• A Hundred Directions •

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden couldn't believe they were doing this. She and Cal were leaving the twins for an extended weekend all by themselves; they were leaving the twins. It had been weeks since Aydn hadn't had one of the tiny babies with her, whether it was around the house or running errands around town. Either one, or both, babies were usually with her, getting "awws" and "they're so cute" from most of the women who passed by. But, they were leaving them home; they wouldn't be seeing them for a whole three days.

Max was there, sure, and he was getting paid extra to work 24/7 this weekend, but that didn't comfort her very much. She trusted the guy, knew he'd protect the kids with everything he had; but he wasn't her or Cal. It felt wrong to be abandoning the poor dears, especially since she was the one who'd get up at odd hours of the night to soothe or feed them. Without them there to fuss over, she didn't know what she was going to do.

Cal had somehow gotten her to agree to this little vacation though, and she didn't exactly have a real reason to not go. She needed a break; she knew she did. The little cabin by the lake would be perfect, quiet, and would give them the alone time they hadn't had since the twins and graduation work began; she had to go, whether she worried over her kids or not. School was over now, the twins were alive and well; she could spare the weekend. Besides, she hadn't exactly been playing little wife to Cal lately or giving him much of her time; the kids had been sucking up her attention and energy, even if she didn't have a job to keep her busy, leaving her with hardly any at night. Max helped, of course; he was a life saver most days. It didn't mean she sat around like a spoiled child though, or waited around until her husband got home from work. She went for jogs in the park, often bringing the twins in their stroller or hooking Kimmie up to burn some energy off; she cooked what she could; she cleaned and finished unpacking the huge brownstone; she worked on making the place feel like a home; she practiced the piano that had gone for so long without use because of her pregnancy. All of it exhausted her and, unlike the doctors had instructed, she wasn't taking it easy or "enjoying" her maternity leave. She was getting things done, taking care of the twins, and trying to get her body back to some sort of normal. She really needed a vacation.

Ayden packed the clothes that she hardly got to wear around the city; the sweatpants, the tank tops, a couple nice sundresses. Simple things that would be comfortable and not leave her fussing about her top all day. There were a couple lacier things thrown into the mix, along with the purchases she'd saved for the honeymoon she'd never gotten until now. None of it made her feel better about leaving the kids, but it did give her a reason to look forward to the weekend alone; she'd get to spend time with Cal, a luxury they hadn't had in ages.

The cases were loaded into the car, goodbyes said, and Ayden climbed into the passenger seat, looking longingly out the window at the twins. She still didn't want to leave them. But, they faded out of view soon enough as she and Cal began the hour drive to their home for the weekend. "We remembered to tell Max to feed Kimmie, right? And to keep the baby monitor in his room on at night?" she asked, biting the inside of her lip and already grabbing for her phone.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 669!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal got more of a break from the twins than Ayden did; he knew that. He grabbed extra shifts at Gotham and recently started spending his days at the fashion house he was interning at. It was a lot of work, but his new boss said he showed potential, maybe even finding a permanent position at the house for as long as he wanted it. He was barely anything there, a paid intern who basically ran around grabbing coffee, sorting fabrics digging out scissors from wherever they’d fallen. She had Max at home to help out with the kids, but she still had them more. This weekend was his chance to give Ayden a break from having their children around twenty-four seven. He knew how tired she was, how she hardly got a break, and with how fast everything happened, they hadn’t gotten a proper honeymoon; this was their chance for that, too.

At first, Cal hadn’t been sure she would agree to it, but he talked it out with Max and the other man, their high school friend had agreed to watch them and take care of them for their extended weekend. Work wasn’t a problem. He’d been working at Gotham for a while now, so he was allowed to have his days off, to questions asked. And the fashion house’s big wigs were doing their runs and preps for the fashion weeks of the world. He wanted to have his own designs featured, but he was still too green, too new to the industry. And he didn’t have the money he needed to start up his own house. He was content for now, selling the clothes he made to friends and friends of friends while trying to show potential to rise in the ranks.

He needed this weekend just as much as Ayden did. Though he hated not being around to see the twins grow up, he was there, taking them off Ayden’s and Max’s hands when he walked through the door, often for the entire night, except when he had a shift at Gotham. Cal had never needed much sleep, a few hours a night was good for him, so he let Ayden sleep through the night as much as he could, feeding the twins, cuddling them for a little while and finally settling them back in bed once again. There were a lot of parents that said one was enough trouble for them; they had two to deal with, but at least he was now finding it to be pretty easy, once he’d gotten into a routine with it.

Excited for the weekend ahead of them where they had nothing more pressing than deciding who was going to cook, Cal finished packing the little things into his bag, before taking both of theirs and tossing them into the trunk of his car. There hadn’t been much alone time since the babies had arrived and this was their weekend to get just that. He kissed each of this babies on the top of their heads, said goodbye to them and Max and slid behind the steering wheel. He honked the horn once as they drove away. The cabin Cal had found was close enough to the city that they could quickly get back if they were needed and far enough away that they could pretend the city didn’t exist. Cal took his hand of the gear shift, wrapping his fingers around Ayden’s. “Max knows to feed Kimmie, and he knows to keep the monitor on. Don’t worry, Little Fire, he’s alright on his own. You’re going to call him later anyway,” he said, lifting their entwined hands to his lips for a quick kiss before setting their connected hands on the gear shift again and easily shifting into third despite the difficulty with their hands clasped together.

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 640
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden was exhausted, burnt out, and just simply tired, but none of it meant she wanted a break. The twins were the joys of her life now, other than Cal of course, and she couldn't imagine not having them around for even a few days. It felt odd being in the car without them, and she caught herself glancing in the backseat out of habit to check on sleeping babies that weren't there. She didn't want to leave them behind, and the maternal side she'd never known she had kept screaming at her to go back home. This felt so wrong; Max may've been like a third parent around the house, but, ultimately, he wasn't and he shouldn't have all the responsibility. Ayden and Cal were the ones who'd had kids, and they should've been there fussing and cooing over the them together like they'd done since bringing them home. She wanted to go back. She could take her break in five minute shifts while buzzing around the house; she could stay locked up for an hour in the master suite with Cal; she could relax when the twins took their naps. Ayden just wanted to be near them, be able to come running if one of them cried or awoke in the middle of the night; she didn't want to be running off for a selfish weekend of fun.

She let Cal take her hand, reluctantly leaving her cell phone in her purse. They deserved some alone time; they'd been working hard for the kids since even before they'd been out and kicking. Ayden had talked about a summer "honeymoon" after their surprise wedding, knowing that it'd be so much easier to escape after school was out and they were officially finished with college. But, the twins had sort of derailed that plan, or so she'd thought; Cal had somehow managed to make it all come true anyways, and she didn't want to break his heart by choosing the twins over him. She did miss him; missed what they'd had before their lives had spiraled out of control. It felt like forever since she'd gotten to sit and cuddle with him, just talk about how their days had been; they barely got time to chat before falling asleep at night. This trip would be a good thing; Ayden only had to keep reminding herself of that. "You're right," she said, sighing and leaning over to press a gentle kiss to Cal's cheek. "Are we stopping for dinner or cooking when we get there?" She smiled, squeezing his hand and looking out the window again. This would be fun; they used to take mini-trips like this all time, whether it was around the city or out some place else. They hadn't done it in forever though, and it was kind of like a taste of what they'd been together before life had thrown them onto a new course. Ayden would get over the constant longing for the twins as the weekend progressed, but, for now, she was just going to do her best to smile and be the lovesick girl she still was whenever Cal was around.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 560!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal knew when he’d thought up the idea that it was going to take a lot for Ayden to agree, and even more to get her to forget she’d brought her cell phone along. But he was willing to work for the quiet evening. Max had already given them his own guidelines. He wanted them to have a break as much as they did, so a call once, maybe twice a day was all he was going to answer; which, as far as Cal was concerned, was perfect anyway because it meant Ayden wouldn’t be on the phone every fifteen minutes reminding him of things he already knew. Plus, having Ayden call a million times in one day would seriously ruin the game he had going using their kids as wingmen. Cal had scolded him for it, but in that good-natured way that guys did. But he couldn’t say much, since whenever he took them out, they seemed to be a magnet for the ladies; and as much as it annoyed them, the ring didn’t turn them away. He stayed polite, his mother raised him better, and bolted as soon as he could, claiming doctor’s appointments and the like just to get away from them.

Cal was planning all sorts of trips now though. With the added money coming in from both jobs, he was making enough to be able to do these things and spoil the three loves of his life. The next few were just going to be him and Ayden. They would need the breaks once the babies started crawling and getting into trouble because it would be a lot of rushing around after them, making sure they didn’t break the vase they picked up for décor from Ikea. Soon enough though, he had plans of taking those darling babies with them and having a family vacation. There would be more of those when the twins were older and could understand more. But for now little trips to local places, the beach, a cottage, they could do and laugh and play with the babies in the sand, the water, the forest around the cabin.

He knew the feeling of wanting to run home, be with the babies and take care of them. Max wasn’t their parent but he was excellent with the twins and Cal trusted the man without hesitation with his own life, he didn’t have a single qualm about leaving the babies with him for a few days. They would be perfectly safe with the man. Cal grinned wickedly. “I know I am but thanks for admitting it,” He teased lightly. He had to get her mind off worrying about the twins. They were perfectly fine and safe with Max. And though Cal knew this, it would take years and probably a lobotomy to get it through Ayden’s pretty head. “That is completely up to you. There’s a town about twenty minutes away from the cabin. We can stop at the grocery before we get there, grab some supplies,” he suggested. “Or we can stop and grab a pizza or Chinese, something for tonight and find our way back to town tomorrow.”

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 527
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Before they'd officially gotten together, Ayden hadn't taken a lot of notice of the girls who flocked over Cal. She fended them off when she was around, sure, but she hadn't had much of a reason to before unless he said something. Since their marriage, she'd slowly been becoming more aware of the girls who attempted to flirt with her husband. If she was anywhere near, there were usually glares involved and a bit of a show of the rings adorning both their hands. She was jealous and posessive and everything she'd been since high school, and any girl who even tried to get near Cal was promptly cut off by the short blonde woman. But, she wasn't there all the time; she hadn't been to visit him at work since a few months after the pregnancy was announced. It made her worry sometimes, especially now that she wasn't exactly the same woman physically that she'd been before the pregnancy had rocked her body. She knew it was silly, and that Cal wouldn't hurt her like that, but none of it quelled the fears that maybe one of those girls would get past the wedding band.

Between looking after the twins and working out, Ayden was scoping out the job possibilities in New York. Her music could take her different ways, and she wasn't sure which path she wanted to go down. She could become a teacher, play for cocktail hour at a hotel, be the lobby entertainment for one of those fancy malls or business centers, get a gig at an upscale restaurant; there were different routes, all of which payed alright and would help keep food on the table. Ayden just wasn't sure what she wanted to do. Teaching would give her more time to devote to the twins, and it would probably pay better than most of the others if she got a few rich clients. She wanted to do something though, and not have Cal being the only one bringing money home. He was her husband, and she loved him half to death, but that arrangement was too dependent for her. She didn't want to be relying on him for everything; she needed that feeling of accomplishment a paycheck brought.

Ayden rolled her eyes, smacking his arm lightly and shaking her head at him. "I need to spend more time with you. You've gotten out of hand again," she teased jokingly, lacing their hands back together. "'Supplies', mhm. I am not getting pregnant again any time soon," she said, pursing her lips and trying to remember if she'd stuck a pack of 'supplies' into her suitcase. They were not going to be careless this weekend, no matter what happened; two kids were plenty for the time being. "Let's grab some Chinese for tonight. Max and I ordered pizza yesterday for lunch," she added. Her and Max didn't order in every day, but, they'd both been exhausted and the twins hadn't been willing to go down for their naps; a pizza had definitely been earned. "You grabbed extra blankets, right? You may be hot, but you alone don't keep me warm enough at night," Ayden asked quickly, biting her lip and trying to remember if she'd seen him throw any into the trunk. Any excuse to go home; she needed to get the twins off her mind.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 603!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal had hardly cared about another girl his entire life. There had been on, so many years ago, it didn’t count anymore. He’d thought since he couldn’t have Ayden, he’d try and he’d thought he’d succeeded but that had hardly been the case. Ayden had always been there in the back of his mind, yelling at him whenever he was with that girl, telling him he was stupid for even trying. But Ayden had never thought about Cal that way, at least that’s what he’d always told himself. When he’d gotten the job at Gotham, flirting with the female patrons was an unwritten rule in the job description. The more you flirted, the better the tips had been, and he’d needed that money to surprise Ayden with pizza, her favourite movies and popcorn on the couch. None of that had meant a damn thing. Even now when he was working, that ring on his finger seemed to be invisible despite the lovesick puppy dog eyes he apparently had. But it all meant nothing, just a means to more tips in his pocket to spoil his wife and kids with. “Careful, your sarcasm is showing,” he countered with a grin.

Cal narrowed his eyes as he glanced over at his wife quickly before setting his sights on the road again. “Ha-ha! That is not what I meant and you know it!” he said, shaking his head. “But I have something in my bag, you know, just in case,” he added, wiggling his brows suggestively. This weekend hadn’t been about that, it had been about relaxing and spending time with each other; if that meant spending an entire day in bed, all the better. He’d even tossed a box of her idea of ‘supplies’ in his bag just in case. He loved his wife, simply adored her, still thought she was stunning; the most beautiful woman in the world. But he didn’t want her thinking this entire weekend was all about that.

“You had pizza without me? For shame,” he said, sounding hurt. It hardly mattered if they’d had pizza. He knew how difficult the twins were. He figured it was easier to order in than cook on those days they were particularly difficult. He’d made a note, though, of printing off the take out menus of every restaurant in the small town so they could order it before leaving the cabin and have it ready for when they got there to pick it up. “Glove box has the menus and numbers. We should make good time since the roads are pretty clear going this way,” he said, changing lanes to pass an annoyingly slow car. He knew it speed limit, he knew he had ten over as a buffer, but apparently between the two cars on the road, he was the only one privy to that information. “You’re not getting an excuse to go back to the city. Everything we need is in the back but food. Nice try, though,” he said, rolling his eyes at her.

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 506
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden had been one of the guys for most of her high school years. There'd been a few that became more than just friends, but none of the relationships lasted when, every single time, it was Cal she went running to if something happened. She needed a study date? She called Cal. She wanted to have a movie night complete with popcorn fights and snuggling? She called Cal. She always called Cal, and now she always would, but, back then, she hadn't exactly been aware of why she kept going back to him. He was her best friend, sure, and that was a pretty good excuse. It wasn't the real reason though, as the wedding bands on both their hands now proved. They were meant to be more for each other; she just wished they would've confessed to that sooner.

Her body had never been a big issue until college, when she finally found the girl buried deep inside her heart. Ayden had always had the athletic girl build; strong arms, a smallish chest, and the legs that could be shown off any time of the year. Once she'd moved to New York, she'd become very aware of how different she looked from the beauties that roamed the streets. She'd gotten over it relatively quickly, but the fears were coming back as she noticed all the changes in her body. Her stretch marks, still remaining flab, and bouncy thighs seemed to be getting worse each day, and Ayden was realizing she was definitely not the same as she'd always been. Cal called her beautiful all the time, even though the girls who came to Gotham practically threw themselves at him; she wondered if he ever noticed them more though, or compared them to how Ayden looked now. She had the body of a mother for the time being, despite her efforts to reverse it, and she hoped it wouldn't be some sort of turn off now that she wasn't his sexy little fire any longer. "You've seen worse," she smirked back playfully.

Ayden quirked an eyebrow back at him, answering with a smirk, "I thought that was why we were going so far out; that way Max and everyone else couldn't complain about the noise."" She smiled at him at his next words, glad he'd at least been somewhat prepared in that department. This weekend may not've been about jumping around like bunnies, but, when the two of them were alone for extended periods of time like that, something was bound to happen; it was a tried and proven theory. "Something? That mean you've been buying special presents again?" she joked with a fake gasp.

She relaxed back into her seat, sighing as they made their way out of the city limits. They were officially gone; Max had the twins for an entire weekend. She glanced in the mirror one last time to catch a glimpse of the city they now called home, wishing she could've been making dinner right now, or giving one of the twins their afternoon bottle. "We'd earned it, thank you very much. Your daughter decided she didn't want a nap and kept waking Adrian up with her crying," she answered, easily giving Cal the blame for Cass. She loved both the twins equally, but, Cass was Cal's and Adrian belonged to her; it'd been like that since the first visit in the hospital. "You're very prepared this weekend," she teased, opening the glove compartment and digging out the selection of menus. She flipped through them, trying to find something she liked. "So if I suddenly faint, you're just going to leave me out in the middle of nowhere instead of taking me home?" she challenged, lips pressed together to show she was serious. Ayden would try her best not to 'suddenly faint' this weekend, but, if Max delivered any form of bad news over the phone, she may be collapsing to the cabin floor.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 711!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

There were dozens of girls in a night when he worked the bar at Gotham but the only thing he was interested in from them was their cash. He loved Ayden, always had and always will. She was everything to him. He loved her even more now than he did when he was sixteen and his love for her hit him full in the chest like a freight train. It had always only ever been Ayden for him, he just wished he would have found the courage years before he finally did. He wasn’t like some guys who lost interest in their wives because they had kids, or whatever. Cal loved his wife even more for the strength she had to go through what she still claimed to be the worst pain of her life. She brought two beautiful babies into this world and there was nothing more amazing than that. When they were in high school, Cal had loved that she wasn’t caked with makeup and only worried about who she could make out with at the next party. Then when she’d wanted to fit in a little better in New York, he’d helped her make the transition a little easier, creating clothing that went with the style and adding touches that made it solely Ayden’s. It didn’t matter if she wore his sweats or dolled up to go out with the girls, she was simply stunning; absolutely beautiful and completely his. Well, sort of now that the babies were born.

It couldn’t bother Cal that he didn’t get next to any time with his wife anymore. The babies took up most of their time. Whenever he wasn’t at work, he was taking the twins from his wife and giving her a break. It would be like that for a while, even with the help from Max. But there were plenty of new stories to have now. Their way of it being just them wasn’t possible anymore, but there was a whole new book to write belonging to their lives now. He was ready to live. Cal grinned, chuckling. “For better or worse, baby,” he said, wanting to lean over and kiss his wife. When they got to the cabin, he would pull her into his arms, lift her off the ground and give in to the urge to give her a proper, long and heated kiss. “Oh, Baby, we’d need to go to Europe if we’re using that excuse,” he remarked, wiggling his brows with that wicked grin playing on his lips.

Cal laughed, shaking his head. Sometimes Cal thought they’d known each other for too long since they could be sarcastic, and often down right mean sometimes but it was all fun and games. “If you’re lucky, Little Fire,” he smirked. He loved teasing Ayden about anything he could just to see what she would come back at him with. He hooted with laughter, “That’s my girl!” Like Ayden, he loved both their babies equally, but Cassidy was his baby girl, his little princess; it had been that way since day one. “I’m sure you know I was a boy scout,” he said, lightly, though he’d been too busy sitting behind a sketchbook or sewing machine. “Yes,” he said instantly, no doubt in his answer. “There’s a medical clinic in this small town, thank you. New York City and Ayden Turner do not mix for the next couple days!”

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 572
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden tried her best to keep Cal in the loop while he was at work. Whether it was sending pictures or videos to his phone, or just texting him about something cute one of the twins had done, she never let anything go by without informing her lovely husband. She didn't want him missing anything just because he was at work, and she hoped he'd be doing the same once she returned and he ended up alone with the twins every odd couple times. The twins were already growing up so fast that is seemed like just yesterday she'd been coming home from the hospital, and Ayden didn't want to miss a single moment of it. She was pretty positive Cal felt the same way, though he didn't get as much time home as she did these days. It was why there was usually a long list of messages sent at the end of the day; she spent a good portion of her time keeping him, his mother, and Gramps informed on any cute little things going on at the brownstone.

Max was quickly becoming part of their little family, and Ayden had joked more than once about her "backup Cal." She'd also recieved a good amount of teasing once her friends had been introduced to the very handsome manny, though she'd laughed most of it off. Max was a friend from high school, and, even if she spent a lot of her time with him, he was still only a friend. Her heart belonged to Cal, and would forever; Max would always just be the friend who helped out with her kids.

Ayden was sarcastic and cruel by nature, and had been since the time she'd learned how to use her fire-cracker attitude. Admittedly, Cal did take most of the beatings, but that was because she knew he'd never get offended by her words. They joked around, teased, and made it all up with a kiss; as functional a marriage that ever existed. "If I'm lucky? It takes two to have that kind of fun, hunny," she laughed back, shaking her head at him. "And I thought she got her mouth from me," she challenged, knowing that one of the kids was bound to end up with her temperament and sharp tongue. Whether it was Adrian or Cass, she hoped she'd be able to somewhat curb the bad habit; though, her parents hadn't exactly been successful in that department, had they? "Girliest boy scout I ever saw," she said, teasing and giving him another smirk. She sighed at him, leaning back against her seat. "You're impossible," she said, folding her arms across her chest. "How much longer until we're there?"

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 493!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal hated having to work so much but he wasn’t willing to give up Gotham yet and it wasn’t like he could take time off from the fashion house. That was still new and he had at least another couple months before he was allowed any sort of time off. They were a little more lenient with the twins being so young, but not by much, he still had to get what work he was assigned done; even from home. On top of all of that, he was trying to start up his own fashion line himself to preview at the New York Fashion week. Thankfully, his shifts at the club gave him a ton of tips and he was down to a handful of shifts each week. So he was getting more time at home with the babies.

It was a shame that he only got a couple hours before it was time to settle them into their cribs for the night. He did love getting those texts and videos of the twins doing silly things and getting updated. He wished he could be there but it just wasn’t possible; not until he got more experience in the industry. Finish out the internship, he had signed up for only six months, perfect timing to launch his own line at the fashion week’s amateur show sessions. He’d already submitted a portfolio, now it was on the committee to give him a chance. He knew he couldn’t have done any of that without Max’s help either. He was there when Ayden needed someone and Cal trusted the man. He was a pathological flirt but since he’d known them, he hadn’t seen him come on to Ayden once. That wasn’t to say he hadn’t at some point, just that Cal hadn’t seen it. Not that he could have said something back then.

“And maybe I’ll fight you off,” he suggested, raising his brows to his hairline. The whole reason they were getting away for the weekend was because they hadn’t had that much alone time to do things like that, or just be together. With the twins around now, they took up so much time that by the time they were finally sleeping, he and Ayden were exhausted and ended up falling asleep on the couch watching movies. “We don’t know that, she can’t talk yet,” he teased. She had a sharp tongue and could whip out a sarcastic comment and tear someone down in a second flat. But he loved that about her. He could only roll his eyes at her in remark. “And you call me impossible,” he smirked. “We’ll be there in a little over thirty,” he added, not wanting to put her in a real bad mood before the weekend truly began.

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 464
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden was proud of Cal and everything he was doing with his life. He'd been talking about it all for so long, and, finally, he was getting the chances to make those dreams come true. She was so happy for him; she was so happy to be by his side through it all. She would be okay with being the famous designer's wife, and with keeping her music to a local level; not everyone was destined to be a household name. Besides, with the kids to look after, Ayden knew she was going to have her hands full. One day, Max would be moving on to bigger and better things, and it'd be her who was responsible for the Turner twins. With Cal chasing dreams off at his internship, Ayden was preparing herself to become Mommy dearest.

But, no matter how many aprons she wore or how much she attempted to cook and clean, her personality would never be subdued. She's always be sarcastic, always has a quip to throw back, and always be prepared for an argument, no matter who it was with. That was who Ayden was, and who she'd always be; having kids didn't change any of it. She knew she was going to have to start being a good role model for the twins, and she was dreading the day they started repeating words or phrases they'd heard. There'd already been a few moments where she'd sworn or said some little words that she wouldn't want her children repeating; it was going to take a long time for her to learn how to hold her tongue.

"Oh please. I can have you on your knees in five seconds flat," she answered, rolling her eyes. Cal could say he was in charge as much as he liked; Ayden ran the show when it came to their relationship, and it'd always been that way. She was in charge, and he served her every whim; it was the way their worlds worked. "They both talk plenty, just not with words. You should hear their screaming matches," she said with a shake of her head. When one of the babies cried, it usually set the other one going, which then resulted in a battle of who was the loudest. Ear plugs had been needed on more than one occasion. "You drive too slow," she scolded as he answered, leaning forward again to switch the radio station. She played with the buttons and volume, trying to find something that she liked. If they were going to be in here for awhile yet, she wanted to at least have something good playing in the background.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 469!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Caleb was a lucky man to have such an incredible wife, and he knew it. He didn’t take that for granted like some would. His only wish would be to spend more time at home but right now, they needed the money with Ayden not working and being home to take care of their twins with Max’s help. He knew that one of these days Max wasn’t going to be there, and a lot more of the responsibility was going to fall on her shoulders, but he would be there when he was home to massage her shoulders and hold her close when she needed him. Cal hoped soon that he’d have enough experience to go it on his own, but right now, he needed that internship to see how the inner workings of a studio really played out. As much as he wanted his own dreams to become a reality, he wanted Ayden’s as well. There was always going to be a part of him that wanted Ayden to have it just a bit better than she did. He could provide enough time, energy and money to their relationship but he couldn’t help her get where she wanted to be. He could only stand beside her and cheer her on, which is exactly what he did.

He’d done that from the day they first met as little kids and he’d keep doing that until they day he died. Just like he knew Ayden wouldn’t change a bit if they had a dozen more kids or just stuck with Cass and Adrian. Cal did want to be at home more, working in his own personal studio soon though. As much as he loved getting those texts, pictures and videos on his phone, it just wasn’t the same; he wasn’t there and he really wanted to be. Cal wanted to see his son and daughter take their first steps, say their first words, and watch them crawl across the room giggling. As far as he was concerned he didn’t spend enough time at home, but until he finished this internship, he wasn’t going to either. And then it was a matter of if they wanted to keep him there on a permanent basis, which he really didn’t want. He wanted his own label, his own schedule; and he was stubborn enough, and good enough to get it.

“Five seconds, huh? We’ll have to see about that,” he said his voice rough as he took her hand and lifted it to his lips. Playfully, he nibbled on her fingers before pressing a kiss to each. “I’ve heard a couple. Adrian’s got some lungs on him,” Cal said, laughing. He wasn’t a deep sleeper usually, so he heard the twins when they started making noise in the middle of the night and usually, if he could, he let Ayden sleep and dealt with them on his own. There were a few nights he’d been woken up to them wailing. It was like they rolled over, woke up and instead of making the whimpering noises before a good scream, they skipped it and went straight to the level of bloody murder. The road was clear, Cal checked it twice before he pushed his foot down on the pedal a little more, speeding up just a bit. “Too slow? Never been a problem before,” he said, sparing a quick glance to wiggle his brows at his wife before returning his eyes to the road and checking again. He kept up an easy conversation of teasing with Ayden, constantly checking the road and the clock to let her know when it would be a good time to make that call. Eventually, after doing a bit of quick math, he figured it was safe. “You can make that call now. It won’t be too long before we hit town limits,” he said, glancing over at Ayden quickly.

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 650
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

The brownstone had quickly become home to Ayden, despite her initial hatred of it. She still didn't like that the beautiful place wasn't technically theirs, but, she'd come to accept it; slowly, granted, but she wasn't complaining about it like before. The place really was perfect for her, Cal, and the twins, and the extra space for Max or any other nanny they may hire in the future just sealed the deal. It was too big for them, she knew that, and she still couldn't believe they actually lived in the huge home, but, she was thankful they had it and that it was helping save them some money; not paying rent really had its advantages.

Whenever the twins went down for a nap, Ayden usually found herself flitting from room to room, finishing upacking any boxes that were left and just generally tidying the place up. There were still little things that had to be done, like hanging picture frames how she wanted and getting the college books sold or packed away, but, overall, she felt comfortable now. It was a home; the home her and Cal had created together for their family. And, even if she was reluctant to think about the idea, they still had plenty of room in case that family decided to grow a little more.

Ayden hoped that this banter never died; it was what made their relationship real and connected. This was the best friend side of them that showed through, though the words were actually backed up by actions now, and their wedding bands showed they were more than simply friends. Still, she never wanted this to fade or stop; talking to Cal was one of the few things that kept her sane. "I'm the one who makes sure you don't stop and smell the roses halfway through," she retorted with a snort, leaning back against her seat and closing her eyes. "We are sleeping until, like, noon tomorrow," she said, sighing softly. Being new parents didn't leave either of them with much sleep, though Ayden did get her rare naps when Max took the twins out for a walk. Still, it wasn't the same as sleeping through the night, a luxury she hadn't had since long before she was pregnant.

She nodded, opening her eyes when he spoke to her. She rifled through the glove box for the menu, plucking it out and glancing over it before typing the number into her phone. Ayden rambled off the order, not bothering to ask Cal what he wanted; they'd been ordering practically the same thing for years, ordering extra if they honestly wanted to try something. However, her stomach had been odd even after she gave birth, so she'd been sticking to the basics lately. She hung up, placing the menu back in its home and tucking her phone into her purse. "They said it should be ready when we get there; if we make it there before we turn thirty," she said jokingly, smirking at him and reaching over to grab his hand, playing with his fingers as she watched the trees flash by outside.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 550!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3

[Caleb Sebastien Turner]

Cal had been nervous when he’d first brought Ayden and the twin’s home to their new digs. At one point, he’d been too close to being reintroduced to his breakfast for his liking and nearly needed a paper bag to get over it. He had known she wouldn’t like the arrangements he’d made without her, but they really couldn’t live in the apartment they’d had. It had been too cramped with just to two of them and Kimmie. Now there was enough space for all of them comfortably. It was a lot to clean and Cal knew there was still plenty of empty space in the huge house, but he also knew Ayden would have those spaces filled in no time. At least she wasn’t making her casual comments about it anymore. The house was growing on her, and Cal felt like that was a win. He may not have gone about it the right way, but he had done a good job on the matter.

There were plusses to marrying your best friend. The sarcastic banter that had people wondering if they were really in love or on the brink of divorce was fun to Cal, he hoped they never lost that. They teased and tormented each other, but there was a lot of love there, too and no matter how snide their offhand remarks got, it was all fun and games and didn’t mean anything; for the most part. Cal rolled his eyes but didn’t say anything since Ayden was finally relaxing. Without the twins around to keep them occupied, they were going to have to come up with different ways to waste away the time they had on their hands now. “If we even sleep on this trip,” he said, his voice rougher than usual. Even with their escapades, Cal would put money on the two of them falling onto the bed and not bothering with crawling under the sheets.

“Oh, ha-ha, I married a comedian,” he said dryly, signalling for the turn he needed to take. This one last turn brought them to the road leading right into the heart of the tiny town. Most of the restaurants were on the main drag. Only the pizza place was on another street. Caleb had been planning this weekend for a while now, he googled everything he could, made all sorts of arrangements and even drove out once just to check the place out and sign the paperwork for the cabin and get the keys. Cal kept up a good speed, just enough over the speed limit to get them there faster without causing a police chase. Within twenty minutes, Cal was pulling up outside the restaurant. “You called, you go,” he said, chuckling as he put the car in park and cut the engine.

Tags || Little Fire!
Words || 467
Clothes || Vacation, baby!
Music || Hell on the Heart -- Eric Church
Notes || <3 <3 <3

[Ayden Karissa Turner]

Ayden had already spent many nights curled up in the twins' nursery, just thinking. There was a little window seat that was her favorite hideaway, and she usually snuck off there whenever she couldn't sleep or just didn't want to. She thought about a lot of things; about being married now, about being a mother to two perfect little babies, and, mostly, about how she wanted the rest of her life to go. Everything was so set in stone now; it all seemed so planned and figured out and she didn't like it. There'd always been that sense of freedom; the freedom to go where she please, to do what she liked, and be whoever she wanted to be. Now, with a wedding band and kids, she kind of felt like she was being tied down with no chance of bolting. Don't get her wrong; she loved Cal and she loved the twins. It was just... she hadn't expected this to happen to her so young, and especially not so quickly. She was 23; only 23. She was supposed to be finding a job, staying out late, and enjoying the last days of her ending youth; becoming a responsible adult came after she had figured out her life. But, apparently, fate didn't have that on the cards for Mrs Turner; she was going to grow up in mere months, and she was going to do it without a chance of escape.

She'd had more than one friend ask how "married life" was. It wasn't much different than what her and Cal had had before they'd exchanged vows; the only thing that changed was what happened in the bedroom. Everything else was the same; they teased each other, they pushed and pulled, they loved each other through the almost-hate they showed. It wasn't like they were magically transformed because of their rings, and their little getaway this weekend proved that they were still the same couple they were before life threw them a curve ball.

Raising an eyebrow at her dear husband, Ayden shot him a trademark look. "Excuse me; who just gave birth? Mhm, yeah. Not you; you can go," she said, leaning back in her seat. "It's under your name, anyways, Mr Turner," she added, pulling out her wallet and tossing it into his lap. She was too exhausted to move as it was; besides, it'd give her a chance to call Max while Cal wasn't around to scold her for it.

• • •

TAG: The Darling Hubby!
LOCATION: On the road!
WORDS: 440!
MUSIC: Just Want to be with You from HSM3
OUTFIT: HOT MAMA!
NOTES: <3 <3 <3