Best of Women

Lin

A/N: please vote and comment to keep me going! Pretty please? 😃

The fact that Sebastian was sexually active made me nervous. He still seemed like a little kid to me. He did tell me he was being safe, but we all know it's not 100% effective. Carmen seemed like a nice girl, but I didn't want them having sex yet. I had just met her.

I got up the next morning, still feeling annoyed. Sebastian didn't talk to me as he got his breakfast. I hated fighting with him, but he'd messed up a lot yesterday. I wasn't happy with him.

"Don't forget to come straight home after school," I reminded him as he moved towards the door. He ignored me and left before his siblings were ready. Pippa wandered out yawning, and reached for the coffee.

"Dad, can I try some coffee?" Mia asked me.

"No," I said. "Too much caffeine."

"Why do you get to drink it?" she asked.

"I'm a grown-up," I said, reaching to refill my cup.

"You're a man-child," Pippa countered as she added a drop of milk. I gave her a mock glare and Mia giggled.

"Eva, are you going to the gym today?" I asked her.

"Yep," she said. "I'm gonna try bars."

"No you're not," I countered. She groaned and rolled her eyes.

"Dad, I'll be fine," she went on. "I just won't do the dismounts. I'll land on my left foot."

I scrubbed a hand over my face. Of all the apparatuses, the bars would be the least dangerous for her injury.

"Let me talk to you coach," I reasoned.

"Yes!" she celebrated, looking happier than I'd seen her in weeks.

"That's not a yes," I told her, not wanting her to be disappointed. She stood up, hobbled over to me, and hugged me. Eva didn't hug me that much these days, so I wrapped my arms around her and enjoyed the moment. She was growing up so fast.

As she pulled away, I turned my attention to Rio. "Rio, I'll pick you up after lunch so we can go tour those two schools."

"You're seriously going to let him go to another school?" Mia asked me as she finished her cereal.

"Yes," I told her.

"Can I go to another school?" she asked.

"Why?" As far as I knew, Mia was happy at school.

"One that doesn't give so much homework?" she ventured.

"No," I told her as I gathered up all their lunches. I set them on the counter near the door. "You're smart and you need to be challenged."

"What if I don't want to be challenged?" she asked.

"Mia, Hunter's a great school and I think it's a good fit for you," I told her. She grumbled and took her bowl to the kitchen, rinsing it out. Soon, all four kids were out the door. It was just me and Pip. She cleaned around the kitchen. It was kinda sexy when she was acting all domestic. I walked up behind her and put my hands on her hips.

"Stop," I told her.

"What?" she asked, cleaning the counter with a sponge.

"Cleaning," I told her. "It's fine."

She tossed the sponge in the sink and turned around. "You're a horrible housekeeper," she told me. I couldn't disagree. I could be a bit of a slob and the kids didn't help.