Work Text:
It was a lazy Sunday afternoon in the Caswell household. After putting 5 month old Finley down for his afternoon nap, Gina had joined her husband EJ on the couch. He had his laptop out, sorting out some work stuff for the upcoming week.
As she sat there next to him, head resting on his shoulder, their 4 year old daughter came bounding into the room.
Dressed in a pink tutu and an array of plastic necklaces from her dress up stash, she ran straight to EJ, peering over the top of his laptop.
“Oh my. What a beautiful princess dress.” He says, the emphasis on beautiful making Scarlett suddenly shy.
“Will you dance with me?” She asks quietly.
“Of course I will.” EJ says as he moves his laptop out of the way and Gina sits up properly, pulling her phone out to start recording.
“Will you hold me and spin me really fast?” Scarlett continues, finding her confidence again and doing a little twirl as EJ stands up. “Of course baby.”
EJ picks her up and places her on his hip, Gina watching on fondly. While they both had their reservations before having kids, watching EJ with Scarlett, and now Finley too, has become one of her favourite things.
“What song?” EJ asks, pulling his phone out of his pocket.
“A me song.”
“A you song?”
Scarlett nods her head as EJ thinks for a minute before scrolling through Spotify. Cinderella by Steven Curtis Chapman starts playing through the Bluetooth speaker and Scarlett smiles widely as EJ pockets his phone again. He holds her as if he was waltzing with her and starts moving around the room.
As they reach the chorus, EJ softly starts singing the lyrics as he spins her around just like she had asked.
Gina, who is still recording, can barely hold back her giggles as she watches the scene, her heart so full she’s sure it’s going to burst.
They continue to dance around the room, and as the song reaches the end, EJ places her down and takes a few steps back, taking a bow in front of her. Scarlett in return smiles up at him as she holds her tutu out, doing her best version of a curtsy. She then skips up to EJ, who catches her and lifts her into the air.
EJ holds Scarlett against his chest, and catches Gina’s eye.
“Are you crying?” He asks, smiling at her.
“I think I’m in a puddle.” She laughs, trying so hard, but failing, to told her emotions together.
EJ just shakes his head at her before turning his attention back to his daughter, pressing their foreheads together.
“I love you.” he tells her.
“I love you too.” Scarlett replies earnestly.
Quickly kissing her temple, EJ puts her back on the ground, and she runs back out of the room, probably back to her dress ups.
As he takes his places back on the couch, Gina puts her phone down and shuffles so she’s by his side again. Before he can grab his laptop, Gina puts a hand on his jaw and gently directs his face so he’s looking at her. He doesn’t get a chance to say anything before Gina leans up and kisses him. After a moment of surprise, he leans in too, deepening it, as he shifts and places a hand on her hip. Gina breaks it before they get too carried away, but doesn’t pull back completely.
“I love you so much.” She breathes, foreheads still pressed together. “You’re so amazing with her.”