Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 84~

~Raelyn~

After breakfast, I decided it was bath time for the kids. "Alright, everyone upstairs!" I announced, herding the sticky, giggling bunch towards the bathroom. "We need to get you all cleaned up."

I filled the bathtub with warm water and added a generous amount of bubbles. "Look at all these bubbles!" I said, making funny faces at the kids. They burst into laughter, splashing water everywhere.

"More bubbles, Auntie Rae Rae!" Gracie demanded, clapping her hands.

"Alright, more bubbles coming right up," I said, adding even more bubble bath to the water.

Just then, I felt a presence behind me. Before I could turn around, Colby jumped out and yelled, "Boo!"

I screamed, almost slipping on the wet floor. The kids erupted into laughter. "Colby! You scared me!" I said, playfully swatting at him.

"Gotcha!" Colby said, grinning from ear to ear.

"Uncle Colby's so funny!" Jack Jack said, still laughing.

"Alright, alright, let's get you all cleaned up," I said, trying to regain some semblance of order. "Colby, you can help."

"Yes, ma'am," Colby said, giving me a mock salute.

We worked together to scrub the syrup off the kids. They were having a blast, splashing water and bubbles everywhere. "Rosie, sit still, please," I said as she wiggled around.

"Sorry, Aunt Rae Rae, the bubbles tickle!" she said, giggling.

"Nick, stop trying to make a bubble beard," Colby said, laughing as Nick tried to pile bubbles on his face.

"But I want to look like Bubble Beard the bath Pirate!" Nick protested, making everyone laugh even harder. I looked over at Colby with a nostalgic expression. He gave me a knowing smile.

I remember the time that Colby and Blake had really ever bonded. Colby and I were giving Blake a bath, he was about Nick's age. We had played a fun game of pirates in the tub and the lead was Bubble Beard. Looking back on it now, it hit me with a wave of emotions. It's a bittersweet feeling, thinking how simpler things were back then.

Finally, we managed to get them all clean and wrapped them in towels. "Alright, everyone out of the tub," I said, helping them out one by one.

"That was fun, Aunt Rae Rae!" Laurie said, giving me a big hug.

"Yeah, can we do it again tomorrow?" Charlie asked, her eyes wide with excitement.

"We'll see," I said, smiling. "Now let's get you all dressed."

As we headed downstairs, the kids were still buzzing with excitement from the bath. We settled on the couch, trying to catch our breath. Suddenly, Devyn had an idea.

"Hey, why don't we go to the beach?" Devyn suggested, her eyes lighting up. "We haven't been in a while, and I think we could all use some fresh air."

Everyone agreed enthusiastically. "Yeah, let's do it!" Colby said, high-fiving Nick.

"Alright, let's pack up the beach bags," I said, getting up from the couch. "Make sure we have everything we need."

We quickly gathered towels, sunscreen, snacks, and beach toys. Isa, despite being pregnant, was determined to join in the fun. She slipped into a black bikini, looking stunning as always. Devyn wore a purple one, Tara chose green, Katrina went with blue, and I opted for a bright pink bikini. The kids were equally stylish—Charlotte and Lorraine wore gray and white striped two-pieces, Rosie sported a pink mermaid swimsuit, Paige had a rainbow bikini, and Aspen rocked a tropical black and pink bikini. The boys were just as colorful—Sam in blue trunks, Corey in purple, Jake in Patrick Star ones, Colby in pink and black, Liam in black, Jack Jack in gray, Nick in tropical flamingo ones, Blake in black, and Kaleb in a long sleeve with a swim diaper and a sun hat.

As we loaded up the vehicles, the younger kids started arguing over who got to ride shotgun. "I want the front seat!" Jack Jack yelled.

"No, me!" Nick shouted back.

"You're too young to ride shotgun," Tara cut in, shaking her head. "Blake gets to ride shotgun."

"That's not fair!" the kids chorused, pouting.

"Life's not fair," Blake said with a grin, hopping into the front seat.

On the way to the beach, we blasted music to lift the mood even more. "Turn it up!" Rosie squealed, dancing in her car seat.

"Alright, DJ Rosie," Colby said, cranking up the volume.

Isa laughed, rubbing her baby bump. "This baby is going to be a party animal with all this music."

As we drove, the kids continued their antics. "Hey, who wants to play I Spy?" Devyn suggested.

"I spy with my little eye, something... blue!" Charlotte said, looking around.

"The sky!" Nick guessed.

"Yep!" Charlotte confirmed.

"Okay, my turn," Blake said. "I spy with my little eye, something... pink!"

"The flamingo float in the back!" Paige shouted.

"Got it!" Blake laughed.