We Are Free

Fair Time

*August 25th*
I am doing a lot better. Everything is working to its full potential. Other than mood swings because of the medicine I'm fine. I go to therapy 2 times a week and I'm back at work.
    Karate season has ended. Emily has nothing to do now and baseball season is in full swing. Andrew is having fun and they won 3 games so far. Emily is board out of her mind.
    I can't blame her to much. Ava has come over but that's it. We are going school supply shopping today and she is very excited. She wants me to take her and Halo take Andrew. I am in the bathroom getting ready.
      "Jace." Andrew comes to me.
      "Yes?"
"Can you shave with me?"
"Go get your things." He runs off and comes back with his fake green razor and small can of shaving cream. I show him how to put it on his face. He laughs and says it tickles.
    I put shaving cream on my face. He grabs his razor and I grab mine. He follows me as I shave. I decide to leave my mustache but he didn't. He cleans any extra off and so do I. We leave the bathroom.
"Halo I shaved!" He says proud of himself.
"Good job. Look at my handsome boys. Did it tickle?" She asks him.
"Only putting the cream on."
"It does that sometimes." I kiss her. "You need to go do it again." She says to me.
"Why?"
"You poked me."
"Yeah well give it another week."
"Okay, okay."
"Are we ready?"
"Yup." We get in the car and go to the store. We each get a cart and split up. We still have supplies from last year and that Ellen gave us. We still have a lot of money on the card to.
    We go to the backpacks and she picks out a neon pink, blue, purple, and black backpack. It was big. We go to the clothes and she gets skirts, leggings, shirts, a couple dresses, jeans, joggers, a hoodie, and socks and panties.
    We go to shoes and she gets some neon high tops, flats, pink uggs with a peace sign in diamonds, and then we go to supplies. She gets the supplies she needs.
"Yo I like this dress. I might wear it a couple times." I say grabbing one of the dresses she picked out.
"You can't wear that." She starts giggling.
"Why not?"
"It's to small and it's for girls."
"So."
"You can't wear that dress."
"Are you going to wear it?"
"Yeah."
"Well then I will wear one of Halo's dresses." She starts laughing as she puts the markers she needs in the cart.
"What about the skirt?"
"No."
"Why not?"
"It is to small."
"Fine I will use Halo's." She laughs again. I call Halo and we meet in the middle. Andrew got pants, shirts, a hoodie, jeans, boxers, socks, supplies, a backpack, lunch box, and they got one for Emily, he got some high tops, dress shoes, and some long spandex for boys to wear under his pants or shorts.
    We go to check out and put the supplies on and separate them. I pay for the supplies with the card. The cashier scans the clothes, backpacks, lunch boxes, and shoes. Halo pays for that and we go for lunch.
    We go to Subway. We all get a sandwich and chips. We get a drink and the kids cookies. We sit and eat.
"The fair is the 28th. Zac, Chloe, their kids, and my mom will be coming with." Halo says.
"Okay, the more the merrier."
"I agree."
"Then school starts the first."
     "I'm excited." Emily says.
     "For?" I ask her.
     "For school, the fair, Halo having a baby."
      "Halo having a baby is a while away yet." I remind her.
      "I know but I am still excited."
      "Well I am to."
      "Can Ryker go on rides?" Andrew asked me.
      "Not yet."
      "Why?"
      "Well he is to young he is only 3 months old."
      "Oh but Blake can."
      "Yeah Blake can. She can only go on small rides though."
      "Oh okay." We finish lunch and go home. We put the kids shoes in their rooms and put their clothes in the wash. We separate their supplies and put them in their backpacks. We hang their backpacks up and they go outside to play. Halo and I sit on the couch and talk.
      "What do we want to do for our 3rd anniversary?" Halo asks me. I usually have some trick up my sleeve but not this time.
      "I don't know. I don't have anything up my sleeves for this year."
      "Oh we can figure it out later."
      "Yeah, let's worry about getting them in school."
      "Your graduation party?" She asks me.
      "Do I need one?" I ask.
      "Yes, your getting one."
      "That is like 7 months away."
      "I know I just want to mess with you."
      "Yeah sure." I put a grumpy look on my face and cross my arms. She kisses my neck a couple times. "Stop it!"
      "Not sorry." She says.
      "Yeah I know."  The kids come in and come to us.
      "Can we have a popsicle with gummy bears?" Andrew asks.
      "I don't care." I tell them.  Halo gets them a popsicle with gummy bears and it was made with sprite. They go back outside. I have a popsicle with gummy bears and so does she.
      "These suckers are hard." I say to her.
      "They are frozen." She says.
      "I was expecting a smart ass response." I tell her.
      "I have one if you want it."
      "No I am good."
      "Okay then." We sit on the couch and watch a tv show. We also listen to the kids play outside. It starts getting cloudy outside. It starts raining and they come in. We get them baths and start dinner.
*August 28th*
We get ready to go to the fair. We are not bringing the stroller. We are just taking a backpack. We get ready and put everything we need in the bag. Sunscreen, water bottles, band-aids, Neosporin, our wallets, and our phones and keys will be put in there to.
     We go to the fair grounds and meet everyone by the entrance. We go to the booth and get wrist bands. Ryker was in his car seat on the stroller. I put Zane on my shoulders, Blake was in the front of the stroller.
    She was sucking on a pacifier. Ryker was sucking on a pacifier to and ignoring the world.
     "Uncle Ace!" Zane says tapping on my head.
     "What?"
     "Ride!" He points.
     "You want to go one that ride?"
     "Yeah with you."
      "Okay I can deal with that." We get in line and go on the ride. He laughs the whole time. It was a small roller coaster. We get off and he sits on Halo's shoulders. I go with Emily on the big swings.
    She kicks her feet and her hair blows in the wind. She smiles and laughs the whole time. We get off and Zac and Halo and I go on a big roller coaster. It was so big that you needed to have part of it over your shoulders because is would turn you upside down.
    It was three to a row. Halo was in the middle. We wait for the ride to start.
     "Zac don't puke this time." I tell him.
     "Fuck you."
     "I'm good." He gives me the I am going to kill you face before the ride starts. It starts off slow then we go down a steep hill and in a circle. Zac closes his eyes. The ride ends and we get off.
     Halo's hair was wind blown even in its ponytail. Zac's hair was sticking up and mine was wind blown to. Blake and Zane ride some small rides together. Zane stays on my shoulders most of the trip.
    When we ride half the rides we get some food and drinks. We get lemonade and chili fries. We get elephant ears and sit down. I share with Zane and he drinks out of my cup to. I don't mind.
    When he gets sick of me he goes to Halo. We get ice cream to. We sit and eat and talk. We leave after that and go our separate ways. Now it is just getting the kids ready for school. We go home and get them in the bath.
    They just put pjs on after their baths. Halo and I clean up. I'm not ready for them to go back to school. Emily has this year and next year then she goes into middle school. Andrew is going into first grade. Emily into 3rd. I just hope she doesn't punch another kid.
*September 1st*
We wake the kids up and they eat breakfast. We eat with them. Halo and I were dressed and ready for work. When breakfast is over we send them to get dressed.
     Halo puts the dishes in the dish washer and starts it. The kids come out dressed. Emily was wearing her new high tops, black leggings that went to her calf, and a crop top with a tank top under it.
     I brush her hair and Halo braids it. Andrew was wearing cargo shorts, a shirt that says number 1 trouble maker, and his blue and grey high tops. I take some hair gel and give him a fo-hawk.
   They want to eat at school so we get their back packs on them and we wait outside for the bus. We have talked to their teachers and they are both very understanding.
     I am thankful that. Now that I am 19 though there isn't much they can do legally. I just like to explain though. We see the bus and they get excited. The bus comes to a stop they get on. I don't cry and neither does Halo.
      "You okay?" Halo asks me.
      "No I'm pissed."
      "Why?"
      "I don't know my medicine is giving me mood swings again."
      "Okay, well lets get to work."
      "Yup." We get in the car and go to work. I show up and instantly Zac jumps on my back. He hangs onto my shoulders.
     "Get off me or I will fire your ass." I tell him.
     "You wouldn't do that."
     "No I wouldn't." He hops off me and walks to a car. He opens the hood.
     "I need like 2 weeks off next month." He says to me.
     "I can do that but I need to know why."
       "Chloe is going in for her surgery."
      "She was serious?" I look at him with shock on my face.
      "Yeah she was. She cut me off until she is fully healed."
      "Wow, okay I will put it in when is it?"
     "The 2nd."
     "Okay I will deal with that."
     "Okay, anyone who needs off needs to come to my office. Zac you jump on my again and I will take you out back to tar and feather your ass." They all start laughing. Zac runs up and jumps on me. They laugh harder. Zac taps on my head.
      "Lets go." I ignore him and bend back. He wasn't paying attention and let's go. He falls and they laugh at him. I help him up. Halo goes to work and Zac follows me to my office.
    I am a really laid back boss. If they don't have anything to do I let them walk around and have fun. The people who need off come back with us. Zac sits in the extra chair I have in my office. He spins in circles.
      "You have 3 kids to." I say thinking he would be a little more mature then he gives off.
      "Yeah, and I bonk all three of them over the head with wrapping paper rolls to." He says.  I shake my head.
      "Just act decent please."
      "Fine." I talk with 3 people who need off. I pull my laptop out and put it in that they are taking off. Zac continues to being a idiot.
     "Get out of here."
     "Why?" He gives me the pouty face.
     "That don't work on me. There is a car out there waiting for you."
     "Fine."
     "Thank you." He leaves and I check inventory and put in some orders. I do some school work and Zac comes back in.
      "Not you again."  I roll my eyes and lean back in my chair. He sits down. "What do you want?"
     "If I told you you would hurt me."
     "Probably."
     "Okay, lets go eat."
     "Sounds good." We grab our food and go to the employee room. We sit down and Zac runs around eating and bugging people. When lunch is over I send him back to work and Halo goes back to work. She comes in my office a little bit later.
     "Are you busy?" She asks me.
     "Just finished, why?"
     "We just got another car in and we need you out there." I get up and take my shirt off.
     "Okay," I put my work shirt on and button it up. We leave my office and I go to the car. I look at what is wrong with it and open the hood. I start working. I look up after getting a crook in my neck.
    I see Zac whisper to Halo. What are they planning? I shake my head, Zac is acting like a child today. I go back to work thinking nothing of it. I feel Halo's hand on my shoulder and turn around.
    Her sleeves where rolled up to her forearms she was wearing the boots we have to wear and short shorts. Her hair was a mess.
     "Go put some pants on." I tell her. We have to wear jeans to protect our skin.
     "Come on." She whines.
     "It isn't going to work go put some pants on." I look at my car and keep working. She puts her hand on the back of my neck. "Why are you being so sassy all of a sudden?"
      "Well, I am having fun." She says.
      "Good now go put pants on."
      "Or what, you going to fire me?" She acts really sassy and gets close to my face.
     "I got better ideas."
     "There it is."
     "Yeah it doesn't work if I don't get uncomfortable."
      "Damn it!"
      "Zac put you up to it?"
      "Yes and no."
      "I am serious go put some pants on."
     "Fine." She rolls her eyes and walks to the bathroom. She stops to talk to Zac and by him stomping his foot, I can guess he isn't happy. He is acting like Zane.
      "Zac, quit acting like your 3 and 1 year old and get to work." I say to him. He sticks his tongue out at me as the shop disses him. Halo comes back out. Her sleeves where still rolled up but she had jeans on and her hair was back up.
    She gets back to work. Everyday is something new that is for sure. 2:30 comes and Halo and I leave. We get in the car.
     "You are getting it tonight." I tell her. This medicine is weird. I'm like Halo on her period. One minute I want to kill everyone and the next I want ice cream and daisies. One second I want to rip all her clothes off and the next I'm just not interested.
     "Bring it." She applies some lip gloss and mascara as she says so. She puts the mirror back up and we pull up to the school. We hop out and kids were getting out. We go to Emily's class room and she was waiting for us.
    We talk to her teacher. I take her back pack and we go to Andrew's class room. We talk to his teacher. We get back to the car and Halo takes her shirt and pants off reveling a tank top and spandex.
     "Show off." She starts laughing. We go home and look through the kids bags. Emily shows me forms I have to sign and Halo has to as well. Now that we are getting married she is taking responsibility as a guardian for them.
    We fill out the papers and put them back in their bags. Emily shows me a form for basketball. She would play for three months then gymnastics would start again.
     "Do you want to?" I ask her. She shakes her head yes as she eats her string cheese. I pull out a pen and fill out the paper work. I write a check for her and put it in her bag. Halo starts dinner and they take baths.
    I think Emily will like basketball. It is going to be interesting for her. 3 different sports in a year. Now we need to get her basketball shoes and all that fun stuff.
    We send the kids to bed early. When 8:00 comes around Halo and I are laying in bed. I get on top of her.
     "I guess you are going through with it."
     "Yeah, I am." I grab her ankle and pull her to me. She giggles. This girl really gives me a run for my money, but I don't know what I would do without her.