The Book Of Me & You

"It's One Door Swinging Open, And One Door Swinging Closed"

"This seat feels like I'm leaning against a brick wall!" He complained, tossing a wadded up gum wrapper into the tiny trash can by his foot.

"Would you stop complaining?" Ricky snapped, turning his neck to glare at him

"How did I get stuck coming to this thing and being put on babysitting duty?"

"You're here because mom doesn't trust you to be alone, and you knew Mimzy, and you're helping me because it's been a rough enough time for everyone, and the last thing anyone needs to worry about is a bunch of unruly toddlers interrupting the service."

Ethan chomped hard on his red gum, dramatically, "Shouldn't you be up there too? Wasn't Mimzy like your grandma-in-law or something?"

"I guess." Ricky shrugged, making a funny face at his daughter sitting in the carrier next to his seat, "but I'm giving Amy space to be with her family. So I volunteered to take care of all the kids - ease the burden on everyone else."

As if on cue, a petite brunette emerged, the two unruly toddlers clasping each of her hands.

"Daddy," John complained, fidgeting with his white dress shirt and loosening the buttons on the top around his neck, "I itchy!" Robbie followed, tugging at the black tie hanging down his short torso.

Kathy pursed her lips, clasping her palms together, "My grandmother is outside - I should probably get going. I'm just gonna go say goodbye to Amy first."

Nodding, Ricky stood up, embracing her in a short hug, "Thanks for coming, and helping me out - means a lot to both of us."

"Bye… Kathy," Ethan mumbled, hoping that she'd at least give him a smile.

Ignoring him, Kathy smiled down at the baby in the car seat instead, giving Emma a small little wave "Bye bye, pretty girl!" Emma smiled in response, kicking her legs up and thrusting a fist into her mouth.

Ricky's lip tipped up, unbuckling the straps and pulling her out, handing her to his grumpy foster brother.

Stooping down on one knee, he pulled his pint-sized brother-in-law towards him, tying the black laces of his dress shoes tighter so they wouldn't come undone again before doing the same to his son.

"I wana go hom!" Robbie whined as Ricky used his fingers to straighten out the boy's white collar properly, swiping some of his light blonde hair away from his eyes

"Me too!" John mimicked, as his father did the same actions to his clothing, scrunching his nose as he glanced around the space, "Where mommy?"

Ricky stood back up, adjusting his own black tie, "Mommy is with grandma and grandpa, so you guys are going to stay back here with me and Ethan and be good boys until after the service ends, right?"

Robbie tugged on his shirt again, rubbing a chubby fist into his eye, "I want daddy!" Sighing, Ricky went to pick him up, but thankfully, he spotted George walking towards them. Robbie sprinted towards his dad, grinning when George picked him up, "I weady go hom, daddy."

Wiping at his wet cheeks with the hand that wasn't holding his son, George gave Ricky a knowing look as she followed behind him, "The um, the service is about to start."

Skipping over quickly, John wrapped his arms around the back of her legs. Sniffling, she dabbed the tissue in her left palm against her eyes, running a hand through her son's thick locks with her right hand, eyes red and puffy.