"Sorry!" The voice called cheerfully from the entry. I heard the sound of boots clopping down the hall then a head poked around the kitchen doorway.
Furry. Red. Sasquatch.
The yeti-come-man was the furriest person I'd ever seen.
"Ah, I see the harpy is here," the man-beast said with glee, pulling off his cap and slapping it against his thigh. Dust poofed out at the action, gently floating to the floor.
My eye twitched but I ignored the compulsion to get a dustpan and brush.
"You must be Laura," the man bounded over, his actions like that of an oversized baby bear. "I'm Ian." His paw of a hand swallowed mine as he shook it enthusiastically.
Unlike his cap, the rest of him was clean.
"Nice to meet you," I said politely, shifting in my seat to make a move. "You want a beer?"
"Don't fash yourself, I got it." He walked to the cupboard, removing a glass then reached for the wine. I saw Liv's eyebrows rise before she wiped her face clear. I ducked my head, hiding a smile.
Ian took a sip then grinned, "I see you bought the good stuff. Nice taste."
I nodded at Liv, "actually, Liv bought it."
He considered her with renewed interest over the rim of his glass, swirling it gently.
She ignored him, purposefully looking at me. "So, what are we doing for dinner?"
"Pizza," Erik said, entering the kitchen, a baby on each arm. "Already ordered. And yes—" he said before Ian or Liv could comment. "—I ordered no pineapple."
They glanced at each other, then immediately looked away, both taking a long drink of their wine.
"You want me to take one?" I asked Erik, holding out my arms for one of the babies. He handed me Leif then went to the fridge, snagging a beer. "Thanks for letting me sleep," he rubbed an arm over his face. "God, I needed that."
I grinned, then looked down at Leif who pulled at my top, his hand firmly fixed. "Did you have a good sleep, little man? Hmm?"
He blinked up at me, giving me a big smile.
"Such a handsome boy," I cooed swaying around the kitchen. "You want some dinner?"
Ian moved, placing his glass on the island and pulling the cupboard open, calling, "I'll get you some yummies. Let's see," he pulled a tin of formula, holding it up triumphantly. "Gourmet baby milk? Delicious!"
He danced around the kitchen, surprisingly agile for a man of his size, humming Be our guestfrom Beauty and the Beast. Liv appeared unable to process Ian's antics, instead pouring her an overly generous second glass.
After the babies were fed, we settled them in the lounge room, soft toys on their chests to distract them while we all devoured the pizza.
The evening was enlightening. I learnt that Erik was an absolute sweetheart to everyone in his broader orbit – as evidenced by his and Ian's close relationship. Liv dropped the occasional embarrassing story, and he constantly checked in on his boys.
Apart from being a bit of a mess, the guy is near perfect.
"I got this," Liv muttered, getting off the sofa and clearing the remains of our dinner. "Besides, I better hit the road."
"Big weekend?" I asked, perfectly content to continue tickling Ulf's feet, his chubby legs kicking out at me as he gurgled his delight.
"Something like that," she muttered.
"I better be getting on too," Ian said, stretching. "You pa asked me to help get the duplex sorted for the new apprentice."
"This is the girl Gunnar recommended?" Erik asked from his position beside me on the floor. He was holding a set of dangling soft scarves for Leif to grab.
"Yeah, gotta install the extra safeties tomorrow for her."
