Bryce was laughing hysterically while looking between me and the kids. I placed my head in my hands, amazed at Charli’s now apparent talent for breaking wind on cue.
“My turn.” Nate shuffled on the spot. I had the urge to demand he fart, but that would only detriment us all in the long run.
“Alright, truth or dare?” I asked him.
“Truth,” he replied confidently.
Excellent, I may just like this game yet. “Did you eat that Brussels sprout, or did you give it to Bryce when I wasn’t looking?”
He quickly glanced at Bryce and answered “Noooooo,” in a very drawn out, slow voice. I turned in Bryce’s direction, catching him frantically moving his head from side to side and telling Nate to say ‘no.’
“Liar!” Charli shouted and pointed to Nate. “You have to do it again.”
Nate huffed.
“Okay.” I looked at Bryce and squinted my eyes with a silent message that he was about to get found out, then I looked back at Nate, opening my eyes wide with warning that he better not lie. “Did Bryce say that Danny could drive you to school in the limo?”
Nate’s open eyes broadened then he screwed up his face.
“Nate?” I probed.
He closed his eyes then nodded twice.
I pointed to Bryce. “Ha, I knew it. I knew it.”
He tried to grab my finger in an attempt to bite it then winked at Nate. “My turn and I choose truth this time.” He looked directly at Charli with a knowing smile.
She didn’t hesitate and quickly jumped in, asking the question she attempted moments ago. “Are you going to ask Mummy to marry you?”
“Yes,” he snapped out before I even had a moment to break their alliance.
“When?” she blurted out quickly.
“Soon,” he answered, just as fast.
“How soon?”
“Charli!” I interrupted. Nate laughed.
“Soon, soon,” Bryce continued.
“Bryce!” I poked him. He is just as bad as both of my kids.
“Are you going to have a baby?” Charli continued. Whoa! Okay, game over.
“I think that’s enough of truth or dare for tonight.” I switched my tone of voice to the game’s-up-I’m-now-serious one.
“Awww,” they all whined.
“Maybe. Would that be okay?” Bryce continued to answer Charli’s question, ignoring my request that we end the game before the baby-in-my-uterus cat was let out of the bag.
“Yeah. That would be awesome,” Charli added. “I love babies, but only if it’s a girl baby. Boys are crap sometimes.” She poked her tongue out at Nate. He responded by throwing his dirty socks at her. “See what I mean? They are disgusting. Yuck!”
“What about you Nate? Would that be okay?” Bryce queried my son. Oh Shit! Do I want to hear this answer?
“I guess...but aren’t you too old, Mum?”
“No. I’m not too old, and anyway, it’s bed time. Come and give me a kiss then hop back into bed.”
Both Nate and Charli climbed onto our bed and gave me a kiss. Charli even climbed over to Bryce and placed a peck on his cheek then bumped fists with him, in a modern high-five gesturing kind of way. I shook my head at the realisation that he had successfully been able to infiltrate my children’s brains in order to have them side with him and gang up on me. I shot a baffled smile at him, turned off the light and snuggled into to his chest.
He wrapped his arms around me, lightly kissed my neck then whispered into my ear. “I had a really great time today, thank you for sharing your family with me.”
I smiled although I knew he couldn’t see it. “What’s mine is yours, remember?”
His grip tightened.
***
Lying in bed the following morning had me thinking about what Bryce said before we had drifted off to sleep. I realised that the reason he’d confessed to having such a great time the day before was because he had missed out on having similar family experiences himself. Where I took our family gatherings for granted or saw them as everyday events and not giving them much emphasis, he had thrived on them—enjoying that contented feeling he’d never had the privilege to be surrounded by.
I hugged him incredibly tight, loving him for being in my life; loving him for having such a great relationship with my kids; loving him for loving me, and loving him because he deserved it. My tight squeezing stirred him from his sleep, filling me with joy at being able to stare at him as he returned to the conscious world—usually it was the other way around. I thoroughly enjoyed watching him wake, watching his face come to life when his eyes met mine.
“Hey, Mr. Clark. Fancy helping me be an Easter Bunny?” I whispered.