Soft tittering and hushed voices float down the hallway causing my fingers to still over the keyboard, and I can't help but smile. A few days back, Tessa came to me long before dawn saying she wasn't feeling well. Her little cough was heartbreaking to witness. I immediately got her some medicine then rocked her until she fell back to sleep. Not 12 short hours later, Teagan came down with the very same thing. To keep Tyler from getting it too, Tobias took him to daycare the past three days. Even though work has been crazy lately, I stayed home with the girls. I just couldn't make myself leave them. I've been digitally filing incident reports from our home office while the girls sleep but it sounds like they're finally feeling better. Out of the corner of my eye, I see them run from their room to the playroom. I file two more reports and begin a third but the sudden silence makes be get out of my chair. I'm not sure what I'm expecting but it isn't what I see. My little devils are sitting on the floor drawing on the wall.
"What do you think you two are doing?" I ask. I obviously surprise them because they both jump. Teagan drops the marker she's holding but Tessa just hides hers behind her back. "You don't draw on the walls."
"I not do it," Tessa says.
"Really?" I cross my arms across my chest and stare down my defiant two-year-old.
"No," she says, shaking her head. Teags is looking back and forth between me and her sister. "Gunnew do it."
"Gunner just drew on the walls?" They both nod eagerly. "Are you lying to me, Tessa Beatrice?" Her eyes grow wide. I think she's going to break down and tell the truth but instead she slowly shakes her head. Disappointed, I turn to her sister. "Teagan Grace? Did you draw on the walls?" Her teary eyes slide to Tessa, and I can almost hear their silent conversation.
"No," she softly says when she looks back at me.
"You are both in so much trouble," I say. "I saw you drawing on the wall with my own two eyes. Tessa, you still have the marker in your hand." She immediately drops it like it's a hot coal. I take a deep breath. "You're trying my patience. Let's go. You both are going into timeout until you can tell Mommy the truth. I'm very disappointed in you both." They start crying. "Don't even start with the tears. It's not going to work. Come on." They get to their feet and file out of the playroom and into the hall. "Downstairs. Now." They mope down the stairs like they are marching to their execution. "Tessa, you sit in the club chair. Teagan, you come with Mommy." I leave Tessa and take Teagan into the sunroom. "You sit on the loveseat." She climbs up at the end and pouts.
"Mama?" she says as I'm getting ready to leave the room. "I sowwy."
"Why are you sorry?" I have a feeling she's just feeling sorry for getting caught.
"I drawed on the wall," she says or at least that's what I think she says. I kneel down in front of her.
"You should never draw on the wall," I say. "That was wrong but that's not why I'm so upset. You and Tessa lied to me. I walked into that room and saw you drawing on the wall. When I asked you about it, you lied and told me you didn't do it." I sigh.
"I sowwy, Mama," she says, her bottom lip trembling. It goes against every instinct I have to not wrap her up in my arms right now and console her but she needs to learn a lesson.
"You sit here and think about what you did," I say. "I'll come back when you can get up." She starts bawling the moment I leave the room. If I'm lucky, she'll cry herself to sleep.
"Mama," Tessa calls out. "Mama."
"What is it, Tessa?" I ask, coming into the living room.
"I wote on the wall," she says. "I sowwy I say I didn't." I sit on the toybox and give her the same speech I just gave Teagan. "I didn't want to get in twouble."
"You might or might not get in trouble for telling me the truth but if you lie to me, you definitely will get in trouble," I say. "Always tell me the truth even if it scares you. We can always work it out. Now, you sit there and think about what you did."
"Otay," she says woefully. She sits back in the chair and puts her chin on her fist. She looks just as miserable as her sister but at least she's not crying. Since I can't go upstairs and finish my work, leaving the girls alone, I head to the kitchen to start supper. Even though they are feeling better I don't want to give them anything too spicy so I decide on homemade chicken and noodles. This is something that I used to make with my mom a lot growing up so I could make it with my eyes closed. About half-an-hour later I hear movement in the living room. I set the knife down and step into the hallway. Tessa is dancing around by the club chair.
"Do you need to go potty?"
"Yeah!"
"Go," I say and she takes off like a flash. "All you needed to do was ask." She disappears into the powder room, and I swear I hear her sigh. Poor girl. I peek in on Teagan and just as expected she's curled up in a little ball on the end of the loveseat sound asleep.
"All done," Tessa says when she comes out.
"Did you wash your hands?" I ask. She nods and holds them out so I can inspect them. "Good job. Do you want to help Mommy finish supper?" Her eyes brighten and she eagerly nods. "Come on, little one."
"Mama?"
"Yeah?" I say, looking down at her.
"I sowwy," she says.
"Come here," I say as I lift her into my arms. She wraps her arms around my neck and squeezes tightly. "I love you." She pulls back and looks at me a little confused.
"You do?" she finally asks.
"Of course, I do," I say.
"But you was so mad," she says.
"Tessa, just because you upset me doesn't mean I stop loving you. There is nothing you could ever do that would make me stop loving you." I hug her tightly.
"I love you, Mama," she says. "I sowwy I was bad."
"Thank you, sweet girl," I say. "No more drawing on the walls and definitely no more lying."
"Someone drew on the walls?" Tobias asks, startling Tess and me.
"Dadda! You home!" She holds her arms out to him and he takes her from me.
"Hey, Pebbles," he says, giving her a kiss. "Did you draw on a wall?"
"Yeah. Teags did, too," she says. "We got in twouble."
"Tell Daddy why you really got in trouble," I say.
"I lied," she whispers then hides her face in his neck. He raises his brows at me.
"They both did," I say. "Told me it wasn't them who was writing on the walls, that it was Gunner."
"Tessa," he scolds. "Look at Daddy." She tentatively raises her eyes to his. "Do you know better than to do that again?"
"Yes," she says, nodding.
"That's good."
"I love you," she says.
"I love you, too," he says. "Where's Teags?"
"Asleep in the sunroom," I say, looking behind me. "Where's Tyler?" His face drops. Did he forget to pick our son up? "You didn't?"
"Shi… Crap! I did," he says, setting Tessa on her feet and pulling his phone out. "I'll be right back." He rushes out of the apartment.
"Why Dadda leave?" Tessa asks.
"He has to go pick up Tyler," I say.
"Hep you?" she asks.
"Yeah, we better get supper done so we can eat when Daddy and Tyler get home," I say. I pull the step stool out of the closet and help Tessa climb so that she is standing next to me. "You be careful."
"I caweful," she says. I chop up the cooled chicken and let her put it in the pot then do the same with the remaining ingredients.
"Well, it just needs to cook," I say. I help her down and put the stool back. "Are you feeling better?"
"A little," she says. "My froat huwts." I check the clock and see it's time for another dose of medication. Thankfully, she doesn't fight taking the grape-flavored liquid.
"I think you should rest before supper," I say. "Do you want to watch some cartoons?"
"Yeah," she says. I take her into the living room and put on some of her favorite shorts then go to check on Teagan. She's been asleep long enough. I sit down beside her and carefully lift her into my arms.
"Teags, it's time to wake up," I say, gently rubbing her back. "You've napped long enough."
"No," she murmurs.
"It's almost time for supper," I say. "You've been asleep for over an hour. It's time to get up." She turns her head so that she's facing me but she doesn't open her eyes. I kiss her forehead and find that she's warm again. "You need some medicine. I think you have a fever again."
"No, Mama," she whines and then she starts crying. I don't know if it's because she's still tired or not feeling well.
"It's okay," I say. "Mommy's got you." I sit with her a few more minutes, letting her wake up a little more. "Will you take some medicine for me?" She nods her head but it's still laying on my shoulder. "You can watch cartoons with Tessa when you're done."
"'Kay," she says. I expect her to pep up a bit but her eyes are dull and lifeless.
"How are you feeling?" She starts crying again as she talks to me. I have absolutely no idea what she's saying, which is going to make her even more upset. "Hey, hey, hey. Take a breath and calm down. Do you feel sick?" She shakes her head. "Are you still sleepy?" She shakes her head again. "Then what's wrong?"
"You mad," she wails.
"I'm not mad anymore," I say.
"You not?" she asks, peeking up at me.
"No," I say. "I don't want you writing on the walls, and I definitely don't want you lying to me. That's a big no-no. Okay?"
"'Kay," she says. "I sowwy. I dwawed, Mama. No Gunnew."
"I know but thank you for telling me," I say. "Give me a hug." She hugs me tightly then gives me a kiss.
"Hi, Mommy," Tyler says from the doorway. I look up and notice his red-rimmed eyes.
"Hi, buddy," I say.
"Is she still sick?" he asks with a cough. Uh-oh!
"Yeah, she's a little warm. Are you feeling okay?"
"I got a stupid cough," he says.
"Come with me, and I'll give you some medicine, too," I say. "Hopefully, it will nip it in the bud."
"That sounds funny," he chuckles. I carry Teagan into the kitchen with Tyler on my heels. I see Tobias sitting on the couch with Tessa in his lap. They both have their eyes glued to the TV. I don't know who likes Mickey Mouse better, Tobias or the kids. I give Tyler and Teags a dose of medicine then tell them to join their dad and sister on the couch while I finish supper.
I feel Tobias behind me before he makes his presence known. I close my eyes and sigh when he moves my hair over one shoulder and puts his mouth on my neck. I lean into him as he circles my waist with his arms.
"Hey, love," he says. "Supper smells wonderful."
"Thank you," I say. "I wanted to keep it light for the girls and now Tyler's coughing."
"I can't believe I forgot to pick him up," he quietly says, hanging his head forward to rest on my shoulder. I reach back and run my fingers through his hair to soothe him.
"It's all right," I say.
"No, it's not," he says. "He was crying when I finally made it there. All the other kids had been picked up, and the staff couldn't get ahold of me. I feel like a terrible father for forgetting him. When I came through the door, he threw himself at me. Seeing his tears made me feel even worse."
"I'm sorry," I say. "What was on your mind that made you forget?"
"An emergency council meeting has been called," he says.
"What?" I turn in his arms. "Why?"
"I have no idea," he says. "I got a call from your father's assistant. He said all faction representatives need to be in Abnegation by 7 tomorrow morning for an emergency meeting. I called your dad for more of an explanation but he didn't pick up."
"Damn," I mutter. "I don't want to go to Abnegation when the kids are sick."
"It's only for the day," he says. "And look on the bright side, love, at least it's not Amity."
"You're right about that," I sigh. "I'll try calling Dad after supper. Hopefully, he can give me an idea of what the meeting's about. We aren't due for one for another two months."
"I know," he says. He reaches up and pulls my lip away from my gnawing teeth. "Why do you seem so worried?"
"What exactly did Dad's assistant say?"
"Exactly what I told you," he says. "There's an emergency meeting tomorrow in Abnegation. All the faction representatives need to be there by 7 a.m."
"That's what's bothering me, Tobias," I say. "In the past, before a meeting, we are given an overview of what's on the docket days before. I don't recall a single instance when the topic is being withheld."
"When you put it like that, it does sound fishy," he says, concern furrowing his brows. "Let's try not to worry about it until you can talk to your dad."
"I'll try," I say. I go into the living room and find my kids sitting side-by-side on the couch watching cartoons. I can tell they aren't feeling well or they would be squabbling the entire time. "Are you ready for supper?" They nod, though they aren't as energetic as they usually are. Tessa and Tyler get off the couch but Teags starts crying.
"What's wrong, Peanut?" Tobias says. He comes from behind me and goes to pick up our whiny daughter. She says something but I don't quite catch it. I let him handle her and help the other two get up to the table. "Are you sure you're not hungry?"
"Yeah," she mutters.
"I'll take you up to bed then," he says and she starts crying again. "You either have to eat or you're going to go to bed. You can't keep watching cartoons."
"Mama," she cries, putting her arms out to me. I meet Tobias eyes and he nods.
"Come here," I say and she immediately comes to me. "What's wrong?"
"I no hungwy," she says with a little cough.
"Does your throat still hurt?" I ask and she nods. "Maybe the warm noodles will feel good on your throat. Will you try some for Mommy?" She shakes her head. "Please?" She sighs.
"'Kay." I try to put her in her seat but she tightly clings to my body.
"You want to sit with Mommy?"
"Yeah."
"I'll finish up," Tobias says. "You go ahead and sit down." He gives me a quick, soft kiss as he passes.
"Thanks." I sit down and Teagan snuggles against my chest.
"'Bout me?" Tessa asks.
"How about we all snuggle after supper? Is that okay?"
"Yeah," she says with a sigh. At least I know my children love me.
"Bridget is going to be here with you tomorrow," I say as Tobias serves us supper. "I have an important meeting I can't miss."
"I don't want you to go," Tyler whines. I notice that his cheeks are a little flushed.
"I have to, buddy," I say. "If it were any other day, I'd stay home in a second but this is an important meeting." At least it better be important to take me away from my kids when they need me.
"Okay." Supper is quick, the kids don't eat much, which doesn't allow Tobias or me to get much either. After the kitchen is cleaned up, I settle on the couch with Teagan asleep on my lap, Tessa under one arm, and Tyler under the other.
"Shoot," I murmur.
"What is it, love?"
"I forgot to call Dad about the meeting," I say.
"I'll do it," he says. "If you don't mind, that is."
"Of course," I say. "Thank you." He steps out of the room to make the call and I settle in on the couch for a quiet evening. Within minutes all the kids are sound asleep. They definitely must not be feeling well. About 15 minutes later, Tobias comes back into the room, a troubled look on his face. "What is it?"
"I talked to your dad and he doesn't know what's going on either," he says.
"How is that possible?" I ask.
"I called Caleb to see what he was told, and he was given the same information I received earlier," he says. "I have no idea what the meeting is about."
"What did dad have to say?" I ask. He takes a deep breath and blows it out in a rush.
"Not much," he says. "A couple of his colleagues came to him this afternoon and said they were calling an emergency meeting for tomorrow morning. When he inquired about the reason, they told him it was confidential."
"Confidential from the leader of the council?" I ask, my voice raising with each syllable. Teagan's head pops up and she looks at me, her eyes glazed over with sleep. "I'm sorry, baby. Go back to sleep."
"I not bebe," she mutters before lying her head back down. At least that's normal. I carefully move my hand from around Tessa and gently run my fingers through Teags hair and down to rub her back in an effort to get her back to sleep. She whines softly but doesn't move.
"I wish I had better news," Tobias quietly says when it seems like Teags falls back to sleep. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow to find out what the meeting is about." I shake my head disgustedly.
"That's BS and you know it," I say. "That's like Will, Shauna, and James calling a meeting without giving us a reason for it."
"I agree," he says. "There's nothing we can do about it so please try not to stress." He reached over Tyler and put his hand on my growing stomach.
"Okay," I say. "I'll try not to worry."
"Should we put the kids to bed?" he asks.
"Yeah. They've had a long day," I say. "We tried to keep Tyler from getting sick and he got it anyway."
"I noticed that when I picked him up," he says. "He was coughing and his nose was running. Hopefully, it's just a cold."
"I agree," I say. "The last time he was sick, it scared the crap out of me."
"Me, too." He gets off the couch and carefully picks Tessa and Teagan up allowing me to get Tyler into my arms.
"Mommy?" he mutters as I jostle him getting to my feet.
"Go back to sleep," I say.
"I not tired," he says and I can't help but chuckle.
"Buddy, you were just asleep," I say, kissing his head. "It's time for bed."
"Okay," he sighs. I follow Tobias up the stairs and take Tyler into his room. I carefully lie him on his bed then change him into a pair of PJs without waking him. I tuck him in with a kiss to his forehead and turn on his nightlight before going to help Tobias.
"Is Tyler asleep?" he asks.
"Yeah," I say. "Even though he told me he wasn't tired."
"I thought I heard him say that," he chuckles. I manage to get Tessa into her PJs while Tobias gets Teags into hers then we tuck them into their big girl beds.
I stand in the doorway, looking around their room and still can't believe they are no longer in the nursery. My girls are definitely not babies anymore. I can't believe how well their room came together in such a short amount of time. The fairy princess mural Gunner did on three of the four walls and part of the ceiling, complete with fairies that look like Tessa and Teagan, toadstools of various shapes and sizes, a grand princess castle, a shimmering forest, and lots of animals, is absolutely stunning. The soft, chalky pastels contrast nicely with the off-white furniture making them stand out. I can't wait to give the girls their rocking unicorns on Teagan's birthday.
"What are you thinking about?" Tobias asks, as he slips his hands around me.
"How things are changing around here," I say. "It seems just like yesterday I was trying to figure out how to breastfeed both of them at the same time and now they are in big girl beds."
"Don't blink or they'll be teenagers."
"Don't even joke about that," I sigh. "That's not even close to being funny."
"Sorry, love," he says. "Come on. Want to watch a movie."
"I actually should do some work," I say. "I didn't get as much done as I wanted today since our girls decided to play Picasso on the playroom walls. I still have a rather large stack of files to go through."
"Picasso, huh?" he chuckles. "I've got to see this." He leads me into the playroom and flips on the light switch. We take a couple steps into the room and look at the once white wall. "Not bad. They have real talent." I lightly slap his shoulder. "I'm kidding. Should we paint over it?"
"After we take pictures," I say.
"See, you think it's good, too," he says.
"I never really got to look at it until right now," I say. "It is pretty good but we can't have the kids drawing on the walls."
"I know," he says. "I suggest we add a drawing center to this room. I think the kids would love that."
"That's a really good idea," I say. "All of them love drawing pictures. Maybe we can set up some sort of gallery in the hallway."
"I like that idea," he says. "I think the kids would love seeing their artwork on display."
"I better get to those files," I say with a sigh.
"I can think of something else you can do," he says, resting his hands on my hips. He leans down and places a kiss on my exposed crows. "The kids went to bed early. We don't have to go to bed for a few more hours. Do you really want to work?"
"What do you have in mind?" I ask.
"I think you know," he says, moving his mouth to my neck. I moan.
"You want to play Twister?"
"Naked Twister." We laugh heartily as he leads me to our bedroom. Work can definitely wait.
