Let's Play!

Ansel looked at her, rubbing his eyes and stretching slowly.

"Look at you all morning bird and worm and stuff. "

"I could have sat and stared at the ceiling, I guess."

But she was feeling very anxious about going back.

"Oh no. You don't need to be miserable or something.

Willow finished the last chicken nugget.

"I wouldn't say that was misery.'

"Nuggets ate breakfast food? "

He asked curiously.

Willow put the enough box in the trash.

"No, but it's not like eating dinner food for breakfast is actually a problem?"

"..... so if someone let the children say..... have cereal and dino nuggets for breakfast......?"

He asked. It was so clear that he was referencing himself, and yet he was clearly trying to avoid actually admitting it as he looked at her with such innocent embarrassment. He was still learning?

"they probably only need one, but they'll live."

".... or if they maybe eat cereal at dinner time? "

He was kind of bashful now, looking at her with a "they ate?" Kind of sorry look.

Willow shrugged, not at all appalled.

"The sugar might make it a little more difficult to convince them to go to bed, but they're fine."

Ansel relaxed, smiling at her.

"Oh. That's not so bad. "

"I liked cereal for dinner sometimes too," she confirmed

"Wait. It's normal?"

He asked in delighted surprise.

Willow nodded.

"Breakfast for dinner is an actual meal category and everything."

"Wait....."

Back to his cellphone. This time if she leaned over she'd see he had a Pinterest board. Probably the most feminine looking one a straight ( Straight questioning?) Dude had ever compiled.. from pictures of dinosaur cakes to unicorn cookies, fun theme parks and tips on "healthy eating", portion plate guides, and even some rather stunning sparkly bits to dress up anything that wore them..


"I don't see it listed ... why wouldn't they include it? "

He asked, soon showing her the list of choice meals for each time of day.

Willows mouth twitched and she had to hide it behind her hand as a show of grace. She was amused anyway.

"I don't think there's any publication in existence that lists every single food option."

She took the phone from him and closed the pin, opening the search and tapping the microphone. It took her two tries because the "don't allow" button was the colored one for some reason. She would have thought it was the other way around. Either way, Ansel was soon holding the Pinterest search results for "breakfast for dinner".

Ansel looked so happy you could have given him a birthday bash of the century. He shifted to kiss her and swung her about the room twice before stealing another kiss.

"You're amazing. "

Willow squealed and scrabbled at him a bit, startled. However, in the next moment it faded to pleasure.

"I didn't invent it."

She was still pleased with his sudden, bright affection.

"But it's real and you showed me and everything. Just to help me feel like less of a bad dad. I love you. "

Her caring about his feelings meant a great deal more than he let on, a strong hum of dedication towards her running through him.

Willow tugged on his shirt you get his attention.

"you're not a bad dad."

Ansel lightly booped her.

"I certainly have been at times. But I'm learning and working on it."

Willow caught his hand, expression serious.

"No. You never let me down in that regard. Not once."

She squeezed it lightly.

"I chose you for them over me. Everything would have been incredibly different if I had thought you weren't what they needed. It was the right choice. I never once regretted it."

Ansel looked pained a moment, clearly feeling guilt over something.

"I think it should have been the other way around. You knew them. You knew their needs. You knew their liked and dislikes and.... I'm still incredibly stupid when it comes to them. I thought Gus was brushing just for fun, Willow. "

Don't look too close at that phone tab list. So many articles about dental care

Willow had to look away. It hurt just to remember. What-ifs would break her.

"But they're alive and they're happy. You don't have to be perfect to be a good dad."

Ansel hugged her close to him. Shielding her from the past with him as much as he could.

"I want to start having your help with bedtime when we get back home. Is that OK? "

Rosie would love it.

"I... I..."

That was entirely too big. Right now just the idea of getting back to the house petrified her. That and how off balance she was right this second combined with this new question into a spike of feeling that threatened to have her stomach reject the chicken nuggets.

"I don't know."

Ansel kissed her.

"Alright. Where did you hide my clean undies? "

Willow gestured kind of feebly to the suitcase before going over and opening it and offering the contents to him. She suddenly felt miniscule. She couldn't even look at the rest of the stuff in the suitcase without worrying that something about it might be wrong.

Ansel just wanted to get dressed in clean britches. He was really easily cleaned, shaven, and fully dressed within the hour. He could feel her worry but had noticed he was not always the best at soothing her.

He still did try, kissing her and hugging her into his chest with a firm hug.

"Everything is good, my love."

Willows brain was pretty much existing several hours in the future by this point, going over every possibility of what might happen when they got back to his house. It did quiet the longer he held her like that, though.

Eventually she even managed a muffled "You sure?"

"Positive, actually. "

He answered, squeezing her to him a bit extra just to drive home how precious she was to him and be sure she was settled.

" I love you, Willow. "

Willow rubbed her face on him.

"I love you too."

She looked around and took a deep breath.

"Time to go?"

"Yes. "

He confirmed gently, brushing a hand over her head affectionately.

"First class and everything. "

He chuckled, kissing her nose.

"no more boats for you."

She drifted to the door, opening it for them both.

"Well. Not without finding some sort of medication or being prepared for constant orgy behaviors. "

He chuckled, taking their things to the car and motioning to the uber to head to the airport once they were both in

"i liked it."

The boat, not his illness. She leaned her head against the planes window, looking out.

"If I want to win against you, I now know the secret weapon," she teased.

Ansel chuckled, grinning as he noticed their third settling in as the plane prepared for take off.

"Ah, look who has joined us. "

Ansel shared, feeling rather iffy. Willow had been both hot and cold to this person and his own feelings were a bit confused about the male side, and the female side he rather found himself fond of, but if his wife was uncomfortable or didn't like them he was highly inclined to pass on the person entirely.

Taylor glanced up from his seat with a grin.

"I'm eager to see how a change of pace will affect my work. Don't worry, though, I've invested in a cultural guidebook."

He hold up a thick novel for the two to see. An Interview With A Vampire. Oh yes, definitely teasing.

Ansel chuckled.

"Well. Given your particular line of employment? There's plenty of work for tailors in the area. "

Actually, clothing care was an area where he was in search of a replacement for the little old woman who had been his tailor. No one had fit the bill thus far, but if he decided to employ his possibly new lover.... well there would need to be contracts to keep business and pleasure separate. Cause that got messy otherwise.

"I do see you purchased the most informative piece of information available, too."

"don't make it sound so dry. This is a grand adventure! I'm sure I'll create things nothing short of truly inspired."

He looked at this book.

"Unlike this. I think it might actually be based on fact, but it couldn't be told more boringly if someone tried."