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@espideveaux
Esperanza Deveaux. Texas Native. Born December 2nd, 1987. Recently widowed and mother to a two month old daughter named Emmy. Adopted daughter of IIylas and Jac. Sister to Isa and Eli. Sister in law to Lau and familial in laws to Max , JC and Izzie. Professional baker coming back to her roots at bluebonnet. template credit: luna.
connections - espi intro
She bumped his hips and smirked. "How is my littlest nephew doing?" She said with a smile to her brother. No one would think it was crazy that she loved babies. Especially the babies in her family. "Is he sleeping any better yet?" She knew the early weeks of having a baby were rough.
"So, I need to float something by you. But I'm worried you are going to think I am crazy." She was about to tell her brother a huge secret she hadn't told anyone yet. But her relationship was going well so she wanted to tell her brother. See what his thoughts were.
"Can't really claim to know what it's like to be a mom, but pretty much a full time job, right?" He spent plenty of time around his niece and nephew, but usually only when Jules or her husband were around, or they were with Charlie or the kids' grandpa. He didn't usually watch them alone, so he appreciated the reassurance, even if Espi was still a fairly new mom. He was sure she'd done way more research than he had. "Okay, hand holding only. No letting go unless you're staying real close, little man," Jaylen said, smiling down at Colt.
"Colton has a rideable tractor that my big sister and her partner got him for his birthday. One of those expensive John Deere branded ones. He loves it so much. Sadie, my niece, can ride it with him too. He loves his trucks, and his dinosaurs." The two of them moved through the crowds, approaching the petting zoo area. "Baby goats are adorable. Lambs, calves, foals. Most of the baby farm animals are pretty adorable, right? Even piglets." Grown up pigs didn't always get the same love as their tiny counterparts. "Have you been riding before? They have horses on the ranch next my grandparents' farm. Some of the guys who work there do rodeo stuff. And one of my classmates from school is pretty big in the local horse world, now. More rodeo stuff. I don't really understand it, but the horses are nice. They come to the fence and ask for snacks sometimes."
She nodded her head in response to his question. "Yes, it is very much a full time job. And I only have one. I can't imagine having more than one." That might change, but right now she felt like she had her hands full enough. She watched as he set forth the expectations. "That is a great tactic. I do the same with kids I know."
She let out a laugh. "I am not surprised that he has one of those. I feel like all the little boys love a good ride on toy. Dinosaurs are another great thing." She nodded her head. "Yes, the baby animals are the cutest. Some of the animals aren't so cute once they are full grown." She shook her head. "Not in a very long time. That's really cool. Some horses are really nice and friendly and then some make noise the minute you get too close to the fence. I prefer the first kind." She let out a soft laugh.
It was nice when Kit messed up to do it in front of people who didn't give him shit. Plenty of women would've been pissed about their shoes getting drenched in smelly water, but not Espi. "You know, I feel like Eli was probably just as crazy as a kid as I was. Must have kept everyone in your house real busy, huh?" He listened to her words before scrunching up his nose and lowering his gaze to the ground. "I didn't have a good feelin' about it from the start," Kit finally said, "my grip felt all wrong, and I started slidin' around all over the place the second the bull came out of the gate." He finally lifted his eyes from the dirt floor beneath him to meet hers. "Most of the people I know comin' out to see me expected to see me do well. I mean, my ranch family sees me workin' every day, they know what I'm capable of. I just feel like there's plenty of people around here wonderin' why the hell I even do this rodeo thing if I'm no good at it, so I wanted to show 'em a thing or two. That make sense?"
She chuckled thinking about her brother as a little boy. "Oh he was definitely a handful at times. But he has always been a loving guy." She tilted her head as he explained what went wrong. "At least you didn't fall off the bull as soon as you came out. You gave it an honest ride." She shook her head. "Everyone is entitled to bad days. Do you love riding?" Deep down she knew riding was a labor of love. "It does make sense. Maybe you put too much pressure on yourself because it was the home field."
He rubbed her back, in complete agreement with her. "I know he did, I loved him too. You always had that big ass grin with him around." Now, it was Isaac's turn to laugh. "I know this isn't the way you're thinking of it, but it has a bit of a cult vibe." But, given his history classes and the criminal law classes from law school. "Or, summer camp."
"I could use the space, I like the idea of not being cramped." If there was one thing he hated was the feeling of being suffocated. Isaac shook his head, "you want me to be the cool uncle huh? I could campaign for that, especially with my competition." Laurel's two brothers were kind of decent competition for that title now that he thought about it. "Well, let's find a house first. Or at least a space. I'm sure Eli would jump to the idea of rebuilding a place."
Isaac nodded a yes and smiled in her direction. "Okay, I'll give you that. Front porch and rocking chair is always good." He liked the place, it wasn't an immediate love, but decent enough. Still, he knew a decision like buying a home couldn't rest only on liking a place. "That is true, that would be convenient. I don't mind taking one of the upstairs one. The kitchen looks pretty good, I don't love that it's open, I know that's the hip new thing, but I like the rooms actually being separated. That's not the worst though, we could always ask Eli to add a wall to it. At least it's not dark as shit." Then, he caught himself. He needed to stop cursing, especially now that he was living near his nieces and nephews. "Sorry, dark as..crap."
She let out a laugh and shook her head. "I was leaning more toward summer camp or compound than a cult. I just think it would be a fun way to live together without anyone feeling like they don't have privacy."
She shrugged. "I can just imagine all the kids coming to your house for sleepovers and camp outs. I could also see you giving them all sweets and being the one to say yes if the parents say no." She shook her head. "You already spoil my baby girl." She nodded her head. "Yeah, we have to find something first."
She smiled and shook her head. "At least this one can't repeat after you yet. You're fine." She looked around the house. "I do like that there is a lot of natural light. How many bathrooms does it say there are?" The house was nice enough but she wasn't sure. "There are things here I like, but I don't quite know if it is the one. It's definitely better than the first one though. Maybe we should check out the other rooms, make sure the bedrooms aren't tiny."
He set the knife down and leaned over to see the kids still in their own world. He was glad Cece wasn't home. Otherwise, he'd have to deal with Laurel 2.0 inquisitive minds want to know. He sighed and put his hand on his hip as he explained the entire situation in under thirty seconds. The raw, unedited version of the bullshit that had hit their family orbit. He further explained that this was not to affect their kids or their world, but shit was turbulent at the moment. Enough to warrant the rift. Something that hadn't happened since college. He ended up shrugging and was glad the topic had been changed. "Anytime. We've got a village of babysitters waiting for their chance. Wasn't so scary now was it? Emmy was fine. Nothing happened to her. You can have a life and not just be her mom."
"Family dinner? This is serious. Yeah, adding a plate is no biggie. Okay, sassy pants. I met her voice. By the time I came back to your room, she had left. Stating something about work to Isa." Eli's eyes swept up his sister and smirked. Note taken. Something about this made him have a feeling that he'd wait for her to come forth with. "Remember that chick we met at your lamaze class? Monty said she seemed like she was an oddball as a child? Well, I bumped into her at the farmers market two days ago. Turns out she's single and independent. A firecracker firing off cylinders. Perfect for tight laced Isa. She's not interested in sex and will make Isa work for it. But, he's gonna have such a fucking time." He laughed knowing how his first reaction would be hell no.
"Like the tunnel we had as kids? Is that what you want?" Eli smiled and shrugged. "Secret tunnel to your room to throw that bucket of water when you're thinking you're safe from Halloween spooks night?"
She listened to what her brother had to say and she could tell that he was deeply effected by it. Which made sense. It wasn't easy to have a disagreement with a spouse. "If you need anything, a shoulder, a sitter, just let me know, okay? I'm more than willing to be your ears." She nodded her head. "You know I trust you and Isa with my life, but it feels like she is all I have left. I know I have you boys, but she is my only piece of Monty. My heart was broken and caring for her is helping put it back together because Monty would want me to take care of her well. But I am trying to have more of a life than just being a mom, but that makes me feel a little guilty."
She cleared her throat. "So, would you judge if I was already feeling out a new relationship? It's someone I have known for awhile. It's not like it is someone new, or well at least not totally new." She tilted her head. "Oh, if it's the girl I was thinking of, she is super cute! I could see her being a good match for our brother, though he is going to say he isn't ready and is going to fight it."
She shook her head with a smile. "Why are you going to be mean to me with the water? That's just rude."
His warm smile prevailed. It was well-known that the siblings would really do anything for each other. Outrageous requests included, but the moment was heartwarming regardless. Mostly because Isa rarely said it out loud, and because he secretly loved hearing it from his siblings. "I would've ended with divorce papers a lot quicker if I ever did try that," the thought half-amusing him now. "I don't blame them, it's a tough idea to sell - want to move in with my siblings? Yeah, no surprise."
Isaac nodded before his laughter burst past his lips. "I'm just messing with you, I know that's not the case. Appreciate you giving me a few more options." Espi made a good point. Keeping the apartment in Avondale was not the most financially sound decision. "Honestly, you bring up a good point. I hadn't considered that. Maybe, we could be neighbors," he teased.
"A rocking chair? Is this your way of calling me an old man?" Because she'd be absolutely correct. "You're really selling me on this porch, to the point where I will hate it if this house is ugly on the inside." He was careful to move the stroller up the two steps that led into the house. Right off the bat, the place had a lot of natural light coming in and it looked very open. That would be good, right? More space for his niece. "Okay, it looks like there's two rooms on the main floor. That could be good, not having to go up and down the stairs all the time. Two rooms upstairs, though the second one upstairs could be converted into something else, according to this paper. The living space looks very spacious, I think that's a plus."
She let out a laugh. "For the record, Monty loved you and Eli. You know, if we had pitched getting a large piece of land and each having our own houses, but then having a space for gatherings that had a kitchen and bathroom and just a big living room, that would probably have gone over okay. Each couple just needs to have their own space." She'd still advocate for that, if she thought both of her brothers would go for it.
She smiled and then shrugged her shoulders. "Whatever makes you happy, big brother. I think you'd like a yard more than you realize, maybe you could be the cool uncle with the pool for all the nieces and nephews. Then you could have a basement with like a huge playroom for them. Seriously, coolest uncle ever status right there."
She shook her head. "Not at all. I just love a front porch with a rocking chair. If the house is ugly inside, we can go find another house with a nice front porch that's pretty inside." Taking a step inside the house, it did feel nice. "Okay, so I think if there are two rooms down and two rooms up you could be upstairs and Em and I could be downstairs. That way we are close to the kitchen for bottles."
"Si, no. No lo se," he started as his hands chopped the carrots harder than necessary. But he couldn't lie to his siblings. Isa already knew more than half the shit happening, and Espi needed a catch-up. Eli always switched to Spanish the minute they had real talk. She had a fucking radar for it. "La verdad, ni se que decirte. Pero la dejamos asi y digo que la llevamos." One carrot flew over her hand, and he reached over to catch it. "Enough about me. How did the weekend getaway go? By the way, Ems graduated high school while you were away." Eli was always facetious when it came to teasing his older sister. He knew that would elicit a vegetable thrown at his head. "She was fine. Happy little baby. Snuggled with Tio Isa all weekend long. Lucky for you, he didn't go to work with her strapped to his chest."
The slight hesitation gave way to the fact that she held something she wasn't saying. "Yeah, Cordy. So for real, when am I gonna meet this ever elusive best friend of yours, officially. Every time I've heard her voice, the picture is dodged. Is she imaginary? Oh, out of Isaac's league? That means she's super model hot. Got it. Don't worry about it. I've got someone in mind for our brother. " He teased her and put the veggies back into the bowl. Rowdiness was heard, and Eli was quick to shut it down. "I'll count to three if you guys don't knock it off."
"That sounds good. Let's do that. Can you make your famous hot cocoa for me? Like now? I'll bat my pretty little brother eyelashes at you." He hummed and shook his head. "They're on the construction team for your dream house."
She knew the second her brother switched to Spanish and started chopping harder that it was serious. She squinted her eyes at her brother. "¿Qué está sucediendo?" She was worried about him. She let out a sigh. "The weekend went well, thank you for watching her. I definitely needed the weekend. I will forever be grateful for my village. I needed every single one of you."
She shook her head. "She isn't imaginary. Not in the least. I was actually thinking about bringing her to family dinner next week. And how can you say you have never met her when she was the one who called you and Isa in a couple months ago when I needed my brothers more than ever in my life?" She wasn't sure if maybe Isa got there first so Cordy left before Eli got there. It had been awhile. She chuckled. "She is super model hot, but also I don't think she likes guys." She was interested in who her brother had in mind. "Oh you have someone? Who?"
She nodded her head. "Of course I can. Let me get the stuff together." She titled her head. "You know what I think we should do? Buy one big piece of land and build all of our houses and a community space on the land so that we can all live together, but separately."
It was impossible for him to not feel guilty, even if she'd worn the dirtiest, nastiest pair of shoes known to man. Kit had been taught better, and he rarely lost his temper around others if he wasn't provoked. He usually reserved these fits for when he was alone, and being caught in the middle of one made him feel terrible. "I'm still sorry," he said with a half-smile before biting his lip. Kit could feel her eyes on him and he hoped she didn't look too closely, didn't see right through his attempts to pretend he was in control. Then she asked him if he was okay, and Kit knew his hopes were shot. "I just," he started, "I guess I just wasn't too proud of that ride, is all. It's one thing to make a fool of myself out on the road with a bad ride, but ridin' bad at home feels a lot more like a failure in my book."
She really wasn't worried about her shoes. She could easily replace them. Giving him a shrug, she laughed. He really knew how to pick them. Espi was the other Deveaux least likely to throw a fit over a spill. "Kit, it's cool. You don't need to apologize to me. I'm not gonna be a Karen about it. Spills happen. Wouldn't be the first time. Nor the last that water has come upon my shoes. Eli was little once upon a time." When Kit said what was wrong, she listened to him and nodded. "What actually went wrong?" She hadn't seen his ride, and she wasn't as well versed in the intricacies of riding. "Are you being too hard on yourself? If anything, home is where you can mess up because no one will judge you. Unlike the out of states people."
"Ah come on Espi, you know I'd do anything for you guys." Living with his adult siblings was not really in his plans, sure, but it wasn't something he found too far-fetched. "Besides, just because it's new doesn't mean I don't want to do this." He placed one arm around her, gently pushing the stroller back and forth to soothe Emmy. "I'm really glad too. You deserve peace and quiet after everything you've been through. You're lucky I'm just one roommate, and not two." Divorce did have its perks.
He listened to the ideas she was presenting, amused that Espi sounded more open to it. It wouldn't be easy, he knew that. It was going to be a lot of change, which was a big ask, considering she had already been through a lot. "I haven't even moved in yet, and you're already kicking me out?" Isaac just grinned though, knowing that he was just joking around with her. "We can definitely do that though, we can find a place with an adjacent unit or something. That way you two have your space. Or I take the basement. Once you feel ready, I can just move to my abandoned apartment in Avondale." He had to remember to stop by his glorified storage unit, an apartment he could return to once she felt comfortable or wanted her own space again.
Isaac nodded, in agreement with her about the pool safety. "Of course, that's a given. We would make changes to any house we pick, to ensure baby proofing is set." His laughter rung out, gaze falling back on that porch. "You know, that porch is kind of selling me. Maybe we go inside to look at it, see if it's just as good inside." One look over to her, he gestured for her to walk into the house. "I'd just request a chair for me there. How would you decorate it then, hm?"
"Oh I know you would, so would I." She laughed and shook her head. "Brother, I don't think your wife would've ever let you move in with us. But neither would my husband."
She shook her head. "No, I'm not trying to get you to move out. Just thinking some other options would be good." She paused. "Are you going to keep your apartment in Avondale? Why not just buy a house in this area so you stay closer to us?"
"A rocking chair or something else? As far as decorating I would put pumpkins out in the fall and I'd find a really cute way to decorate during Christmas. Maybe trees or a giant nutcracker statue." She nodded her head. "Yes, let's go in. The inside could be absolute trash but we won't know until we go in."
"My niece is a little older. She's five, but she's with her mom right now. I offered to take one of them off her hands for a while. I don't think she trusts me with both at the same time," Jaylen joked. "Let's just hope he's out of the terrible two's today, huh little man?" Jaylen made sure to keep hold of Colton's hand tight. "Do you think I should've brought one of those little kiddie harness things, or is it considered in poor taste to have your kid on a leash?" God, Jaylen was bad at this.
"Hi, Emmy!" Jaylen greeted, flashing her a big, bright smile in spite of her being way too young to understand anything he said. "I guess Colt is insisting we go see the animals. You'd think maybe he's over all the animals by now considering his dad and uncle literally work on our family farm." He nodded at her suggestion. "I have some peanuts in my bag. You guys aren't allergic are you? Are you good with animals? You have a favorite? I think I saw there's baby goats that have just been born."
She let out a soft laugh at Jaylen saying that his sister didn't trust him with both kids at the same time. She knew how hard it could be to watch two at the same time. "I'm sure she appreciates you taking him and helping her out. She shook her head. "I don't think a harness will be necessary. I always fear tripping over them, honestly. Like them getting tangled around someone not paying attention because then the little toddler would get pulled down."
She shook her head. "Sometimes being around something all the time just makes the little ones love it more. Does her have a bunch of farm toys?" She could imagine the a little boy would love farm animals and being that he was a farm kid he would probably have at least a few farm toys. "I am not allergic to peanuts. I'd love to go see the baby goats. They always make me laugh." She considered his question. "I actually don't have a favorite farm animal. I like the goats and I always wanted to try horse back riding as a kid."
"He clammed up. He got hurt, and that was it. Case closed. Seeing her again was like the burned jagged edge jabbing him on his side. I don't blame him at all. If lau and I broke up. I'd be destroyed and say fuck marriage and everything that comes with it." He hummed and thought about their rolodex of people. They all knew the same people, which kind of made it difficult. "Wait, what was that one name who lived in your building. Brunette, tall, hazel eyes? Had a nose piercing. Did you ever talk to her? He needs someone who's strong but not grumpy. A sunny personality. It balances him out. If he hears us, he is gonna hate us."
"December, you want a medicine cake?" He scrunched his nose and shook his head. "Veto powers on that one. Unless you mean peppermint and blegh. That is gross. It's worse than the black licorice pie. What about a scones? Hey, she's already halfway there when she scowls."
He sighed but didn't have the heart to tell her no. "Fine. The things I do because I love you. Yeah, Isa and Max are on kid duty this weekend. Let's go tomorrow. Oh, by the way, you know Corey, right?"
"Speaking of you and Lau, are you guys doing okay?" She hadn't really asked her brother how things were going, she gave him space but she knew him well. "Cordy?" she asked dumbly. "She's not ... um I really don't think Isa is her type. She's also already taken." She was trying to keep her blush away as she talked about Cordy. Just the thought of her best friend was enough to keep her giddy. "I agree he needs a sunny personality. Someone that can brighten his days.
She thought for a moment about her brother's suggestion. "Hmmm we could do a peppermint stick scone and a hot chocolate scone too. Mix in little marshmallows. Does that sound better?"
"Corey? Yeah the name sounds familiar. What about them?" She tilted her head as she asked the question.
Eli saw how Luke attached himself like a koala and laughed. "All he needs is payasos to play with him, and he's golden." Noting that his siblings became big kids around them. He released a deep sigh as he chewed on his bottom lip. "I don't know. Divorcing from Valeria messed him up deeply. Letting someone else in again, hell of an uphill battle it will be. I have no doubt he will make a great dad and a great husband. He already is, but his faith in himself has been shaken to his core." As he said that, he saw their brother run around with rosebud on his shoulders and their cousins following after him. "He's got a lot of love in that heart of his, but he's a cabezon. You know how he is. Shuts down every time someone tries to push through his walls. Any advice on how we help him open up to maybe taking a chance? I know no one in town will get him to look twice. Only because they are all people he knew since childhood, so he has that aversion." Which he didn't blame him for. He was the only odd ball who fell in love with his childhood crush.
"If you're waiting for me to veto it, you'll be waiting a long time. I think that's a great idea, Espi. So apple turnovers for September? The last bit of the month? Spooky pumpkins for October." The more she talked, the more excited he got. "Just like how Nan would have liked it." He scoffed and rolled his eyes as he leaned back into his chair. "Says you. Placing my bets, Emmy is gonna have your eyes and cheeks."
She tilted her head and let out a sigh. "Yeah, our big brother is going to take some time to get back to his old self. He used to be so confident. And I guess he still is, just not in all of the ways he used to be." She would forever hate Valeria for hurting her brother and breaking his heart. He didn't deserve to be treated like that and it would forever bother her. She thought about her brother's question. "I don't really know for sure. I wish I knew someone from where I lived before who I could set up a meet cute with but I just can't think of anyone. He needs someone with patience and a kind heart. I'm afraid anyone I can think of would be too lovey too quickly." She shrugged. "I mean, there's not a single guy from our childhood that I'd want to date." She had someone in mind but she wasn't sure she was ready to cross that bridge just yet.
She nodded. "That's exactly what I'm thinking. But it'll be tough to pick something for November and December. Ohh for November we could do sweet potato pie. See how that goes over. And maybe a pecan? December the only thing that's coming to mind is mint and/or chocolate." She shrugged. "We'll have to see. Selfishly I hope she takes after me because I don't want to look at her and see heartbreak."
She smiled remembering something she wanted to talk to him about. "Hey! Are we entering the gingerbread contest we've been talking about for years? If we are going to we need to go ahead and put that application in. Do you think you can get away for the long weekend?"
Max was internally grateful the entire Deveaux crew had learned to sign to accommodate his needs. He never felt like he was trying to fit into the mold. The mold just bent to fit him.
It's okay. I know you have a fast track mind. Iz is the same way, so not on you. So, okay. Are these for Halloween or Harvest, or are you starting early on Christmas? You realize this is the first time you don't have Em? I mean, you should have known Iz was going to be a baby thief.
I may not have her on me but I can see her. She was glad her brother didn't insist on taking the baby too far away. She was still getting used to not being with her 24/7. These are for harvest. I think they are going to be so cute. What's your favorite craft to do?
He withheld his laugh, shaking his head. "And, I'm the other adult, right?" Partly asking because he would definitely be quoting his sister next time his brother joked that he was not an adult. "Hey," he nudged her slightly as they walked along the sidewalk. "You don't need to explain more. You want me there, I'm there." That's always been his mantra with family. "Besides, I wouldn't feel great about living you alone either."
Isaac grinned in response, Espi and him did agree on that point. Less foot traffic, quiet and quaint. "You and me, a roommate match made in heaven. Espi come on, you'll never scare me away. The heads up is nice, but I want to be here with you guys." She said it in passing, but it broke his heart. His sister's heartbreak tugged at his heartstrings, especially knowing it wasn't something to be fixed. "My mini helper warming up to me, what more could I ask for?" He chuckled at the mention of backyard. "God, as long as it's not like that dry, dead grass backyard we saw, I'll take it. I can't believe they even put in the description that it was a beautiful space. Agree on that porch though, imagine sitting there in the afternoons with like an iced tea or something."
"I appreciate you being so willing to move in and help me out. It's a scary world out there for a single mom. Especially one who has been through the trauma I have. I'm glad I don't feel like I have post partum depression though. I'm feeling really good so far." She was shocked that she was able to say that. She was just preparing for the sadness to come crashing down at any moment.
She was hit with an idea. "Oh so what if we do find a pool and it happens to have a pool house or a garage. Then you can live out there when you feel like we're crimping your style. But that way you have your own space too. Not at first but eventually you can move out there." She shook her head. "But the pool has to have a fence around it and maybe even a cover that wouldn't let Emmy fall in." She nodded. "Anything would be better than that one." She smirked. "I want to sit on the porch but I also want to decorate it. Make it look all fancy."
"Yay! I love that everyone plays with me." Luke stated happily as he remembered both uncles playing with him and now his two aunts. "Friday night tio Isa jumped on the bouncy house with me!" Eli gestured. This was why he called Isa his fifth kid. "You should have seen him brincando like a maniac. But true. Not a single hair harmed on any of them. This is where his protective brother comes in. Now, he gets to be a protective uncle." The secret sugar spice had him turn to look at her. "I hadn't even thought of that. Do you think we're ready to let that out of the recipe book?" Hearing his sister shoot off the missing items, he merely chuckled. "That was missing. To be honest, I didn't touch pumpkin or apple dumplings because you weren't here. We usually bake those for our holiday festivities. But, now that you're here. I'd be game for letting those recipes get out. You'd be taking them on like the exec you are." He nudged her and smirked. She had taken her rightful place once again. As nana had wished it. Two siblings taking over her own legacy. "I'm just glad I won't be the sole bearer of responsibility anymore." He didnt want any of it. "Nonsense. Espi, come on. You were still a deep part of our lives. Nothing happened without you knowing about it. Miles apart changed nothing." Luke gripped her shirt and nuzzled her chest. "That's what you say but I don't see it," he teased as he knew the boys came out an exact replica of him. Cece was a replica of Laurel and jury was still out on Rosebud.
"You're so easy to play with kiddo. You make it so much fun." She couldn't help the wide smile that spread across her face hearing about how their brother was bouncing in the bounce house. "He would make an amazing dad, if he chose that path." She shrugged. "I think, because it's a competition, you might as well try it. You can't know if it's ready until it's off the page. It's like a spell." She nodded her head. "Now here's the trick, do we do apple for September and then pumpkin for October and then come up with something else for November. I really believe in the art of having a special for a few weeks and then getting rid of it. Keeps people coming back for new things." She wrapped her arm around him. "I'm only taking that on because I've got the best right hand man around." She nodded. "I know I was always in the loop and I know how quickly you and Isa came to my side. I do appreciate that. Both of you." She caressed the little boy's head and rolled her eyes at her brother. "Sure you don't see you. You and your wife divided your kids down the middle."
@isarivera @carmxchaels
