Let's Play!

Ansel smiled in sympathy.

"How about daddy gets you the ice cream and I can help you with your wings? "

He offered gently.

"Not that. It's..."

The child then began struggling with the fairy wings and the clothes, trying to undress.

Ansel looked confused, shifting to take the dress up wings off and picking her up to step into the family bathroom just around the corner.

"What's up, squirt? "

She squirmed until she got the shirt off.

"It's itchy."

She didn't like how the seams around the opening felt with her wings out.

Ansel considered brooke a bit, debating before he reached out to adjust her straps to come up over her chest to keep her covered. He turned his kiddo about to make sure that the back was laying nice across her back and that none of her feathers were damaged or anything.

"How about now? "

"Better!"

She strutted around, restored to her previous vigor.

"I can still be an ice cream explorer without the ice cream shirt. "

Ansel chuckled and grinned.

"Of course, Squirt. Let's get to that ice cream business before it runs away and is never seen again. "

"Ice cream doesn't have legs, daddy," she told him with exasperation.

"True. But I've noticed it tends to have wheels."

He argued, pointing to the ice cream cart being wheeled away..

"OH NO!"

she sprinted full tilt through the crowd and threw herself down in front of the cart as of it were a bulldozer and she was protesting.

Ansel coughed and sprinted after his girl, hoping she didn't accidentally take flight or something.

He scooped her up and snuggled her as he nodded to the man eyeing then suspiciously..

"Sorry, I promised little miss those dots. You know how it goes. "

The unspoken "kids" was in the air even though he was very aware this was at least half his fault. To make up for it he definitely intended to let her have the largest size she wanted and whichever flavors, too.

Brooke was perfectly happy once she had her dots. She even thanked them and everything.

"I think I like today, " she told him, her mind changed.

Ansel smiled.

"I'm glad. Am happy to have this time with you. "

Even if he was thinking he'd like to feed Willow these dots to see what she'd say about them.

She swung her feet back and forth merrily.

"Me too. I'm also happy about ice cream."

She scooped out the biggest spoonful she could manage and tried to stick it in her face. Only a few fell to the ground.

Ansel snickered, nodding.

"I can tell. Is it good? "

He asked with a bemused grin.

"Yeah! But I'm glad you can't have any cuz I don't wanna share it."

"Awww, that's kinda sad. "

He pouted at her.

"You couldn't even let me have a bite? "

Brooke shrugged.

"Well yeah, but I don't want to."

"I guess it's a good thing that I'm not able to eat it. "

He said with a tiny little look at her.

"Yup. It's all mine! "

She didn't see a problem with the convenient truth

" wanna head back towards home? "

He asked her as she neared the end of her massive sugar dots collection.

Brooke pouted.

"Can we do something else?"

"I suppose you could go pick out a new shirt, since yours had to be disposed."

"Yes!"

She pumped her fist and went running in the direction she thought was opposite from home. Brooke just wanted to drag out her special time as much as possible. Don't worry, the sugar rush wouldn't last forever.

Ansel chuckled, following after the child that was running head strong towards the forest line in the distance. Though technically she was right, it wasn't towards home?

"Squirt, the stores are that way..."

He shared, pointing towards the heart of town.

"Oh. I was just trying to sneak up on them from the back !"

She did turn around, though

Ansel chuckled.

"I knew you'd have a reason. "

He kissed her forehead once at he store.

"Alright squirt, let's find you a new shirt. "

Brooke made sure they looked at every single shirt before picking one out.

"Daddy... my feet are tired. "

More than her feet, really.

Ansel nodded.

"How about I carry you?"

He suggested as he picked her up and kissed the top of her head. He would happily carry her all the way home to a nap.

"Maybe a little. Then I can walk."

And though her master plan was to rest a little ABC then drag her feet about getting home, she fell asleep before she could move forward with that action.


Nora was watching TV while chatting on the phone with someone. Taylor was sitting at the bar, flirting with one of the ladies clearly in play just to see if he could get a rise of out of her. Willow was not where he'd left her. She was asleep again, but it was laying in the floor of the playroom. Rosie played with her peg people nearby while Aisling scribbled on her mom's leg with a purple marker.

Ansel couldn't help but grin, glancing over Taylor. Well dang. He didn't pout openly but this version really confused him. At the present though he was just gonna tuck in Brooke and find himself watching Willow sleeping.

He couldn't help but grin. Look at her. It might have looked boring or even worrisome to some, but Ansel couldn't help but be proud. This was such a wonderful woman in here loving his sweet children.

/ Nora, love, what are you doing? /

/ not gossiping. That would be a compete cliche. /

Which she was absolutely guilty of.

Ansel chuckled.

/ Love you, too darling. Could you possibly be pried away from your social obligations to keep me company for a moment? /

She slinked upto him after a minute.

"Maybe if you ask nicely. "

Ansel grinned, leaning down to kiss her.

/ Oh I'm sure I could easily ask very, very nicely. /

He shared with a smirk on his face as he held her close.

"I've missed you. Are you doing alright with the changes? "

Nora shrugged.

"Taylor goes out a lot. It doesn't feel very different. "

Ansel nodded, cupping her cheek with one hand as he pulled her to kiss him.

"I'm still figuring out my full feelings for them. It's a process. "

He posed honestly, eyes wondering her face.

"What do you want to do? "

At least until his sleeping beauty awoke.

"Hmm..."

Nora grinned, sliding her arms around him.

"We could get our nails done? We haven't done anything spa-day-ish in a while. "

Ansel smiled at her, nodding a bit.

"I could manage that, for sure. I'm sure my hands are starting to look like trash."

"Oh, yes. I feel faint at the mere idea of being seen in public with you like this, but I'll try to persevere. "