My Own Worst Enemy

chapter three

- Dakota's room ^ -

Vanessa's point of view

"I'm a princess!" Dakota said, running around the house in a pink ball gown, a tiara, and white flats. "You're the prince daddy."

"Am I now?" He asked as he picked her up. "Think mommy is okay with that?" He asked and she looked at me, batting her eyelashes.

"Daddy's mine." I said and she pointed her wand at me. "You can have Mikey, I'm sure Mikey will be your prince."

"Mikey will not be her prince, you're better off having a rock." Calum scoffed as he looked as Dakota. "Daddy will be your prince, you don't need any other boy but Eli and daddy, right?"

"What about grandpa Hemmo? Or uncle Ash? Or uncle Mikey?" She listed and Calum laughed.

"Nope, you just need Eli and daddy. Everyone else isn't good enough for you." He said and she laughed says she hugged him. "No one will ever be good enough for my baby girl."

"Right." She said and I laughed as I rolled my eyes. "Mama, can you be a princess too with me?" She asked and I nodded.

"Of course. Let me get my dress." I said and she nodded as Calum set her down. she grabbed my hand and Calum laughed as she dragged me to my room.

I opened a special closet full of clothes Calum and I have for dress up with the kids. I grabbed a pink dress too and Dakota jumped up and down in excitement.

I took the dress into the bathroom and then quickly changed into it. I stepped out and she handed me my white heels. "Daddy!" She yelled when I took them, running outside of the door.

I slipped the heels on and then stepped out of the room. "Look at us daddy! We're princesses!" Dakota said and Calum looked at us.

"My two princesses." He said and I laughed. "Let me take a picture so I can post it on Instagram, does anyone still use it?" He asked and I shrugged as we laughed.

He pulled his phone out and I posed with Dakota as he took our picture. I laughed and then heard crying. "Is that Eli?" Dakota asked and then ran to his bedroom.

I followed her and then saw Elijah crying into his hands. "Baby, what's wrong?" I asked as I picked him up. He didn't answer me, he just cried and let me hold him.

"Eli?" Calum asked and I rocked our son side to side, like when he was an infant. "What's wrong buddy?"

He continued to cry and I looked at Dakota. "Can you grab his teddy sweetheart?" I asked and she needed as she went to his bed.

She grabbed the stuffed bear and I handed it to him. He cuddled it and I hummed softly. "Seasons are changing and waves are crashing and stars are falling all for us," I sang softly to him as he clutched the bear.

"And days grow longer and nights grow shorter, I can show you I'll be the one." His face buried into my shoulder and Calum asked to hold him.

I handed the sniffling boy to him and then Dakota looked at me. "Mama, I don't wanna be a princess anymore." She said and took her tiara off.

I picked her up and she rubbed her eyes as Calum sang quietly to Elijah. "Mama, is Eli okay?" She asked and I nodded.

"He'll be fine beautiful, I promise." I said and she nodded as I ran a hand through her brown hair. "Daddy's got him. How about you go watch some cartoons or finish the homework you abandoned? I'll be right there."

She looked at Eli and then nodded, running into her room. "It's gonna be okay baby boy, what happened?" Calum asked and he blinked at us, his brown eyes puffy and red.