We Are Free

Basketball

*September 10th*
Emily has the first practice of the season. She is beyond excited and has been pacing the house all day. It starts at two so she doesn't know what to do with herself.
    They have school tomorrow but nothing today. She is ready, she has her shorts on, her shoes, and her tank top. She will put a sweater on and she will get her jersey at the practice.
    She wants me to go with her. Halo will take Andrew to baseball practice today. Finally Emily and I leave the house and go to practice. We go inside when we get there. She runs into the gym and to the coach to get her jersey.
     She waits patiently in line for her turn. She asked for some other things to and I gave in. She gets a small box and brings it to me. I open it and she pulls out her jersey with her name on the back.
     It said Parks 23. She puts it on. She put the shorts in the box again. She looks at the shirt she got with her last name on it. She looks at the jacket and sweat pants. She throws them back in the box and I close it.
    She runs to the other girls and grabs a ball. Seeing her brings back memories of when I played. It makes me smile and brings tears stinging to my eyes. She comes to me for a water break half way through the practice.
    I hand her her water bottle and she drinks from it. I fix her pony tail and she goes back for another half hour. The work on dribbling and passing. Their coach has them run one lap in the end and Emily comes to me.
      "High five." She gives me a high five as she grabs her water bottle. She starts drinking out of it and I get her shoes. I set her on the stage of the gym and she changes her shoes. "Did you have fun?"
      "Yeah!"
      "Okay, lets go home. You need a bath and get ready for school."
      "Okay." We go home and she shows Halo her things. I put them in the washer and she gets in the bath. Andrew gets ready for school and then takes a bath after Emily.
    She sits down and watches cartoons as I corn row one half of her head. She brushes the rest of her hair and puts it all in a pony tail. She gets ready for school and picks out her clothes.
    She chooses leggings that go to her calf, jean shorts, a tank top, crop top, and her high tops. She gets all ready and Halo serves dinner on the table. When we finish eating, I clean up. We all get ready for bed.
     The kids have already changed what they want to be for Halloween and Halo still doesn't know what princess to be. Emily said hipster Elsa because she has the blond hair it just had dirty blond, black, and brown in it. She said she would think about it but I think she isn't feeling it.
*Next Morning*
We wake up and Andrew looked pale. I feel his forehead and he was cold and clammy. He insists on going to school though. He gets dressed and gets ready. He doesn't want to eat and says his stomach is hurting. 
    He has a game today maybe he is nervous. His last game he hit the ball but someone caught it causing them to lose. He felt horrible and he could be scared he will make the same mistake again.
    We get outside and stand there. Suddenly he is hunched over in the grass throwing up. I grab him.
      "You are staying home." I tell him.
      "No, if I stay home I miss the game."
      "I know honey but you can't go to school if you are puking, your team will understand. I will call your coach and your school." He wants to cry but doesn't. We go inside and Halo gets Emily off to the bus. She comes inside. She throws her shirt on over her tank top and grabs her lunch. She heads to work while Andrew puts pajamas back on.
    He lays on the couch and I give him some ginger ale. I put some shorts and a shirt on. I sit in the chair watching tv. He was watching cartoons. Hopefully he just ate something bad.
*Noon*
I make myself some pizza rolls for lunch and give him some. He eats them slowly. He doesn't throw them up. I'm sure he will be fine by tomorrow. He is really, really, really upset he is going to miss the game.
    I called his coach and the school. He is very upset but what can I do? Emily has practice tomorrow and she wants Halo to take her. I have no issues with that. He falls asleep and so do I. We wake up the the sound of the girls coming home.
*Halloween*
Andrew just ate something bad. He was fine the next day and ready to go. Emily has had two games and won one. They lost the other. The season is over for Andrew and he is fine with that.
    Ryker is 5 months now and Zane is talking to his full potential. Blake is starting to say more. Chloe has got her surgery and fully healed.
    Emily is going to be Mini Mouse for Halloween. Halo settled on Harley Quinn, Zane is the Joker, Blake is a ladybug, Ryker is just going as himself, Andrew is being a transformer.  I am not dressing up and neither is Chloe.
    Zac decided to go with Mickey Mouse with Emily. Zane is being Halo's Joker. We thought is was cute that's why she chose Harley Quinn. We all get ready in are costumes and go to Zac's house. They were ready wth their buckets, stroller, and kids.
      "Uncle Jace!" Zac greets me
      "Hi Buddy!"
      "Auntie Halo, am I your boyfriend for tonight?" He asks her.
       "Well I guess so pudding." He laughs and gives me the look. He stole my girl and made sure I knew. That's okay I will get her back. We all laugh at him though.
      "Daddy!" Zane says.
      "Yes, my little brat."
       "Can I spend the night with Aunties and Uncles?"
      "You have to ask them."
      "Can I, pleeeeeeeease!" He turns to us.
      "That's fine with me."
      "Me to, but hey you keep stealing my girl and I will put you in your place." He starts laughing and I pretend punch his arm.
       "She is mine!" He says.
       "So you think so, hu?" I mess with him.
       "I know so."
       "Ohhh, you are a little brat."
       "I know, grandma gives me soda and candy!" We laugh at him.
       "If that isn't true." Zac mumbles  We all start trick-or-treating. Zane stays on Halo's shoulders and sticks his tongue out at me every couple minutes. We hit the first block, the kids run up to each house and says trick or treat.
    They come back to us and we get the next block. With Zac in his new house we have at least 6 blocks to go to. Each block is stacked with houses and lit up porch lights.
    Ryker falls asleep, Blake rides on my shoulders. When we get to the third block Ryker gets hungry. We stop at a gas station. The kids go potty and we rest while Chloe feeds Ryker. We get two more blocks before we get to tired and give up.
    We go back to Zac's. The kids fall asleep on the couch. Halo and I help them get the kids in bed and Zane packed. We grab Emily and Andrew. We get Zane in the car and go home.
    We lay Zane in our bed and wash the kids faces. They get in some pjs and so do we. We all get ready for bed. Now I am ready for Thanksgiving. I count down each holiday or birthday and do it again to make sure I have it right.
    I fall asleep with Zane next to me and Halo on his side thinking about it. Thanksgiving, Halo's birthday, Christmas, my birthday, Valentines Day, and then I graduate.
Halo didn't want to do anything for her 23 birthday, so we just bought her some cupcakes and I got her a present. The kids each got her a present and so did Zac and his family.
    A few months later Thanksgiving, and Christmas has done and gone for another year. It is now the end of January. My birthday is coming up. The kids are doing greater then every in school and gymnastics is starting.
    Emily couldn't be happier. Andrew has been drawing a lot lately and he is really good. He is still quiet, shy, and always has to cuddle next to me. I knew he will grow out of it one day so I enjoy it now.
    Ryker is 8 months old now. He is moving around more and getting big. Blake is getting big to. She is a snuggle bear to. Zane is just getting more hyper by the weeks. He will settle down eventually but he gives his mom and dad a run for their money.
     Chloe has adopted him and it was one of his Christmas gifts. He gave her a big hug and kiss even though he doesn't know what it means. They found it as a sense of relief Amy can't come after them anymore to get him.
     He doesn't care yet but I know one day they will have to tell him. When that day comes no matter what Chloe is Zane's mom and that is that. Christmas was fine it was just the same old thing.
Get up at the butt crack of dawn, open presents, eat breakfast, get dressed, go to Anna's, and all the same old stuff. Thanksgiving was the same and now I am just waiting for the big stuff.
My graduation date is the 2nd of March. I go to a studio, get my cap and gown. I get a diploma and I did it. I feel so accomplished and so proud but I know it's not over yet.
Halo and I have baby fever so bad we thought about just going ahead and trying but even her being pregnant is a lot to handle. Weekly appointments and setting up the room.
It's is just to much and plus the longer we wait after I graduate the longer we have to prepare. I told her if she wants to we can start getting things such as gender fluid clothing, diapers, wipes, and the big stuff.
The more we do now the less we have to do later. We haven't started but plan on doing so. We want to go shopping and bring the kids with us. There is a baby store close by that has everything and Halo and I have been saving up. 
We have been shoving cash in small places of the house for the last 6-8 months. We have waited a long year and we just want it to happen. We don't care about the wedding at this point. We want to start planning it but it won't be nothing huge.
*January 30th*
Zac offered to take the kids and because Zane and Blake want to hang out with them. We said we didn't mind and we wanted to go baby shopping today.
We clean up the spare room and put all extra crap in the garage. Once it is clean we find all of our hidden money. I count mine up and she counts hers. We had close to $2,000 together so we took the truck to put things in. We go to the baby store. We look around and talk.
      "Do we want to get a new car seat now or wait until we know the gender?"  I ask her right as I say it she looks at one.
      "This one is cute and it would work for both." She says pointing to a car seat.
      "That is cute. I like that." It was a infant car seat. She grabs the box with it in there and sets it in the cart. We go to the clothes next. They have signs that say boy, girl, gender neutral. We go down that isle.
We find socks, onesies, regular clothes, pjs, and more. We get a changing mat, diaper bag, bottles, diapers, wipes, pacifiers, bassinet. We want to get a crib but we will do it later.
We decide to go home after that. We fit our budget and now we have to save up again but we have stuff to start with. We go home and wash all the new baby clothes.
We leave the car seat in its box along with everything else. We put the clothes, bottles, pacifiers, etc in the room in a laundry basket. The kids come home and we get them dinner. That night we lay in bed together just cuddling.
      "I can't believe we just got baby stuff." I say.
      "Me either but at least we have have it." She says looking up at me.
       "I know, and to think this roller coaster isn't over."
     "Nope, but there isn't anyone else I rather face it with."
      "I feel the same way." I kiss her before we go to bed. Yup the last 5 years have been a hell of a ride. She is right though, there isn't anyone I rather face it with then her.
*Jace's Birthday*
I wake up on the 1st of February to the smell of cooking bacon. Halo is probably making an egg bake because it is one of my favorites. I go to the kitchen and there were balloons on the table and chairs.
The table was all set up for the party. We are staying at home just because I don't want to go out. Zac, Anna, Chloe, Ryker, Blake, and Zane are coming. Zac says that Zane is in full energy mode.
Well the kids will wear him out. Valentines Day I don't know where we stand. I just know I have to get cards and punch for each kid's class. I have to sit down at the table and write out each card and have them sign it.
It is a pain in the butt. Halo will take one and I will take the other. That's going to be the hard part of having three kids or even four. We can do it though.
Halo puts breakfast in front of us a half hour later. We eat and the kids get dressed. Emily puts on Pink leggings and a long sleeve Pink shirt that zips up Andrew puts on sweat pants and a shirt.
I throw on some jeans and a shirt. Halo puts on jeans and a shirt with a sweater. We wait for the guests to arrive and the kids wait very impatient.
      "I will go to the doctor on the 1st to do something with the brith control. Then it goes away either nothing until we are ready or we just go for it." She says.
       "You know there is more than one way to prevent pregnancy right?"
       "Yeah I know but I just don't like using only one because I don't know, I feel like it won't work."
      "Well I say, we are in are 20's, engaged, and have been wanting this for over a year. Get it removed and we will just go after it and when it happens it happens."
       "Okay then lets do that. I don't care how it gets down as long as it gets done."
       "Okay sounds good." Zac and the gang show up. Anna not long after. Zane runs in the house jumps in my lap and hugs me.
     "Uncle Jace, Happy Birthday!" Zane says.
     "Thank you."
     "Hi!" Blake waves at me.
     "Hi!" I give her a hug and Ryker could care less. He will get there though. We sit down and talk, the kids play, we all decide to go out for lunch. We get ready once again and go to lunch.
We order our food and wait for it. When it gets here we all eat. We go home and I open presents. I got some cool stuff I have to admit. We get out the cake and ice cream for everyone.
When everyone is all sitting down and eating we talk. I am waiting for the "when are you having a baby?" stuff but it never comes. I am kinda relieved that it didn't.
When everyone leaves we all clean up what little needs to be cleaned up. We find ourselves just board and we have a couple hours until dinner is to be made. It is raining and wet out so the kids don't want to play outside.
Andrew lays next to me with a blanket. He cuddles next to me. He ends up falling into a light sleep.
*5:00*
Halo starts dinner and she is making what I asked for. Emily crawls up in the chair and sits on my lap. She lays against me.
     "Your are old now." She says.
     "I am only 20." I say to her.
     "Yeah, old." I tickle her side and she laughs.
     "Well if I am old what does that make you?"
     "I don't know."
     "Exactly, do you want to see something special?" She nods her head yes and we get up I take her to the spare room. I show her the clothes and bottles. Her eyes get big.
     "They are so tiny!"
     "Yeah, Halo and I thought it would be a good idea to start getting things. We got a car seat and a bassinet for the baby to sleep in."
     "When do you put them together?"
     "Well when it gets to the time she is going to have the baby. She doesn't have a baby in her belly yet so we are waiting."
     "When will she?"
     "Well we will find out next month.
     "Next month!"
     "Yup, hopefully next month."
     "I can't wait!"
     "Me either!" We leave the room and Halo gives us dinner. We go to bed around 9:00 that night. "I showed Emily the baby's room." I tell Halo.
      "Was she shocked?"
      "Yeah, she was like everything is so small!" Halo starts laughing a little at the way I said it.
      "Don't you ever do that again."
      "Why?" She laughs at the way I say that to. I sound like a little winy baby who's blanket is in the washer. She snuggles closer to me.
      "Happy Birthday baby."
      "I love you."
      "I love you to."