Wildflowers |h.s|

twenty three

Devon

"Oakie rock!" Oakley smiles, running over to show me a little rock she found in the yard.

Harry and I have been out in the yard, just watching the girls go crazy having fun. Annika didn't want to break out the fairy stuff today, since she was really in the mood to just spend time with everyone. Harry put on some rock music which the girls seem to love, and we've been spending one of the last nice days outside before it gets too cold out.

The girls have been kind of fighting for my attention, but I've been making sure to be available for both of them and trying to encourage them to agree for all of us to play together. It's definitely hard having two kids need your attention, and I give major props to H for doing this every day.

Oakley babbles on about her new rock, not really making sense but I nod and show her that I am completely interested in everything she has to say about this little rock. My guess is that she got this from Elmo since the episode she was watching during lunch had one of the characters owning a pet rock.

I know Oakley gets very attached to her pets, and that Harry hates Elmo, so this should be a lovely pair. I'm gonna fight for Oakley's pet rock's survival in this household though. Hey, a pet rock is better than a pet caterpillar. Maybe if Harry's up to it, I could get the girls that caterpillar thing where you raise them until they're butterflies and are ready to be released. They have the garden and that's the perfect place to release them. I'll have to ask him.

The last two weeks with Harry have been incredible. We're slowly starting to be more affectionate around the girls. No full on kissing or anything, but he's not afraid to kiss my cheek in front of them or touch me in an affectionate way. So far the girls haven't minded it, and they have definitely noticed because Oakley always has to kiss my cheek after Harry does.

Oakley entrusts me with the rock before running to go play with the bubbles with Annika again. Just as she runs off, Harry sits back down next to me with a bowl of chips. "Why are you holding a rock?" He asks, popping a few chips into his mouth.

I look at him, smiling a bit, "Okay, don't get upset." I start off, and he already sighs, knowing what's about to come. With a bigger smile, I continue. "Oakley found him in the yard and decided he's her new pet. His name is Fish."

He sighs, shaking his head, "Dev, it's a rock, put it down, she'll be fine." But I pout my lips, holding the rock up to him in my hands.

"It's Oakie's Fish." I try to guilt trip him, knowing he just needs a little more convincing. "Come on, babe, it's just a little rock, it's not gonna be hard to maintain."

He rolls his eyes, "You enable them, you know." he teases, and I know that's codeword for Oakley gets to keep her rock.

I grin, squealing as I hug him and kiss his cheek. "You're the best daddy in the world, you know that." He gives me a look, shaking his head. "Don't call me daddy, it's weird hearing it from you."

Laughing, he kisses my head and of course, Oakley notices and comes running over to kiss the top of my head too. Only she has to grab my face between her little hands, get on her tiptoes and then she can kiss my head. Harry chuckles as he watches, but he stops when Oakley gives Fish a kiss too. "Oakley, you can't kiss the rock, it has germs!" He tells her, but she looks at him with an angry little face.

"No! Fish!" She corrects, and I have to fight a smile at how adorable she looks right now.

Harry gives her a stern look since she talked back, but her angry face melts into a giggly usual Oakie face and she runs back to go play with Annika. "Great, now I have to clean the rock." he sighs, and I give him a look, silently telling him that it's name is Fish. He shakes his head, laying back in the grass.