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There was a range of answers, most of them an enthusiastic “Yes!”
Axl definitely knew it, since the pre-pre K he’d started going to two afternoons a week while Chloe was taking culinary classes at the Institute taught the counting game like a religion. It also had the bonus of wearing out the kids, and anytime a rambunctious child went to sleep voluntarily was a good time.
Molly briefly outlined the game for those who didn’t know how to play, and the kids ran to one side of the tasting room. Their smiling parents and some of the people who worked at the orchard moved the chairs to the back to give them room to run. Molly moved off the band’s raised dais and into the center of the room to begin, and the kids dutifully asked her what time it was.
Michael glanced at Elle as the kids took the requisite steps forward, Axl of course leading the pack.
“That one’s mine,” he told her.
Smiling faintly, she shook her head. “No kidding. I must’ve missed the banner you draped over the Hollywood sign announcing that fact.”
Michael grinned. He hadn’t put up any signs—yet—but he just might.
Being married was pretty frigging awesome. From the instant he’d heard Chloe’s proposal until he met her at the altar and slipped the sapphire ring on her finger, he’d been in a state of shock. Seeing her in her wedding gown and knowing she’d willingly chosen to marry him still stood out as the most incredible moment of his life.
She was his wife. Forever and ever, a-freaking-men.
Of course there were squabbles about petty shit. Like when he left his socks on the floor, or fed Axl too much candy, or when he hid Chloe’s panties because…well, that one was obvious.
Sometimes the fights were bigger. Sometimes the paparazzi still swarmed too close. Once or twice they’d snapped a picture of Chloe and Axl at the doctor’s office, or at the mall, and Chloe had gone into protective lockdown mode. She’d dealt with so much after Snake’s death regarding the media that she was still gun-shy. Add in the Tabitha thing and how she and Michael had gotten together, and Michael doubted she’d ever truly come to terms with their interference in their lives.
Warning Sign wasn’t super huge yet. If that changed, things could get way worse. Michael had no desire to hide his family away, but if he had to, he would. He and Chloe had started talking tentatively about more kids over the summer, sort of feeling each other out. It was obviously very early days in their relationship, but their accelerated timeline had made them both starting thinking they were ready earlier than usual.
On Axl’s good days, being a parent was fun. They had it all under control. Why not add another one while Axl was still little? He’d like a sibling, right? Having Mal be so close in age had been a great experience for Michael, and if they wanted something similar for Axl, they had to get on the stick.
Or Chloe had to get on the stick, early and often. Something she did pretty damn often anyway.
They’d even gone the route of ditching the condoms and the birth control a couple of months ago, during a particularly great period with Axl. His teething agony had slowed down, and he was generally a happy baby, and hey, the monster in the closet was nothing more than scorched earth, so why not?
Almost immediately after that momentous decision, Axl had gotten a double ear infection and decided he was deathly afraid of clowns. Naturally, Lila had just bought him a little miniature clown, and hiding it in a steel box under Axl’s bed had not been enough. They’d had to move the doll to the master bedroom closet and finally back to Lila’s place, where her daughter Avery had fallen in mad, fiendish love with the creepy thing.
But Axl was still traumatized, crying every time he saw anyone in too much makeup. Even Michael’s occasional use of guyliner at a concert had made him break into sobs that one time.
So maybe they should wait on the baby, if she could even get pregnant that fast. She’d indicated some inconsistency with birth control back when she’d been with Snake, which absolutely had not been a factor with them. They’d been meticulous about it until they hadn’t been. Now they were living wild and free, but he might just pull back the reins a little—if she agreed. They had time. Axl was still so little. They could enjoy him on his own, then figure out when to add on once life settled down.
He was almost sure it had to settle down eventually.
Molly’s game included lots of children running and shrieking and making all manner of kiddie mayhem. From what Michael could tell, Molly’s rules were fast and loose. Unsurprising, really.
He and the rest of the band decided to do a melodic accompaniment from the stage, which made their lead singer send them an arch look just in case any of them got ideas about wanting to sing. None of them did, and so peace reigned across the orchard.
Refreshments followed Molly’s shenanigans. Children descended on the overloaded snack table and grabbed warm cider donuts and apple fritters, cups of cider, and apples and grapes out of bowls with the zest of a missionary fresh out of bible school. Soon the excited yelps and laughter of a ton of kids high on sugar bounced around the room.
Michael unstrapped his guitar and tucked it into its case, then went to pick up his sugar monster from where he was sticking his face into a wooden cutout with a donkey’s body on the other side. Chloe was standing behind him laughing, but she looked tired. Lines fanned out from her dark eyes and bracketed her mouth and she was bracing her back as if she’d been roughhousing with Axl again. The kid loved being in the air so much that Michael was pretty sure they’d have a pilot on their hands one day.
Maybe he’d just figure out how to turn into a bird.
“You okay?” Michael asked Chloe, snagging them both cups of cider. Axl had already worked his way through one, judging from the sticky ring around his mouth.
“Sure. It’s been a terrific day. Gram mentioned doing a hayride after dark. I guess they do one on weekend nights in October at a nearby farm with Jason and Freddy and a lot of those gory dudes.” Chloe shuddered. “The September hayride is much tamer. Just a couple glowing pumpkins and scarecrows under spotlights. Kid-friendly, I already checked.”
“Sure, that sounds fun. Want to go upstairs and take a nap first?” Michael glanced at Axl, who’d moved on to stick his head in the hole with a cow body on the other side. He’d definitely have to get some shots of that.
Chloe stepped forward and laced her fingers with his. “Depends. Are you coming up to nap with me?” She waggled her eyebrows and he had to laugh.
“I’d love to, but Ax-Man isn’t quite able to watch himself yet.”
“No, but your grandparents would love to. As a matter of fact…” Chloe waved to Michael’s Gram and she hurried over, her arms full of decorations. “Mrs. Ronson, would you mind watching Axl for a little—”
