Time After Time

Round 7 - June 2040

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Joe Carr is 44, Ariel is 38, Kayden is 10, Javion is 8, Layla and Lauren are 1 

If you're lost you can look and you will find me

Time after time

If you fall I will catch you, I will be waiting

Time after time

As performed by Javier Colon on the Voice 

Sometimes he still couldn't believe that they had been married for almost a decade. Ariel was still the most complicated woman he had ever met. While she definitely was the biggest diva he had ever known, she was also a really great mother and a beautiful wife. He didn't know how fate decided to put them together, but he was definitely glad it had........

Oh, she still loved to shop and went out every chance she got to buy new clothes. The difference being that now she didn't just buy clothes for herself, the twins were going to be some of the most stylish preschoolers ever! He couldn't wait until they REALLY started acting like Ariel so she could see what she had put them all through..........too bad that meant he had to also deal with the unfortunate diva attitudes he was sure his daughters would inherit.

Ariel wasn't too worried about it though, she didn't think she was as bad as other people said. She knew what she liked and what she deserved and she wouldn't settle for anything less. She hoped her daughters got that from her.........

He was glad that his sons were adjusting so well to school and had made so many friends. It seemed that their house was the "it" house to be at during the summer. Javion had made friends with little Connor Gray, a fact that made Joe a bit uncomfortable. Oh he seemed like a really nice kid, but he was green! Joe and Ariel had worked hard on getting their kids to have accepting attitudes when it came to other people, and he sometimes had to remind himself to do the same....

Kayden was still best friends with Gallagher Newson and had just learned something surprising about the little boy.
"A counselor? Why you gotta see a counselor?" Kayden asked.
"I guess people think I'm too mean or something. But I just joke around, honest I do. So I guess you don't want to be friends with me anymore now huh?"
"What? Of course I'm still your friend! Why wouldn't I be?"
"Because now I'm that weird kid that needs counseling," Gallagher said sadly.
"Well, you don't have your mom and dad to talk to like me. So it makes sense that you would need someone to talk to. What's so bad about that?"
"Well, nothing I guess. But could we keep it a secret?" Gallagher asked.
"I don't see why you wanna, but yea, sure."

Things were always so busy at their house now. The weekend was filled with Ariel making lunch for all the kids that came over to visit her sons. And while she played chef, Joe was in charge of taking care of the twins. It was crazy and hectic and nothing at all like what she imagined her life being. But she loved every moment of it.......

"Dad, you think Connor could come fishing with us tomorrow?" Javion asked.
"Not this time son. This is just going to be a father/son trip. But maybe next time Connor and his dad could come along too," Joe said.
"What about my brother Alex? He'll be mad if he can't come!"
"He's welcome to come too," Joe said laughing.

"How old is your little brother?"
"He's six. He was born a year after me. He looks more like my dad than I do," Connor said sadly.
"Hey now, there's nothing wrong with that. Javion looks more like his mother than he does me. But that doesn't mean I love him any less. And I'm sure your dad feels the same way about you," Joe said.
"Yea, he does. I just wish I looked more like everyone else."
"Hey, the world needs all kinds of people to keep spinning," Joe said with a smile.
"No it doesn't. The world spins because of it's axis and the pull of the sun," Connor said with a slight frown.
"Wow, you're a very smart seven year old aren't you? No, I know that, I was speaking metaphorically," Joe said. He figured if the kid knew about the rotation of the Earth, surely he knew what metaphoric meant.
"Oh ok," Connor said smiling.

By the time the parents came and picked up their kids, little Javion was all tuckered out. Joe picked him up and carried him to bed. They would need to get an early start out tomorrow if they hoped to actually catch any fish!

The next morning they got up and headed out to Talum Heights Park.
"I bet I catch more fish than you," Kayden said.
"Why? Cuz you're bigger than me?" Javion asked.
"No, not just that.......I'm smarter too," Kayden said laughing as he ran to the car.
"Nuh uh, you're not smarter than me!"
"Boys! Be careful and mind your father please? I don't want you falling in the lake or anything," Ariel said laughing.
"They'll be fine," Joe said.

Joe was glad he could share moments like these with his sons. He and his own father had never been particularly close. He wanted to always have a special relationship with Kayden and Javion.........

It had been quite a while since Joe went fishing last and he found himself slipping and falling on his butt quite a bit......

"Dad, you ok?" Kayden asked laughing.
"I'm fine! You just worry about catching some fish!"
"Hey, I'm not the one falling!"

"Oh really? Now what was that you were saying son?" Joe asked laughing.
"Hey whatever, these fish are strong," Kayden said with a pout.
"Yea, sure they are!"

"Haha, I'm the first one to catch a fish! I told you you weren't smarter than me!" Javion said.
"Pure luck!"
"Come on now, Kayden. Don't be a spoiled sport," Joe said.

Although Joe was getting a bit discouraged himself. Even if he didn't catch any fish at all, he knew that this day was a memory that his sons could take with them and have forever. As he watched them grow everyday, he knew that it was these moments he would turn too once they were grown men.........

* Ariel and Joe are so much fun to play :). They are really great parents.

* I didn't show much of the twins this time because they really didn't do much. I can't wait until they become kids and are able to do a little more.

* I did another family portrait for them because the twins weren't in the last one I did for them:

They really are a very sweet family, but I can't wait for the kids to become teens and see what kind of trouble they get into! With Ariel as their mother, they are bound to be a handful :)