PREATH- Full Circle

Ch. 22

"You sure you'll be okay?" Tobin asked me for the 20th time. She was leaving today to head on a long road trip with the stars.
"Tobin I'll be fine." I told her for the 20th time.
"I'm just worried about you and Caden alone. It's difficult."
"I know it is, but it's Mal's spring break and she's coming in two days and will be here when you get back."
"I know." She sighed. "I just love you guys and hate leaving you."
"I know Tobin. But hurry up. You're gonna miss the flight."
"Okay." She sighed as she moved over to me and kissed me.
"Caden!" I called. "Come say goodbye to mama!" Seconds later we heard the patter of little feet and Caden emerged and ran straight for Tobin's outstretched arms.
"I love you buddy." She whispered.
"Love you too mama."
"See you next Saturday." She said as she walked out the door on the way to the car. Before she left she turned and waved, and then drove away.
"Well Cadey. What do you wanna do?"
"I dunno." He shrugged causing me to chuckle.
"What about we hang in today, and when mommy's new teammate comes we can do something?"
"Okay mommy."
"Do you wanna bake cookies?"
"Yay! Can they be chocolate chip?"
"Of course!"

We headed into the kitchen and I got the stuff for the batter out. I threw the eggs and the butter and flour in the bowl along with the sugar and turned on the mixer.
"Mommy! Can we open the chocolate chips?"
"Yes give them to me." I said and he handed me the bag. I opened them and measured out some for him to pour in the batter. When I turned back to him, he was popping chocolate chips in his mouth.
"Whatcha doin?" I asked him.
"Nufin." He said with a mouth full of chocolate.
"You keep eating those, there won't be any for the cookies."
"Oops sorry mommy."
"It's okay baby." I said as I turned my attention to scooping the dough on the cookie sheet.
"Mommy? When is your friend coming?"
"Um I think tomorrow morning buddy."
"Oh okay. What's her name?"
"Her name is Mallory but I call her Mal."
"Is she the one you caught in that game?"
"Yup."
"So she's the one that calls you mama?"
"Sure is. Why?" I asked and he just shrugged.
"Okay buddy. Back up into the living room while I open the oven to get the cookies in."
"Kay mommy." He said as he went into the living room. Once I got the cookies in the oven, I set the timer and headed into the living room where I flipped the tv to Caden's shows. He came up and laid with me on the couch and buried his head in my neck.
"I love you mommy."
"I love you too Cade." I said
"Promise."
"Of course." I said as I kissed his forehead. The oven beeped a few minutes later, and I went to get the cookies out.
"Mommy?"
"Yeah?"
"Can I have one?"
"Once they cool kiddo."
"Okay." True to my word, once they cooled I brought him a cookie, and agreed to watch The Lego Movie with him. By the time the movie was over, he was asleep at my side. I picked him up and carried him to his bed with Lobo trailing at my heels. Eventually I was so tired that I just went to bed because I had to get ready fairly early to pick up Mallory at the airport.

THE NEXT MORNING

"Hey Caden. Come on buddy time to wake up." I said as I rubbed his back.
"Mommy it's early."
"I know but we gotta pick up Mallory from the airport."
"Mommy" he whined.
"If you get up now, I'll let you get a donut on the way."
"Okay mommy." He sighed and rolled out of bed. I dressed him in jeans and a long sleeve shirt and spiked his hair. We finally got out of the door a few minutes ahead of schedule, so I stopped at the donut shop around the corner and grabbed us breakfast.
"Thank you mommy." Caden said when I handed him his donut and put the smoothie in the cupholder of his car seat.
"You're welcome baby."
We arrived at the airport a few minutes later, and I parked the car and we walked inside to Mallory's gate.
"Mommy can I play a game on your phone?"
"Sure." I handed him my phone and he played a game for a few minutes.
"Mama!" I heard from the opposite side from where we were sitting. I turned around and saw Mal coming out of the gate.
"Mal!" I said as I got up to hug her. "How are you kid?"
"Good. Where's Caden?"
"He's right behind my leg." I laughed at my child who was clutching to my leg for dear life.
"Caden come here." I said rather sternly. He emerged slowly and I picked him up.
"Hi Caden." Mal said.
"Hi." Caden said before burying into my neck.
"What's the matter little man?" I asked him. He just shook his head. "You're tired huh?"
He nodded into my chest.
"We had an early morning." I explained to Mallory.
"Okay well I just have to grab my bags then we can head out."
"Okay kiddo."
Mal headed to the baggage claim, grabbed her bags and we headed out to the car. Once we headed home, Caden was asleep in the back seat, and so I carried him in.
"I'll come back out to help you Mal."
"No that's okay. I got it." She said as she tried to juggle her suitcase and three other bags.
"You sure?" I smirked.
"Yeah I'll. Be. Fine." She grunted.
"Okay. Whatever you say baby." I laughed as I carried my sleeping child inside and placed him into bed. When I got back into the living room, Mal was sitting on the couch.
"Hey kid."
"Hey mama. How's the pregnant life treating you?"
"Eh. I've had some morning sickness but nothing too bad."
"That's good."
"What do you wanna do today?"
"I don't care. Whatever you're feeling up to." She said with a smile.
"Well, we'll do something when he wakes up. Now come here. I've missed you." I said and patted the couch for her to come over. She obliged and sat down next to me, and wrapped her arms around my shoulders.
"I've missed you mama."
"I've missed you too Mallory."
We sat there together for awhile until Caden staggered out of his room with Lobo by his side.
"Hi buddy."
"Hi mommy."
"You awake now?"
"Yeah." He giggled.
"Hey little man. Now that you're awake, can you say hi to Mallory?"
"Hi."
"Hi Caden. It's so nice to finally meet you. I wasn't at the last camp so we never got to meet for very long. How are you?"
"Good." He answered shortly.
"Be nice Caden."
"But mommy." He whined.
"What?"
"You love her more." He whispered just so I could hear.
"Hey princess." I called to Mallory.
"Yeah?"
"I'll be right back okay? Sit tight?"
"Yeah okay!"
With that, I brought Caden to his room and sat him on his bed.
"Caden Michael Heath-Press. Why do you think I love her more?"
"Because."
"Caden. That is not an answer."
"But you were so happy when you saw her."
"I love Mal Caden. I do, but I love you too. More than I could ever love anybody. Okay?"
"Okay." He hiccuped and his eyes started to well.
"Don't cry baby. Come here." He crawled over and cried into me when I held him. Once he stopped I carried him out into the living room, and sat with him on the couch next to Mal. He was still a bit tentative but I think it'll be okay.

A little while later, we went out to the mall and Mallory and I just caught up with each other. We also got lunch when we were out, and headed home for 5:00 where I made dinner. After dinner, I warned mal that she'd have to put up with Caden's cartoons, and she just laughed and watched intently. Glad I have two four year olds to deal with this week. By the time it was 7:30, Caden was fast asleep on Lobo's side, the dog's heavy breathing raising him up and down. I moved over to him and gently lifted him up and carried him to bed. When I came back out, Mal was still watching Caden's cartoons.
"You can change it you know?"
"Um but I really need to know if the dogs can find that Mayor Humdinger is doing it." She said in a "duh" tone in reference to the Paw Patrol episode on the TV.
"They always find him Mal. Now don't make me put you to bed like Caden." I laughed.
"Ugh fine. What do you wanna watch?"
"It's Wednesday. The Goldberg's are on."
"Ooh yeah. What channel?"
"512 I believe."
"Cool." She said and flipped the channel. Once we finished watching TV, she headed into her guest bedroom adjacent to Caden's, and I headed down the hall to my room.
"Night princess. See you in the morning."
"Night mama. Love you."
"Love you too."

THE NEXT MORNING- MAL'S POV

I awoke to my door creaking open that morning.
"Mallory?" I heard a small voice ask.
"Caden?"
"Uh huh."
"Come here buddy what's up?" I asked patting the bed.
"I'm sorry." He said as he climbed up.
"For what?"
"For bein mean."
"You weren't mean."
"I didn't talk nice to you." He said shocked, as if questioning the level of my anger.
"Oh buddy I forgive you. Now it's early. Do you wanna hang here until mommy wakes up?"
He nodded and crawled into bed next to me.

CHRISTEN'S POV

When I woke up that morning, I noticed Mal's door was open, so I peeked inside. What I saw was Mal holding Caden and Caden down further in her side. I had to take a picture and send it to Tobin even though I knew she wouldn't get it for a few hours. But I did let them sleep for another half hour or so, until they were presumably awoken by the smell of pancakes and bacon.
"Morning." Mal greeted me with Caden in her arms.
"Hey princess. Make a friend?"
"Yeah. We're cool now, right buddy?"
"Right." Caden agreed triumphantly.

AN: Hi I don't really have much to say but leave feedback
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