Perhaps, going back to training so early after her pregnancy was not the best thing Rica could have done. But also, she had been going stir-crazy in the house with only her mother for company on most days and three crying babies. Rica loved her child, but also Sora had a tendency to cry when one of the boys was crying. And the boys tended to cry when Sora or the other was crying. And it just wasn't. Nope. Nope. She liked to think that it would have gone better with Crispin around but she was considered on lockdown and Cris on probation so even his presence was reliant on her mother's mood. And considering that she and her mother were up at all hours during the day and night for the most part, it was safe to say that her mother was rarely in a charitable mood. And so, Rica had just about enough a month ago and told Crispin in no uncertain terms that they were leaving Japan and moving straight to New Zealand. All things considered, the move had gone smoothly and since she didn't want to live off of the charity of their parents forever, she'd decided it was just about time she go pursue her career. Thankfully, the Thunderers had still let her sign on last year and she'd about surprised the team when she'd shown up for practice months earlier than expected. Practice was awful. She was out of shape and missing her child and her boyfriend because she still wasn't used to being apart even if it was just during the day. "Tadaima!" she called out as she entered their apartment. She hoped Cris was home with Sora and maybe dinner. She didn't think she had enough willingness in her to attempt to cook.
Crispin had spent most of the afternoon bouncing Sora on his hip whilst attempting to do anything productive. He used magic for the most part to do most things, but he got a little scared about using magic around his child when it was something a little more than just a scrubbing charm. He had no idea what would happen if he accidentally misfired or something and he’d mostly kept his wand out of Sora’s reach too, incase the boy got curious, and he’d rather not have to explain to the love of his life, mother of his child that he’d somehow disappeared the baby into oblivion or like Latvia. So it was generally just good practice, he thought, to do magic out of the reach of their child. Sora, of course, had other plans anyway, as he usually did. H’d gone from screaming to laughing and back again at various seemingly random intervals and Cris had long given up on trying to figure out the pattern.
By the time Rica was due back, Sora had finally worn himself out for the most part and was sleeping semi peacefully in Cris’ arms. He was getting heavy and Cris was sure he would have superior arm strength to even his Beater wife eventually. Sora’s little hand had him gripped by the shirt though, so he couldn’t even really move him, and he didn’t want to anyway since he was quieter now than he had been all day. He’d just managed to get dinner on the table - okay fine, reheated left overs - when he heard Rica’s voice at the door. “Okaeri!” he called out to her, walking around the corner so he could see her. “Sorry I’d come and greet you properly, but I’ve been taken hostage,” he nodded down to Sora in his arms, still clutching onto him. “How was practice? You look like you survived, so that’s a good sign.”
Rica sighed in relief at the sound of Crispin's voice that rang through their apartment, and the greeting he called back definitely brought a smile to her face. Having him around to help with Sora had been a balm that soothed since she'd basically stormed out of her family home. She chuckled softly at the picture he made with the baby in his arms, still clutching his shirt with a vice grip, and she came up to his side to give him a kiss on the cheek, a hand on his arm. It was honestly a relief that Sora had gotten so strong. Hiding her pregnancy in the early months had taken a toll on her body, and Sora had come early. He'd been so tiny then. But now, nearly a year old, even the healers had said that he was growing nicely. "It was good, I don't know if it's the time away or it's having practice the whole day compared to just a few hours every couple of days, but it's an adjustment," she said as she leaned her head against him for a moment before pulling back gesturing in the direction of the dining. "Have either of you eaten yet?" she doubted Cris did, but they had started to introduce solids to Sora just recently but he was still mostly reliant on milk.
Crispin laughed lightly and threw her a knowing glance, already suspecting she was too exhausted to do much. He’d had a tiring day just with Sora and he wasn’t batting bludgers at people, or trying to dodge them. “We haven’t eaten, but dinner’s ready,” he said, gesturing to what he’d managed to plate up between moment’s with Sora’s calm. “Come and sit down before you collapse.” he said, reaching for her hand to pull her to the table. “I snuck a couple of bites in whilst waiting for Captain Clingy here to uncling, but I haven’t properly eaten yet, so we can eat together,” which would be nice as they didn’t get to do it often. After all, Rica was usually at practice, and he was often at the shop. They didn’t get a lot of quality time together. “And about your practice, of course it’s going to be an adjustment. You’ve been incredible, you know that? Coming back to full training so fast - it’s not just physical. You’ve been holding it together better than anyone could expect.”
"You are a godsend," Rica sighed as she let him pull her towards the dining table where dinner was already set up. She could recognize the leftovers, but she was hardly going to complain about hot food on the table. She laughed softly, trying to keep her voice down so as not to wake up their sleeping child as she did indeed feel like she was about to collapse at any second. She was so tired. Though she knew she'd be alright and ready to go once she'd gotten food in her system and had a shower. Or at least as revived as she possibly could. "Want me to take him then? I think we can get him to uncling without waking him if we team up," she offered as she squeezed his hand. It was cute though, the picture they made, with Sora clinging to his father all too tightly. And here she thought he was going to be a mama's boy. Perhaps not. She almost did tear up though - d@mn hormones, weren't they supposed to be gone already - at his small declaration and assurance. "I love you," she said offhandedly as she leaned up to plant a kiss. "Thanks for looking after him. I know I should be here." Which was certainly a weird feeling. She knew some would find it questionable that she'd already started to return to Quidditch and pursue a career there when Sora was barely a year old. And that Crispin - the father - was the one left at home with their child. It was weird, being made to feel like she should be the one at home even when no one has explicitly said so. Because she'd grown up with her dad being the one at home, and not once did she think it weird. Perhaps she was lucky, getting someone who was just as dorky if not worse than her dad.
“Team work makes the dream work,” Crispin said, smiling as she squeezed his hand, and he brushed his thumb lightly over her knuckles. He missed her when she wasn’t here, but he would never ask her to put her career on hold for them, they were figuring this out, making it work - maybe other people wouldn’t understand, but he wasn’t doing this for other people he was doing this for his benefit and the benefit of his family and that meant Shiori and Sora. Whatever benefitted them the most, that was what he was going to do. Sora shifted slightly but didn’t seem to stir much beyond that and he exhaled slowly as though he’d just defused a bomb that was seconds from blowing up. “We’re a good team,” he said to Shiori, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead. Her next words made his chest tighten, and he caught her kiss, chasing it so she couldn’t escape him easily. He loved her so much. “Love you too, and you are here, Shiori, even when you’re out there doing what you love - you’re doing it for you, and for Sora, and for us. You’re showing him what it looks like to go after your dreams.” How could they ever ask for a better role model for their son?
Rica smiled in amusement as Crispin seemed to freeze up for the small moment that their son shifted in his arms and she resisted the urge to lightly run the back of her finger against Sora's chubby cheeks. If Cris would rather Sora sleep more now, then she wouldn't question it. She closed her eyes against the feel of his lips on her forehead, relishing in the contact and the assurance. Her throat clogged at his words, she thought she understood a little more now how her mother had been able to have such a long career in Quidditch despite having all of them. Why she could so fearlessly decide she could do it too. She'd seen her mother do it first and as much as they might argue, Rica looked up to her mother. "We're going to chase after yours too you know," she said. They could do it. His dad had managed to work his way up too. It was still odd that he was teaching now, but she supposed he was still doing something he liked. She wanted that for Crispin too.
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