Cody learns to love

The one chapter where they are just playing family

  "Cody? Can we have pancakes for breakfast?" Jesse asked. Cody didn't expect that question, they were talking about drawing and the kids' original characters. He also thought that the kids had eaten already, they usually demanded breakfast right after they woke up and if Cody didn't get them food fast enough, they helped themselves to cereals or whatever they could find.

  "You didn't have breakfast?"

  "We did but we want a second breakfast," Jesse explained. "Please, Cody! You said we can have pancakes on the weekend!"

  "Second breakfast?" Cody pretended he was thinking about it. As if he could ever deny his brothers anything. If he could do something for them, he did it. That was what parenting was about. "I think we can do that. Who is going to help me with cooking?"

  "Can I finish my drawing first?" Emerie asked.

  "Of course."

  "But I want the pancakes now," Fives complained.

  "We will all finish our drawings and then we will get ready on the pancakes, okay, Fives?"

  "No." Fives pouted.

  "Don't worry, Fives, it won't take long."

  "I want pancakes now!"

  "You can't have pancakes right now, Fives. Have you finished your picture already?"

  "Yes."

  "What if you drew something more? You could draw your knight a pet," Cody suggested.

  "I will draw him a pet after I eat pancakes-"

  "Well, you should at least draw him a nice meal. You surely don't want him to get hungry while we eat pancakes," Obi-Wan suggested. Apparently, Obi-Wan's parenting strategies were more effective than Cody's because Fives started ranting about a huge feast and drawing the thing. That just wasn't fair.

  "I will draw better meal," Echo said. He sounded determined to beat his twin. That was new. The twins usually just copied each other, they weren't competitive. Maybe they were going to get more competitive as they grew older. Cody read that twins often didn't get along but Fives and Echo have always been inseparable.

  "No, I will draw a better meal!" Fives argued.

  "We can draw the best meal together!" There it was, the way the twins did everything together.

***

  As every other day, Cody left work and headed to the kindergarten. Wooley was a darling as always, looking up at Cody with his large brown eyes and being blissfully quiet. Every now and then, he reached up with his tiny hands and touched Cody's chin. Wooley was usually calm as long as Cody was holding him. None of the other kids has hated lying in their crib or in the pram so much.

  They quickly reached the kindergarten. Cody could already hear children through the open windows. He was pretty sure that the yell he just heard was Fives.

  "Hello, I'm here for Fives and Echo," Cody told the first caretaker he saw.

  "I will call them over." The caretaker smiled at him. She was probably new, Cody didn't think he's seen her before. "Do you pick them up every day?"

  "Yes."

  "In that case, we will be seeing each other often." The caretaker smiled at him. The smile wasn't just friendly, Cody could tell. He didn't like that situation at all.

  "Can I see Fives and Echo now?"

  "Sure, I will get them right now." The caretaker actually blushed - not very professional- before rushing to tell Fives and Echo that Cody was there to pick them up.

  Fives and Echo came with another caretaker, only Cody was familiar with this one. "Mr. Fett," the teacher greeted him. "Can I talk to you? I promise I won't take much of your time."

  "Sure." Cody started helping Fives with putting on his jacket but he was focused on the caretaker. One of the things taking care of children has taught him. Multitasking was a must.

  "The kids played a game today where they had to split into two groups," the caretaker started. "I picked the groups randomly and Fives and Echo ended in different groups. They refused to split up."

  Cody didn't really see what the issue was. "They're very close."

  "And that itself wouldn't be a problem. What's troubling me is that they are unable to split up, even if it's just for a game."

  "They don't need to split up."

  "They don't need it yet- But there are going to be times when they won't be able to be together. Talk to them about this, please."

  "I will." That was a lie. Cody didn't see the point. Fives and Echo were just kids, they could spend all the time together if they wished so. And Cody encouraged it. The twins helped each other, looked after each other. And Cody felt much calmer knowing that.

***

  "Cody. Food." Wooley said as he showed Cody his picture. He was finally starting to talk a bit more.

  "You drew that very well, Wooley. Good job." Cody patted Wooley's hair gently. Wooley beamed at him.

  "I can draw nice pictures too," Fives informed them. He sounded offended.

  "I know, Fives. You are all talented little artists."

  "I'm not little," Fives argued.

  "Then you are a big talented artist."

  "And I'm even bigger," Jesse bragged. It was only natural that Jesse was taller than a four year old but Fives still didn't look all too happy at being the small one.

  "I'm taller than Jesse," Emerie said. She probably didn't even realize how much kids cared about every little implication that they're small.

  "And Cody is even taller," Kix added. "He's the tallest."

  "No he's not," Obi-Wan argued. He sounded so offended. Cody wasn't completely sure if the other man was faking it.

  "You're taller than Cody?" Fives sounded shocked. Cody wasn't the tallest human being in the universe, a scandal, really. "No, that can't be true."

  "It it."

  "Prove it," Fives challenged.

  "You both have to stand up and stand next to each other," Jesse instructed them. Somehow they both kept straight faces on as they stood up next to each other and let the kids compare their height. Cody knew Obi-Wan was taller. Not by much, just a few centimeters, but he was still the small one. Poor kids probably really believed Cody was super tall.

  "It's true," Kix announced. "Obi-Wan is taller. You should've eaten more veggies, Cody."

  "Well, I'm still stronger." Cody knew it was a low blow. But he had to.

  "I beg your pardon?" Obi-Wan looked at him and Cody didn't think he's ever seen anyone this offended in his life. He was sure Obi-Wan was faking it now.

  "Now you have to fight to prove it, Cody," Jesse informed him. He wasn't really helping.

  "Oh, I don't think that will be necessary. Everyone knows I'm stronger." Obi-Wan was lying. He had to be. Cody needed to save whatever he could of his dignity.

  "Please, I could easily bend you over." Did Cody really just say that? He shouldn't have said that.

  "Oh, really? Why don't you prove it?" Obi-Wan challenged him. Then he flushed bright red. Apparently, he also realized just what he said. Maybe they could like... forget that this happened?

  "Let's make the pancakes." That wasn't the smoothest change of topic but whatever. It seemed to be good enough for the kids. They started cheering.

  "That was smooth," Obi-Wan whispered. He looked far too smug, as if he himself changed the subject so much better. And Cody wanted to marry that asshole.

  "I'm aware."