Page 56 of One Sweet Lie

Then he grimaced and held his stomach.

“No, wait.” I held up my hands as he grunted, knowing what was coming. “Can you hold your poo in a little while longer? Maybe two minutes? I forgot to put you in a thicker?—”

A fresh load of green slosh sludged through his diaper onto the floor.

“Dahhhh!” He laughed. “Dahhh!”

He looked like he was waiting for applause, like I’d just witnessed him shit out a Picasso.

Holding my breath, I carried him to the sink.

Charlotte crawled over to us, and I noticed her diaper was soiled green, too.

“Okay, that’s it.” I pulled out my phone. “We’re getting disposable diaperstoday.”

TWENTY-TWO (B)

HARLOW

Later that evening

“Mama called the doctor, and the doctor said, No more monkeys jumping on the bed!”I sang.

William giggled against my shoulder while Charlotte snored in my lap.

“Let’s try a softer story.” I reached under the books and grabbed the folded sheet I’d placed there weeks ago.“My Daddy is a Big Mean Bastardby Anonymous.”

I cleared my throat. “Once upon a time, there was a big mean bastard who believed he controlled all of Manhattan. That man was my daddy.”

“He walked around with hisbig ole’ watch, and acted like he was in charge ofall the clocks.”

“He huffed and puffed until he got his way, but he had a stick up his ass, so he couldn’t walk straight.”

“Wait a minute.” I paused. “Do you think I can rhyme ‘way’ with ‘straight’ for this story? Is that okay?”

William answered by shutting his eyes.

“Okay, I’ll work on it and read you my next draft tomorrow.”

I moved him and Charlotte onto their fluffy floor mats. Then I turned on some soft rain sounds and leaned against the wall.

I tried to shut my eyes, but I heard soft footsteps in the hallway.

Olivia?“Is that you, Olivia?” I asked.

“Yeah.” She stepped into the nursery. “It’s me.”

“Something wrong?”

“I have a question.”

“Okay.” I sat up. “I’m listening.”

“Can you read with me next?”

“Yeah, of course.” I patted the spot next to me, and she brought a copy ofHarry Potter.

“You don’t have to act out the voices like you do with the twins.” She looked sheepish. “I mean, unless youwantto.”

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