered little groan. There is no way out of this situation for her. “Can I just walk away?” she pleads.

“No! I want to meet this... this Mr. 85! I want to know why he finds it appropriate for my daughter to see his butt!”

“Please, stop, you’re killing me!” Rachel gasps from the floor through her laughter.

“Will you please stop saying the word butt?!” Bella asks.

“Fine, but I need to meet him,” I insist.

“Dad, you cannot bring up his butt,” she says. “Please, PLEASE you cannot. I’ll never forgive you.”

“Fine,” I grumble.

“Swear on Brian,” she says, picking him up and holding him out to me.

“Fine,” I repeat with my hand on his head.

“Daddy say butt again!” he insists.

“Oh god, I love this family,” Rachel says, finally picking herself up off the floor and wiping tears from her eyes.

“I’m glad someone’s enjoying this, Rach.” I sigh, picking up my son and going to the kitchen.

“Michael...,” Sydney says quietly.

“I know, I know...,” I sigh. “It’s just... on his butt!!”

“Yay! Butt!” Brian cheers.

Sydney laughs and shakes her head. “Look what you did.”

“I know,” I groan. “Brian, you can’t say that word anymore.”

“BUTT!”

“No, Brian,” I begin.

“BBBUTT!” he says louder.

“Oh I just give up.” I groan, putting him down and let him run off through the house, repeating his new favorite word. “It’s better than some of the other words he could have picked up around here.”

“Like when you yelled the ‘s’ word at dinner last week,” Sydney says, slipping her arm around my waist.

“That pot was really hot!! And you didn’t warn me!” I defend.

“I know.” She laughs. “It was worth it to see that little ‘ouch I’m burnt’ dance you did on the way to the sink.”

“I hate you,” I grumble.

“No, you love me.”

“Yeah, I do.” I smile as I lean down and kiss her.

“EWWWWW kissy butt!” Brian groans. We both laugh. God, I love this family. I love my life. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t thank god for another tomorrow.

-Fin-