June 29
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"Mama!"
"Yes?" Julianna called up the stairs to where the yell had come from.
"Need help!" Julianna smiled and placed her orange juice back on the table and made her way out of the kitchen. She walked up the stairs and headed down the hallway, stopping two doors down at the door of her son's room.
"Yes?" Julianna asked and bit back a laugh as she saw her two-year-old struggling with the drawer of his dresser.
"Clothes, Mama." Little Aiden said, stepping back from it and staring at her expectantly. This time Julianna laughed.
"Alright, Aid. What do you want to wear today?" She asked, picking him up and opening the drawer so he could look in at his selections.
"That." He said and reached for a blue shirt with a basketball on the front, that George had bought him.
"Okay. Basketball shirt it is." Julianna said. As Julianna dressed the child, he continued talking.
"Mama, I wanna see Brie." Aiden said. Julianna smiled.
"You can help me feed her." Julianna replied and watched as he clapped enthusiastically.
"Yay! Hurry, Mama." He said as Julianna struggled to get a pair of socks on her son. She laughed.
"I'm hurrying but you need to sit still." After Julianna was finished struggling getting him out of his pajamas and into his clothes, the little boy ran from the room, Julianna close on his heels. They went into the nursery just down the hall.
"Me!" Aiden said, lifting his hands to his one-month-old sister's crib. Julianna smiled and ruffled his hair gently.
"Wait for Mama." She said and looked into the crib. Her new daughter was kicking her legs and staring up at her mother, her chocolate eyes focusing on Julianna's. A wave of love washed over Julianna as she felt her son tug on her pants and saw her daughter staring up at her. Julianna smiled and bent down, picking up her infant daughter, a hand on Brianna's head for support. She cradled her daughter against her shoulder and looked down at her son.
"She needs changed. Can you wait?" Julianna asked, smiling at him.
"I s'pose." He muttered and put his hands on his hips. Julianna chuckled and lay her daughter on the changing table.
"That's a good girl." Julianna said, smiling at the baby. "You're so beautiful, yes you are." Julianna crooned. She began taking the tiny yellow sleeper off her daughter, leaving the baby in her diaper only. The baby kicked her legs, happy to be free of the clothes. "Ooh, you like that, don't you baby? Mama'll put something comfortable on you." Julianna said and glanced quickly down at Aiden, making sure he was behaving himself. He was staring up at her with impatience. She turned back to Brianna and began to change her diaper.
When finished, her daughter was dressed in a pink t-shirt and matching pink shorts, her little feet covered with white socks that had tiny pink bows on them. Julianna smiled when she looked at the tiny t-shirt. It had a small picture of a cowgirl hat and it said 'Cowgirl' underneath it. Julianna remembered when Noah Wyle had bought that for her the day Brianna was born and smiled.
"Mama, where are we going?" Aiden asked, following his mother down the stairs. Julianna kept a careful eye on him as he used the wall for balance going down the steps.
"We'll feed her downstairs." Julianna explained as she walked off the stairs and into the kitchen.
"Can I do it?" Aiden asked. Julianna smiled.
"No, sweetheart, but you can help me." Julianna said.
"Alright." He agreed, somewhat reluctantly. Julianna walked out of the kitchen and into the living room. She sat on the couch and Aiden scrambled up beside her. "When's Daddy come home?" Aiden asked.
"In a little while. Pretty soon, he said." Julianna said and puckered her lips up. "Can I have a kiss first?" She asked. He smiled and pressed his lips to hers happily.
"Can I kiss Brie?" Aiden asked as he watched Julianna shift the baby into position.
"In a second." Julianna murmured and let out a small sigh as Brianna attached herself to Julianna's breast. Julianna shifted, covering most of her own body, except what was needed for the baby to be able to breath.
"Now?" Aiden asked impatiently. Julianna laughed and looked at him.
"Okay. Go ahead." She said. He smiled happily and bent over his sister before kissing her on the cheek with a loud smack. He leaned back on his heels and grinned.
"You're a real charmer." Julianna said and he looked up at her.
"Like Daddy?" Julianna laughed.
"Just like Daddy." She agreed. Aiden jumped off the couch and bounded around to the other side of Julianna, hopping up onto the couch. He touched a hand to Brianna's thick black hair and smiled, toying with the ends.
"She's pretty." He murmured and leaned his head against Julianna's shoulder as he watched his sister. Julianna smiled and leaned her head gently against his.
"Yeah, she is, isn't she?"
"Like you, Mama." Aiden said and looked up at her. She laughed and kissed him playfully.
"Yup, you're just like your Daddy." Aiden grinned and reached down, taking his sister's tiny fist into his hand.
"Soft." He murmured and bent close to her again and kissed her forehead. Julianna smiled. She could tell he would be a wonderful big brother. Julianna's ear perked as she heard a noise coming from the kitchen. She craned her neck and saw George walking into the house, carrying a suitcase.
"Daddddddddy!" Aiden cried and jumped from the couch. George bent down as Aiden threw himself into his arms.
"How's my man?" George asked.
"Good! I was helping Mama feed Brie!" He exclaimed. George chuckled and looked up at Julianna as he stood up, Aiden on his hip.
"Is that so?" He asked. Aiden nodded earnestly. George chuckled some more and smiled at Julianna.
"Hey." She murmured. He bent down, Aiden still on his hip as he pressed a warm kiss to Julianna's lips.
"How're my lovely ladies?" He asked, coming around the couch. He sat beside Julianna and let Aiden go. Aiden squirmed around until he was sitting on George's lap and looking at his sister again.
"We're good." Julianna said, smiling at him. He chuckled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders after planting a soft kiss on his daughter's head.
"Did you just get up?" He asked.
"The kids did." Julianna said. He nodded and nuzzled her neck, his other arm wrapped around Aiden. She smiled softly and kissed him again. Aiden didn't think anything of it because this open show of emotions were normal in his household.
"Mama, she's done." Aiden exclaimed as Brianna withdrew from Julianna.
"You're right." Julianna said and handed the baby off to George who cradled her close to his chest. Julianna readjusted herself.
"How's my babe?" He asked Brianna and lifted her to his shoulder. He began to pat her back after draping a towel over his shoulder.
"Can I hold her?" Aiden asked, squirming against his father. George chuckled.
"In a bit. She has to burp first." George said. Aiden bounced impatiently. Julianna reached over and snatched him out of George's lap.
"C'mere, squirt." She said. He laughed as she began tickling him as a distraction. George chuckled as he watched them, his eyes filled with love for his little family. If anyone had ever told him years ago that he would be there, with Julianna and his two children, he would have laughed at them. But he was there, cozied up on the couch with his little family. He felt and heard Brianna's little burp.
"Thatta girl." He murmured and brought her away from his shoulder. He cradled her back against his chest and smiled when she smiled crookedly at him. He laughed softly and bent down, nuzzling her against him. "I love Brianna."
"Me too!" Aiden exclaimed loudly, looking at George and Brianna. George chuckled.
"It's your turn." George said. Aiden scrambled into an upright position on Julianna's lap and held his arms out. George and Julianna helped Aiden situate the tiny child in his arms. Aiden smiled and kissed her nose softly. Brianna smiled up at him. "C'mere." George said and managed to pull Julianna, Aiden, and Brianna up onto his lap. Julianna laughed as she cautiously watched Aiden, making sure he wouldn't drop his sister. When she was sure they were settled, she leaned back against George, her cheek against his as they watched their children.
"I love you." George murmured into her ear. She smiled.
"I love you, too."
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