Astra looks down at her daughters, five years old and full of their Aunt Kara's mischievousness and their mothers' smarts. "Ellie."
"Yes," both girls say together. Two dark heads of hair tilting to the same side, pale lavender bows barely hanging on to falling ponytails.
Their mother sighs, "Please, girls, not today. Mama's tired and your brother is already misbehaving," she tells them, hand rubbing over the spot her son is continually kicking on her belly. "We have to be at Aunt Cat and Aunt Kara's in fifteen minutes, Mommy isn't home yet and Mama can't fly us."
"Sorry, Mama," the two girls say together.
Astra shakes her head, "No, I'm sorry, babies." She reaches out and pulls them both into her arms. After cuddles she stands them both on their feet, "Now, Ellie Bug," the girl on the left looks up, "please go put your red dress on instead of the lavender like Callie."
She smiles, blue eyes twinkling, "Yes, Mama."
"And grab a bow to match," Astra calls after her. Then she looks at her other daughter, "Turn, Callie Bear, let's fix your ponytail."
Callie turns her back to Astra, "Braid it please, Mama?"
Smiling, Astra's nimble fingers make quick work of the braid, "There you go, baby."
Callie smiles at her Mama, "Love you, Mama."
"I love you too." She taps her daughter's nose, "Go hurry your sister along."
Scampering off toward the room she shares with Ellie, Callie giggles and Astra sags back into the couch. "You look tired," a voice says from the balcony doorway.
Astra turns her head to looks at her wife, "I knew it was a mistake to get the twins matching clothes."
"What did they do?"
"Switched places so Ellie could take Callie's writing test for her." Alex covers her mouth to hold in a laugh, "Plus your son has been beating my bladder up all day, not to mention my ribs. Also the air conditioner is out again."
"So we'll stay with Cat and Kara tonight, they won't mind and I'll call the AC people tomorrow morning. I'll talk to the girls about their switcheroo," she settles beside Astra on the couch, "and soon enough little man will be here instead of beating you up." She runs her hand across Astra's stomach, hoping to sooth their son and ease her wife's discomfort a bit, as the other woman rests her head on Alex's shoulder. "You're too stressed."
Astra sighs, "I'll be less stressed when I can hold Jeremiah and chase the girls around the house again."
Pressing a kiss to Astra's forehead Alex murmurs, "Soon," as two small blurs enter the room.
"Mommy!" Callie and Ellie chorus, dive bombing Alex.
"Hey, monkeys," Alex says with a smile. She hugs them tight, "How about the three of us pack some clothes to stay with Aunt Kara and Aunt Cat tonight."
"Yeah," the girls say together.
"Off you go," Alex says, releasing them. She leans over to kiss Astra, "We'll be right back. Call Kara for me."
Astra nods then sags into the couch, eyes closed, smile on her lips before she lifts her phone to call her niece.
Prompt: 086: "I knew it was a mistake to get the twins matching clothes."
