018 Chasing butterflies

Kathleen sat back on the bench shaking her head a bit as she watched Fred running around with the children in the field, chasing butterflies. "Sometimes I think he's more of a kid than they are." Kelly glanced toward Edward who was sitting beside her.

"Well one parent has to be good with the kids. Though I'll admit to being surprised." Edward looked to Emily who was kneeling down before their daughter, holding out her hands where a blue butterfly was sitting, wings opening and closing lazily. There was a look of wonder in his daughter's bright blue eyes.

"I guess that is true." Kathleen watched as Will talked to his sister. Kathleen Jr. nodded and the two children edged toward a butterfly. Kathleen raised an eyebrow. The two children pounced, but the butterfly just flew away. They ended up colliding and falling to the ground.

Kathleen watched Will complain while Kathleen Jr. did her best to keep herself from crying. Kathleen stood up and moved across the field toward their daughter. By the time she reached her daughter Fred was already kneeling beside them. Kathleen looked down at her daughter who wouldn't look up at her.

The seven-year-old daughter of Emily and Edward ran over to them. "Look what I caught?" She opened her hand and showed them all a small black and red butterfly. "Isn't it awesome?"

Kathleen noticed that her daughter crossed her arms, pouting a bit. Kathleen turned to her god-daughter. "It's very nice, Kathleen. Why don't you go show your father?" The little blond haired girl grinned and turned, running off. Kathleen turned back to her children. "You both did well trying to catch that butterfly." She put a hand on her children's heads. Will looked up at her, his sky blue eyes fully focused on her, listening intently. Kathleen Jr. wouldn't look at her. The little girl's chocolate brown eyes staring at the grass instead.

Freddy moved over to his siblings and held his hands out. In the palm of his hands was the bright orange and black butterfly that his siblings had tried to catch. "I guess you guys scared him to me." There was a grin plastered on her son's face that almost looked just like Fred when he grinned.

"Hey, that butterfly is ours." Will made a grab for it but Freddy tried to move his hands away. The sudden movement caused the butterfly to take flight. "Now look what you did!" Will complained.

Kathleen's hands struck out quickly, grabbing the butterfly from the air in cupped hands. She turned back to her children and held her hands between them. "Now, no fighting or accusing each other. You caught this butterfly as a team. Kat and Will scared the butterfly and it ended up landing right on Freddy's hands. If you hadn't scared it, it wouldn't have landed on Freddy, and if he hadn't been there for it to land on, you would have just scared it away to where you couldn't catch it."

Kathleen opened her hands slowly and the children gathered around to look at it. She could feel Fred move up behind her and lean down so that he could whisper to her. "And you didn't even want to have kids."  

Kathleen smirked at him and then looked back to her kids. "Your father just told me he's going teach you all how to hunt frogs."

The kids all cheered and ran toward the lake. Fred frowned at Kathleen. "You know I don't like frogs. Not since you put one in my—" Fred was cut off as Kathleen shoved him toward the lake.

"Your children are waiting." Kathleen glanced back to see Kathleen pulling Edward toward the lake. "You'll have Edward to help you." She pushed Fred again and he sighed, moving toward the lake and his waiting children.