A high pitched scream rang through the house, followed by a tinkling laugh that was too much like her mother’s. Nessa looked up from where she was reading, curled up on the couch, Jagger gurgling in the high chair after just finishing his dinner.
“Mommy, Mommy! Tell Daddy t’stop!”
“Tell Daddy to stop what, baby?” Nessa smirked a little as she caught her husband’s eye as he ‘stalked’ into the room.
“’Keeps runnin’ af’ me! Says T-Rex!”
Caz roared loudly then, startling Jagger slightly but that was followed by a giggle from the younger boy and then an attempt at copying his father that made everyone in the room laugh.
“That’s right! I’m a T-Rex and I’m going to eat you all!” he roared again and made after his daughter, his arms out in claws.
Kayleigh squealed again, giggling before going to hide behind her mother, wrapping her arms around Nessa’s legs and burying her face into the fabric there.
“Can’t get me, Mommy protect me!” she said, quite determinedly as she looked around, a grin splitting her face, one that was ALL him.
“And what if Mommy loves T-Rex more, hmm?” Caz teased.
“Nuh uh! Mommy loves baby girl more, Daddy!”
Caz laughed at that and again locked eyes with Nessa, sharing a private joke without words. As it was, Kayleigh was truly a Daddy’s Girl and has been since before she was born, the bond between them just getting stronger as she got older.
“Are you sure about that?” Nessa smiled, looking down at Kayleigh.
“Uh huh!”
“Sure sure?”
“Uh HUH, Mommy!”
Nessa laughed then, shaking her head, grinning towards Caz as he moved towards them both, swooping behind them with speed enough that the little girl would not be able to move away before sweeping her up into his arms and proceeding to making chewing noises in the general direction of her stomach with the usual ‘om nom nom’ sound that made Kayleigh squeak happily and try to squirm away.
“Mommy! Mommy help! Daddy eat me!” she squirmed more as Caz pulled her close again, ‘om nom nomming’ her even more until they were both out of breath and all three of them were red with giggling.
“You’re all mad, but I love you!” Nessa giggled, shaking her head, her heart swelling with love as she looked over her family, complete in the four of them. Grinning she picked Jagger up from his high chair, cradling him before picking him up and swooping him like an airplane as the children were carried into the front room and they all curled up on the sofa, their eyes already drooping.
“Ever’one nap?” Kayleigh asked, snuggling closer to her Daddy, her head finding his chest as it always did, Nessa’s head on his shoulder and their little boy curled up against her breast.
“Everyone nap,” Caz said, sleep staining his voice as he closed his eyes and yawned, kissing everyone on the forehead and snuggling closer to them all. A sleepy smile crossed his face as he waited for their children to fall asleep before murmuring “I love you” to Nessa, waiting for her words in return before letting sleep overcome him.