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Eddie doesn’t eavesdrop. He trusts his children, even when his two beautiful, trustworthy babies are clearly conspiring against their parents. He stops just before the kitchen doorway and listens to the hushed whispers, not catching a thing they’re saying.
A giggle escapes from his daughter and is quickly followed by his son’s shush, which does nothing to stop the giggles. They’re infectious and soon Christopher is laughing right alongside Sephi.
Eddie's smile stretches across his face despite the fact that he knows they’re up to something. Still, he can’t bring himself to stop them–not when Christopher is back home from college for the summer and choosing to spend that time with his sister.
“Chris,” she whispers, which isn’t much of a whisper at this point. She’s clearly too excited about whatever it is they have planned.
“Shh, Josie,” Christopher admonishes lightly. “You’re going to give it away.”
“Okay, I quiet.” She’s not even close to quiet. It earns her a fond sigh, his son clearly not holding it against his four year-old sister. Eddie feels his heart grow three sizes.
Her little feet shuffle out of the kitchen, too excited to notice Eddie as she makes a beeline toward the living room. There’s something in her hand that he can’t exactly see, but he’s sure that she won’t go far. She’s heading straight for Buck.
“You know,” Eddie begins as Christopher steps through the doorway. He’s met with a sigh. “You’re not in trouble… yet, anyway.”
“It’s harmless,” Christopher says quickly. “Unless she drops the juice, then the couch might be a casualty. Or the rug.”
“Do I want to know?” Eddie asks, his smile settling into an easy grin.
“It really is harmless. We were supposed to prank you, but it’ll work with Buck, too.”
“Oh?”
Christopher shrugs and leans against the doorway. “You’ll find out. I’m sure Buck will record it and send it to the family group chat immediately.”
“That cute, huh?”
“It’s Josie, she’s always cute,” Christopher says.
“We used to say the same thing about you.” Eddie steps closer and nudges his son with his elbow. “The cutest kid in all of Texas and then all of California.”
His grin grows toothy at Christopher’s exaggerated eyeroll. “Okay, dad.”
“I’m serious,” he says. “Do you know how hard it was to ground you, half the time? You’d just look at me with those puppy dog eyes and I’d second guess if I was being too harsh.”
“Wasn’t cute enough for it to work,” Christopher mumbles and it draws a laugh out of Eddie. “It’s not funny. You took away my phone for a month.”
“I became immune by that point, kid.”
“How long until you become immune to Josephina’s?” It’s a fair question, but they both know the answer.
“Don’t worry, we’ve discussed strategies and defenses,” Eddie says. “I’m just hoping we don’t have to use them that often.”
“Maybe not for serious offenses, but she loves a good prank, so good luck there.”
Eddie sighs dramatically, letting his head fall back against the wooden frame. “We’re going to be on first-name basis with all her teachers, aren’t we?”
“Probably,” Chris laughs. “But you and Buck can handle it.”
“Eddie!”
“Come on, you don’t want to miss this.” He watches as Chris pushes himself off the wall and follows after him into the living room.
Their daughter is holding a plastic wine glass and leaning into the couch lazily–a stance he’s become familiar with over the past few years. How often did she sneak out of her room during wine nights or the lazy Saturday? It’s a perfect imitation. This might mean trouble.
“That’s so cute, I’m going to die,” Eddie hears from the phone, only then realizing that Buck isn’t recording. His sister-in-law sounds ecstatic as she tries to prompt her niece into saying something Eddie missed. At least Maddie thinks it’s cute, Eddie just feels embarrassed. “Sephi, say it again, baby girl.”
“What the tea?” She repeats and the embarrassment melts away into pure adoration. This might be the cutest thing he’s ever witnessed and that’s including the time he caught her putting her toy dog in time-out for getting itself lost.
“Aw, she said the wrong one,” Christopher whines quietly at his side. “She really likes when Maddie says that. Does it really make sense to her? No, but somehow she uses it correctly every time. Hey, did you know she steals your phone to call me?”
Eddie snaps his head in his son’s direction. “She does what?”
“Oh yeah, she takes your phone and calls me all the time.”
“I really need to set a password on my phone.”
“You do,” Christopher says, then decides better of it. “Or don’t. How else will she get to sneak-buy robux?”
Eddie narrows his eyes, “Explain.”
“Statute of limitations. You never noticed, so you can’t get mad.”
“Christopher Diaz,” Eddie warns.
“It was like ten years ago and like at most fifteen dollars,” he says with wide eyes. “You can’t get mad and I’m too old for you to ground. Plus, remember that you love me and you’re proud of me for all my accomplishments.”
“Fine,” Eddie gives in. He’s in too much of a good mood. “I do love you and I am proud of all of your accomplishments.”
“Daddy!” Sephi yells and hops up from her spot on the couch to look at Eddie, juice forgotten. Buck scrambles to right the glass, but it teeters over onto Eddie’s favorite throw blanket. He’ll lament about it later. “Daddy! Want tea?”
“Mi princesa!" Eddie says enthusiastically and rushes forward to press a kiss against her forehead. “Dime el chisme.”
“Chi’me!” She yells up at him and giggles. “Daddy, you chi’moso.”
He turns toward Christopher with narrowed eyes. “And where exactly did she hear that?”
“Don’t look at me,” Christopher says.
“Oops,” Buck says sheepishly. “That one might be my fault. To be fair, you are chismoso.”
“I’ll show you chismoso,” Eddie mutters under his breath and turns back to their daughter. Her fit of giggles doubles as he raises a brow. “You think you’re funny?”
“Chi’moso!” She reaches up and puts a hand on his cheek. He grins wide and captures her hand, bringing it up to his mouth.
“Want to know some really good chisme, princesa?” Eddie asks innocently, pressing a quick kiss against the back of her hand. Her giggles stop as she nods, suddenly very serious. “Chismos get really, really hungry.”
“Daddy!” She yells through a burst of laughter as he pretends to bite at her fist and chew.
“Tastes like…” He begins and pretends to think. He almost breaks at her excited shriek. “Tea!”
He lets her tug her tiny hand out of his palm and fakes a struggle as her palms wrap around his wrist. “Oh no! She’s got me! Somebody help!”
She brings her head down to take a “bite” out of his hand. “Mmm tea!”
He can hear the faint camera shutter and is unsure of who took the picture or screenshot, but he’s going to need a copy of that immediately. Which he’ll worry about later, after he’s finished giving his Oscar winning performance.
“Baby, help, she’s turning into,” he gasps and reaches out to Buck. “A- a- a chismosa!”
She pretends to take another bite, “mmmm yummy!”
Buck’s fingers interlock with his. He’s trying not to laugh, fully ready to commit to the bit. “It might be too late, babe. I’ll always remember you.”
“Chris!” Eddie tries, turning to their son.
“Sorry, dad. I’m on team Josie and she does look pretty hungry.” God, Eddie loves his little family so much.
“Maddie, send 911!”
“Sorry, Eddie, I’m off the clock.”
Sephi giggles and pretends to take yet another bite. Eddie lays his head against the back of the couch, groaning in fake-pain.
Buck squeezes his hand. “Oh no! He’s fading fast!”
“Wait, Josie, I have an idea,” Christopher says and walks over to where Eddie’s half-leaned over the couch. He watches as Sephi looks up at her big brother, eyes wide in wonder. “Come on, let’s go to the kitchen!”
She releases her hold on Eddie and nods enthusiastically. They don’t get this too often anymore, both of their kids interacting. Christopher comes by every Friday to stay for the weekend, but he’s always swamped with homework and projects. It’s nice when he’s able to find a moment to relax and that he thinks spending time with his baby sister is relaxing.
“What do you think they’re up to?” Buck asks.
“Please fill me in on whatever it is. I have to go make sure the kids aren’t destroying the house.”
“Where’s Chim?” Eddie asks.
“Probably destroying the house with them,” she responds fondly. “Love you both, good luck with the kids!”
“Bye Mads, love you. Tell Jee and Nash that we love them!” Buck disconnects their fingers to wave at the phone.
“Bye Maddie, I’ll see you this Saturday?”
“Always,” she agrees. “Buh bye!”
Eddie shifts and throws himself over the couch the moment the call ends, head landing in his husband’s lap and only narrowly avoiding the wine glass in his hand. “Chismoso, huh?”
“Don’t even deny it,” Buck rolls his eyes. He reaches over to place the glass on the coffee table. “I know you better than anyone else.”
Eddie hums and nestles into his spot, letting his eyes flutter shut. “Maybe.”
“You never answered my question.”
“Repeat it,” Eddie says, releasing a happy sigh as Buck threads his fingers through his hair.
“What do you think the kids are up to?”
“Mischief.”
It earns a laugh from Buck. “Should we go check on them?”
“Nah,” Eddie says and looks up at Buck. “They’re fine. Chris won’t let her get into too much trouble.”
“Who’s stopping Chris from getting into trouble?” Buck raises an eyebrow, drawing a huffed laugh from Eddie.
“He’s a smart kid, I’m sure he’ll manage. Besides, we have a little chismosa who will immediately tattle on him, so…”
Buck laughs and it courses through Eddie’s veins. “She’s perfect.”
“She is,” Eddie agrees easily. “Our family is perfect.”
“I don’t know, their dads are a work in progress, if anything.”
“No,” Eddie says and reaches up to cup Buck’s cheek. “You’re exactly who you’re supposed to be. You’re perfect for us and that’s what matters.”
Buck’s eyes squint down at Eddie, his mouth open in a little pout. “I hate when you do that.”
Eddie huffs a small laugh. “No, you don’t.”
“No, I don’t,” Buck agrees, turning his head slightly to press a kiss against Eddie’s palm. “You’re perfect for us, too.”
“It took some time, but we’re here, Buck. This is what we worked for.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah,” Eddie says, pulling his hand down to rest on his chest. He smiles as Buck’s hand rests on top of his. “I mean, not that I wouldn’t love to make our family even more perfect.”
“Even more perfect,” Buck repeats. “Eddie, do you-”
“Maybe,” Eddie shrugs. “Yes, I think.”
“It might be a lot of work handling a newborn and a kindergartener.”
Eddie laughs. “I like chaos.”
“Yeah,” Buck mutters dreamily. “I do, too.”
“Okay!” Christopher shouts as he enters the living room. Eddie listens for the soft patter that follows after him. “We have decided that while tea is good, s’mores are better.”
“S’mores?” Buck asks.
“Chismos’mores, to be exact,” Christopher says proudly, grinning impossibly wide as he enters Eddie’s line of sight. “Made in the microwave because we were running low on time.”
Buck oohs as Sephi sets a plastic plate of messy s’mores on the coffee table. Eddie sits up, pulling their daughter in between him and Buck. He watches as she settles into Buck, smiling fondly as his husband presses a kiss onto her forehead.
“Come on, Chris,” Buck says, turning to where their son is still standing.
Eddie pats the seat next to him twice, adding on, “we got room.”
Christopher looks over to the empty seat next to Eddie, then to the armchair nearby, but seems to think better of it. He settles in next to Eddie, leaning slightly into him. “Thank you, mijo.”
“You don’t have to thank me,” Christopher says quietly, clearly flustered at the attention.
“I do,” Eddie whispers. “I know she’s your sister and that you’ll do anything for her, but I still want to say it. You make her happy.”
“She makes me happy. I love having a little sister.”
“Yeah?”
Chris shrugs, “Duh. It took you two long enough, I thought I was going to be an only child forever.”
“I’m glad we got it together, then.” Eddie laughs, then nudges him. “You’re a great big brother and a great son, Chris.”
“Okay, dad,” Christopher groans out, but the smile on his face gives him away. “Let’s eat these s’mores before they get cold.”
“Good idea,” Buck says and reaches forward, picking up the plate and allowing each of them to choose a s’more. There’s an extra on the plate, as always. None of them say anything about it.
Eddie leans back and looks at his family, each of them eating their s’mores. A warmth settles in his chest as he thinks about what might be coming for them–more laughter, more tears, a hell of a lot more love. It’s exciting. It’s perfect.
It’s theirs.