Chapter Thirty-six
Claire gently dabbed a moist cloth over the stitches on John's thigh, biting her lip as he hissed in pain. "Sorry…" She carefully wrapped his leg again and draped their covers back over his body. "Do you need anything?"
John shook his head, reaching for his mug of peppermint tea on the nightstand. "Thanks for being such a good wife." He smiled, propping himself up a little when she bent down to kiss him.
She climbed into the bed beside him, snuggling into his side and tracing her fingers over his bare chest. "Thank you for being a wonderful husband."
"Mama!" Sid laughed as he toddled into the bedroom. "Dada!" He reached for John as he stopped at the edge of the bed, cuddling against his father's chest in contentment before his sisters tumbled into the room together.
John chuckled and scooped the girls up onto the bed, his joy becoming short lived when Samantha's toes jabbed into his wound. "Fu-dge!" He tried to catch himself and stop the curse, happy that the kids hadn't started repeating his language.
Claire combed Maya's hair back from her brown eyes, pinning it back with a barrette as John, Sid, and Samantha wrestled. "You're going to get hurt." She mumbled, smiling when John was pushed off of the bed. "I told you."
Bobby scooped Maya into his arms as she rushed for him, laughing as she pulled at the bison pendant on his necklace. "Hey there, Leotie." He smiled, tickling her tummy as he stepped into the dining room. "You've got a little flower running around out here." He took a seat at the table, handing Maya a sippy-cup as he got comfortable. "How's the leg?"
John scooped a forkful of eggs into his mouth. "Better." He smiled, letting Samantha climb into his lap and start drinking his coffee. "I had a couple days of withdrawals, but I'm doing good now." He shook his head as Samantha tipped the coffee mug too far and spilled it all over herself and John. He caught the mug as she dropped it, placing it on the table and adjusting her on his lap as she screamed and cried from the shock. "Shh... you're alright." He bounced her against his chest, wincing when her foot rubbed against the bandage on his thigh.
Claire took the coffee cup from the table and placed a plate in front of Bobby. "I told you not to give her coffee." She sighed, adjusting Sid on her hip. "She'll be shorter than Jessica."
The men laughed and continued with their meal as Claire took a seat across from them. "Please. She's a Bender baby, she'll be just as tall as the other two." John pinched Samantha's nose and had her blow into a napkin, tenderly kissing her head before he wiped her tears.
Bobby gave Maya a piece of pancake, bouncing her on his knee as he looked from the twins and Samantha to their parents. "You know, Sam's going to ask why she's so different, right?" He asked, nodding to her blonde hair and the twins dark brown. "What're you gonna tell her?"
John swallowed, tucking Samantha's hair behind her ear with soft hands. "I… guess we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." He met Claire's eyes. "After all, she won't be the only rape baby in the house."