This is How Im Going to Die

Suddenly, Alexa burst into the kitchen, loudly exclaiming, "Mummy! I finished brushing my tee—" She stopped mid sentence when she saw the scene of her mummy and daddy hugging. She was happily surprised by the scene.

Kaia and Alex were startled by Alexa's sudden entrance. They quickly backed away from each other like thieves caught in the act of stealing. But they were too slow, their daughter already latched onto the two of them like a koala.

'Kisses really do make everything better!' she thought while grinning from ear to ear. Alexa looked up at her parents, pouting slightly as she unleashed her full puppy eyes charm. "I wanna hug too, mummy and papa!"

Kaia turned away from Alexa and hurriedly wiped her face while Alex recovered quickly from the shock and chuckled. He bent down slightly to gently detach Alexa's hands from his leg before picking her up. "Ok, papa will give you a hug. But first, give papa a kiss." Alexa giggled as Alex picked her up. She leaned in and gave him a messy kiss on the cheeks.

Suddenly she remembered something and grabbed his shoulders. "Papa Alex! Will you tuck me in and read me a bedtime story? Pleaseeeee?" she pleaded with a slight whine in her tone. Seeing his daughter pout and giving him puppy eyes, Alex's heart warmed up to the brim. Alexa rarely ever showed her affections towards him like this. He was almost afraid she wasn't actually a little kid because of how mature she was for her age. But seeing her unleash her charms, he could finally rest in peace. After all, he was the type of father that wanted their kids to enjoy their childhood to the fullest.

He nodded and glanced over at Kaia who was still wiping the tears from her face. Noticing his gaze, Kaia gave him a weak smile and motioned towards Alexa's bedroom. "It's ok, go ahead. I need to go outside for some fresh air." Once the father and daughter pair left, Kaia finished washing and drying the rest of the dishes before grabbing a coat and heading outside to the porch swing.

She sat down, feeling the frigid night air on her face. She wasn't bothered by the cold because it made her feel more alive. Shutting her eyes as she took deep breaths of fresh air in and out, she felt her rapid heartbeat slow down to a normal rate. She re-opened her eyes, looking up at the stars.

After a while, Kaia went back into the house. The night air had become too cold for her to stay outside. She walked through the kitchen before peeking into Alexa's room. Instantly, her heart stopped. She saw Alexa and Alex curled up together, fast asleep. Alex's long legs were halfway off the bed while Alexa was cuddled up in Alex's warm embrace.

The book they were reading was laid out on top of them. It was clear that Alex passed out while reading. Kaia smiled softly, walking through the room. She gently picked up the book, placing it back on the small bookshelf before turning back to them. Kaia glanced at Alex before letting out a small sigh. 

She smiled softly, bending down carefully before skillfully untying and removing Alex's shoes and placing them on the side of the bed. Kaia glanced up at Alex's face every now and then, making sure she didn't wake him before lifting Alexa's blankets over Alex's legs. She tucked the both of them in, placing Alex and Alexa's arm under the covers. Once she made sure she didn't wake either of them, Kaia walked out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

She went into the bathroom and took a long and warm shower. Her tensed up muscles relaxed under the warm running water. She smiled without thinking as her mind flashed back to the adorable image of Alex and Alexa cuddled up together.

When she finished showering, she went into the living room and sat down beside the coffee table with a stack of music sheets to assign. Kaia ended up staying up late, marking areas that were difficult on her students' individual music sheets.

The next morning, she awoke to Alex's voice. "Kaia…Kaia…Kaia! You're going to be late for work!" he exclaimed into her left ear while shaking her. At the mention of the word "late," Kaia immediately snapped awake. She instinctively jumped up, accidentally hitting her knee on the coffee table with a yelp. "Ow! Ow! Ow!!" But she didn't stop rushing to her room. She ran in and got dressed in a flash. 

When she was about to go into the bathroom, an arm swiftly grabbed hers. Alex pulled Kaia towards him. "At least button up your shirt properly," Alex said with a chuckle. He was extremely amused and happy to see his old Kaia back. Kaia's cheeks started to burn with embarrassment. She awkwardly stood there while Alex unbuttoned her shirt and then neatly redid the buttons. After he was done, he leaned in for a quick peck on her cheek before releasing her. Kaia's entire face started to heat up as her heart rate picked up its pace. 'So this is how I'm going to die?' she thought before stumbling backwards a bit.

Alex studied her dazed expression and visibly red face. He couldn't help himself from teasing her again as he leaned in once more to whisper in her ear, "If you don't hurry now, you'll really be late~" Kaia's eyes widened slightly and she tried to regain her composure. She nodded slightly in Alex's direction before stumbling into the bathroom.

Midway through brushing her teeth, she remembered something. "A—Alexa! Did you brush your teeth yet?" she hollered. Her words were slightly muffled by the toothpaste foaming in her mouth.

Alexa had seen her parent's intimacy and was quietly giggling on the sidelines. When her mum stumbled into the bathroom, she quickly ran over to Alex, giving him a thumbs up while covering her mouth to muffle her giggles. Alex saw the thumbs up his daughter gave her and chuckled, leaning over to ruffle her hair. He pulled her up onto the couch beside him. When she heard her mum calling, she replied, "Yes, mummy! I'm all ready!"

Alex let out a small chuckle, patting Alexa's head again. "Your mum is still as entertaining as always." Alexa giggled out loud. She stood up just as Kaia finished up brushing her teeth and washing her face. After everything was done, she grabbed her bag and struggled into her coat before rushing towards the front door. The room was too hot so she needed some fresh air to cool down.

"Don't forget the papers on the coffee table!" Alex called out before she opened the door. Kaia stiffened. 'Why am I so forgetful today?' she thought, mentally whacking her head. She immediately ran back into the living room for her music sheets before turning around slightly in Alexa's direction, motioning for her daughter to follow her. She was still slightly flustered by Alex's teasing and couldn't quite meet his eye yet. "Alright, come on Alexa." She stumbled back against the front door when she saw Alex walk closer to her, holding Alexa's hand.

Alex released his daughter's hand and knelt down. He gave his daughter a hug and a quick kiss on the forehead. "Do well in school, ok? If anyone bullies you, make sure to tell papa. I'll be there later to watch mummy's music class," he said with a twinkle in his eye. He stood back up and glanced at Kaia. He wanted to kiss her again but he knew he had already pushed her to her limit before with his teasing. So he held back, clenching his fists before saying, "I need to go back to the hotel and check in with Zac so I'll see you later, Kaia."

When Kaia and Alexa walked through the front door, Alex followed suit. They went their separate ways after they reached the road.

Before they parted ways, Kaia felt bad that he needed to walk all the way back. "Do you...um...want me to take you to the hotel?" she stuttered out with uncertainty. Alex studied her face which was still red. "No, it's ok. I can walk there, it'll be good exercise since I wasn't able to jog this morning." Kaia nodded before getting into her car.

Alexa reluctantly got in and waved to Alex through the backseat window as the car drove to the school. Alex waved back at Alexa until the car was out of sight. Then he trudged all the way to the hotel where Zac was.