Cupcakes, Curls & Cuddles

Chapter 13

As they reach the landing of the stairs they are greeted with four rowdy children all jumping around them at their feet. "Are we ready to go to the park" Daisy bounces grabbing onto Louis arm. Phoebe grabs onto Harry's arm shaking it in excitement. "Yeah can we go now?" She begs. 

"Yeah we can go now." Louis chuckles. "Where is Cass?" he adds when he looks around not seeing the three year old anywhere. As soon as he asks that he hears a small giggle coming from behind the couch. He looks over to meet Harry's gaze smiling and raising his eyebrows before nodding over to the couch. Harry bites back a laugh as he watches for what Louis is planning

"Oh no, what will I ever do my munchkin has gone missing. I must find her." Louis says in fake over the top dramatics as he makes his way over to where the couch is. Once he gets closer to the couch, he diverts his route and walks to the curtains a couple feet from where Cassie is hiding. Quickly he pulls back the curtain searching behind it. "Nope. No Cassie here." He says loudly so that he knows Cassie will hear him. He then moves to pick up the lamp on the side table next to the curtains. "No Cassie under here!" He says biting back a laugh as he does. 

Now he makes his way over to the couch, picking up the cushions to search under each one. "No Cassie here." He says before adding. "I wonder where she went?." 

At those words the three year old is jumping up from behind the couch in a start screaming. "Boo! I hewe Dadee!" 

Louis puts on his best dramatics masking a scared look and clenching his chest. "Ahh! There you are!" He shouts. "Silly Dadee!" She giggles and runs out from behind the couch to stand in front of her father. "Pawk now?" She asks. 

"Yes we can go to the park now." He chuckles guiding the cheering kids towards the door, Harry by his side helping the youngest set of twins put on their shoes. 

Once everyone was ready to head out doors Louis stops in front of them all and looks down at them seriousness on his face. "Okay we are going to head to the park now, but there are going to be rules okay?" He says pausing to see that they are all listening, only continuing after receiving nods from all the children. 

"You must all listen to myself and Harry at all times. I don't want to hear any whining or tantrums when we say its time to go or tell you, you can't do something. Cassie, Ernie and Doris you must hold either mine or Harry's hand the entire way to the park. Daisy and Phoebe, I do not want either of you running off on your own, even if you see your friends. Understood?" He says sternly. 

"Yes Dadee!" Cassie says first followed by a round of "Yes Lou-Lou's" from his younger siblings. Louis looks up to check in with Harry to make sure that he is ready to go, only to find the younger lad already staring at him with a smile on his face and something behind his eyes that Louis can't quite read. "You ready to go love?" Louis asks Harry smiling. 

"More than." Harry smiles back reaching down to meet an awaiting hand of Doris. Cassie reaches out and takes Harry's other free hand and then reaches up Louis taking his as well. Louis smiles down at her before reaching and taking Ernest hand in his free hand and they all files clumsily out the front door. 

Phoebe and Daisy following close behind them giggling amongst themselves. The walk to the park is only 10 minutes, but with three children under 5 years old, that 10 minutes quickly turned into 20 minutes.  

Once they arrive at the park the kids take off racing towards the play structures. Louis reaches over and grabs Harry's hand in his own pulling him close as they follow after the kids. 

~~~

Two hours pass by quickly, Harry and Louis join in with the kids running around the playground helping the younger ones on the the monkey bars. After a while they head over to the swings to watch the kids while taking a break from running around.