chapter 30

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Saturday, 1st August:

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"Bye, sweeties!", Amelia said to her kids and kissed their foreheads. "I told you that I could have walked here alone.", she addressed her friend, who winked at her. "But thank you, I'll see you guys later.", she added, softly pecking his lips.

"We need some fresh air and once you've finished today's session of physical therapy, we can have lunch in the city and go buy stuff for Logan's and Layla's school.", Owen repeated the plan.

"Pre-school!", his daughter corrected, sweetly waving at her mommy, who blew her a kiss before she disappeared into the house. "Daddy, can we have fries in the city?", she wondered, holding her hand out for her big brother to hold, since their father was pushing the stroller.

"I think wherever we will choose to go, they'll have fries for you to eat, baby.", the redhead chuckled. "Now let's go play a bit before mama is all done for today.", he suggested, causing the girl to nod and his son to chuckle.

"Dad, what do you want for your birthday next weekend?", Logan asked as they were walking to the park, where the playground was. By now, Layla was being carried, since she knew how to make people do what she wanted, and he was pushing Leo as he had requested earlier.

"Nothing. I have you guys and your mom. I don't need anything else.", the trauma surgeon answered honestly. "Hey!", he complained after seeing his boy roll his eyes. "What is that about?", he questioned.

"I am too old for that reply. You have time until tomorrow morning, otherwise I will decide on a gift myself.", the ten-year-old shared. "Are we going to celebrate at home?", he wanted to know. "Because we always did so when James was around, even on my birthdays when I would have loved to go somewhere and do something."

"Maybe we'll have everybody over for dinner. But how about you and I make a plan for the rest of the day? Would you be up for that?", Owen softly wondered, smiling at his son when he looked at him and his face lit up.

"I wanna help, too!", the toddler informed them, and it wasn't an offer but rather an order. She totally had her mother's attitude and they all loved it. "And mommy has to have a say as well.", she added seriously.

"Has to have a say?", her brother repeated confused. "Where did you get that phrase from? You're a small bean.", he reminded his sister, making her giggle. "And I would be really happy to make birthday plans with you, dad."

"From you.", Layla sang cutely. "And I will teach Leo once he learns how to speak.", she announced excitedly. "There's the playground!", she cheered. "Daddy, put me down!", the girl begged. "Come on, daddy!"

"Nope!", her father responded. "I will put you down if you promise to stay with Logan! I am going to watch you guys play but you don't get to go there alone, understood sweetie?", he questioned, waiting for her to nod. "Alright. Have fun!"

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"I wanna carry my foxy backpack myself!", the toddler informed her parents. They had bought her an orange backpack with the face of a fox on its front. She was super proud of it. Her father helped her put it on her back.

"Can we have Greek food for lunch maybe? We never had that before, mom.", Logan asked, satisfied with his new school stuff as well but not as excited as his little sister because he had been going to school for a while now. "And they should have fries for Layls, right?"

"Yeah, I'm in the mood for Greek, too.", Amelia smiled at her son, pushing the stroller, and smirking at her baby, who was hungry too. "You'll get the lunch we brought for you and maybe some bread, sweetheart.", she told Leo, suddenly feeling her friend's hand on the small of her back and leaning her head back to receive a kiss.

"So, are you two a couple now? Because you look like one.", the ten-year-old questioned curiously, wanting for his parents to be together but not sure if his mother was over James or not.

"Well, we are going to be one, baby.", Owen explained. It would be wrong to tell him they were one when they weren't yet, but they definitely wanted to be one in the future. "Is that answer enough for now or do you need some more details?", he wondered, considering the boy's feelings in this.

"It's fine for now.", the young brunette replied honestly. "But can you tell me once you are actually together?", he requested, watching them nod as they smiled at him. "Okay. Cool!", he beamed. "I like your backpack.", he started a conversation with his sister, whose face lit up at that. Layla grabbed her brother's hand and started talking his ear off about why she had chosen the one with the fox the entire way to the restaurant, which he didn't mind at all.

"Alright, we would like to have fries for our toddler, a breadbasket for all of us, kids' dish 105 with the gyros for our son, and the mixed grill plate for two. Plus, a strawberry milkshake and the chocolate one, a glass of orange juice and a sparkling lime water, please.", the trauma surgeon ordered everything, while his two older kids were drawing together with their mother, who was also cuddling with the baby in her arms.

"Mom, do you like going somewhere instead of staying home?", Logan wondered curiously, since he absolutely loved it. "This is kind of basic and still, so much fun. Going to a playground and then having lunch in a restaurant. I mean, I know it's more expensive than staying and eating home, but occasionally, I would like to do this."

"I love it, buddy.", Amelia agreed. "But it's also important that the right people are with you once you go out and eat.", she added, referring to the fact that none of this would have been that relaxed with James around. "And right now, I wouldn't want to trade this for anything.", she beamed, grasping Owen's hand, and guiding it to her lips.

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