Chapter Text
Aaron
I open the door to my house after a long day of work. It felt endless. There is so many things happening during this time of year, it being almost fall. I take off my shoes and put them on the rack. I wonder where Ella and Emmaline are. As I walk up the stairs, my thoughts are interrupted by Ella’s voice.
“It’s just a hang out with people from your grade, everyone will probably just be wearing jeans and a t shirt.”
I smile to myself as I continue to walk up the stairs. Emmaline is in the 10th grade now. Our daughter is growing up to be a beautiful and caring individual, just like her mother. She has been talking about this event the school planned for the beginning of the school year. It’s just a way for everyone in her grade to get together. It shouldn’t be a big deal, but to a 15 year old girl, it is.
“But what if they’re not! I can’t be overdressed or undressed!” Emma exclaims.
I knock on her door, trying not to snicker at my daughter’s dramatics. Ella would say she is just like me in that area.
“Come in!” Emma yells. I walk into her room to see her in bright pink tights, a black skirt, and a blue and yellow striped shirt. She has two different shoes on, one a sandal and one a boot.
“That is… an outfit,” I say.
“I’m trying to decide what I want to wear! I want to look casual, but also cute. Like I’m trying, but also not really. And mom is just sitting her saying I look good in everything which is so not true.” Emma rambles.
“You do look good in everything! Just not… what you have on right now,” Ella giggles. She is lying on Emma’s bed in her favorite pajamas. She looks like she was getting ready for bed before Emmaline asked her for help with her outfit. Her hair is in a bun and her face is glowing from her skincare. She is so beautiful. I go to sit down on Emma’s bed with Ella, pulling her into my arms and kissing her forehead.
“I made dinner downstairs. It’s in the fridge in the yellow container. I tried a new recipe,” Ella says to me. She snuggles into my side and wraps a blanket around herself.
“Thank you, my love,” I say to her. I turn my head to Emma’s closet when I hear a huge thud from inside.
“I’m okay!” she exclaims. Ella and I laugh.
“We’ve been at this forever, trying to find something for her to wear. I keep telling her to wear her jeans and that cute top we got at the mall a couple days ago, but she won’t listen. Seems like I have two fashionistas in this house,” she says looking at me.
Before I’m able to reply, Emma comes out with three outfits. She lays them all out on the floor. I look at them and evaluate what she’s picked out.
“Okay now that dad’s home, we can finally get somewhere because he’s actually honest,” Emma says.
“Rude,” Ella replies with a smile.
“I like the second one,” I say. “It would go nice with that silver necklace I got you for your birthday and your purple headband. And you could wear your grey boots instead of those black ones, so it matches with your shirt better. If you get cold, you could wear your purple jacket you got from Nazeera over it.”
Emmaline evaluates what I say. After a couple seconds of consideration she says, “that’s prefect dad! That’s exactly what I needed. Thank you!”
“I was up here with you for two hours and the moment your dad comes home, you pick one?!” Ella says.
“Well mom, dad doesn’t just say you would look so cute in that or you’ll look so beautiful in that. I need to know which one I should wear and how to style it. Dad knows how to do that.”
“I know how to do that,” Ella grumbles, a smile forming.
“Dad literally picks out your outfit almost every single morning Mom.” Emma retorts, giving Ella a look.
Ella is quiet for a second before she replies, “You got me there.”
I laugh and kiss Ella on the cheek. “It’s okay, love. Helping you pick out your outfits is my favorite part of the morning if that helps.”
“We should go downstairs and finish that game of monopoly we weren’t able to finish last night.” Emma suggests.
“That’s because Kenji is a drama queen and couldn’t handle your dad beating him in a board game for the millionth time,” Ella replies, remembering the yelling that went on last night.
“I’ll run next door and get him!” Emma yells as she’s running out of her room.
Ella laughs and melts into me. I pull her close as we just sit together. I already know Kishimoto is going to come over here screaming, so I bask in the silence while I can. After a while, I hear the door open and already know who’s inside by the loud footsteps.
“Get your ass down here Warner. I am totally going to beat you this time despite what my previous records show!”
I sigh as Ella laughs, dragging me downstairs.