For Helen, the Queen of Drawing Things Out…..who's de daddy??
C ;)
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Seconds later another small voice piped up.
"You not Daddy! Daddy in Heaven!! Mummy said so!" Tom said angrily. "Mummy says telling lies is bad, so you BAD, 'tective PJ, YOU BAD!" and he reached over and grabbed Joe's hand, dragging his worried brother over to Maggie, where they both climbed up onto her lap and cuddled into her.
Maggie automatically wrapped her arms around them, tears filling her eyes as the impact of Tom's words sank in. Both boys were glaring at PJ, fury written all over their faces.
"BAD!" Joe growled, echoed by Tom.
Maggie glanced over at PJ, her heart breaking at the pain that was etched across his face. They hated him. His sons hated him. PJ ran a hand across his face, his heart breaking into a thousand shattered pieces. Opening his eyes, he stood up.
"Mags, I'm going to get going. I'm sorry if I upset you two," he said, kneeling down in front of the boys, startled when Tom sat up in his mother's lap and shoved PJ as hard as he could.
"Not Daddy, not. You BAD, 'tective PJ. You tell lies and you BAD, and Mummy cry, and - " and he hopped off Maggie's lap, kicking and pushing PJ as hard as he could, PJ collapsing back onto the floor under the onslaught. Maggie tried to get up to pull him off PJ, but she was hampered by a screaming Joe, terrified at his brother's antics, and at the tension that had filled the room.
"Thomas!!" Maggie yelled, as PJ finally managed to get hold of a ferociously squirming Tom, wrapping both arms around his son and holding him tight against his lap.
"Tom, stop it, please. Right now," she said, scooting forward on the couch as best she could, Joe continuing to cling to her like a limpet.
"Let go!" Tom yelled at PJ, fighting to get free, to get to his Mum as Maggie sat down on the floor next to them. "BAD 'tective, let me go!!"
PJ glanced over at Maggie, a small trickle of blood trailing down his chin as the effects of Tom's rage kicked in. "Mags, I – " he took a deep breath, fighting back the sob that was threatening to escape.
"No," she said, with just as much emotion both in her. "No, you're not going anywhere. This needs to be sorted out, and it needs to be sorted out now. If you go so that the boys can 'calm down' it'll just give them more time to think about it and work themselves up even more. PJ, please, you have to stay here and we have to sort this out now." Maggie was quiet, her heart beating erratically, her mind filling up with all sorts of ideas. Maybe he did want to go, maybe this was all too much and he wanted out, maybe – and he kissed her. Softly, gently, and with as much love as he could summon, PJ kissed Maggie, drawing her into a one armed hug as each other arm held a twin tightly to them.
Tom, still struggling slightly, looked up at 'tective PJ as he kissed his Mummy. Mummy wasn't sad now, she was, Tom frowned, she was, well she was sort of happy. She was holding on to Joe tightly, just like 'tective PJ was holding him, and she was kissing 'tective PJ, which wasn't something sad people did, cos Mummy was happy when she kissed him and Joe, and she - Tom sighed. He really had no idea what was going on.
When Mummy and 'tective PJ pulled apart, Tommy looked very closely at them. Mummy was staring at 'tective PJ, a small smile playing around her mouth. She rested her head against his, both of their eyes shut, as if they were drawing strength from each other. Tom glanced over at Joe, who was seeing the same thing. Without saying anything, each twin came to the conclusion that Mummy liked 'tective PJ. She liked him a lot. And, if they thought about it, he liked Mummy too. They could tell, just by the way he looked at her, the way he acted around her. The way he had made him and Joe laugh and feel safe, the way he had –
Daddy.
He had called himself Daddy.
Which wasn't right at all, cos Mummy had said that Daddy was in Heaven, and Mummies aren't allowed to lie to their little boys. It was a Rule, with a capital R, and everyone knows that those are the ones that never, ever, EVER get broken.
Twisting slightly, Tom sat in PJ's lap, still held in place by a strong arm. He startled slightly at the sight of blood on PJ's chin, and for some odd reason felt a tear start to fall down his small cheek.
"I sorry, 'tective PJ. I not mean to bleed you." He said sadly, reaching over for his Mum. "I sorry Mummy."
"Sorry too," Joe whispered from deep inside Maggie's comforting arms.
Surprisingly for Tom, it was 'tective PJ who spoke first.
"We know you're sorry mate. I know it wasn't on purpose. You just had a fright, and I'm sorry you found out that way." PJ gently lifted Tom up off his lap and sat him on the couch, smiling over at Joe as Maggie did the same.
"Listen. Your Mum and I need to talk to you. We need you to listen to us, and it might be a bit scary, but I want you to listen all the way through before you say anything, ok?" Tom looked over at Joe, before they nodded in unison.
Maggie moved over so that she was sitting next to PJ on the coffee table, facing their sons. She slid her small hand into his, facing the boys as a couple, with strength, and most of all, as it was becoming more and more obvious to both boys, with love.