A beautiful photographer

Chapter 22 - Accident and new rooms

*Tom's pov*

Today I'm bringing the kids to the store to choose the new things for their bedrooms as the moving is coming closer.
It's Tuesday so I'm picking them up from school as Charlotte works. They have lunch there and by 2 pm Alex gets out and by 2:30 Ellie does as well.

I wait with the other parents in Alex school yard, the kids walk out in pairs and as soon as they are free they run everywhere.
I look around for Alex but I can't see him.
"Hi Tom!" Says John, Alex classmate
"Hello, how are you doing?"
"Good!"
"Hi! Good to see you again" his mother says
"You too, hey bud do you know why Alex is not out here?"
John shakes his head, I wave them goodbye and decide to get in the building.
As I walk by some of the classrooms a lady stops me "can I help you?"
"Oh yes, I'm looking for my son, he didn't walk out with the other kids"
"What's your son's name?"
"Alex Hiddleston, he's in first grade"
"Oh Alex! He's such a sweet kid...wait, you are that Hiddleston...wow!"
"Guilty as charged"
"Nice to meet you!" She says and we shake hands "They had a math class in last period, so he could still be in there" she says pointing to a door
"Thank you very much!"
"No problem!"

I walk to the door and knock on it
"Come in" I hear
"Sorry, uhm I'm looking for Alex" I say pocking my head in
"He'll be here in a minute, come in" the teacher says
"Hi"
"Ms. Richards, the math teacher"
"Tom Hiddleston, Alex dad" I say shaking her hand and looking around the class "so where's Alex?"
"He's in the bathroom changing"
"Changing?"
"He fell asleep the last twenty minutes of class-"
I interrupt her "Oh I'm sorry! I-"
"Don't worry it's fine Mr. Hiddleston, as I was saying he fall asleep and when he woke up he looked spooked and he had a little accident"
"Oh..."
"I sent him to change his trousers, he should be back soon"
"Thanks, I'm going to talk to him about what happened, if he had a bad dream or something"
"I'm not worried about the fact he fell asleep, it can happen sometimes. Alex is a very good kid and a fast learner, he's kind to everyone and he is making some friends"
"Well I'm glad to hear that, he's been in a lot of changes the last few months"
"He has told me, he used to live in San Francisco with his mum and big sister, then they moved here"
"Correct"
"You know, he talks a lot about you"
"Oh really?"
"Yep, he says you are the best daddy he could've ever asked for, and that you are his hero"
"I'm...wow..."
"He really does love you, Mr. Hiddleston"
"And I love him too, I'm not his biological father, but I don't t care as far as I know he's my son and I'm his dad"
"He told me about the Christmas present too"
"He likes to share stories, yes"
"That's for sure, oh here he comes"
I turn around and face the door, as soon as he sees me his face lights up and he sprints to me
"Daddy!" He says
"Hi little man, oh I missed you!" I say taking him in my arms, standing up I bring him with me and position him on my hip
"All better now Alex?"
"Yes Ms. Richards"
"Good" she says
"Are those tears buddy?"
He hides his face in my neck and with my free hand I make him look back at me
"Accidents happen love, it's alright! You are ok, you embarrassed?" I say
"Yes..." he says quietly
"It's ok...you don't have to be" I say kissing his head "shall we go pick up Ellie and go find some furniture for your new bedrooms?"
He nods, the teacher hand me his backpack and I take it
"Bye Ms. Richards!" He says waving
"Bye Alex, see you tomorrow"
"Thank you and have a great day" I say
"You too Mr. Hiddleston"

Once out of the school I secure him in his car seat and we wait ten minutes for Ellie to be done with school.
"Hi dad, hi Alex!" She says sitting near me
"Ellie!"
"Hi muffin!" She says to her little brother, he laughs and waves at her and Ellie sents him a kiss
"Hi sweetie" I say kissing her head "how was school?"
"Hi, good thanks!"
"Very good, let's go find some furniture!"
"Yay!" Alex says

We arrive at the store and Ellie grabs a cart.
"Any ideas?" I ask
They both nod their heads
"Great! Ladies first, don't you agree Alex?"
"Yep!"
"Uhm...pretty much everything in your house is made of wood and I really like that theme-"
"Wait, let me correct you: our house!" I say
"Right, our! So I'd like to have a wooden desk and bed frame"
"Of course! Anything else?"
"I don't know..."
"Well, just look around and if you see something that you like just stop me"
"Ok...Alex your turn!"
"I want a superhero room!"
"Why doesn't that surprise me?" Ellie says
"Ahahah, how do you want it?" I ask Alex
"I want avengers bedding! And...and Thor's hammer and Captain America's shield on the wall!"
"I think we can do that!"
We walk around the store and the first thing we choose is the size of the beds: queen size bed, then we are off to find some beddings, Ellie picks some light pink and white ones and we grab the avengers for Alex.
"Oh dad, there are lamps and lights here" Ellie says dragging us in the aisle
She chooses a round one that can be hung on the ceiling and for Alex we get a bed side lamp and a big one to put also on the ceiling.
"Oh Ellie, look at this, don't you think it's cute?" I say letting her look over at a mirror with lights on it
"Perfect!"
We continue our shopping, buying two wooden bed frames and bedside tables, a lighter tone for Ellie and a darker one for Alex, then we grab some paint: grey for Alex and antique pink for my girl.
After choosing the desks and some pillows and pillow cases I pay for everything
"The bed frames, desks, bedside tables and mattresses will be delivered to you sir"
"Thank you so much"
We exit the store and drive to Charlotte house

"We're home!" I say, knowing that Charlotte arrived before us
"Hello!" She says form the couch
The kids run over her and she hugs them, then she sents them to change.
"Did you buy some good stuff?"
"We did! I was planning to put up the rooms myself, well I'll need help for sure. I think I can ask Ben and Robert might be in town next week. So the plan is you, my love, just keep the kids out of my way so the boys and I can assemble their rooms. I don't want them to see until finished, I want to add a few personal touches to surprise them"
"Aww, you are the best daddy in the world!" She says kissing me
"Mom is right!" Ellie says jumping on me
"Yeah!" Alex says
"Oh!" I say moving Ellie in order to make her sit better on me "well, thank you!"
"Love you!" Ellie says hugging me tight
"Love you too, my sweet Ellie"