Forever and Always

23

Alfred mumbled something. He laid in bed with a headache, Colorado cuddled up against him and Ivan cleaning the shelves. Akilina was starting to walk, having gone right past the crawl stage and straight onto her feet, and she hung onto his arm that was hanging off the bed.

"Is the noise getting any better?" Ivan asked.

"Nancy Pelosi... is a knock-off conservative that calls herself a liberal."

"I'm guessing that means no."

"Papa!" Klementina exclaimed, and Ivan looked over to her- she spoke in Russian as she said: "Up! Up!"

"C'mon," he said, picking her up and putting her on one shoulder before looking over to Akilina. It was getting to be early September, meaning they had been alive for almost a year- although at the moment they resembled human two-year-olds.

Just two-year-olds with no communication skills.

"Hey," Sami said, opening the door a little bit before slipping in. Colorado groaned from where he was, trying to get closer to his mother for a moment before going back to sleep, "Oregon's on the phone. She has something to tell you."

Alfred actually pushed himself up at that, and Sami handed him her phone.

"Hey little one," he drawled, sounding tired. Oregon didn't seem to care.

"We pushed the Feds back into their building for the night! Do you think you can come over and join us? Oh, by the way, Texas is here, his phone just died- he's not dead!"

"That's good," Alfred replied, "make sure they don't block off the roads in and out of the city, okay darling? And make sure people keep their windows closed, the tear gas can cause miscarriages and period issues, don't want anyone to get sick."

"Okay mom," she said, "I will."

"Be safe."

"Okay, mom," Oregon said, "you too. Also, tell Akilina and Klemintina that her siblings are really fucking cool!"

"Okay," he laughed, "goodbye."

"Bye!"

Alfred laid back down, rubbing Colorado's hair as he grumbled.

"Akilina, Klemintina," he called, and the two looked over to him, "your siblings are really fucking cool."

Akilina laughed, grabbing back onto his hand so she could continue standing before Ivan picked her up and put her on the bed. Sami took her phone back before leaving the room- whistling as she did.

Akilina huddled up under his other arm, seeming to copy Colorado.

"Akilina, can you say Colorado?" Ivan asked, sitting down on the bed.

"I'M A GIRAFFE!" Colorado screamed, rolling over, and Alfred laughed, covering his face with his hands. Akilina seemed to copy her mother.

"I'm being serious," he mumbled.

"Colo...rido."

"Close enough," Colorado muttered from where he was resting, and Alfred kept laughing.

"AOC is pretty..." he mumbled, and Colorado looked over to him.

"I know right."

"Alfred, what's going on in your head?" Ivan laughed, and he glanced up at him.

"My politicians on repeat. There are very few that I actually like."

Ivan started snickering, petting his hair before looking over to Colorado and patting him on the head as well. He put Klemintina down on the bed too, and she went over to her sister.