Chapter 2

Kirstie sits behind Marcia on the couch, braiding her daughter's hair. She knew it needed a cut, but Marcia refused because her daddy won't go for one and he says he can't make her because that'd be hypocritical. Well he better watch out because Mommy has booked Daddy and Marcia an appointment next week, and if they don't come out with hair at least an inch shorter than what they went in with then there was going to be so many vegetables on the table they'd be eating them for weeks.
      Speaking of the man with the long hair, he is sitting in front of Marcia, letting her braid, well attempt to braid his hair. And that is why she'd never let her husband cut it all off, there'd be no more of this, this that's in front of her.
     "What do I got for lunch dad?" Marcia asks.
     "Cheese and carrot sandwich," Avi answers her.
     "Oooo, yummy. And a cookie?"
     "Of course, I made you some very yummy cookies, you'll be able to take one every day," Kirstie tells her as she ties off the French braid. "Time to go now Martian."
     "I'm so excited!" Marcia cheers, jumping up, dropping the knot she'd made in Avi's hair. "Who is taking me?" she runs over to her school bag.
     "We both are, that's why Grandma and Grandpa are here to watch the girls," Kirstie smiles.
     "No way would either of us want to miss your first day of school," Avi adds.
     "Yeah and I'm so excited!" the little girl cheers, bouncing in her spot. "Oh I gotta say bye to everyone." She runs off down the hall to the Triplets room.
     "First day of school," Kirstie sighs while they wait for Marcia to get back.
     "This is gonna sound bad, but one less to worry about during the day," he chuckles.
     "Well you have every right to say that since I'm back at work next week," she smirks.
     "Yay, me and three of them, all by myself."
     "Well I work at a daycare, worst comes to the worst you bring them over, and it'll be fine cause they can't run from you yet," she pats Avi's shoulder.
     "No but Auri's really to crawl, literally any day now."
     Kirstie nods, "I think she might be a little genius, but we need to get her eyes checked at some point, cause she doesn't grab like the other girls."
     Avi nods in agreement just as Marcia comes tearing out, "Ready to go!" she yells, running to the door and grabbing the door handle.
     "Don't open the door, you know you're not allowed to," Avi speaks calmly, they'd told her this a million times already.
     "Well I'd neva," Marcia folds her arms with her nose in the air.
     Trying not to laugh Kirstie steps up and opens the door.
     Avi picks up the school bag Marcia left behind and follows the other two out the door.

"You can go in now," Avi tells Marcia, who ten minutes ago was beyond excited, but now won't let go of her dad's leg.
     Kirstie crouches down beside their daughter, "If you don't go in how are you gonna tell Grandma and Grandpa about how much fun you had?"
     "And remember, Aunty Esther wanted to know all about school when we go and visit her and Angela in the hospital tonight," Avi adds.
     "We going to see her again tonight?" Marcia asks excitedly.
Kirstie and Avi both nod, "But we can only go and visit them if you go into you-"
     "Hi I'm Jake," A little boy leans over so his face was almost in Marcia's. "What's your name?"
     "Marcia," she answers quietly.
     "Marrrrsharrr," he repeats with a toothy grin, "We should be friends Marshar."
     Marcia lets go of Avi's leg and stands up, "We should be," she grins, "Bye Mommy, bye Daddy," she waves and goes to walk off with Jake.
      "Your bag honey," Kirstie calls, pulling the bag off Avi's shoulder and holding it out for the little to collect.
      "Thank goodness for Jake," Avi chuckles as he and Kirstie walk back down the school steps hand in hand.

...

     Before long Kirstie is walking down the road with their two-seater-pram with two babies in it: on her way to pick up Marcia from school. The third baby (fussy-baby-Bella) was at home with Avi because she kept starting to cry every time she was put down, teething was hitting her far harder than the other two.
     But today was Marcia's day, Giselle was asleep in the pram and Aurelia has always been the quietest, so it really was Marcia's day. The five year old could talk to her hearts content without any interruptions, hopefully.
     Kirstie sits along the half wall with other parents on the half wall and all around as they wait for the belle to ring. She was glad she wasn't the only mom with a pram, she was the only one with a double pram, but at least her babies were being quiet, that made her feel a little smug and a smirk crosses her face.
     A couple of minutes later the bell rings and kids almost immediately start pouring out. Kirstie stands up, then stretches up on her tip-toes and still can't see Marcia over the other parents heads, so she steps up onto the half wall. Moments later she spots her oldest daughter and waves at her, she receives a wave and a big smile back.
      Marcia runs over, dragging Jake behind her, "Hey Momma!" she slams into Kirstie, wrapping her arms around her.
     "Hey Martian," she smiles back. "How was your day?"
     "So, so good Mommy, this is Jake!" she points behind her.
     "Hello Marshar's mommy," Jake waves.
     Kirstie had met Jake this morning, but decides not to point that out to them, they were just too excited, "Nice to meet you Jake. Where's your mommy?" she asks, figuring if their kids were friends then they might as well meet.
      "In the sky. My Dad will get me when he finished work," Jake sits down on the half wall.
      Kirstie's smile drops and she crouches beside Jake while Marcia looks into the pram, seemingly oblivious. "Sorry I didn't know. Do you know what time your dad finishes work?"
      Jake shrugs, "It's okay. He finishes late, it don't get dark though, only once."
      "And you just wait here?"
     Jake nods, "Sometimes I go to friends house. Or if I'm really special lucky Mish-ell and Brit-ta-nee walk the long way to meet me," he grins.
     "And who are they?" Kirstie asks patiently, but getting more worried with everyone of Jake's words.
      "My sister's, and they love me very much even when they don't act like it," Jake jumps back down off the wall and walks over to look in the pram with Marcia.
     Kirstie watches the young boy for a moment before she pulls out her phone and calls Avi, "Yeah, hey hon... has Bella calmed down?... Okay good, cause you need to come and collect the other two and bring a snack for Marcia, her and I are gonna be here a while."

Kirstie sits on the half wall with Marcia andJake, listening to their day's stories over and over again as the sky startedto darken a little.
      The mom of four had her elbow onher knee and her chin in her hand as she listened for a the millionth timeabout how awesome their class is and how great their teacher Mr Lewis is, andabout all the games they played and the song they learned. She never wanted tohear it again, and yet they'd sing it again, just as excited as they were thefirst time, and the tenth.
      Finally a car pulls up along thecurb and Jake snatches his bag from beside Kirstie's feet and he goes to run,but Kirstie stops him, "Aren't you gonna give Marcia a big long hug goodbye?"she asks, she wanted to prolong him so that his dad had to get out of the car,she needed to talk to him. "I think you should wait here Jake, until your dadcomes out to get you," she adds as she turns towards their squealing hug.
      Not quite a minute later the carturns off and Mr Martin, or Jake's dad pops out of the driver's side. Kirstie'seyes widened just slightly, she'd had no idea what she'd been expecting him tolook like, maybe a bigger version of Jake, but nope, this man had a veryspecial, very unique look of his own, or like that of a bad Johnny Depp impersonator.One with a belly, and dreadlocks, and bad tattoos, and his button up shirt wasopen to his bellybutton, and then were the leather pants, the pants were tootight and they didn't match the boots in the slightest. But at least this mandressed as an almost homage to the eighties, wore a look of worry, not anger,he wasn't pissed off, he was honestly worried.
      And so Kirstie sympathised, and sheknew just what to do. "Hi," she hold out her hand with a smile, "I'm KirstinKaplan, I'm Marcia's mom. You're Jake's dad right?"
      He takes her hand and shakes it,introducing himself, "Leo Martin, and yeah, can I ask what's happening?" Hefrowns, clearly confused.
      Kirstie looks over her shoulder atthe two children watching them as she folds her arms, it was getting a littlechilly. "Well Jake told me about how he waits for so long after school and itjust concerned me a little, so I decided to wait with him."
       "Look, I'm sorry I'm a little late getting here sometimes. Thingsare difficult right now, but he's my kid you don't have to wait with him, he'sbeen fine before, what's a little worry on my part," he sighs running a handdown his wispy goatee.
       Kirstie lowers her voice,speaking sympathetically, "He mentioned his mom in the sky, so excuse me forjumping to conclusions, but I can understand how things would be difficult andLeo I'm very happy to help. Jake and Marcia have become fast friends, it wouldbe nothing off my back to have him come over to our place in the afternoons andthen you can come and pick him up when you can."
       Leo's entire face softens and afew tears well in his eyes, "You'd do that for my boy?"
       Kirstie nods, "Of course, Marciaand Jake will have a ton of fun and then you don't have to worry about hissafety, especially since it's getting closer to winter," she pulls out herphone, "I'll get your number so we can sort out the details later," she offershim a smile, "Let's just get our kids home," she chuckles.
       Leo nods with a smile, "Thank youso much for this Kirstin, our kids have been friends what, a day?," hechuckles, "This honestly means the world to me, I cannot thank you enough forthis," he speaks as he inputs his number.
        Kirstie shrugs with her smallside smirk, "It's no trouble at all Leo."    

A/N: Kirstie and Avi are just such good people that I could so imagine them doing this :)

Hope you liked,

Hannah :)