Cody learns to love

The one chapter where Cody finds something unexpected

  It was Sunday, it was raining, everyone was at home... The logical solution to boredom? Let's clean the house! Cleaning wasn't easy with a house full of children but well, they couldn't live in dirt either. And it's been a while since they did a larger cleaning.

  Cody started with telling all the children, with the exception of Wooley and Boba, to clean their rooms. He kept his room tidy at all times, it would be too much of a chaos if he didn't, so he could go directly to the twins' room. Fives and Echo were still too little to clean up everything on their own but they were old enough to be getting used to the idea of cleaning their own space. He was also sure that Jesse and Kix will need some help too.

  "Now collect all the wooden blocks and throw them into the box together, okay?" he told Fives and Echo while he ordered their wardrobe. The wooden blocks were one of the oldest toys but they seemed to be unbreakable. He bought them years ago for Wolffe who didn't really play with them much. Fox loved them when he was little and Jesse and Kix liked building stuff too. Fives and Echo only when they were bored. Not many toys could last that long, it usually broke after a few years.

  "And where do I put the cars, Cody?" Fives asked.

  "Leave them on the floor for now and you will take care of them once you collect all the blocks."

  "And what about the Lego bricks?" Echo asked.

  "Same as the cars, after you clean up the blocks."

  "And what about the marbles?" Fives asked.

  "Fives, leave everything where it is except for the wooden blocks and once you finish cleaning up the blocks, we will talk about the rest, okay?"

  "Okay!" Fives chirped and they finally started collecting the bricks. Cody was occupied going through their wardrobe. He sorted the clothes into groups and singled out some pieces that looked small already. He would later have Echo and Fives try them on and if they really were too small, he would stock them in the basement or the garage for Wooley or Boba or whichever younger sibling needed them.

  "Cody, look what I found!" Kix ran into the room. Cody recognized the toy in his hands as Adele, a doll dressed like a nurse, one of Kix's favorite toys. The doll 'disappeared' about a month ago and there was a lot of crying.

  "Where did you find her?"

  "She was in Jesse's wardrobe. Can you imagine? I couldn't find her for ages!"

  "Wait. Kix, what exactly were you doing in Jesse's wardrobe?"

  "Not in, we threw all the stuff out," Kix explained.

  "You threw all the clothes out of the wardrobe? Why the f- I mean, why in the world would you do that?" Cody asked because in his 23-year career of an older brother, this has never happened before.

  "Because you said we will have to reorganize it."

  "I didn't mean- Never mind, let's go clean it. Fives, Echo, I will go help Kix and Jesse now and then I will come back to help you clean the rest, okay?"

  Echo let go of the box he was holding and rushed to Cody. He hugged Cody's leg. "Stay here," he pouted. He has been clingy like that since morning, he even insisted on sitting on Cody's lap when he ate breakfast, something not easily done when Cody had to feed Boba and help Wooley eat his food at the same time.

  "I will be back in a moment, Echo," Cody promised. "You can't keep me here forever."

  "I can."

  Cody wanted to coo because Echo's determined expression was just so cute. That would, however, offend the boy so he had to school his expression and act serious. "Oh, really? Now how would you do that?"