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Nell and Junie are almost 6 months old, and Jack’s 12 weeks of paternity leave are coming to an end. The sisters will start going to the same preschool that Milo and Clark attended through babyhood and toddlerhood. Clark is finishing pre-K at that school currently and then will join Milo at the big school in the fall.
They were also in the middle of moving. They had been wanting to sell their house for a while and find a ranch style house so that Jack didn’t have to navigate stairs any longer. At the time, that had been what was available and they’d made it work. But the plan was always to find something with one floor and that was now a possibility.
Their house had sold fairly quickly and they’d made an offer on a one story house with a full basement. So it still had stairs, but they weren’t stairs that Jack had to navigate on a daily basis.
It was a little farther out of the city but luckily still within Milo’s school district so he didn’t have to change schools.
Robby and Jack had most of their nonessential stuff packed up already. They were also downsizing so a lot of their stuff had been sold or given away.
Their new house is a 4 bed, 3 bath. Their plan is for each of the boys to have their own bedroom and the sisters to share a bedroom.
When Robby gets home from work, he finds Jack in the midst of chaos.
June has decided she’s ready to crawl so she’s all over the place now. Nell is still just a very content baby and hasn’t made that leap yet.
Milo and Clark are arguing over a toy. Junie is crawling around screeching. Nell is yelling happily from her place on the floor, gumming a teething toy.
“Boys,” Robby hears Jack say. “I said enough. Two things are about to happen. I’m about to get rid of that toy. And you’re both about to go sit in time out.”
Milo’s mouth drops open. He’s never been in time out a day in his life.
Clark, on the other hand, is very familiar with time out and isn’t phased by the threat. He immediately goes over and jerks the toy back out of Milo’s hand.
Robby makes his presence known by taking the toy out of Clark’s hand.
“Hey!” Clark protests and starts jumping to try to reach it.
Milo sighs and rolls his eyes “He can have it, Papa.”
“That’s kind of you, Milo, but Clark has also lost the privilege of having the toy.”
Clark yells “Damn it!” and Jack hastily covers his mouth with his hand.
“Jack…” Robby groans.
“It… slipped.” Jack says, aggravated.
“Clark, that’s not nice. We don’t say that.”
“Daddy says it,” Clark shrugs, uncaring, and darts off.
“I said it one time! Accidentally!” Jack protests.
Junie catches sight of Papa and screeches happily before crawling over and grabbing the leg of his pants. Robby picks her up and says “Hey, June Bug. Did you have a good day?”
June grabs Robby’s beard with both hands and squeals before diving in to try to eat his face. She pulls away and drool connects from her mouth to Robby’s cheek. He grimaces but says “Sweet kisses, Junie.”
He puts Junie back down before picking Nell up. Nell grins and immediately starts cooing and babbling. “Sweet Nellie Girl.” Robby kisses her cheek and neck, making her laugh.
“Did you girls behave for Daddy today?” He asks.
“Other than June’s temper showing through a few times today…” Jack says.
“Juniper Mae. Did you have your cranky pants on today?” Junie squeals and waves around the toy in her hand.
Robby kisses Nell once more before putting her down. She fusses, and Robby immediately picks her back up.
“They have you wrapped around their little fingers.”
“Oh, like they don’t have you wrapped around their little fingers?” Robby jabs back at Jack. “You big softie.”
Robby walks over with Nell in his arms and leans down to kiss Jack where he’s sitting on the couch. Jack grabs the back of his neck and puts their foreheads together momentarily, closing his eyes.
“What’s wrong, baby?” Robby asks, concerned.
Jack sighs. “My leg is bothering me today.”
“Well I’m here now baby so any running upstairs that’s needed, I can do. I’ll get your crutches.”
He puts Nell in her bouncer and grabs Jack’s crutches. He sits down beside Jack and helps him take the prosthetic and liner off, massaging his leg for him. Jack leans back and sighs in contentment.
This is such an ingrained part of their lives, that the boys don’t even bat an eye when they run in from the playroom.
Clark says “Your leg hurts, Daddy?”
“Yeah, buddy. My leg hurts.”
“You need a bandaid,” Clark tells him confidently. In his four year old mind, after all, bandaids fix all hurts.
“You know what? You might be right. Why don’t you go get me a bandaid, Clark Kent?”
Clark runs off, delighted at the task.
He runs back in a moment later with a box of Peppa Pig bandaids.
“You can have Peppa, Daddy. That’ll feel better for you,” Clark says tenderly.
And, big softie that he is, Jack tears up a little. He clears his throat and says “Thanks, baby boy. I’m sure this will help.”
Clark opens the bandaid and gently puts it on the stump of Jack’s leg with no particular thought as to placement.
Jack leans forward and gives Clark a hug and a kiss and thanks him again. Clark grins and runs off to the put the box of bandaids away.
Robby gets up and starts the evening routine, tackling pajamas and diapers and bottles and bedtime stories.
When all the children are in bed, he makes his way back to Jack on the couch, sitting beside him.
Jack turns his head and lands a sloppy kiss on the side of Robby’s mouth. Robby turns to give him better access. Jack presses him back onto the couch and hovers over him, teasing Robby’s lips with his tongue. Robby’s lips open without hesitation. Within seconds, he’s panting against Jack’s lips.
“I’m getting too old for couch sex,” Robby says against Jack’s ear as Jack mouths at his neck.
“No sex,” Jack breathes out. “Just need you close.”
“Okay, baby.” Robby whispers. “I can do that.”
They spend a while on the couch just lazily making out and holding each other.
Robby has noticed over the years that if Jack’s leg is bothering him particularly bad, he can get a little needy and clingy. Robby is happy to comfort him however he needs it.
They end up spooned together on the couch with Robby behind Jack.
“Do you know why your leg is bothering you so much?”
“No. Why?”
Robby laughs and says “No, you goofball. I’m asking you if you know why it’s bothering you.”
Jack snorts. “Not really. Probably just overdid it today with packing and going up and down the stairs.”
Robby kisses the side of Jack’s head and says “Not too much longer, baby. We’ll be in our new house and you won’t have to worry about stairs anymore.”
Jack sighs and snuggles back against Robby and says “I don’t think I can make it upstairs tonight.”
“That’s okay. Sleep. The monitor is down here with us so if the girls wake up I’ll run up there.”
Jack settles into the comfort of Robby’s arms and falls asleep.
**********
When they move into their new house a couple of weeks later, they are a mix of excited and anxious about the new space.
They’ve gotten the majority of the big furniture situated and it’ll only take unpacking some of the odds and ends stuff and organizing it in a way that makes sense to them.
The boys are nervous about sleeping in their rooms, and Robby and Jack are too tired to push the issue so they all pile into the big bed for old times sake. They hadn’t had a night in the big bed for a while. It was too disruptive with the girls potentially waking up during the night.
They get the sisters to sleep in their cribs in their new bedroom.
Milo and Clark bounce happily into the middle of the big bed, a dad on either side, safe and protected.
They watch TV for a bit, snuggling and talking. When it’s time for lights out, the boys get the giggles. Eventually Jack gets in on the shenanigans and it’s all over with at that point. There is no settling anybody down.
When Robby gets body slammed by Clark, he says “Okay, alright, hey it’s time start settling down. Boys. I mean it.”
It gets comically and awkwardly quiet for several minutes, everybody feeling chastised.
Then Clark whispers. “Hey guys… guys… I tooted.”
And everybody gets set back off again in a round of hysterical giggles, Jack and Robby included.
Robby soaks in the fun and closeness because he knows they’ll get too big for this before long. He doesn’t fuss at them again. They mess around and giggle for probably too long before they start dropping off one by one. But everybody is happy and loved as they drift off, and that’s all that matters.