LIKES/FAVORITES:
color– Green
foods/cuisine– Southern comfort & Chinese
movie genres– Action, western comedy & animation
flower– N/A
snacks– BBQ chips
music genres– 90s Hip-hop, 90s R&B & some classic rock
season– Summer
book genre– Historical drama, mystery & dystopian
animal– Elephants
candy– Peanut M&Ms & Snickers
quote– “Scratch any cynic and you will find a disappointed idealist .” –George Carlin
–BIOGRAPHY–
[blood mention tw]
Cynics aren’t born, they’re made. Unfortunately, Khamani was made into one in his adult years. His youth was somewhat ordinary at home and at school. It wasn’t until his high school years that the first seeds of his cynicism were planted. His parents’ marriage grew rocky and attempts at shielding him from it were flimsy at best. While dealing with that, his own high school relationship began to crumble until his girlfriend broke up with him the night before their junior prom. His senior year was spent listening to his parents trudge down the road to divorce. Hoping for a clean and civil split proved impossible and rather than attempting to get his parents to act like, well, parents, Khamani spent most of his time split between trying to uphold his grades to graduate and helping his little sister, Kendra, deal with the changes at home. Their parents finalized their divorce shortly before Khamani’s high school graduation.
Although he found himself needing some space from both of his parents, Khamani didn’t want to be too far away from his sister, who was still struggling and acting out rebelliously as a result of their parent’s divorce. He’d done his best but knew the responsibility was his parents, more than his. To his frustration, the two of them were busy remaining spiteful towards one another for the coming years. Their focus on each other and their neglect towards Kendra was the fuel for Khamani blaming them for Kendra’s teenage pregnancy. Khamani wanted to be there for her as much as he could, especially after the father/Kendra’s ex broke up with and abandoned her mid-way through her pregnancy. The stress of the ongoing turmoil with his parents and the new troubles with his sister made it impossible for Khamani to graduate on time like he planned. His graduation was held off for another year while he was granted a hiatus and helped his sister and her new baby get settled in at their mom’s apartment.
1 year + 1 semester later while interning for SFPD, Khamani graduated with a Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. He proceeded to apply for work within the police department. He worked part time filing paperwork for one of their detectives while working part time as an apprentice to a freelance investigator. At age 27, after 4 years of working, learning and gaining experience, Khamani applied to work alongside rather than for his former mentor. With similar work styles the two partnered on some cases while acquiring individual work for other cases. As his career gained traction, he met his newest girlfriend, Taylor.
In Khamani’s eyes, the relationship had been going well. True, he worked hard and often but he believed he made time for her and had done his best to dote on her from time to time, call her, have flowers delivered to her job on her birthday and Valentine’s Day, and he enjoyed their sex life. The two of them dated for over three years before he noticed her distance. She wasn’t around much, stopped answering her phone and made excuses for them not spending much, if any time together. Khamani’s suspicions were raised by the sudden change in his girlfriend’s behavior. He wondered if some time apart might help and so he’d taken a case that required some tracking out of town for a few days. The case had gone south, leading to an unexpected arrest of his target, so Khamani returned home early….much to his regret.
To this day, he cannot burn the image out of his mind of seeing his girlfriend–the girl he, at one point, thought he would marry–being mounted by…hell, he didn’t even know who the guy in his bed was. Khamani couldn’t quite remember what he’d done after that but the night ended with clothes being chucked into the apartment’s hallway, his now ex stumbling out a blubbering mess while chasing after her clothes, and some guy he still didn’t know clutching a bloodied (and probably broken) nose right behind her.
Khamani hadn’t been fully conscious of how, over the years, his heart had been hardening towards love and relationships but the end of his and Taylor’s relationships had armored it completely. He still had no idea how, three years and the occasional hook-ups later, he’d let his sister talk him into auditioning for some dumb reality show. He didn’t need love in his life. He didn’t need to go through another heartbreak. And he sure as hell didn’t need more proof that love was manufactured garbage. All he had to do was look in his rear view mirror at the burns from his high school ex, his parents, his sister, and his most recent ex. He could look at friends who had been blindsided by heartbreak and heartache too for good measure. And sure, he knew that Ship-Wrecked wasn’t solely about love, and he supposed that the rest was what made him even come close to considering the audition. But he sure as hell wasn’t going to end up falling for anyone while there. For all intents and purposes, he would do what he had to in order to treat the trip like a vacation, play whatever part he had to in order to collect whatever prizes interested him and then go home as single as he would arrive to the island.
Khamani: I have no doubt but at the same time, I think Roman's had his dumb moment already with his ex. I think he and Kendra have finally both gotten their shit together.
Khamani: I'm glad you're happy, man. That's ultimately what matters, that you and Leo are happy and like who you are when you're with them.
Khamani: No I get it. She's got some internet troll who keeps showing up on her Twitch streams. It started out with some persistent moronic comments but it's gotten out of hand now. I'd been trying to let her handle it but I'm about to get my team together and find out who they are and where they are.
"So you're asking that I build enough of a case before even considering bringing this to authorities. Mmm hmm." Luna smiled as Ximena began hugging her, wanting to be fed. "Yes. I'll keep writing any instance where this user signs into my lives. Again, they're obviously using new usernames and IP addresses. No, they've done nothing major but I figured I'd do something before it's too late. Yeah, got it." Luna looked over to Khamani and shook her head. "You too. Bye." She hung up the phone, ending the conversation with the representative from Twitch, and sighed. "Well, that got me nowhere..." @detkhamani
Khamani had been listening to Luna's call while sitting on the floor with Cannon, helping him build with his magna-tiles. He was mostly watching as Cannon talked through what he was creating and the superheroes who lived there. And while Khamani hadn't missed most of the conversational cues with his son, his main focus had been on his wife's end of her phone call. Her responses told him that it had been a waste of her time before she'd ended the call. He'd been standing by, wanting for him and his team to get involved and figure out who the jackass was on Luna's Twitch streams. But he was respecting his wife's wishes to handle it first.
Once she was off the phone, Khamani told Cannon, "Be right back, Little Man. Keep going though--you've still got a bunch of tiles left." He got to his feet and went over to his wife, gently picking up Ximena for the time being. "You have your streams archived, right? Like you can go back through in the chats to save screenshots of this piece of trash, can't you?" It pained him to see her so hurt and being targeted by some coward. While he wasn't getting directly involved like he wanted, Khamani couldn't completely stand by and watch his wife get hurt and feel defeated by whatever she'd been told during her recent call.
Featuring: The Smith family with mentions of others
Location: Khamani & Luna's home
Time Frame: Late afternoon, Father's Day 2024
Notes: A look into how Lumani and their kids spent Father's Day!
LUNA
"I can do it!" Cannon began climbing the kid's kitchen stool Luna and Khamani had purchased for him so that he could help with prepping certain dinners and with baking. It was just another favorite activity of his and he was extremely helpful. Ximena was down for a nap with Khamani after waking up at the ungodly morning hour. She had kept Luna and Khamani up so with it being Father's Day, Luna insisted that Khamani put her down for her nap and join her. Cannon was full of energy and she felt it would be the perfect timing to get the planned menu going for their favorite big guy.
"You can do it, huh?" Luna smiled when Cannon pulled the loaf of bread from the bread basket and his kid's safety knife. She had already prepped some cheese empanadas as well as beef and chicken ones. There were some appetizers in the oven and she was about to start the smoothies when Cannon came up with the idea of his menu, wanting to show his dad that his peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were the best in the business. With Luna's help, he uncovered the peanut butter and the jelly and went to work with spreading them onto the pieces of bread.
"Yep! I'll make one for you, for me and for daddy. Ximena can have some yummy stuff too but not peanut butter because that's dangerous." he looked up at his mom with a proud smile and Luna bent her head to kiss Cannon's cheek.
"That's right. Daddy and hermanita will be up soon so we have to start bringing all these goodies to the backyard. Did you get daddy's gifts together?"
"Mm hmm! and Abuelo too! He said he was coming tonight to see me and Ximena. Is that true?" Cannon topped the second sandwich before beginning the last one.
"Yes, around dinner time. Right now it's just us and we're surprising Daddy with a big meal for him and all the gifts we got him." Luna smiled at the overloaded sandwiches and then started the blender on a low setting. She glanced at the monitor, happy to see both of them stirring.
KHAMANI
Khamani had been peacefully sleeping with Ximena softly snoring in the cosleeper. He didn't nap often but when he did, it was usually with one or both of his kids. With today being Father's Day, he was happy to spend it with his family. He knew there were dads who liked spending Father's Day away from their families going fishing or golfing or just not having to engage much with the people who made them fathers. And while he didn't judge them for it, that wasn't how he found himself wanting to spend what would be his second time celebrating the holiday as a father. Kendra and Tyla would celebrate him as an uncle and father figure, and he knew he would see them later that day, but this time with his family wad valuable to him. Even if he'd spent an hour or so of it sleeping.
It was Ximena's growing restlessness that stirred him awake and told him she would be awake soon too. He opened his eyes and watched her go through her waking routine of turning her head side to side and rolling from her side to her stomach before getting in the push-up position with her sleepy face gearing up for cries. He heard her panting and some distressed whines escaped her lips before he reached out and effortlessly lifted her from the co-sleeper. "Hey there, Sleeping Beauty." Khamani rolled onto his back and held her to his chest as she sleepily blinked and settled down from her initial crying. "You weren't ready to wake up yet, huh?" He chuckled and kissed her dark head of hair before sitting up with her held in his arms. She cuddled against his chest, nearly scrunching up like she did as an infant. When his hand cupped her bottom for support, he glanced down at her. "Well, stay dry probably woulda let you sleep longer, huh?" He chuckled a little and got off of the bed, walking over to his and Luna's dresser where some diapers, wipes and a few of Ximena's clothes sat. He took what he needed and then returned to the bed, gently setting Ximena on her back to change her.
Once Ximena was changed and situated in her day clothes again, Khamani picked her back up and opened the bedroom door. The aroma that hit his nose piqued his curiosity but it had been relatively quiet. Brows furrowing, Khamani calmly called out, "Babe? Cannon?" He was walking toward the kitchen but the glass wall that overlooked the backyard gave him insight into the whereabouts of his wife and son. He smiled seeing them and then kissed the top of Ximena's head. "Let's go down and see what mama and brother are up to, hm, mija?" He walked downstairs and, after slipping on some shoes, made his way to the backyard. "What've we got here?" He asked.as Ximena lifted and turned her head, quickly breaking out in a bright smile at the sight of her mother and brother.
LUNA
After pouring the smoothie into a pitcher, Luna and Cannon brought all the food outside to the backyard. She asked her son to stay in the yard so she could bring out anything that was missing including all the gifts they had for Khamani. She wanted to ensure her husband had gifts from both their children and her. Once they had set the table she sat down beside Cannon who was now adding goldfish crackers to a paper plate. "You did an amazing job." She kissed the top of her son's head and when she heard Khamani approach, Luna smiled widely, holding her arms out for Ximena. "Oh hello there! Did you guys have a good sleep?" Cannon immediately ran to Khamani and hugged his father from the side wishing him a Happy Father's Day for the hundredth time so far. When Luna took the baby from her husband, she looked up at him, asking for a kiss. Cannon took his hand to guide his dad around the table. "Mama and I made you lunch! She made empanadas and baby quiches and pigs in a blanket and taquitos and I made peanut butter and Jelly sandwiches for the main course." He was so proud of himself.
"We also made smoothies! So I hope you come with an appetite!"
KHAMANI
Khamani was still taking in all the foods as he answered his wife, "I did, yeah, and I think Ximena did too." She'd rubbed her eyes.and then reached out for her mommy. Khamani passed her to Luna and then bent to meet her lips. "Thanks for this, Sunshine," he murmured just before Cannon gave him a tour of the spread around the table. "Wow, you two, this all looks too good." He looked down to his son and said, "I hope you're gonna help me eat this." He knew the food wasn't all for him but figured the suggestion would excite the little boy. He smiled a little more and bent to kiss the top of Luna's head. "Babe, this is all great. You and Cannon really outdid yourselves with all this. Thank you two." He picked up Cannon, held him for a hug and then took a seat on the picnic bench with Cannon now in his lap. "What should we start with?" he asked, looking from his wife to their son.
LUNA
"Aw, good." She kissed her husband, a giant smile forming on her face. "Well, the best dad in the world deserves the best day in the world." Luna giggled softly when their daughter reached for her, swinging her a bit in her arms, enjoying the giggles that came from Ximena. Cannon was excited to help Khamani eat all the food that had been spread out for them. Immediately, he reached for a baby quiche and placed it on a paper plate but waited for his father to make his choices. "You're welcome, babe. Cannon is very proud of his PB and J!" Luna pretended to attack her daughter's cheeks and blew little raspberries onto them, laughing along with her. "You had a nice nap with daddy? Yes!" When Khamani sat down with Cannon on his lap, Luna moved to sit beside them and tore apart a cheese quiche for Ximena to much on. "Empanadas!" Cannon answered his dad. "And quiches!" Luna smiled at Cannon's reply and reached for the fruit smoothie pitcher to pour into cups for everyone. "Good choice, bud! You're going to love them, babe."
KHAMANI
Khamani raised both brows while smiling to his wife, "That's high praise right there. Thanks, Sunshine." He watched Luna and Ximena for a moment and then set his focus on Cannon while he went through the different foods on the table. In truth, Khamani had been hungry; breakfast held him over until right about now so the timing was perfect. He looked at the very filled sandwich and feigned surprise as he looked to his son, "You made that? For me?" He gave Cannon a little hug with his arm around him while he sat in his lap, and his free hand reached for a plate. "Well then I gotta start with that. He picked up the sandwich and added some empanadas and quiche to his plate but asked Cannon in a conspiratorial manner, "Do you wanna share some of the PB and J with me?" He pulled the sandwich apart and with the uneven split, gave the smaller portion to Cannon while he took a healthy bite of what was left in his hand. Once his mouth was cleared of enough peanut butter he said, "I think this is the best pb& j I've had, little man. When school starts up, you might have to help mama and me with lunches." He took another bite and over the top of Cannon's head, winked to wife. "What kind of empanadas did you make, babe?" It didn't really matter to him since he was going to eat them regardless but he'd been curious enough to ask.
LUNA
"Some may say we're biased but I like to think the Smiths are just an honest bunch." Luna grinned and chuckled as Cannon nodded in agreement with his mom. Cannon kept bobbing his head to respond to Khamani, a giant smile pulling at the corner of his lips. He was so full of pride. "Yea! Mama only helped me with reaching the utensils" Luna smiled softly as she bounced Ximena on her hip and watched her two boys. Cannon bit into his quiche and offered a tiny piece to his sister who then began smashing it with her fingers. "Yes, please!" Cannon answered his dad and took the piece of the sandwich. He bit into it and then smiled even wider. "I'm a good cook, right dad?" The prospect of helping his parents with school lunches excited him. Luna kept her eyes on Ximena as she brought her pie crust-filled fingers to her mouth and then wiped her lips. "I made cheese ones earlier and just took the beef and chicken ones out of the fryer so they're nice and warm." She reached for a chicken one and pulled it apart, letting the shredded meat fall to the plate in front of her so that Ximena could try some too. "Okay, amorsito, let me grab your bib." Luna reached for the food catcher bib and then placed it on her daughter. "And the taquitos are chicken and ground beef. I saved some for our guests tonight if they're hungry later." She grabbed some pigs in a blanket and arranged them on her dish and away from Ximena. "Tell me what you think!"
KHAMANI
"That's facts," Khamani smiled and then chuckled with his wife. He was happy to see his son so proud of himself. "You did a good job, C. You'll have to tell your aunt and uncles about it when they come over later." He took another bite of the sandwich and then reached for one of the warm, beef empanadas. "Yeah, little man, you're a good cook. You were generous with your peanut butter which is how I like those sandwiches. So thank you." He hugged Cannon with one arm and then bit into the delicious empanada. After his mouth was cleared again, he turned to Luna, "And thank you, Sunshine. This has been a great Father's Day." He pecked the side of Cannon's head and then winked to his wife before chuckling at Ximena attacking the remnants of quiche in her hand. "How much did you get in your mouth, baby girl?" He reached for his smoothie to take a steady gulp and then said, "I think this was a great idea. And I know when the others come over later, they'll be hype for the extras."
LUNA
"Yes!" Cannon cheered at the idea of his uncles and aunt knowing about his skills. "You're welcome, daddy. We love you." Cannon reached for some taquitos and then took a sip of his smoothie. Luna was making sure Ximena was comfortable with the quiche crumbled in her fingers before her gaze met Khamani's. She smiled at her husband's gratitude. "You're welcome! We really wanted to make you feel special today. Cannon made a few things for you and we have a bigger gift in the living room once we're done here." Luna smirked as Cannon's smile widened. She knew that her son was busting to tell Khamani what his gift was but he was doing such a good job at keeping the secret. "And Ximenita here thinks you're the best daddy too." Ximena was kicking her little feet as she enjoyed her food. Luna bit into her empanada, enjoying the weather and her time with her family. "I can't wait to see everyone later! I'm glad we decided to have them over."
KHAMANI
"I love y'all too. Always will." He drank some more of his own smoothie and then listened to his wife, his smile lingering on his lips. "Mission accomplished. All of you made this a great day for me. I'm glad I'm getting to spend it with my family." Khamami had gotten used to treating Father's Day like any other day for the longest time, up until last year. Now, it was a day he looked forward to because it meant he was reconnected to a family of his own--something he hadn't really had for most of his life. He and Kendra had been each other's family for most of their lives, and Tyla was an incredible addition when she came along. But having his wife and his son, and now his daughter was still special but just different. Cannon and Ximena made him a father. Luna wasn't just his wife in name only. They were friends, lovers, and partners in parenthood and beyond. They made a home together that was filled with love, music, warmth and kindness. Their family dynamic was a stark contrast from the one he and Kendra grew up with and he couldn't be more thankful for that.
"Do you, baby girl?" Khamani asked, pretending to sound surprised as he bent to blow a raspberry to Ximena's cherub cheek. He followed it with a quick kiss and smiled when she giggled from it all. "Me too. It won't be anything too crazy which sounds like a good way to finish out the day." He polished off the empanada and then reached for one of the mini quiche for himself. "Since that'll be later. Do yall have something else planned before then ir do you wanna do something chill, like watch a movie in the living room or go for a walk later on, before it gets dark?"
LUNA
"Yay!" Cannon cheered and smiled brightly at his parents. "Told ya, mama. Daddy loved it." Luna reached over to massage his chin and flashed her husband a smile. She was so proud of her son and was glad that Khamani could take a nap with their daughter making it easy to get a few things done around the house. Getting into a rhythm with her family made her happy. She was able to balance her work life and be present in their lives and Khamani was doing an amazing job at doing the same. Sitting together, enjoying a meal in their yard, and celebrating her husband felt like a dream.
Ximena giggled when Khamani blew raspberries to her cheeks. It was one of her favorite silly things that her dad did. "Agreed." Luna loved having company and hosting their families. She was excited to see Kendra and Roman together and to see Tyla play with Cannon and Ximena. Seb and Leo were always a welcomed addition. "We have gifts but we can wait until after. A walk sounds really nice. If we wrap up here, I can get Ximena ready and Cannon would just have to get his sneakers. Cannon noded as he continued eating and then tapped Luna's thigh. "Can we do presents and THEN go for our walk?" Luna chuckled and looked up at Khamani. "I think that's a great idea. What about you, babe?"
KHAMANI
Khamani watched the exchange between his wife and son while reaching for a taquito to eat. Cannon slid off of his lap and sat in between him and Luna on the table bench, helping himself to another pig in a blanket. The intimate time with his family was priceless for him, and he was looking forward to their other family members coming over for a little while later too. But for the time being, he was enjoying the food and his wife and kids. After suggesting something else to do after, Khamani nodded to his wife and then smiled at Cannon's suggestion. "That's a good idea, C. When you're all done eating, I'll open my presents, alright?" He stuck the last bit of taquito in his mouth and then reached for his smoothie, as well as another empanada to enjoy. But in between eating and drinking, he bent his head towards Cannon and loudly whispered, "You wanna help me open my presents?"
LUNA
Luna was so excited about the giant present in the living room that she hoped Khamani was too busy coming out to the yard to notice. She had a few smaller presents too but the big present had her smiling and anticipating. She was glad to see Khamani enjoying the food and Cannon as excited as she was. When Khamani posed the question about helping him with presents to their son, the little one nodded enthusiastically. "Yes! Mama has a big present in the living room but I'll get the small ones from me, Ximena, and Mama." He kissed his father's cheek before running toward the screen door where the presents had been lined up. He gathered them all and returned skipping with a big smile on his face.
"He has been waiting for two weeks and I know he's about to explode with joy. Look at that face." Luna gestured toward Cannon as he skipped back tot he table.
"Okay!" Cannon took a deep breath. "Open this one first! It's from me and Ximena!" He pushed a blue bag with Max and Goofy on it and grinned. "Mama found that bag for you."
KHAMANI
Khamani cast his son and then his wife a quizzical expression when Cannon said that Luna had a big surprise for him in the living room. He’d only briefly glanced in there when looking for his wife and son earlier, but he hadn’t looked all that hard considering it was clear that they hadn’t been in there. Now though, he was curious to know what he’d missed. When Cannon took off from the table, he smiled a bit but looked at his wife again and shook his head a little, “Yeah, he loves surprises. Wonder where he gets that from.” His expression became pointed as soon as he said this.
Once their son returned with the gifts, Khamani set down the remainder of the taquito he’d bitten into and started with the gift bag Cannon instructed him to. He smiled at the bag and then said, “Did you pick out the gift bag, little man?” He reached inside and took out the card, opening it and chuckling softly at the sight of the Bluey card. After reading it, he said, “Thanks, C,” and then leaned over to kiss Ximna’s cheek. “Thanks, baby girl.”
After propping the card up on the table, he reached inside the bag and took out the book. He set the gift bag down long enough to thumb through the book and then said, “This’ll be a good addition to the bedtime books.” He continued through with the gifts, enjoying each of the keychains, as well as chocolate bars. By the time he finished reading the backs of each bar, he was grinning softly. He placed the items back inside the gift bag and opened his arms for Cannon. “I love all of these. Thanks, Cannon.” And after dropping a kiss on the top of his son’s head, he held an arm out for Ximena to hold her and give her a couple of ‘thank you’ kisses too. He pretended to whisper to Cannon, “You wanna help me with those chocolate bars when I open ‘em?”
LUNA
Luna tucked her lips in when Khamani glanced at her and their son. She couldn't help but chuckle a bit, feeling a bit silly about the whole thing. She was so excited for him to see what was waiting for him in the living room. As she watched Cannon return with all the bags, she bounced Ximena on her knee, an innocent expression replaced her amused one when Khamani spoke about Cannon. It was nice to see that their son had acquired a lot of her personality traits over time.
She watched as Cannon interacted with Khamani and Luna reached for her phone to snap several photos of them and one when he kissed Ximena's cheek. "Mama found it for me! I told her I wanted Max and Goofy and we searched everywhere." Luna smirked and then mouthed "everywhere" as well. After Khamani had looked through all his gifts, Cannon leaned in for a hug and Luna let Khamani take Ximena into his arms. At the question of helping him with the chocolate bars, Cannon's eyes widened with excitement and he nodded. "Yep!"
After taking a few more photos, Luna took a moment to cover all the food and pitcher so that they could gather inside for the last gift. "I have a couple of gifts from me and a big one in the living room!" She excitedly stood up and gestured toward the inside of their home. "Come on!" Cannon was also jumping up and down as he pulled his dad gently.
KHAMANI
Hearing that there was a real search for the Max and Goofy bag, and catching Luna quietly affirm this made Khamani grin. "I'll take good care of the bag since Mama looked for it for you." He knew Cannon would happily help him with the Hershey bars and could only smile at the way his son’s face lit up at the offer. "Alright, as long as you make sure you keep brushing your teeth on a regular, you can help me with them when I open them."
After opening the gifts and thanking his family, Khamani lifted his brows a bit at Luna's comment. "A couple of gifts, in addition to what's in the living room?" He stood at Cannon's insistence, Ximena still in one arm, but his eyes were on Luna. "Babe..." He was curious and a little wary at the same time, already feeling plenty loved and appreciated by his wife and children. But once they were back inside the house and returned upstairs, Khamani saw what he'd missed before. "For real? A new TV?" His smile was broad as he looked from the new television to his wife. His eyes were reading the information on the box but as he did so, he asked Luna, "Do we wanna mount this or install the stands it came with?" He was looking forward to watching some games as well as some movies and shows on the new screen. "Wait, what do you wanna do with the old one?"
LUNA
"I promise!" Cannon didn't know if he was more excited about the prospect of having chocolate or about his dad seeing the big surprise in the living room. Luna followed the boys and Ximena. a giant grin pulling at her lips. "I'm not saying anything until you see it." She made her way up the stairs right behind them and when Khamani noticed the box, she gently took Ximena from him so that he could appreciate it. "Yes! We can mount it or whatever you want! The display is gorgeous. I really cannot wait until you see it." She bounced the baby on her hip, smiling as Cannon looked on with his father.
"Well, we can put it in our bedroom or see if any of our friends or family need it. Do you think Tyla needs a television?" Their old one wasn't completely outdated and Luna was sure someone would appreciate it. "What do you think?" She then walked to the couch, crouching slightly to reach for the gift bag that contained the jersey and some smaller gifts for Khamani. "And here is the last of it!" Luna placed a hand on her husband's back. "We love you, dad. Thank you for everything you do for your family."
KHAMANI
Cannon's joy was something Khamani always cherished, whether it was from learning something new, spending time with Luna or in this case, the prospect of getting chocolate. His happiness was so genuine that it was easy for Khamani to enjoy witnessing it. And when Luna kept quiet about the surprise in the living room, it only raised his suspicion more, despite the smile forming on his lips. Seeing that it was a television had certainly surprised him though. While he and Luna knew there wasn't anything wrong with the one they had, this new one was unquestionably nicer, not to mention bigger. "Babe," he said again, still reading the side of the box. He grinned some more and then said, "Yeah, I like the idea of mounting it. We wouldn't have to worry about somebody's fingerprints ending up on the screen someday." He said this as he approached Luna and lifted one of Ximena's hands to kiss her fingers.
Hearing her ideas on what to do with their old living room TV had him thinking a bit. "Eh, probably not. She's usually watching stuff on her tablet or phone, but we can ask my sister about it first." His hands were on his hips, thinking about them possibly moving the TV into their bedroom or considering which fi their friends might need a television, when he saw the gift bag Luna picked up. "There's more? Jesus, woman," he smiled, accepting the bag and bending to kiss her full in the lips. "Thank you, Sunshine." He opened it and grinned brightly at all it's content. And after putting it back inside, he heard his wife and said, "Thank you," again . He picked up Cannon and enveloped him in a bear hug, and then brought an arm around Luna, kissing her cheek as he hugged her. "I love you guys. And I'm glad for our family." He kissed Ximena's forehead and then dropped a kiss on Cannon's temple. "How about you get your shoes on while I put my gifts away, C man. When we get back from our walk, we can work on the TV situation and put on some Bluey til everybody gets here."
LUNA
Luna's smile grew at Khamani's 'Babe'. If was as if he was amused by the excitement she was portraying. "So, I went a little crazy." She chuckled and nodded her agreement. "It's definitely safer if we mount it." Luna watched as Khamani read the side of the box and Cannon behaved like an old man observing the box as well. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket and took a quick photo of them. Ximena giggled when her daddy approached and Luna grinned. "Esta bebisita is all about daddy today, huh?"
When Khamani went through the contents of the last gift bag, Luna took a few more pictures and one big selfie with all of them. She moved Ximena to the pack and play so that she could help Khamani put his gifts to the side and put a small bag together for their walk. She made sure to get a bottle and some teething rings and diapers and wipes. Cannon excitedly rushed to get his shoes and when he returned with them on, they were all ready. Luna stole a few more kisses from her husband, wrapping her arms around him and smiling up at Khamani. "Happy Father's Day, handsome." She was glad to see him so happy.
I'll say. I feel like I've been gradually becoming more of a clean freak since becoming a parent. Teaching Cannon to sneeze into his elbow's been...interesting.
That's a good point, and it probably makes for a nice reunion to have all of you together when you come to visit.
Khamani: Yeah it's about time they figured things out between them. I'm glad it's working out for the better. I know Kendra hasn't looked this happy in a long time.
Khamani: Yeah I've been wondering about that since Frankie and August's wedding.
Kids are pretty amazing. Working from home is so nice when the kids are sick. I'm really lucky I'm able to mind the girls when one or both of them get sick and Cel has to write or make edits. I don't think we will move up there. I have lived in the U.S. most of my life, which is weird to think about. I love Canada obviously, but I think we'll stay in the States. My parents are fortunately healthy enough to travel to visit us.
Yeah that's true. It sucks when Cannon's brought home a cold or something but it is helpful that 1 or both of us is usually available to pick him up or be home with him until he's better. That makes sense though, about staying in the states. And it's good your parents are good to make visits and all that. All of your sisters live in Canada too, right?
It's just on us to remind them how beautiful they are every single day.
That's so exciting! I know he came into your life later than he should have, but you're an incredible dad to both him and Ximena. Do you think Luna will want to adjust her hybrid schedule once the kids are both in daycare and school? Working from home some days is great because there's no commute. Having a solid network is a lifesaver. I don't know how people do it without supportive friends and family.
Thanks, man. Both of them make me feel like one of the luckiest people to walk this Earth, truly. You know, I'm not sure. She might, but I could also see her liking the change of environment during the work week. Plus if one of the kids gets sick or something, it might make things easier if one of us is already home at the time and her schedule's more steady than mine for that. Yeah I'm with you on that. I couldn't imagine raising a family solo or even if it was just Luna and me all the time and no one else around to help us out from time to time. Do you think you and Celeste will ever make a move to Ottawa or closer to your family?
"Yeah, I think it is too--different for us, but it should be a good time." He smiled and dropped a kiss on the back of her neck. "Oh yeah? Well, then if you wanna do it then we'll do it. We're going to keep it pretty small, right? Not that I'm opposed to a big party but I'm wondering if it'll make her first birthday feel less special if we go big on a half-birthday." He smiled to her and returned the peck. "Being your husband and our kids' father are the greatest joys in my life." He rubbd her shoulders bit and then said, "There's a couple more things I've got as part of your Valentine's Day. The first is running you a nice, hot bath to relax in."
"Oh no, it'll just be us celebrating her. We can do a little photoshoot. Maybe Nichelle can take some shots for us. A little smash cake. Her first birthday will be a lot bigger." She reassured her husband with a smile. Khamani was more than just her husband. He was her best friend, her anchor, her everything. He always knew the right things to do and the right words to say. "That sounds very nice and cozy." She peppered a few more kisses against his jaw and grinned. "Come on.."
Haha, I like that. And yeah, Luna and I have talked about it a little but I think we're gonna need to put the talk into action. See if there's some Alvin Ailey for tots. Or less serious than that.
I'm sure whatever class you find for him, he'll have so much fun! It's good for socializing, too. He can talk to his baby sister right now, but she can't talk back yet.
Yeah, I'm sure there will be things over the summer or later in the year to take him to. He'll probably lose his mind with excitement haha. And yeah. Just about any theme song can be annoying when it's stuck in your head but it's far from the worst one.
The city always has a ton of summer activities on the calendar online. Plenty of family stuff, even if it's not specifically for kids. I totally get that! I wouldn't want terrible theme songs stuck in my head.
Haha yeah I can imagine she knows plenty about all that since she always looks nice.
Oh man, daycare. I still think about Cannon starting preschool. But you're right about that. The girls are bound to get a lot of social skills and all that from being around other kids around their age. And yeah, Luna and I are trying to carve out a little more time to ourselves, sometimes having my niece or my sister (or both of them) babysit Cannon and XImena. My niece, Tyla's always looking to make some money by babysitting so if you and Celeste ever want a date night, I'm sure Tyla would be down to babysit for y'all.
Literally always! Even when she claims to look a mess.
I will probably cry when we send the girls to pre-k and kindergarten. They are socialised a lot within our friend group, but that’s not the same as having structured activities and meeting new people. I will absolutely let you know if we need Tyla to babysit. Usually, we call Cel’s parents. Sometimes Frankie and August watch them, too.
Yeah, I hear you on that. Cannon was already semi-regularly going to a daycare when he came into my life. But Luna and I have him in TK now and next year he'll start kindergarten. I think once Ximena starts going to daycare and school and all that, it'll be a bittersweet change, especially for Luna not having any kids at home since she's hybrid working. That's good yall have a solid network of people to take care of the girls though.
Haha, I like that. And yeah, Luna and I have talked about it a little but I think we're gonna need to put the talk into action. See if there's some Alvin Ailey for tots. Or less serious than that.
