Hope's POV

"CARLI!"  I scream horrified. I got up to get a cup of coffee and was met with a mess of a kitchen. 

"Hope what are you shouting about?" she yawns coming from our bedroom. She blinks her eyes open and freezes. "What the hell is that?"

"Melted icecream." I say through my gritted teeth. There's literally an entire container of now liquid ice cream all over the countertop and three bowls full of some sort of sticky stuff stacked in the sink. The basement door opens and Julie comes out full of energy.

"Morning Mom!" she beams waltzing over and kissing my cheek. She does a turn and kisses Carli too. "Morning Mama! What's for breakfast?" 

"Why's the island and the sink a mess?" asks Carli crossing her arms. Julie looks at her confused.

"What are you talking about Mama?" Julie turns around and scans the room. Her eyes widen like quarters before coming back and meeting mine. "Mom I swear I had nothing to do with this." I sigh and look at Carli to see what she thinks. 

"Christen." she sighs shaking her head.

"I'm going to kill that girl." I groan looking back at what was my beautiful kitchen. "What time are we going to the Water Park?" 

"I was thinking we could leave by nine-thirty at the latest so we can get there are ten when it opens." she says taking two cups down for coffee. She sets the coffee maker and it starts to heat up. "It's eight twenty seven so we probably should get the rest of the bunch up." 

"I'll get CP and Tobin and make them wake up the kiddos." I say already heading to the stairs. "Jules help Mama with breakfast please."

"Alright!" calls Carli after me. I go up the stairs and knock on Tobin's door. I don't hear anything so I slowly creak the door open. Her bed's empty. Maybe she's downstairs with Moe. Oh well. I go across the hall to Chris room. I don't even bother knocking on her door, she's my kid so she's lost that privilege. Well I found Tobin. Her, Mal, and Christen are all cuddled together fast asleep. 

I sit down on the edge of the bed and kiss Christen's cheek, "Baby it's time to get up." Her eyes flutter open and she pouts at me. "Hey don't give me that face. We've got somewhere to go." I tell her patting her outer thigh because she's laying on her side. "We're leaving in an hour love bug. Get up." I lean back and shake Mallory awake. "Come on princess it's time to get going." I hit Tobin's leg and make her groan. "Get up." Mal reaches her arms up for me so I scoop her up and carry her out of the room. On the way out I flick on the overhead light. "Let's go girls!"  I carry Mal downstairs and put her down on a bar stool. Julie hands her a cup of orange juice.

"Thanks Ju." croaks out the teen before taking a big sip and swallowing it down with a gulp. 

"Car what do you need me to do?" I ask trying to figure out exactly what she's making. She keeps hitting the start button on the oven and she's getting frustrated. "Hey let me do it." I say stepping in. I put my hand on her shoulder and guide her to the side. "What's it supposed to be on?"

"Four hundred." I nod and set it to preheat. "Which pan do I use for cinnamon rolls?"

"The circle one." replies JJ holding it up. "Mama can I do it?"

Carli sighs, "Yeah sure, whatever you want baby." She hands Julie the tube and pours herself a cup of coffee. When she turns round she accidently puts her hand down in the melted sticky ice cream. She takes a deep breath and slowly picks up her hand, "Where is Christen?"

"I got her up." I say fixing my own cup. 

"I'll be right back." seethes Car wiping her hand with a paper towel. She comes back a few minutes later dragging both Christen and Tobin by their biceps. She lets them go with a small push towards the island. "Explain."

"It's Tobin's." blurts out Chris nervously. "Mama you've got to believe me I didn't-"

Carli's POV

"Christen." I say shortly cutting her off. Tears start to trickle down her cheeks as she stares at me afraid. I frown, step towards her, and give her a hug. "Buddy shh." I soothe rocking back and forth a bit. I pick her up and hold her on my hip as she calms herself down. "Tobin what happened? 

She turns her gaze to the floor, "Moe couldn't sleep so she came and got me and I suggested we have a snack. Then I guess we got sort of loud so CP came down and told us we needed to go to sleep. Then Mal woke up so Christen made Moe go back down to bed and she took Mal up with her. I was supposed to clean up but I guess I forgot to put the ice cream back in the freezer. I'm sorry."

"Where even is Moe?" asks Hope sipping her coffee. "Mally will you go get her darling?" Mal nods quietly and skips off.

"Tobin," I say getting her attention and going back to the problem at hand, "you're grounded for the day." Her mouth opens slightly before closing and her clenching her fist showing she's upset. "I want this kitchen spotless when we get back."

"Yes Cap." she grumbles. I like that nickname. It'll always be Christie's but Beck and I have earned it too. "Anything else?" she questions with a lot of sarcasm laced in her voice. I cock my head to the side curiously. I'm pretty sure she knows who she's talking to. 

"Tobin Powell don't you dare start with me." I warn shifting Christen higher on my hip. I can tell she wasn't expecting me to use her middle name.  "You're not in trouble for leaving the ice cream out. You're in trouble because you're supposed to be a role model for Morgan and Mal. Giving them ice cream at God knows when in the morning is not how you do that. I'm giving you the day to think about how to do that." 

"Yes ma'am." she sighs become very interested in her toes. Moe and Mal come back upstairs laughing hysterically. Mal comes and jumps in Tobin's arms. "Hey pretty girl how are you baby?"

"I'm ready to go swim!" she exclaims happily. "Are you gonna go down the big slide with me?"

Tobin's POV

I look down at my little girl and frown. She's so excited and she was talking about this park since before we got here. We've had our day all mapped out for a week now. I glance at Carli giving her a pleading look. Maybe she'll let me go if she knows how sad Mal's going to be. Carli narrows her eyes at me and shakes her head no. I sigh. "Mami? Are you even listening to me?" cutely sasses Mallory poking my cheek.

I fake a grin and bounce her on my hip, "Mama's going to have to take you one the slide Squirt. I've had some things come up last minute so I can't make it." Her enormous smile falters but she nods understandingly.

"That's okay Mami. We can have fun tonight right?"

"Right munchkin." I nod. I press my lips firmly to her forehead and let them linger a little longer than normal before pulling away. I set her down on her feet and smack her bottom playfully, "Go get your swimmin' stuff while Aunt JJ is making breakfast. You guys are on a tight schedule." She runs off back down stairs and Moe stares at me with her arms crossed. "What?" I question. 

"May I talk to you?"

"Yeah sure." I shrug following her out onto the covered porch. "What is it MoMo?"

"Why are you staying back?" she questions crossing her arms. 

"I told you Moe, I had something come up."

"You're lying." she accuses. "You wouldn't miss this unless you had to. Did you get in trouble?"

"G-Get in trouble?" I stutter looking everywhere but her eyes. "Why would you think that kiddo?" I nervously scratch the back of my neck with my hand. 

"I saw you look at Carli." she answers coolly. "Tobs are you in trouble for last night?" she ask sounding sort of distraught. "Because I had just as much to do with it as you did so I should have to stay home too. It's not fair to you Toby."

"No no baby girl." I soothe putting my hands on her shoulders to calm her little side stepping thing she does when she's freaking out. "Kiddo it's entirely my fault. I'm the adult in this situation and I decided to do what we did and I allowed you to participate. Lauren Holiday will have my head if she finds out what I let her precious little Moe do last night. I don't want to even think about what your Dad will do to me." She makes her adorable thinking face and looks down at the wooden deck beneath us. "Baby I promise it's not your fault." 

She brings her eyes back up and looks at me, "Alright Aunt Toby." Smile softly and kiss her cheek.

"C'mon let's go back inside." I tuck her under my arm and lead us back into the kitchen. The smell of cinnamon hits me strongly making me smile even wider. I love cinnamon rolls. I sit down next to Christen at the table and Morgan sits in her spot across from me. Hope puts a stack of paper plates down and a roll of paper towels. Julie set the pan down along with a gallon of milk before sitting next to Moe. Carli passes out cups. We all sit and get ready to say grace but I notice the empty seat next to me. "Mallory." I playfully sigh. Everybody laughs as we wait for the youngest member of our pretty misshapen family. "MALS! COME ON HONEY!" I shout hoping to make her speed up.

"I'M COMING MAMI!" she hollers back. "I HAD TO FIND MY GOGGLES!" Her "elephant" footsteps as Chris calls them come stomping up the stairs. She tumbles out of the doorway with a silly smirk on her face. Her hair is in a messy ponytail and she's wearing a big t-shirt, lime green shorts-and yellow flip flops. I can see the straps of her bikini top tied around her neck in a bow. She comes and plops down in my lap instead of in her chair. "Can I say the blessing?" 

"Are you going to be serious?" ask Chris with a stern look on her face. 

"Mhm!" replies Mal adding a nod for good measure.

"You may but no funny business Mallory Diane."

"Gotcha Mama!" winks Mal. "Okay everybody close your eyes!" demands Mallory folding her little hands and bowing her head. "Rub a dub dub, thanks for the grub. Yay God! Amen." We all open our eyes when she finishes and I look down at her confused. "What Mami?"

"When you get back later we're going to learn a new prayer." I tell her looking at her pointedly. 

"That sounds like a wonderful idea." agrees Carli giving Mallory the same look I am. We all finish breakfast and I offer to clean up since I'm going to have to any way. "Okay everybody we're leaving in twenty minutes! Go change, get an extra set of clothes for afterwards, a towel, and whatever else you're going to need and then meet in the living room! The sooner we leave the better so get a move on!" 

"Hey everybody also needs a hat! Especially you Julie Beth!" adds Hope getting a collective groan in response. Everyone rushes off in different directions while I clear the table. I throw all the plates and napkins away in the trash and then but the regular dishes in the sink. Mallory and Morgan finish getting ready first so they come and sit on the counter watching me clean up. 

"You two better be good today." I say drying my hands off with a towel. "You," I start talking to Mallory, "listen to your Mama and mind your grandmas okay?"

"Yes Mami." she smiles sweetly swinging her legs. 

"Moe listen to Carli and Hope please. Don't make me have to beat you today. I'd really rather not."

She chuckles, "Don't worry Aunt T. I'll behave."

"And if she doesn't I'll handle it." says Chris coming from upstairs. "We've got this Tobin. Trust us just a little bit." She picks Mal up off the counter and kisses her nose. "Tell Mami bye."

"Bye Squirt." I say leaning in to kiss her cheek. "Have fun for me okay?" She nods and rest her head on Christen's shoulder. She's exhausted. I hope that doesn't lead to a melt down today. I kiss Morgan's head to and give her a hug. Julie, Carli, and Hope all come and they all go to load up leaving me all by myself. I start to wipe the ice cream up when my phone rings. I put the rag down and check the ID. Uh oh.

Cheney.