Scarlett nodded.
I went up the stairs. The door to the master bedroom was wide open. Interesting choice. What if Scarlett had wandered up here? She would have been scarred for life.
I put my hand in front of my face, hoping to block them going at it, and peered into the room. “What the hell are you guys doing up here?” I asked.
There was no response.
I lowered my hand. The bed was empty and perfectly made.
I walked into the room and checked in the master bathroom too.
Empty.
Huh.They hadn’t actually left Scarlett alone here, had they? I wandered out of the bedroom and heard Liam cooing from his room.
I hurried down the hallway. If they left their baby alone…my thoughts trailed off as I entered the nursery.
James’ head was resting on the slats of the crib. His eyes were closed and he was snoring lightly. Penny’s head was in his lap and she was out cold too. A children’s book was on the floor beside them. They must have fallen asleep reading to Liam. Scarlett had said he hadn’t slept last night. They all must be exhausted.
Liam cooed again and started kicking his little legs. His parents were sleeping, but Liam didn’t seem keen on a nap right now.
I stepped over Penny’s body and leaned over the railing of the crib to lift Liam. He quieted down when I pulled him to my chest. I smiled down at my friends. Of course they hadn’t left Scarlett all alone. They were great parents.
“Let’s give them a break, okay?” I whispered to Liam.
He looked up at me with big watery eyes.
I went back out in the hall and closed the door gently behind me. “Shh,” I whispered to him.
He didn’t respond. Because of course he didn’t. He was a baby.
“Liam is going to play with us for a bit while your parents take a nap.” I set Liam down on the carpet next to us.
“Hi, Liam.” Scarlett leaned over and kissed his little forehead. “You can be Axel now,” she said and gave Liam the Ken doll.
What the hell?Seriously, why did she always make me play a female part? “I can keep being Axel,” I said.
“No.”
“Why?”
“Because his hair is plastic. And it’s okay if Liam gets slobber on it. He’s slobbery right now.”
Oh. Well, that was a very practical reason.
Liam put Ken’s head in his mouth and bit it.
Scarlett scrunched up her nose, but didn’t pull the doll away from her brother. “He’s a bad Axel,” she said.
“He’s trying his best.”
Scarlett shrugged. “Dance party?”
“Dance party,” I said with a nod. I pulled the Ken doll out of Liam’s mouth and lifted Liam into my arms. And then all three of us started dancing around the room.
Homecoming - Chapter 8
Sunday
