Mummy, Daddy and Me

Travels

Phoebe

I put my hands on my hips and sighed. Why Jess had packed herself three suitcases when we told her we have a max of two between us baffled me completely. I'd told her and warned her that if her packing wasn't done by yesterday, she wasn't allowed to go out with Ellie but now- here we are- Jess having packed her whole wardrobe and Carter and I unable to put anything anywhere. I ran my fingers through my hair and looked at Carter frustratedly. He gave me a look of 'what are we supposed to do now?' just as the front door opened and Jess shouted the very grateful words of 'I'm home'. I marched to the top of the stairs, trying not to get too angry and gave her the 'seriously?' look as she came up them, phone in hands, typing away. I had to step back from the top of the stairs as she hadn't seemed to notice me and would have fallen straight back down. She completely ignored me or simply didn't see me as she stalked into her bedroom, phone screen blaring and her new acrylic nails tapping away at the screen. Carter scoffed from beside me and whispered 'how old is she again?'. I rolled my eyes and followed Jess to her big girl bedroom. She was lying on her bed on her stomach, still tapping on her phone.

"Jessica?" I said. Her phone dropped instantly and she flipped over as fast as lightning at the use of her full name.

"Phoebe?" she questioned with a slight tone in her voice.

"Don't use that voice with me. Carter and I gave you very specific instructions for your packing and you literally packed three suitcases. Care to explain?" she huffed and rolled her eyes, making me madder. "I'm serious. I'm not happy with you."

"And I'm not little, you can't be like this," she whined.

"Well I might as well still be your mother with the age you're behaving when you're big at the minute Jess!" I groaned- trying my hardest not to shout.

"What on Earth does that mean?"

"That means you're 22 years old and I haven't seen you pick up one dish, one piece of dirty washing, offer to help out at all with anything! You don't even make your bed in the morning- that's me or Carter. We aren't your parents, we are your partners and you're not respecting that at all. Stop acting like a stroppy teenager who can't get her head out of her phone and actually listen to us. One simple thing Jessica- pack 1 suitcase. You packed 3." her face changed as I said each thing and I couldn't read it at all. Anger? Hurt? Upset? I wasn't sure but I wasn't done. "You either get in that room, choose what you actually want to take with you or we decide. Go on," I pointed to mine and Carter's room. She got off her bed instantly, lowered her head walking past me and went into our room. I stopped short behind her and took a deep breath- maybe I'd been a little harsh? I heard a little couple of whines from the other room and Carter's voice too. I steadied myself for tears and upset and walked in. Surprisingly, she was unzipping one of her suitcases. I sat beside her suitcase on the bed and watched.

"Erm. I'm not sure why there is so much," she began, quietly.

"Well what have you packed hun?" I asked, looking in. I saw lots of clothes.

"Baby, remember we are only going for a few days. Why've you got so much?" Carter asked.

"Yeah b but I need spares," she whimpered, "in case."

"Princess, you don't need twenty spare outfits," I whispered and reached a hand out to her but she moved away sadly.

"But what if I do?" she mumbled back, avoiding my eyes. I sighed and looked at Carter sadly. This was her over obsessive OCD coming out.

"You don't angel," I replied and moved my arms out to her again.

She still moved back. "Yo- you guys can sort it out. I think I'm going to- er- go?" she stumbled out of the room and my heart just broke. Maybe I was too harsh on her. I could hear her crying in the other room.

"I did that. I made her cry like that." I whimpered and looked at Carter with teary eyes.

"Hey no. Don't cry please baba," he came over and wrapped an arm around me. I buried my head in him and tried not to. He smelt like my Carter and that helped instantly. "I think you need to go and speak to her baby. Help her to understand." I sighed and sat up. I did need to go and speak to her. I got up, kissed Carter's cheek and went to Jess' room.

"Princess, Mummy's really sorry," I mumbled and instantly laid beside her. She cried and didn't look at me. "I didn't want to upset you by telling you them things. I should have sat down and had a proper conversation about it but I was a little bit upset with your packing and you bending my rules that I wasn't thinking rationally." I wrapped my arms around her and spooned her. "You know how I get when holidays are coming up. It's not you at all princess but I'm really super, so sorry I took it out on you." I leaned up on one elbow and kissed her cheek. She turned to look at me with her sad little eyes. I kissed her wet lips gently and she smiled slightly.

"Has anyone ever told you that when you're upset, you're super cute?" she asked me. I blushed and hid in her hair. She giggled and rolled over in my arms before hiding her head in my chest. I held her tight and felt her kiss my chest.

"I'm sorry I've been like this," she mumbled and looked up at me.

"Just tell me why angel," I whispered and moved some hair from her face. She sighed.

"I'm just stressed about this holiday. I don't- I don't want to go on the flight. It's scary but Carter's paid all that money I can't not go- can I?"

"It's okay to be scared. I'm a little nervous myself baba. You just need to speak to us. Rather than lounging around doing nothing you can talk to us and express your feelings," I explained, holding her tight. "Hint hint." She giggled a little and snuggled closer into me.

"Did you have fun at Ellie's?"

"Mhmm, we went out for breakfast," she replied, fiddling with the end of my hair. "I put it on my Instagram. Didn't you see?"

"I did not," I pulled out my phone from my back pocket, put it behind her head and tapped away. She giggled, rolled over in my arms and watched me. I moved some of her hair from my face and saw her Instagram story. There were some selfie's of her and Ellie and then their food. It was a huge pile of pancakes covered in syrup. I gasped- "you ate alllll of that?" I teased and put my hand on her little belly. There was nothing to her honestly- she simply had a fast metabolism and had always been skinnier and smaller than everyone.

She giggled and nodded before looking up at me with a cheeky face. I smiled.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, angel," I held her for a while whilst just scrolling through my phone. Occasionally, she'd tap at something she'd like and we giggled as a message came through from Carter.

'Are you sleeping? Cuddling? Sexing? I feel left out!!'

I shouted for him to come through and then we heard him coming in. He jumped onto the bed between the wall and Jess so she was in the middle and wrapped his arms and legs around us.

"I've sorted your clothes out. You can go and check them if you'd like," he said to Jess and kissed her temple.

"It's okay, I trust you," she smiled.

"You trust Carter to pick out your outfits for a holiday?" I gasped.

"I trust him more than you," she smirked and giggled. I just pretended to be hurt and hid in her neck. She was my sweetest baby and I couldn't wait to go on holiday with her and my boyfriend.