“Hey you, Good Looking!” Cheyanne called out in surprise as she glanced up from her elaborate cross stitching to see Olivia come toddling by. Howie had offered to bathe and dress their daughter so Cheyanne could lounge downstairs with a few moments of peace and quiet. Hoke and Paula had given them the house today, the day before their wedding, so they could relax. Though, Cheyanne knew she wouldn’t be so lucky. The little girl had not a stitch of clothing on, except for her diaper. Her damp golden curls hung in tiny ringlets past her shoulders as her small pot belly protruded outward, rigorously scratching it like her stream of father figures. Tapping her tiny fingers on her puckered lips, she squealed when she heard her father calling out with a string of Spanish phrases. And Cheyanne grinned with amusement at the flustered look crossing her daughter’s beautiful face. “What’re you doing, Olivia Austin Dorough?”
"I'on'o," Olivia shrugged, reaching to fiddle with the tabs that held her diaper in place. Wriggling them just so, she squealed when her diaper fell to her knees, looking at her mother in wide-eyed wonder. "Nakie!" she screamed before racing from the room.
"OLIVIA AUSTIN DOROUGH!" Howie bellowed from the bathroom.
“You’re free! You’re free!” Cheyanne giggled with a hysterical squeal of laughter, falling back against the couch as she cupped her hands against her mouth to muffle the sound.
"Fwee!" Olivia repeated, her bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor of the hallway. Stopping, she looked around, her eyes widening when she saw her father storm from the bathroom. His shirt was soaking wet, streaked with powder, and, despite her attempts to clean it off him with a diaper wipe, splattered with baby lotion. "Ut oh," she breathed in horror, quickly turning to race in the opposite direction.
"GET BACK HERE!"
“Mama! Mama! Mama! Mama!” Olivia shrieked in a chant as she hurried back to where she had last saw her mother. If life had taught her anything, again, by the grace of her father figures, she knew that her mother would always rescue her. Hearing her father’s impatient, lumbering footsteps, Olivia increased her speed, practically flying back into the living room. Finally locating her mother after running around the couch several times in confusion, she dived at her. “Mama no fwee!”
“Cinnamon Sweetness, somehow I don’t think you’re going to be able to hide from your Daddy in there,” Cheyanne attempted to explain with a short laugh as she watched Olivia furiously squirm in attempts to crawl underneath her tank top. The overgrown bulge stretching out the form-fitting top was obvious. As was the two little cheeks peeking out with legs from underneath.
"Mama!" Olivia whined, burrowing deeper under the tank top. "Fwee me!"
"There you are!"
"Ut oh," Olivia breathed, going completely still. "Daddy no see!"
Unable to hold back a grin, Howie strode over, watching Olivia's feet scrambling against Cheyanne's thighs in an attempt to hide herself further. Clearing his throat, he lifted his gaze to his fiancée's. "Honey? Have you seen Cinnamon?" he asked casually, going so far as to look behind the couch. "I seem to have lost her…"
“No, sir, I haven’t seen one inch of her since she went for her tubby-time,” Cheyanne obliged with a small smile as Olivia slowly attempted to pull the tank top lower, only succeeding in showing her blonde curls and the tops of her mother’s breasts. “And I forgot to mention I was utterly pregnant with twins, too… Sorry…”
"Oh, really? Nice of you to tell me… I wonder where she could be? Do you think we should cancel her play date with Bay this afternoon? I mean, if she's not here—"
"Me pway wiff Bay!" Olivia screeched, poking her head through the top of her mother's tank top. "I wan Bay!"
“Well, Holy Moley! There she is!” Cheyanne drawled in an air of shock as Howie reached to pull Olivia out of the top of her tank top, only succeeding in getting the baby as well as his fiancée’s tank top. “And she ain’t nakie no more!”
"Mama nakie!" Olivia squealed excitedly.
Howie glanced down, his eyes widening. "Honey! …No bra?" he asked.
“Well, I figured I just might be okay considering that tank top had a special shelf lined bra. But, hey, what do I know?” Cheyanne answered with a shrug of her bare shoulders, reaching to bring Olivia into her arms. Rubbing their noses together, she cooed softly. “Let’s go get dressed.”
"I was thinking after we get dressed, we could snuggle on the couch and watch a movie?" Howie suggested as they headed for their room. Peeling off his wet shirt, he tossed it into the bathroom as he passed, knowing he would pick it up later. "And for lunch I could fix some Mexican…"
"'Ritos, Daddy!" Olivia insisted as she was placed on her changing table. "'Ritos!"
“I think Cinnamon would like some ‘ritos,” Cheyanne requested with a smirk as she ducked down to grasp a diaper, hurriedly wrapping it around her daughter. She then bent to blow a loud raspberry on her little pot belly, sending Olivia into a fit of giggles. And, when she stood, Howie was tugging a fresh tank top over her body. “Thank you, Tea.”
"So 'ritos are okay with you, too?" Howie murmured, holding her to him for a moment. Ducking his head, he skimmed her neck and shoulder with his lips before moving to dress Olivia.
"'Ritos… 'Ritos…" Olivia cooed. "Mama? Mama… Mama… MAMA!"
“Olivia Austin, I’m standing right here,” Cheyanne chided softly, shaking her head at Olivia’s impatience. “What do you want, Sweetness?”
"'Ritos, Mama! 'Ritos!"
“I know. Daddy’s going to make you ‘ritos, I promise,” Cheyanne insisted with an emphasized nod of her head, seating herself on the end of the guest bed as she watched Howie wrangle Olivia into her clothing for the day. She always seemed to give her father a hard time when it came to getting bathed and dressed. Cheyanne attributed it to the fact that she always enjoyed taking baths with Olivia. But, she still found it adorable to watch them interact, knowing she was very lucky.
"Come on, give me your hand… No, your hand… Cinnamon Bun, that's your foot… That's a girl," Howie murmured, heaving a sigh of relief when she was fully dressed. "There you go… Now go—No! I don't need—CINNAMON!" he cried in disbelief as she grabbed the powder, shaking the bottle furiously. Sputtering as the white cloud descended upon him, he blindly reached for the bottle, twisting the cap shut before putting it out of her reach. Wiping his face, he gave her what he hoped was a stern glare. "Not funny, Cinnamon."
Cheyanne clapped a hard hand against her mouth in bemused shock as the layers of baby powder fluttered through the air, weaving in swirls from the central air. But Howie’s face was priceless as he clutched the bottle to his chest, just staring at Olivia who puckered her bottom lip with apologies. Howie looked like a powdered donut. Snorting, Cheyanne pushed herself off the bed, knowing Howie’s lecture would be no good with her laughter. “Excuse me,” she strained, hurrying out the door before she collapsed in laughter.
"How are we going to teach her right from wrong if you keep leaving the room to have your laughing fits each time she makes a mess the size of Texas?!" Howie hollered after her, shoving the powder onto a high shower. Shaking his head, he sighed as clouds of powder floated from his hair. Looking down at Cinnamon, he saw her tentative smile, the sapphire eyes glowing with amusement. "You think you're cute, don't you? Well, cute won't cut it this time. You're in big trouble, little miss," he warned, turning his head to sneeze violently. "You've… You've…" Sneezing again, he heard her soft giggle. "Olivia Austin Dorough, what am I going to do with you?" he sighed, scooping her into his arms. It was impossible to be even remotely irritated with her.
“’Ove me, Daddy?” Olivia requested hopefully as she reached up to pat the powder away from her father’s dark hair. When he didn’t say anything nor physically stir, she offered a wider smile and began to pat the powder away from her father’s shoulders. “Me ‘ove Daddy.”
"Yet you constantly torture me," Howie sighed, cupping a hand over his face to shield another sneeze. "How about you go torture your Momma now while I get dressed, huh? Then we can go watch a movie…"
“Neber mean Mama!” Olivia cried as Howie settled her on the floor, allowing her to travel into the hallway. Grinning when she saw her mother slumped against the wall, laughing hysterically, she toddled over for attention. “Mama!”
“Cinnamon, you are way too funny for your own good,” Cheyanne snorted as she heard the bathroom door close with a string of Spanish expletives. That only seemed to make her laugh harder.
"Daddy no wike p'der," Olivia whispered conspiringly, smoothing her hands over her green romper. "I dwess, Mama!"
"I'm getting rid of every last bottle of powder in this house!" Howie threatened behind the bathroom door, followed immediately by a violent string of sneezes.
"Daddy wimp?"
“Yes, but don’t tell him that,” Cheyanne snickered as she wrapped her arms around Olivia, drawing her into a close embrace. Burying her face into Olivia’s sweet smelling curls, she sighed to blow off the giggles. “I love you so much, Cinnamon Sweetness.”
"Me 'ove Mama," Olivia promised. "Cind'rella now?" she requested hopefully, giggling as her father continued his diatribe of curses and sneezes. "MAMA! Cind'rella!"
“Yes, ma’am, we will watch Cinderella,” Cheyanne promised as she focused on her daughter, kissing her forehead before standing. “You wait right here and I’ll get Daddy.”
"Him 'neeze!" Olivia squealed.
Opening the bathroom door, Howie sneezed once more, bending to brush the remaining powder from his legs. "Why are you two enjoying my torture so much?" he asked with a scowl.
"'Ove Daddy," Olivia cooed, toddling up to him. "Cind'rella, Daddy! Meecees!"
“Even though she’s not my favorite princess, I promised her Cinderella,” Cheyanne explained with a rueful grin as Howie scooped Olivia up once more. Fixing her tank top, she stepped toward father and daughter, leaning to kiss her fiancé softly. “And I’m sorry she tortures you so.”
"Really? I haven't heard you laugh like that since we watched that Blue Collar Comedy DVD the other night," Howie teased, nibbling gently at her lips as Olivia tugged on his hand. "And you know she only likes Cinderella for the mice and that evil cat…"
"MOTHIE!" Olivia shrieked as the dog appeared, having finished his breakfast. "Walk Mothie?"
“I’ll walk him out a window…” Howie breathed.
“I know I didn’t hear you say that,” Cheyanne admonished as she crouched down to beckon the dog. He eagerly rushed toward his owner’s open arms, leaping inside for nips and licks against the side of her face. “Moth loves us, huh, Moth?”
"Mothie drool! Yuck!" Olivia made a face, shrinking closer to her father. "Cind'rella now?!"
“I thought we were walking Mothie?” Howie questioned his daughter as Cheyanne allowed the dog to squirm free, watching him rush toward the couch as if he knew what they had planned.
"Mothie c'wait!"
“Mothie wants to snuggle up with you, Tea,” Cheyanne tormented as she sauntered out into the living room, flipping through her thick case of DVDs to locate the one in demand.
"If that little Pisser bites me…" Howie trailed as he scooped Olivia up, toting her under his arm as though she were a suitcase as he headed into the living room.
"Whoooo!" Olivia squealed in delight. "Mama! Air'pane!"
“As long as Daddy doesn’t drop you,” Cheyanne laughed, glancing back as she cued up the movie. Satisfied, she brushed her hands on the back of her shorts, moving back to crawl onto the couch where Moth was waiting patiently on the arm.
"Knowing my luck she'll barf…" Howie trailed, wrinkling his nose. Spinning Olivia, he plopped her down in Cheyanne's lap before settling next to them. Wrapping his arm around his fiancée's shoulders, he sighed as Moth climbed onto his lap, leaning to rest his head on Olivia's lap.
“Are you implying that you’re unlucky?” Cheyanne questioned softly as Olivia snuggled close against her, gently petting Moth’s head while she became immersed in the movie. Resting her head against Howie, Cheyanne kept one arm around Olivia as her other hand gently traced figures on the back of Howie’s hand.
"No… Just plagued by an impish daughter," Howie murmured, lightly stroking her bare arm as he shifted closer. "I'm going to miss her for the next two weeks," he whispered after a moment.
"Mama! CIND'RELLA!" Olivia cried, bouncing up and down with glee.
“I see,” Cheyanne laughed softly, rubbing her daughter’s tummy to assure that she indeed was listening. When Olivia became enthralled with the movie once again, Cheyanne tilted her head to glance toward Howie. They were going to an undisclosed spot for two weeks on a luxurious honeymoon. Only, Olivia would be staying with Austin and Kevin. Howie had made all the plans. “I still say we should take her…”
"I'd love to take her, Honey… But the res—place we're going doesn't allow children," Howie murmured softly, sliding his arm around Olivia in order to hold the two people he loved most close. "And I was thinking when we get back we could see if Ms. Harrison has a cabin free for a week… What do you say to a nice family vacation?"
“I like that idea,” Cheyanne approved with a small smile as she pressed a kiss to his neck. “Cinnamon will really like the cabin… Besides, it seems like I haven’t had you to myself for months…”
"I feel the same—"
"Mama, Daddy! SHHH!" Olivia admonished with an impatient sigh. "R'wind for meecees 'gain?"
“Sorry, Cinnamon,” Cheyanne apologized, reaching for the remote to do as the toddler requested.
"Where are you taking me again?" Austin sighed, shifting in the front seat of the rental car. Looking out the window, she watched the passing houses. Kevin had awakened her with breakfast in bed that morning, letting her linger over it before making the sweet gesture of running a bath for her. She had been wary of his motives, going so far as to ask him what he and AJ had done the night before. His glare had shut her up immediately, and she had been on her best behavior since. Though, this secretiveness was driving her crazy. "You're not driving me out to the middle of nowhere to kill me, are you?"
“Lord no,” Kevin breathed with horror as he glanced sideways. He offered a playful smirk as he turned onto the smoothly paved road leading to Howie’s new home. Austin had yet to see it and he thought it would be appropriate if he showed her today. Along with the other home a little ways down from it. “My insurance policy on you hasn’t come in yet. That would just be stupid, Princess.”
"You're telling me… I mean, you didn't even pack a shovel…" Reaching for his hand, Austin smiled slightly. "You're taking me to see one of the many women whose heart you broke, right?" she guessed with a teasing smirk.
“Actually, I’m taking you to see the house of the man who’s trying to break your heart,” Kevin answered, lightly squeezing her fingers as he followed the long road to its very end, sweeping within the circular round to the very front of the beautiful home.
"Holy shit!" Austin's jaw dropped as she took in what she considered a mansion. "Who's trying to break my heart? …Is this Skinny's crib?" she teased, already pushing the door open.
“Actually, this is the house Howie bought for Angel,” Kevin corrected, swallowing any words of contempt for Austin mentioning AJ. She loved to bring him up periodically through their conversations, loving to ruffle her husband’s feathers. One of these days, he promised himself, he wasn’t going to get jealous. But, that was a useless promise. As long as he was crazy in love with Austin, he would be protective.
"You're shitting me!" Austin squealed.
“No, I’m not. This is the house Howie bought for Angel. Even put the deed in her name. So if you two ever divorce us, you’ll have a nice place to settle back in…” Kevin teased as he reached to grasp her hand, pulling her closer. “I thought you’d want to see it.”
"Kevvykins, I could never divorce you," Austin promised, wrapping her arms around his waist. "But, holy shit… Ollie's going to get lost in there, y'know? And Moth's going to need a homing pigeon to find his way to Chey's bedroom…" she trailed softly, biting back the overwhelming depression that hit her so suddenly. Cheyanne would be living here. With Howie. And Austin would be in Kentucky… So close, but so far away. "She's going to love it… Of course, she would have been happy in a little cabin…"
“In Kentucky? A little cabin in Kentucky, next to us?” Kevin guessed, wanting Austin to just admit it openly. She had been moody since the wedding was quickly closing in, but she refused to say a word. Which was frustrating, considering how verbal she was otherwise.
"Yes, a cabin in Kentucky next to us," Austin admitted. "Or maybe I would be happier having her in a cabin next to us. But it's not going to happen, so why do I keep dwelling on it? I love her so damn much, Kevin. We haven't been apart since we first started sharing a dorm in school. She's always been right there when I need anything, and it's so fucking hard for me to realize that she won't be there anymore." Closing her eyes, Austin tucked her face against his chest to conceal her tears. "And before you start with the whole she'll always be a phone call away, just know it won't be the same…"
“I wasn’t going to start with the whole she’s always a phone call away,” Kevin promised as he stooped to press a kiss to the top of her head. Rubbing her back gingerly, he guided her down the driveway. “C’mon, Princess, take a walk with me.”
Nodding, Austin sniffled. "Whacking them over the head and keeping them prisoner's still out of the question, huh?"
“Well, considering it’s still illegal, yes,” Kevin answered, bringing their intertwined hands to his lips for an affectionate kiss. They walked along in silence, the only sounds coming from the rushing ocean waters. Glancing upward, he smiled when he noticed the upcoming house they were approaching. “That’s a nice house, huh, Princess?”
Glancing up, Austin smiled slightly. "It's pretty," she conceded, brushing her tears away. "Can I hate the pissfucks who get to live next to my Chey-Chey?"
“Well, I suppose, though I think it might be a crime against God to have self loathing…”
"Self loathing?" Austin repeated, turning to look at him. "What the Hell?"
“Well, you know how impulsive I am…” Kevin trailed, a smirk growing on his face when Austin stared at him in disbelief. “Okay, okay, so I decided it wasn’t right for anyone to be living so close to Angel. Howie wants privacy for her and the house was gorgeous. So, I bought it.”
"You bought it?! Kevin!" Austin squealed, throwing herself into his arms. Curling her arms around his neck, she planted several kisses along his cheek. "Wait… We are moving in here, right?"
“Well, I thought we’d keep it for decoration--”
"Kevin Scott, I swear to God, I'll divorce you if you don't—"
Kevin laughed heartily. “I already talked to Ma and explained the situation. I told her how much you were going to miss Cheyanne and how much I was going to miss Howie. So, she agreed it was only right that I find a place in Florida and call the house in Kentucky our summer getaway… When we steal Angel and La-La for a few weeks…”
"Kevvy," Austin whined softly, clinging to him. "You're so great, you know that? I swear, I don't know what I did to deserve you," she murmured, offering him a gentle kiss. No other man, she was sure, would do so much to keep her happy. "Are we taking Ollie to Kentucky while Chey and City Boy are on their honeymoon?"
“I thought it’d be a nice treat, seeing as how Ollie has to decorate her new room in Kentucky and Ma is delirious to see her,” Kevin answered against her lips, grinning when his forehead came to rest against hers. He loved her so much.
"Good… So, do you have a key yet, or do I have to break into one of your fancy windows to get a look inside?" Austin murmured against his lips, closing her eyes to let her lashes flutter against his cheeks. Deliriously happy, she would have promised him the moon at that moment.
“I got keys, Lord knows you can’t break a manicured finger,” Kevin muttered, slipping a hand into his pocket to withdraw the keys to the large mansion. He moved to hand it over, only to have Austin yank the key away and go dashing up the stairs. “But, hey, don’t mind me! I’ll just live in the garage!”
"Well Holy Hell, I have to piss!" Austin announced, dancing in place as she unlocked the door. Flinging it open, she stepped inside, her jaw dropping open when she took in the décor. Whirling around, she saw Kevin heading up the steps. "You've already furnished it?!" she screeched in shock.
“Well Holy Hell, Darlin’! I guess I did!” Kevin drawled back with a mock of southern dialect that was overrated. “Got us some nice big ol’ strings of rope for that fancy kind of drying they call a clothes line! And don’t forget a spit can in every room! And, my God, do you know that them dogs are allowed to live in doors ‘round here?!”
"You're shittin' me! Does it got one of them there cement swimmin' ponds too?!" Austin giggled, popping up on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Now point me in the direction of the nearest chamber pot!"
“I ain’t never gonna culture you up, I fear,” Kevin groaned, gesturing toward the nearest bathroom, though he smiled as she scampered off. God, did he love her.
