The Future Of Us

Catie's day

"Catie, are you dressed? You need to leave soon?" I walk into her room to make sure she isn't stalling. Today is her first school play that she's in, and we're all getting ready to go see it.

She jumps off her bed grabbing her costume to take with "Yeah mom, I'm ready."

"Okay, sweetie." I walk with her out of her room "Go wait in the car with your dad and Ally, I have to get Josh dressed then we can leave." She does what I ask, and I go to Josh's room to get him dressed.

"Come on, buddy, we have to leave." I try to get him dressed, but in return he just yells at me in his baby language and refuses to stand still.

"I'll go get daddy." I look at him sternly, and he finally gives in letting me dress him. I grab my purse and carry him out to the car so that Catie won't be late.

We join everyone in the car and Brad drives to Catie's school where she goes to have a rehearsal with her classmates while we find our seats.

"Honey, you have to sit with either me or daddy," I try to get Ally to make up her mind "You need to be good, other people really want to watch this."

She decides to go to Brad, who ends up giving me Josh.

"How long do we have until the fighting starts and we have to leave?" Brad leans over whispering to me. At almost 5 and 3 you'd think they would get along better.

"I really hope they don't," I laugh causing some other parents to look at us "Maybe we'll get really lucky."

He lays his arm across my back and we get the kids to be quiet as the play starts. Catie walks out first and starts to say her lines as her classmates follow. I don't know if it's that she has the lead, or just that I am watching my child follow in our footsteps, but I get emotional. She looks so natural standing in front of everyone saying her lines, and seems so grown up for 8 years old. Brad has the biggest smile on his face as he watches her. The whole class is doing amazing, and it's a really good and funny play.

"Momma!" Josh pulls on my shirt to get my attention "I hungry." He flutters his eyes hoping to get a snack.

"Josh, we're watching Catie, you should have ate your dinner," Brad hands him a cracker, and he gets quiet again so we can keep watching.

The kids take their final bows as the play ends, and the curtains close shortly after. We walk out to the meeting area and buy flowers to give to Catie for when we see her.

She runs up to us when she sees us, and jumps right into Brad's arms. We all join in with hugging her and I give her the flowers we got.

"Thanks, mom and dad!" She lets Ally and Josh see the flowers we got her. They both jump around hugging her telling her that she did good.

"So," Brad looks back at Catie as we get in the car "Where are we going now?"

She quietly talks to Ally and Josh for a few seconds, then answers Brad "We want ice cream!"

"Ice cream it is, then." I laugh as we pull out of the parking lot. Brad moves his hand closer for mine and interlocks them as he drives to the ice cream shop. Little moments like these remind me why I married him. He looks over at me occasionally as he drives and smiles, making sure that I know he's just as happy as I am.

"Okay, guys make sure you stay at the table." Brad goes to get our ice cream leaving me to sit with the kids. They decide to play a game together right next to the table, so I take my phone out to take pictures of them.

"Looks like they're having fun," Brad walks up and wraps his arms around me "Maybe they forgot about the ice cream."

As if on cue, they all notice the ice cream sitting on the table and sit down to get theirs. Brad takes his seat next to me and hands each of us what we got. The kids eat all of theirs right away as if it's the only time they'll have ice cream this week. Truthfully, they probably eat it too often.

"So, Cat, what was your favorite part of the play?" I ask. We spend the rest of the evening with her explaining everything about it to us, and what she liked most.