Forever and Always

Chapter 26 - Lake Day

"Leeeevi!" Isabel called, her lilted feminine voice resounding down the upstairs hallway.

"What?" Levi snapped back, shoving a black towel into a black backpack. I raised a cautioning eyebrow at him, trying to get him to be nice.

"Are you and Eren ready? Farlan has Poppy all buckled, and I have the snacks in the trunk. Let's go!" Isabel opened the door to our bedroom, smiling a goofy grin at us and motioning back where she had come from.

"Yeah, we are," Levi replied, slinging his back pack over his bare shoulder, and shoving his hand into the pocket of his basketball shorts. I wrapped my arm around Levi as we walked down the stairs and outside, the sound of our flip flops snapping up with each step the only detectable noise. Sliding into the back row of the Subaru, Levi planted a soft kiss on his daughter's forehead. "Mornin' Princess. How are you?"

"Good. How're you, Daddy?" Poppy chirped, dimpling her cheeks with a chipper smile. "Hi, Eren." I smiled and waved, allowing Levi a chance to answer Poppy's question.

"I'm good. Are you excited to go swimming today?" Levi inquired, beaming at the little girl in the pink car seat.

"Yeah! And I can kick all by myself! Wanna see when we get there? I still need my wings, though, Mommy said."

"Mommy's kind of a buzzkill, huh?" Levi smirked as Isabel backed out of the driveway.

"Okay, Mommy is trying to get this adrenaline junkie to make it to her third birthday. She's just like you Levi. Runnin' around, climbing things, jumping off things. I swear I work another job and a half just making sure she doesn't decide to jump from the banister again," Isabel argued, a sarcastic scowl on her face as Farlan chuckled quietly in shotgun.

"What?" Levi exclaimed, staring at Isabel in shock.

"Yeah, she climbed up the railings of the staircase and flung herself over. Luckily Farlan caught her. Now she thinks its a game. She climbs over the banister and waits for somebody to enter the room and then jumps off the staircase. We're trying to get her to stop, but damn, it's tiring. She's a lot better behaved now that you're here."

"Okay, Poppy Elizabeth," Levi said sternly. "Do not jump off the staircase ever again. Do you understand me, young lady? You're gonna give your mother a heart attack."

"Yes. Sorry, Daddy," Poppy said, staring down in remorse.

"Good. That's so dangerous. Little girls could get hurt. Promise me?" Levi asked, holding his pinkie up.

"Yes, Daddy," Poppy said, locking her tiny pinkie finger with Levi's.

"What did you just promise?" Levi pushed, chastising Poppy.

"I'm not gonna jump off the stairs."

"Now, I've never broken a promise to you, so you better not break one to me, young lady," Levi insisted.

"Okay, Daddy," the little girl said, a contemplative expression on her face as she seemed to take everything Levi instructed her to do very seriously. She finally nodded her head and smiled. "I love you guys!" She exclaimed.

"We love you, too," Farlan answered, reaching back and squeezing Poppy's foot, a domestic smile on his lips. "You're a doll, Poppy."

"Thanks, Farlan!" Poppy beamed. "You're really cool."

"Thank you, Pumpkin," Farlan answered.

"Pumpkin?" Levi asked, disgusted. "You call her pumpkin?"

"Sure, I mean you call her princess. And then proceed to dress up in a tutu and tiara, but no, pumpkin is what's weird about this situation. I get it. I don't wanna hear any shit about what I call my stepkid."