Page 18 of Cosmo

Nodding, Liam said, “Take it from me. You likely are a lot better than you think.”

As Eazy watched thedark cloud move over Liam’s handsome face, he was reminded of Lip from Shameless. Theyhad a lot in common looks-wise, but Eazy feared they were even more similar.

As in, having shitty parents.

“Make that list and I’ll stop back by to get it once I get the kids ready to head to the store.”

“Thanks. I’ll do that now.”

When Eazy was back in his own apartment, Katie came running into the living room, complaining about her brother. “Daddy, Micky is lost.”

“Lost? What do you mean?”

“Go see. It’s very unsettling.”

Unsettling. A big word for a little girl, but she paid too much attention to everything from television, to books, to adults speaking. There was always a surprise vocabulary word she threw around like it was normal.

“Unsettling. Got it. Take me.”

She was possibly the prettiest little girl he’d ever seen, and that wasn’t only bias because she was his daughter. She had pretty features from both sides of the two families. Light blue eyes that were haunting, blonde hair that was thick and curly, lighter skin, but all Eazy’s features.

Mick was the opposite, and every bit as beautiful. His hair and skin were darker, his eyes golden, like Eazy’s, but his features were all the Murphy family. Tiny nose, big, oval eyes, and long, thin fingers. He may come from Tally, but he was all Connor Murphy. Their genes were strong, to say the least.

As they ascended the stairs, Eazy asked, “I thought Daddy was up here with you.”

“He is, but you know Daddy, he’s…better doing other stuff.”

Eazy laughed, though he knew he shouldn’t. “Katherine, don’t talk about Daddy like that.”

“Why?”

Eazy wasn’t up for explaining. “Never mind.”

They got to Little Mick’s room, and Murphy was there, laughing while holding his belly. Little Mick was on the floor, struggling to get out of a sweater that Eazy had told Mick to put in the donation basket they kept in the hall closet weeks before.

He was stuck in the too-small sweater.

“Murphy! Why aren’t you helping him?”

Murphy lost his smile and looked totally guilty even as he tried to portray innocence. “He won’t let me!”

Eazy kneeled on the floor and helped Little Mick, but the boy rolled away from him. “Don’t help, Daddy!”

Eazy’s confusion was total. “What do you mean?”

“He knows we’ll take the sweater, and he’ll never see it again, and it’s his favorite,” Murphy explained.

It became clear at last. Eazy fully sat on the carpet and sighed, “He loves that thing.”

“Can’t we…I don’t know, keep it for now?”

“It’s too small for him.”

“Make it into a…security blanket kinda thing. Let him sleep with it.”

Starting that could be a longer-lasting problem, but neither had the heart to take it from him if he loved it so much. “For a very little while, Mick!”

“Help,” the boy finally shouted, though it was muffled by being in the thick blue sweater. That was one reason he loved it. Blue was his favorite color, but he’d sworn his fathers to secrecy, being big Mick wanted him to love Kelly green.

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