One Day At A Time

|Chapter 6|

August

I quickly turn off the alarm I'd set and put my phone back down on the bed next to me. I stare up at the ceiling for a bit, getting lost in my thoughts, before I finally decide to get up. After slipping my feet into my slides one foot after the other, I go to the bathroom to begin my morning routine.

I wanted to bring Ava to school today and give Hazel a break,  so I set my alarm, but of course I ended up waking up earlier than the alarm. I'd been so lost in my thoughts since the moment I got up, that I forgot to turn off my alarm.

Hazel and I always bring Ava to school whenever she has to go, but I never miss the first day. Since I was away and knew I wouldn't be back in time, it broke my heart knowing I'd broken up the little tradition we had going on. She let me lmk that she loves when the both of us are able to bring her together, but unfortunately, it's gonna be just me today. We can go back to that routine next time, I have a little making up to do.

Like they always say, third times the charm right ?

After cleaning myself up and brushing my teeth, I'm careful not to wake Hazel in the process. She's still somewhat of a light sleeper, so I tend to be extra careful when trying to let her sleep in. I head out of the room, closing the door behind me, and make my way down the hall to Ava's room.

I mentally gag at how literally everything in here is pink. And when I say literally, I mean just that. Everything that I couldn't get in the color pink, I paid someone to come paint for her to keep her satisfied. Spoiled as hell ain't she? I don't know what she gonna do when her favorite color suddenly changes.

"Wake up princess." I stand next to her and shake her.

It takes a couple of more shakes, since she's far from taking after her mother with being a light sleeper, and I soon see her begin to move in her sleep. She then begins to flutter her eyes and looks at me before she closes them once more.

"5 more minutes."

I smack my teeth and sit down on her bed just next to her. I watch her sleep as I caress her face with the back of my hands and then slowly rub my fingers on her scalp. She may not take after too much with Hazel, but the head rubs and massages, that's her 1000%.

Of course I don't mind though. Anything to keep them happy.

After watchin her sleep for what felt like forever in dog years, I bring my hand to her shoulder and shake her to wake her up again. I can tell that she's half woke, but she's trying to fall back asleep.

How is it she can wake up before the crack of dawn on the first day of school, but then go back to this everyday after that?

"Ava the house on fire!" I semi yell with panic,  making her jump up out of her sleep.

Demi and Hazel used to always do this to Karter when she was this age and never wanted to get up. They would tell her the house or car was on fire, that they were at Disney World, Chuck E Cheese, or someplace else that they knew she either liked or was terrified of. They would do anything to wake her up.

"Daddy that's not funny." She says when she comes to the realization that the house is not engulfed in flames.

"Yes it is. I told you to get up." I say with the shrug of my shoulders.