SYRUPY SWEET

Kit Vanderbilt || 27 || New York, New York Husband, father, brother, son. 'And I asked the nurse right away if it was a boy or a girl. She told me it was a girl, and so I turned my head away and wept. ‘all right,’ I said, ‘I’m glad it’s a girl. And I hope she’ll be a fool — that’s the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool.” “You see I think everything’s terrible anyhow,” she went on in a convinced way. “Everybody thinks so — the most advanced people. And I know. I’ve been everywhere and seen everything and done everything.”'

[mr-zvanderbilt-blog]

a twist in my story // zit

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

mr-zvanderbilt:

Zach raised an eyebrow at the comment, and while it seemed to be quite true, it wasn’t something he paid much attention to. “And why’s that?” He realized very well that the topic wasn’t the most appropriate one for parent/teacher night but he was intrigued and couldn’t simply let it go. But at the mention of ‘Disney’, a wide smile spread across his face. “Why would it be tricky?”

“Well I definitely don’t remember any of my teachers looking like you,” he offered as some kind of explanation, aware that he was digging himself a hole, “and I heard them gossiping about how ‘dreamy’ you are in the hallway.” He acknowledged the way the other’s face lit up, mentally filing that away in the ever-growing list of ‘Reasons Mr Vanderbilt Definitely Is Dreamy’. “I suppose ‘Beauty and the Beast’ maybe? It’s one of Ella’s least favourite Disney films though.”

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"Maybe she’s coming or maybe we decided that we had to celebrate this joyous occasion with a trip," Zach chuckled, reaching out to poke Ari in her side. "Come on, sweetheart. Aren’t you a little happy?"

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"I guess so," she shrugged, looking between her parents, "not as happy as you two though." And sure, Kit knew he and Zach both looked slightly manic with happiness, but he wasn't sure why his daughter didn't seem excited.

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Zach feigned an offended look as he stared at his daughter. “Ariel Vanderbilt, I would never try to trick you. I’m almost hurt you think I would,” he spoke, shaking his head in disbelief as he couldn’t believe his five year old daughter acted at least ten years older than she was.

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"You said next time we went to Disney that Aunt Issy would come too and she's not here so we can't be," she announced, so completely sure she was right that Kit had to laugh again.

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"That’s a terrible shame, Kit. I suppose we’re gonna have to go to Disney World alone this weekend." Zach looked over at Kit with a grin, only glancing over at Ari to see if that gave any reaction whatsoever.

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"I know you're trying to trick me,"  the little girl popped her head out from under the blankets with an expression so similar to one of Kit's that even he recognised it himself. 

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Ari blinked a couple of times before falling back down against the bed, eyes closing. “Did you wake me up to tell me that?”

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"Ariel, at least pretend to be excited," he laughed, poking the mound she made under the blankets. She gave a half-hearted cheering noise but didn't move at all.

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Letting out a giggle, Ari sat up, hair all ruffled, as she looked between Zach and Kit. “What’s going on, daddy? Papa?” She brought her hands up to rub at her eyes, Zach barely able to contain his excitement as he sat down at the foot of the bed. “I’ve already said it once, why don’t you tell her, papa?”

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"You're going to have a little brother or sister," he told her, beaming, mostly because he was too excited to skirt around the truth, and he tried to sort out her ruffled hair slightly absentmindedly, "or maybe both." 

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Ari grabbed her blanket and pulled it over her head, refusing to get up. “If it’s not Disney World, I’m not interested." Zach let out an amused laugh as he walked over to the bed, reaching out to pull the blanket off of her. "Come on, let’s get up."

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

"If you get up now, you get to choose what we have for dinner," he nodded encouragingly, "and I won't tickle you to death." With a mischievous look in his eye he tickled her gently, knowing it was a surefire way to get her up. 

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Zach carefully followed Kit into the girl’s room, but remained close to the door as he let Kit take care of waking her up. The little girl turned over on her side, facing away from Kit and mumbling a ‘no’.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

He chuckled at her, clambering into the tiny single bed next to her and burying his nose in her hair. "Daddy's got something exciting to tell you," he explained, sharing an excited smile with his husband.

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I’m sending you in first, our daughter can be scary when she’s woken up.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

Kit rolled his eyes fondly, opening the door and padding in with socked feet. "Sweetheart?" He called gently, crossing to the girl's bed, and then, "Ari?"

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I know, baby. We’re only adding to our happiness — twice.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

Let's go wake her up. 

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She’ll be cranky but I think it’s worth it. Come on, let’s do it.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

Wait- Zach, you know how happy you make me, right? You, Ari, all of this... it's so much more than I ever could have asked for.

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Do you think Ari is going to be happy?

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Can we go and wake her up?

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That’s when I’ll love you the most. Come here, baby.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

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I love you more. Are you ready for two hours of sleep every night, changing lots of diapers and cleaning up vomit?

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

Only if you agree to still love me when it's three in the morning and I have sick on my face and we haven't slept for two days straight. 

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Twins, isn’t that insane? I don’t know how we’re gonna deal with three children but I’ve never been happier.

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

I love you so much.

[zach-vanderbilt-blog]

You think I’d leave when I’ve just gotten my Purple Heart? We’re not having a baby. We’re having two, surprise!

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

We're having twins? 

[zach-vanderbilt-blog]

Is that any way to talk to the father of your children?

[kit-vanderbilt-blog]

I thought you were leaving, I-... we're having another baby? Zach.