Welcome Home || Simzi
To say it had been a long week would be an understatement. With the new year, she’d been in for one hell of a reality check when she met with her coworkers at the studio and discovered their year had been a little slower than anticipated. It didn’t worry her too much though, she easily righted the financial situation and got them back on their feet. She had a few magazine shoots to do over the course of the next weeks, and she was going to take this small break to spend time with her family. Aiden got all of her attention while Simon was at work, and she made dinner when he got home, put their son to bed, and spent the rest of the night with him. Today was special, though. She wanted to get out of the routine. Aiden was getting older and could help out in the kitchen a little, so Shenzi pulled the step stool out and helped the toddler reach the things he needed to make sugar cookies. "Mommy, when is daddy gonna be home? He works a lot." She chuckled softly at the curious boy’s voice and kissed the top of his head. “Soon, sweetie. We have to have everything ready when he comes home. And you’re going to be on your best behaviour right? He deserves to smile just as much as you do.” She got the affirmation she’d been looking for and set to work on their dinner of chicken parmesan that was reminiscent of the time they’d spent in the circus.
Dinner was just finishing getting cooked and the cookies were in the oven as Shenzi heard the door open in the foyer. Aiden’s little feet running toward him and his excited yell were all she needed to know it was Simon who’d come home and not some stranger. She turned the corner into the entryway and her soft smile grew into a grin. “Welcome home, you. We missed you. I made dinner and Aiden helped make cookies if you’re hungry.” She’d missed him more than she could put into words, and she wanted to spend as much time with him as she could before going back to the stress of work.
Real life was way too different from the circus. It was boring, too fucking boring, but it was also busier. Simon was the new lion trainer prodigy at the Central Park zoo, which probably was a dream for him, but it also came with leaving work feeling exhausted every single night, specially during the winter season. The zoo was closed to public for the coldest months, but the workers barely had vacation. They still had to take care of the animals, and teach them new stuff, and with new cubs that were born the day after New Year, Simon had had a busy week, but all he needed was to think of his family back home right after work. Thinking of playing with Aiden, pretending he was a trainer and himself a lion while Shenzi made dinner and laughed at them; kissing their son goodnight and just about everything they did together was enough wishful thinking to get him through a busy day in the zoo.
The clock struck 6 and it was time to go home. Living in the middle of the city, driving was probably even slower than walking or any other form of transportation. They did have cars. He still had the red Lambo he'd gotten from Ella on his birthday a few years back, and even though he loved showing off, the traffic was just obnoxious in the middle of New York City. The walk seemed longer that day with the constant thought of getting home and the strong frozen January wind blowing in opposite direction. The elevator also took too long. Hell, even opening the door was taking too long. The familiar yell made everything better all of a sudden. Aiden was already behind the door when he managed to open it, and in an ordinary action, he picked the kid up in his arms easily even though he'd gotten relatively heavier. Simon kissed Aiden's temple before looking forward, towards the kitchen, spotting Shenzi and just like the day he met her, his stomach shrunk for a couple seconds. The fact that they'd been together for so long was still hard to believe for Simon, considering he thought that she was going to be just another one night stand in his list, but she wasn't and he was damn glad about that. He walked the few steps that got in the way and placing his free hand in the small of her back, Simon pulled her close for a slow kiss. True, after becoming a full time parent, Aiden had became most part of his priorities, but he still loved the girl with everything he had and even with everything he didn't have. "Ewww," Aiden exclaimed, making him laugh and telling him it was just about time to pull away. "I'm starving," he finished, kissing Shenzi shortly in the lips once again and Aiden's cheek before putting him back in the floor.
