behind the camera ♧ ed

thirteen

I woke up and realize it's Saturday. I felt such a relief. Grayson was taking over the office today. And tomorrow, Sunday, I was the one taking over. I have a pregnant couple coming over to the office for a shoot.

"Morning baby," Annalise has been awake. She lays her arm over my chest and kisses my jawline beginning to give me pecks on my neck.

"Goodmorning," I kiss her forehead.

"Since it's your day off, should we do something?" she smiles up at me.

Man, that smile I fell in love with.

"Mmm, I don't know, maybe we could go to Santa Monica pier?" I suggest.

"Yeah, we should, we haven't been there in a while," she nods.

"What time is it?" I turn around to check my phone. 10:37 am.

"It's almost eleven," she sighs. "Lena is probably awa-"

The door swings open and Lena runs to us and jumps on the bed.

"Goodmorning!" She yells with excitement.

"Hi sweetie," Annalise wraps her arms around her and gives her many kisses on the cheek.

My heart melted at the sight of this moment.

"Goodmorning honey," I kiss her on the other cheek.

"I-I want pancakes!" She stutters

"Alri-"

"Ethan, I want to do them this time," Annalise cuts me off.

"You know I do them way better," I roll my yes playfully.

"You do not!" She gasps and slaps my chest.

"Mommy, I like daddy's pancakes better," Lena jumps in.

That name burned through my head.

"Oh really?" Annalise gives me and Lena a shocking look.

Lena giggled as Anna began to tickle her everywhere.

I stared at this moment while it lasted. I was betraying this family. And Grayson, too.

"Alright, let's go brush our teeth, yeah?" Anna tells Lena. She nods and runs out of our room.

"Ethan, I know when something's wrong," she whispers and leaves the room to go with Lena.

I get out of bed and did my morning routine.

–

I served everyone's pancakes with their eggs and we began to eat.

"I want syrup on my pancakes," Lena says.

Annalise pours the syrup. "Tell me when to stop baby."

"There, stop," Lena rips a piece with her hand.

"Wait let me cut it up for you," she takes a knife and cuts the two stacked pancakes into smaller pieces.

Her face was straight. Emotionless. She didn't look happy nor sad. Maybe mad.

I poured myself some syrup too. Anna barely had any of hers.

"You barely have any syrup," I comment.

"Well that's exactly how I want my pancakes. With barely any syrup," she tried not to snap at me.

"I want to do something fun today," Lena smiles.

"No, we're gonna be busy today," Anna says.

"But why? It's Saturday," she frowns.

"I said no, Lena," I saw her growing impatient.

"Please," Lena kept insisting.

"No means fucking no!" She lashed out on her.

She gets up and takes her plate and cup of coffee with her. She storms into our room and slams the door.

Lena was staring at her pancakes and her eyes began to water. A tear rolled down her red cheek.

"Don't cry honey, I'll take you somewhere," I pick her up and sit her on my lap.

"Mommy is so mean," she sobbed.

"No she's not, she's just in a bad mood," I sigh.

"Yes she is," she sniffed.

"Baby, we'll go out today and have fun, don't worry," I wipe off the tears from her face and she smiles up at me.

cute af but still sad af yikes