“Lyle what did I say about trying to go under the rope … stay near the steps or we will be done for the day.”
Lyle gave her the most offended look but made his way back with her reach.
Annie layed on her floatie in the pool, peeking an eye open to look at her little brother. Her mother wanted the house to herself for the week so she was at her father’s house till further notice in her opinion. “Lyyyyyyyyyyle….If you go under the rope the water man is going to get you and drag you under. Then you'll be doomed to forever lay at the floor of the pool wishing you could get out so Apa could make you treats~” Of course she was sure her brother would just try to go near the deep end of the pool just to spite her but it was always fun messing with him. She did send a pic of herself to Hara in her new suit along with a wish you were here caption.
Damien was currently at the grill, making kabobs. He looked over at his oldest with a raised eyebrow, “The hell did you hear that from?” Honestly, maybe she got that from Dmitry, he was the one that was into all the scary s**t. “Don't lie to him like that, you know how he is…” Aaaaand cue the toddler trying to go under the rope again just to see the water man his big sister was talking about.
“Oh for the love of …,” Rose said, hopping into the pool and grabbing her son. He fussed as she put him on her hip and headed back to the steps. “What your sister said wasn’t true … she was telling a fib. You need to stay in the shallow end because you aren't a strong enough swimmer to be in the deepers parts. Now this is your last warning Lyle.”
She sat her son on the steps and turned to Annie, “Annie thats not how we do things, we expect them to follow the rules and explain truthfully why those rules are in place. You would never forgive yourself if he went looking for the water man and drowned. Honesty is the best policy.”
Rose realized maybe that was a bit harsh, but she wanted to make sure Annie understood how that lie could turn out.
Annie frowned but nodded, looking to her brother, “Look buddy what your momma said is true, the water man doesn't exist. You should listen to what your mommy says. We don't want you to drown and die.” man, she wished Hara and Ever were here…. The look her father was giving her definitely said we will be talking later. The teen groaned and rolled her eyes with a sigh, crossing her arms over her chest while she laid back down on the floatie. Whatever…
Damien once again, raised an eyebrow.
Ah, so this is what it was like to have a teenage daughter….
Either way she was about to learn why you don't roll your eyes at your parents or anyone older than you for that matter. Once the kabobs were done, he turned off the grill, set them on a plate and made his way to the pool. Instead of jumping in like he really wanted to, he took the stairs, walking ever so slowly towards his daughter. The grin on his face was one of pure mischief, even as he flipped over her floatie, tossing her completely in the water. The moment Annie came back up with a look of pure rage on her face, Damien raised his eyebrow once more, “You want to roll your eyes at me little girl? You get dunked like one. I know your mother taught you to respect those older than you so act like you know and quit it with the bullshit.”
Annie narrowed her eyes at Damien, but said nothing, huffing and getting out of the pool. “You owe me a new phone dad….” The teen quickly walked up to the kabobs and took a couple, sitting at the edge of the pool with her feet in the water.
Rose shook her head watching Damien sneak up on Annie and dunk her. She frowned, noticing her phone plunge into the water along with her. She sighed, “watch Lyle for a moment Dami, I'm going to go get some rice for her phone.”
She smiled watching Lyle shout Apa catch me and jump off the steps. She wasn't worried fully expecting Damien to catch him and thankfully Xander gave all the kids a weekly swim lesson starting before they could even walk. Him and Cass were basically fish and both were bound and determined to pass on their love for the water and make sure all the kids could swim.
She grabbed the rice and put in tupperware before heading back out and handing it off to Annie. “Come eat some kabob Lyle,” she said, grabbing on and moving to check on Liam.
Damien chuckled and shook his head, “Nah, your phone will be fine.” Most of the damned things were waterproof anyway up to a certain time and depth. The moment he heard Lyle he instantly turned around to catch him, tossing him in the air, “Wanna go in the deep end? You gotta hang onto me alright?”
Annie sighed and placed her phone in the rice. She really did need to upgrade though so maybe she could still get a new phone if she asked nicely.
Lyle grinned, nodding his head enthusiastically, before looking to his mother, “no momma, deep end,” he whined with a pout.
He looked to his Apa and grinned, “hold tight, go under like surfing Apa?”
Rose smiled seeing her youngest in the process of waking up but not fully awake yet, “You ready to get up bubby. Your Apa made us some yummy kabobs for lunch. She rubbed her sons back and watching him blink up at her sleeply and reach a hand out to her to get picked up.
She chuckled, scooping him up and running a hand over his red curls while he rested his little head on her shoulder. She went to take a bite of her kabob only to have a little hand try to redirect her hand. She laughed letting her son have the first bite.
Damien laughed, “Alright little man hang on, yes like surfing~” Damien started to swim out to the deep end, checking every now and then to make sure Lyle was hanging on like he was supposed to. While doing laps at the pool he made sure to splash Annie a couple of times, laughing at the offended look that she would give. “If you stop pouting and jump in the pool I'll be less of a jerk dad~”
Annie gasped when she felt her father throw water on her yet again, “Really?!” With a frustrated sigh, she slipped into the water, fully intent on chasing her father around the pool for revenge. Damien made sure that when she did catch him he was in the shallow end, pretending to float in the water face down. Annie laughed, “Oh noooo Lyle I got Apa! You gotta try to revive him buddy!”
Rose watched her husband swimming with Lyle, her little fish, who loved water just as much or maybe more than his father. She was sure it was in his blood. She loved the water, not so much as her brother who might as well be a merman, but their whole family spent a lot of time in the pool. It was quite funny in a public setting, she’s definitely seen people nearly have a heart attack at the 2-4 year old all jumping into the pool like wild children.
Liam managed to get the kabob away from her and munched on it watching his brother, sister and father playing in the water. She was sure he’d be trying to get in soon, refreshed from his nap, with a snack.
When Annie got Damien and play dead, Lyle swam and stood on the steps, “Apa, you gotta go into you roll Apa. Uncle Xander says so. Roll Apa, roll!”
Rose couldn’t help, but to smirk because she knew Lyle was probably completely serious. After a moment he jumped and swam over to Damien and tried to roll him over, quickly getting tired and rolling onto his back with a huff, resting his tired little limbs.
Damien rolled over with a loud chuckle, standing up in the water with a huge grin on his face. He scooped Lyle up, tossing him in the air, “Good job baby boy!” He blew on his stomach, delighting at the sound of his sons laughter. “Alright, time for lunch then you can get back in the water. I'll take you back to the deep end as well.” He lowered Lyle to his hip getting out of the water so he could have lunch himself.
Annie giggled and rolled her eyes, moving back to her floatie so she could laze about again. She might catch some sunburn but she needed a breather before getting back into the water.
Rose smiled watching Lyle screech with delight before he looked at her and shouted that he saved his Apa. She chuckled watching her Liam bunce in her lap holding his arms out for Damien to grab him up. She looked to Annie and shook her head, “I have to get more aloe, so put the shade up or put some more sunblock on before you turn into a lobster. You’ll get no sympathy about how much the sunburn stings if you choose not to reapply.”
That wasn’t true, they both knew it, Rose would spray her down the moment she got out of the pool again, adult or not. It reminded her she needed to reapply to the littles, those golden tans didn't mean they wouldn't burn and Liam was more prone to it than Lyle.
Damien bent down to grab Liam to place on his other hip, planting a kiss on Rose’s forehead as he went down to grab his youngest. He wasn't about to give Annie too much of a lecture since he was sure Rose was better at it than him at this point when it came to her. He simply looked over to Annie and shook his head, “Might wanna listen girlie. Otherwise I'll make fun of ya red skin.” He gave a kabob to both boys, setting Liam down in the play pin so he could eat safely along with his brother. He took a seat next to his wife, leaning over to playfully n** at her ear.
Annie gave Rose a playful sigh, bringing up the shade on the floatie, making a face at her dad, “Ewwwwww!” she gasped when Damien raised an eyebrow moving to playfully n** at Rose’s neck next, looking at Annie the entire time, cackling when she made barfing sounds, “Oh you’ll understand one day little Annie, maybe sooner than you think~” He bust out laughing at the reddened look on his daughters face, knowing she knew EXACTLY to whom he was referring to.
Rose nodded when Annie put the shade up, satisfied for the moment grabbing another kabob because Liam ate most of her first one. She rolled her eyes at her husband, but turned to give him a kiss on the lips, and a whispered promise should he not stop.
She grinned, but then said, “leave her alone Dami and eat your lunch. You're such a menace.”
She happily munched on her kabob and watched Lyle animatedly tell Liam about swimming as best as a two year old could. Pool days were the best.
Damien gave Rose a wide grin, whispering back with a wink, laying back down on his chair with his hands behind his head. He supposed he could leave Annie alone for now but that didn't mean the teasing was off after pool time, he was sure she would be inviting her best friends over to play games as usual, then it was game on from there. His poor daughter was going to be so red that no one would be able to tell that she actually protected her skin from the sun.
Annie looked up to the sky and thanked the heavens above for her step mother, a shiver going down her spine. She had a feeling she may have won the battle, but the war was just beginning.
Kaori_luv
