(no real direct correlation to the first part but it would be better to read both)
luke smiled, and squeezed michael's hand when he saw his two kids stepping off of the bus. luke always offers to pick them up, but anna always insists she wants to ride the bus with her friends.
carson always responds with "why pay for gas when we can take advantage of provided transportation?"
"how is the second grade treating you two?" michael asked, and the little girl jumped in his arms.
"fine." carson mumbled, looking back to his book.
"i love it." anna said, and threw her hands up in the air.
it was only the second week of school, but they both seemed to be doing okay.
"what did you learn, carson?" luke asked softly.
"i didn't learn anything, but the teacher taught how to multiply." carson said.
"what do you mean you didn't learn anything?" luke asked.
"dad 1, multip-pl-ication is easy. i learned that last year." carson sighed, and luke smiled a little, seeing as how carson still had a little trouble with big words.
"you are so smart, you know?" luke laughed, and carson shrugged.
"come on. perk up a little. you're my little book worm." michael said, and picked him up also, littering his face with kisses.
carson groaned, and squirmed out of michael's hands. he got back down on his own feet and walked up the driveway, thankful to be done with the walk back from the bus stop.
carson immediately retreated to his room while the other three went to the kitchen.
"dad!" anna squealed, and jumped on luke's back, causing the older man to laugh as he spun her around.
"hey, baby girl. how was school?" luke asked.
"it was great! at recess i played with all of my friends, and we played girls vs. boys football." she said, and luke smiled a little as he sat her on the counter.
"did carson play?" michael asked, leaning against the counter beside her.
"no. he never plays." she said.
"why not?" luke asked.
"he just doesn't. he sits and reads the whole time." she said, and luke didn't know wether to feel sad or not.
"hey, why don't you go on upstairs and play for a little bit? i'll come get you when your food is done, alright?" michael said, and anna nodded, hopping off of the counter and running away.
"how do you think he's liking school?" michael asked.
"do you think he feels alone there?" luke asked softly, tapping his fingers on the table.
"i worry about him." michael whispered, and luke nodded.
"i think i'm gonna go talk to him." luke said softly, and michael nodded, kissing luke's head.
luke slowly made his way up to his son's room, and knocked quietly as he went in.
"hey bud- carson? what's wrong?" luke asked quickly and shut the door when he saw his little boy crying into his pillow.
"am i weird?" he asked, and luke laid on the bed beside him.
"what are you talking about?"
"i'm not like all of the other kids at school, and i'm not like anna. i don't think anybody at school knows my name. they just call me 'nerd'."
"carson, your friends-"
"what friends? have i ever told you about one of my friends?" he cried, and luke frowned.
"baby, you are not a nerd, and you are not weird." luke said, and ran a hand through his hair.
"then why don't i have friends like anna?" he asked.
"maybe try playing with them at recess. don't you wanna play football with everyone else?" luke asked.
carson nodded. "yeah, but the boys always tell me that i can't play because i'm a loser."
luke shook his head, and hugged carson tightly.
"you are not a loser." luke whispered, petting down his hair.
"i'm always by myself. even at home too, sometimes. some days i think you both like anna more than me because she's normal, and you all would like it better if i was gone." carson whispered.
"no, carson. i love you and anna just the same, and so does your dad. anna is beautiful, and funny, and you are so smart, and so, so special. we will never have a favorite. if you weren't in this family, something would be missing forever. you mean everything to me, carson. you are not weird, and you are not a loser. you are carson james clifford, and you are a smart, beautiful, amazing kid, and nobody could ever replace you.." luke whispered in his ear as carson cried on his shoulder.
"nobody could?" he asked softly.
"nobody can replace you. you are one of a kind." luke whispered, and rocked the little boy back and forth.
"and my family loves me?" he asked, looking up at luke with his big green eyes that looked like michael's.
"we all love you more than anything in the world. you are priceless." luke told him, and held him to his chest.
michael's head peeked in the door, and carson looked up.
"i love you, dad 2." carson said, and michael walked over, sitting on the bed.
"i love you, too, bud.." michael said, and carson crawled on his lap.
"why don't you tell carson how special he is?" luke asked, leaning against michael's arm.
"how special he is? that would take a million years." michael said, and carson laughed as michael threw him in the air before catching him in his strong hands.
"my little book worm is so special, and so smart, and so funny, and so nice..." michael said, laying him on the bed. his fingers tickled the little boys sides, causing him to scream out fits of laughter.
"tickle monster!" a voice shouted as the little blonde girl ran into the room.
she hopped up on the bed, and luke started to tickle her right beside michael.
their laughter died down as the two dads laid on the bed beside them.
"i love my family.." carson giggled, holding luke's hand.
