I jump, my perfect cleaning world disrupted by the tears. The living room is in shambles, all the cushions are off the couch and there are blankets and pillows everywhere. Oh boy. Crew convinced him to build a fort.
“Will you show me where it goes?” Ward asks, holding up the white sheet.
“It goes like this.” Crew makes an arm motion and when Ward fails to understand, drops to the ground in a fit.
“Sorry,” I swoop in. “He’s a little OCD sometimes.”
I kneel down next to Crew, who is still screaming, and he fights me when I try to pick him up. It’s late and he’s tired; reasoning with him will be difficult.
“I guess it’s time for bed,” I sigh dramatically.
“No!” Crew jumps up, tears forgotten. “I don’t want to go to bed.”
I cup his hands in mine. “Then how about we calmly teach Ward the way we build our forts?”
He nods and swipes at his cheeks.
“You have to do it like this.” Crew motions again to Ward.
I stand up and reach for the sheet, draping it over the cushions the way Crew likes, and help them finish it up.
I step back to see Ward watching me, an interested expression in his eyes. I shift my weight. “What?”
He shakes his head, resuming his natural seriousness. “You’re a good mom.” And then he climbs inside the fort with Crew.
The back of my eyes burn.I will not cry.
I finish up the dishes, the whole time watching them from the corner of my eye. How many times have I tried to get out of playing the same exact thing with Crew? But right now, with Ward in my house, I want to be a part of it all. I want to hear Crew giggle and laugh like this every minute of every day and I want to enjoy it all with someone else who helps make these tiny walls feel like a home.
A few minutes later, Ward emerges from the fort. “I better be going. I’ve got an early shift in the morning.”
I twist the life out of the hand towel. “Well, thanks for dinner, again.”
He retrieves his keys from the table. “I really am sorry I took advantage of you earlier.”
What? When? And how did I miss it?
“If you don’t want to fake date me, I understand.” He rubs the back of his arm.
Oh that. Right. “No, of course I will.” I smile at him and his broad shoulders seem to relax. “Like I said, it will be fun.”
He has no idea how much fun.
“Rocket time!” Crew shouts, leaving exactly point zero one second warning before he launches himself at Ward, who was left wide open and vulnerable down south.
He goes down with a grunt.
Oops.
Crew freezes over Ward’s bent body.
“Mommy, did I kill him?”
“No, honey. That’s what we call karma.”
Twenty Two
Ward
