Page 23 of Cross My Heart
Oh boy!Think, Lanes.
“Hey, Tate, do you know if your dad has any of those baby carriers around? You know, the ones that make you look sort of like a kangaroo?”
He jumps to attention, already opening a closet door.
I’m floored by what I see. It seems like someone bought out the entire baby section on Amazon. It’s all brand new.What the hell?
“Thanks, bubs” I start digging around and find what I’m searching for, a Baby Bjorn and a Baby Ergo. I pump my fist and yell, “score!”, causing Tate to giggle. Even the girls have quieted for a minute. I get to work putting on the Bjorn first on my front then the Ergo on my back. I can do this.
Since Sara is heavier and seems less fussy, I put her on my back and start to sway. Harper has started crying again, so I grab her, sliding her into the Bjorn on my front. For once, I am thankful I’m not a small woman. Once I’m satisfied they are both secure, I twirl around for Tate.He smiles, and the girls giggle. We are ready to get to work.
“Hummm, Mr. Tate, what do you like for breakfast?”
He walks to the pantry and pulls out some frosted pastries, and I frown.
“Is that what you normally have for breakfast?”
He looks down and nods.
I don’t want him to feel bad, so I put a smile on my face and crouch down the best I can while wearing two babies.“Hmmm, those are okay sometimes, but there’s not much you can do to help cook those. How do you feel about pancakes?”
When he raises his head and grins, I know I’ve got him.
“Perfect, let’s get started, but first, we need some music!”
He raises his eyebrows, so much like his dad, and I feel a smile take over my whole face. I quickly glance around for a speaker but realize I don’t know the passwords to sync up even if I found one. I just pull out my phone and open iTunes, searching for a PG playlist. When I find what I’m looking for, I press play.
“Tate...can you find me a mixing bowl? I’ll get all our ingredients ready,” I ask him, swaying to the music.
I peek over my shoulder and Sara smiles. She is so sweet. I look down at my chest, where Harper is fast asleep. This just feels right. I need to call Jules later and let her know how it’s going.
“Hmm, this is a little trickier than I thought it would be with the four extra arms and legs I have sticking out of me,” I tell Tate.
Just as I turn, Sara grabs the bowl before I can stop her, resulting in Tate, the girls, and myself getting covered in flour. I just shrug, “Oh well, let's just scoop the flour from the counter back into the bowl.”
Tate seems slightly suspicious but follows my lead, doing our best to keep grabby fingers away from our breakfast.
“Here, buddy, you pour the milk, then you can mix. I hand him a whisk. I’m using mine as a microphone while I dance and sing around the kitchen. Every once in a while, I grab Tate’s little hands and get him to move around with me.I think he finds me funny but hasn’t gone full dance mode yet.He’ll get there, I’m sure of it.
While he is whisking. I turn to the stove. Covering Harper's legs with one arm to make sure they don’t reach the burner, I set the flame on low to heat the pan.
When Uptown Funk comes on, I turn to Tate with a grin.
He shakes his head like he knows he is in trouble, and I reach for his hand. With Sarah giggling behind me, and Harper still fast asleep, Tate and I swing and shimmy all over the kitchen.
Halfway through the song, Tate bursts out into a belly laugh, and I crumble beside him. It’s now my mission in life to make him laugh like that.
Dex
Chapter 10
Iwake up slowly, stretching my arms above my head and roll over. I slept really well, better than I have in a long time. Reaching over to grab my phone, I find that it is already after 7:00.
Shit!
I sit up to find my door is closed and frown. I always leave my door open so I can hear the kids. I jump out of bed and run to the hallway. The kid's doors are all open, as is Lanie’s. After a quick peek inside each one, I realize they are all empty. I can’t help the panic that starts until I hear the music.
I rush to the stairs and around the corner. I’m following the sounds of Uptown Funk and laughing but come to an abrupt halt in the doorway of my kitchen. I rub my eyes, trying to make sense of what I’m witnessing. Lanie has on very short sleep shorts, although I can’t see anything else because she has Sara strapped to her back and a sleeping Harper on her front. Her left hand is holding Tate’s with their other hands clinging to the whisks which they are singing the lyrics into.
