𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐦 (2)

𝟸𝟺. 𝚐𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚊 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎

☆ • ☆ • ☆

"momma!" hayden's voice screamed, making audrey jolt up from her spot in the bed. "dada! momma!"

she ran into the twins' room, grabbing hayden from his crib and holding him close, rocking him back and forth.

hayden took a deep breath, still gasping for air, his cheeks wet with tears. "m-momma..." he hiccuped, his chubby hands linking themselves around audrey's neck in a tight hug.

"shh, shh, baby, it's just a bad dream, you're gonna be okay, alright?" audrey whispered, walking over to julia, who was rubbing her eyes, watching hayden.

"is hayhay okay?" julia asked, her voice tired.

"yes, baby, he's okay," audrey said, "why don't we all have a sleepover in my room, okay?"

julia nodded, lifting her hands so audrey would carry her.

audrey shifted hayden to her left and held julia his her right, carefully walking to her room, which held a bed much too big for just one person.

"okay, there we go, babies, let's go to bed," she said, grabbing the blankets and covering their small bodies with the fabric.

"i like your bed, momma, it's so big," hayden said, "we should sleep here all the time."

audrey shook her head , "no, baby, you both have your own beds, so you have to sleep there now, okay? this is just because of your bad dream."

hayden nodded. "it was scary," he said.

"oh, i know, baby, it's okay if you don't wanna talk about it."

hayden shook his head. "i wanna sleep, momma, i'll tell you tomorrow."

"okay, hayden, good night," audrey said, kissing his forehead, then julia's.

"good night momma," julia said, kissing her mom's cheek. "i love you."

"love you too baby, now it's sleeping time, okay?"

☆
two days later

daniel stood at the front door, his hands in his pockets as he waited for audrey open up.

he barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes as he saw tate open the door, and walked past her silently.

he nodded a hello to jonah before he was attacked by hayden, who ran up to him with no pants on.

"dada! save me!"

daniel carried him up, holding him in his arms as he watched audrey walk out, hayden's jeans in her hand. "he won't put his pants on."

"no pants!" hayden yelled, his nose scrunched up. "it's too hot!"

daniel tickled the boy, making him scream in laughter. "it's winter, hay, you have to put your pants on like a big boy."

hayden frowned, but let his mom dress him, mumbling a "fine."

julia looked up from her spot at the dining table where she was coloring a sheet of paper.