Loving Family

Mick: Stage Shows

I groaned as Faye turned on the light at my side of the bed. I knew for sure it was Faye rather than Ben paying us a visit after a nightmare because Ben couldn't find the switch for the table light as I'd found out a few times recently.
"What're you doing?" I asked sleepily.
"Do you want to help me hide Easter things?" She asked with a grin. It was that same stupidly hopeful grin that always reminded me of why I loved her so much.
"Why?"
"Well then we can send them to go find the stuff later and we get some peace to snuggle." Faye replied. "Also it's cute."
A part of me wanted to tell her to go away with her crazy ideas so I could go back to sleep. But she was right it was a cute idea and I did want to be involved. And I definitely wanted the time with her given she was only home for a week. So I reluctantly got up and followed her quietly downstairs. She insisted we had to be quiet because otherwise we'd wake one of them up and then it wouldn't be a surprise anymore. Also because if Ben got up at this hour of the morning he probably wouldn't bother going back to sleep again and, on current form, if he did it'd be in our bed.

"Why didn't we do this before we went to bed?" I asked her as I tried to figure out the best place I could hide chocolate in the front room.
"Because where's the fun in that?" She giggled. "We could put some in... oh." I could guess what she was going to suggest given she'd opened the curtains only to find it was doing misty rain outside.
"Yeah I think that's a recipe for disaster. They'll both just find all the mud and get it everywhere." I replied, softly slipping my arms round her as she looked so disappointed. I knew she'd probably spent hours planning this while she'd been away and the rain had disrupted her perfect little plan. She nestled herself closer to me and for a moment we both just watched the mist.
"I'd thought this all through so much." She told me quietly. I smiled to myself about having guessed that, before gently kissing her forehead.
"We've talked about this. You don't always have to do the perfect planned thing for them like other people might, they're both gonna be happy whatever. You love them both and try your best and that's enough. They both adore you anyway." I whispered.
I felt her heavy sigh and gently rubbed her shoulder in response as she mumbled "Clara always does stuff so much better."
"Yeah but that's Claire. She's a weirdo. And basically a stay at home mum unlike you. B and Ev love you and always will even if you don't do the most incredible things for them. And they get to see their super talented mam on stage way more than her two." I assured her, before kissing her again. "Come on we can find somewhere else to hide the rest of these."

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There was always something special about seeing Ev's excitement to see Faye, even when it was at home and they were just snuggling up on the sofa. In a weird kind of way it made me really happy that they had each other to provide that company for. I knew I could never even pretend to understand half the problems Evalynn had (or would one day have) so I didn't exactly mind Faye very obviously being the preferred parent there. And I didn't too much mind the fact I'd taken both children down the country only for one to be more excited to see his nan and the other to almost launch herself at her mother when she arrived. Although I kind of did still wish that when Faye and I saw each other for the first time in a few weeks because of tours I was able to be the first one she paid attention to. But it was something beautiful to see her hug them both at once, knowing how every time she'd been away since we'd had Ben she'd longed to have both of them hugging her when she'd seen us, and knowing how even further back still she'd wanted Evalynn to hug her before a show.
"You gonna let me go? Evvy?" Faye asked as Evalynn just clung to her like they hadn't seen each other in months. It had been two weeks, though admittedly Ev had just done her first week back at school without Kathryn and it had been hard on her.
"Oh sorry." Evalynn mumbled, reluctantly releasing Faye from their hug.
They smiled at each other before Faye quietly said "It's okay. I know it's been a long week." At which Ev just nodded slightly tearfully.
"What am I? The taxi driver?" Clare moaned. She got a playful slap from Faye and a hug from Evalynn (Ben having already gone to find nanny again). The other thing that strangely didn't hurt me too much was that Evalynn definitely preferred Faye's family to mine and was quite bad at not showing it.
"Oh hello baby Kermit." Clare said.
"Would you stop calling me Kermit!" Faye moaned. Clare retorted with nothing more than a cheeky grin and - after Evalynn also vanished into the kitchen - the two of them had a stupid sibling argument, during which I decided maybe joining the children was my best bet.
"Do I need to go tell them to sort themselves out?" Dorothy asked as I loitered awkwardly in the doorway. She was sat at the table playing some game or other with the children.
I was used to the sisters falling out, I think I must have known as well as their parent's did they'd yell at each other for about 10 minutes and then promptly make up again. So I shrugged. "I'm sure they'll sort it out in a minute."
"Told you he'd learn eventually." Angus said, and the conversation was left there. Nobody even mentioned the fact we knew they'd fought when Faye came into the kitchen and I finally got my hug, even if Clare had decided not to join the rest of us. Honestly in that moment I was too happy getting to enjoy my hug to really be too concerned about Clare.