Top of the World

Proud of You

"Hunter, where's my red book?" I shouted from the living room, "I'm already late!" I was scouring through the kids book bin and toy chest.

"Did you look in the kitchen?" He asked, bringing Beckett in the living room. "Take a breath. I'll check the kitchen." Beckett was standing at the edge of his play pen, watching me make a mess of the mess in our living room.

"Found it," I reached under the playpen, "thank you for helping," Hunter came over and kissed me, "sorry for snapping." He hugged me.

"It's okay," he looked around the living room, "I'll tackle this.... situation." He kissed my head and I kissed Beckett as well before heading to the studio. I headed into the city, found parking and ran into the studio with my guitar and book in hand.

"Hey everyone!" I walked into the room. We had Dan Huff and Chris DeStafano in with the band to help write. It was a gruelling few hours and we raked through my book, a year and a half of words, lines and half completed verses. Chris presented a song he had written a while back that never got much further than his notebook. After what felt like forever, I checked my watch and it was six thirty and we had been at this writing for eight hours. "I'm so happy with this progress." We called it a day and I walked out with two more songs as well as a demo of the one Chris wrote. I wanted to share it with Hunter.

"Hey," I walked into the house, "where is everyone?" I heard Sutton and Easton shrieking and playing outside. I locked the front door and dropped my stuff and walked through the house to the yard to see the kids playing, Beckett was sitting in his high chair with Hunter. "Hey superman," I kissed Hunter before saying my hellos to the kids. "Sorry - I have been so all over the place." Hunter caught me up on the day, and reminded me to have dinner.
"Sutton has a school talent show in three weeks," he handed me a flyer that was folded in his pocket, "she is performing." My hands covered my mouth.

"Sutton!" I called her over, "I'm so proud of you doing the talent show!" I kissed her and asked her what she was going to do. Hunter must have known judging by his smile.

"I want to sing daddy's song on the piano." My eyes watered and I hugged her. She turned to Hunter and asked about practicing.

"That's amazing." I smiled as they geared up to go practice. I sat back and enjoyed dinner while Easton was playing and Beckett, at six and a half months was rolling around on his play mat. I rounded up the boys and got them in the bath and I could hear Sutton practicing. I tucked Beckett in for bed and let Easton come down in his pjs and watch his sister practice.

"Repeat after me Sutton," Hunter started, his fingers gracing the keys, "you know I'd fall apart without you." Sutton repeated him line for line. Hunter gave her a hug and kiss. "That was great baby girl, how about you go have a bath and we will practice again tomorrow." She romped upstairs for her bath and Easton sat with Hunter at the piano.

"Sutton, your singing is amazing." I brushed through her wavy brown hair, "I am really proud of you doing the talent show." She told me she was excited, and that she liked singing. I braided her hair and called for Easton to come to bed. He and Hunter came up and we read two stories in Sutton's room before getting Easton into his own bed.

"I am so proud of her," I said as Hunter scrolled through his phone, "she's so good."

"She is," he smiled, breaking his gaze from his phone to look my way, "she's talented like you." He gently poked my arm. I poked him back.

"She definitely got it from you. Eyes, nose, vocals..." I smiled, laying my head in his shoulder. "Think she's gonna want this life for herself?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. As her parents I think we should nurture her interests. If she decided next week she wanted to play soccer and go to the olympics, then sure." He laid his head on mine. "We are so blessed we live and work in the way that we do so we can provide them the fuel to find their passions."

"You're so right." I entangled my hand in mine, "I wonder what Easton will do. And Beckett. His life goals right now are pretty simple. Sit up alone." Hunter laughed, "I cant believe it though, Sutton is going to be six this year, Easton will be four and Becket will be one."

"They're amazing kids." He played with the ring on my finger. "How was work today?"

"Long. Gruelling. Productive." I said, somewhat flat. "Chris DeStefano hooked me up with a song. I think I have seven songs. I recorded part of it." I wiggled out of our embrace to grab my phone. I played the song back for Hunter. It was called Only.

"I like it, and how it fits your voice. What songs made the top seven?"

"Only, Home Town, Missing Pieces, Mama's Boy, Ghosted," I scrolled back on my phone, "umm we worked out these two also today, Stronger and Until My Last Breath." Hunter and I wrote Home Town together, I wrote Mama's Boy about Easton and Ghosted was about the feeling of the friends I had lost based on the lifestyle I chose to lead.

"These are great Jen," he kissed my cheek, "I'm proud of you. You're a super woman."

"Behind every super woman is a strong, super man that believed in her." We turned out the lights and called it a night.