Page 59 of Nanny for the SEALs

“Boys, calm down,” Katie said as she entered.

“I thought you were calling the twins?”

She smiled. “I was going to, but then I remembered Aunt Elizabeth said I needed to stop checking in with them and just enjoy my time here. What happened in the five minutes I left you alone?”

Rick pointed at me. “Well, remember I told you I hadn’t heard from Stan. Then he just texts and says he’ll be back home the day before Thanksgiving. Just like that. No explanation. No sorry for scaring you, cause you know our mother committed suicide and I have the same fucking traits as she does, so I know you would be worried and I fucking don’t want you to be.”

I stood, feeling uneasy about Rick’s words, even though I knew he was right. He wanted an apology, and me being the stubborn fool, I wasn’t going to give it to him.

“Well, maybe Pete didn’t know how to tell you. Stan had so much shit going on that it was as if he was ready to explode. Maybe he exploded, and now he was ready to face you both again. I mean, he’s human. We all are. Just calm down, Rick.”

Her eyes were soothing, and I knew Rick always got angry when someone told him to calm down, but as Katie took his hand and they both sat down together, I knew Katie was someone we needed in our lives. Everything was evidential about it before, but the more time we spent with her, the more it became crystal clear.

“Sorry, Pete. Just feel like you guys are treating me like Dad. I’m not fucking Dad.”

That was the problem, as much as he denied it and we hated to admit it. Rick was a copy of Dad. He spoke to us with orders, never giving us a chance to express how we feel, just like Dad did.

“Pete?” Katie asked as she stroked Rick’s hand, and it was as if they’d both remembered I was in the kitchen.

“That’s the issue, Rick. You are every bit a copy of Dad. Both Stan and I are worried about disappointing you, so sometimes we forget you are our brother and not our dad. You’re not hundred percent like him, but you know there are similarities.”

“It sounds nuts, seeing as you’re triplets. But you guys are so different,” Katie said.

“Yeah, just wish my brothers could see that.”

Once again, he stood up to leave, but this time, Katie motioned for him to sit down and then she sat on his lap. She calmed him, something I never knew anyone could do but him.

“We’re just talking, there’s nothing wrong with talking and expressing how you feel. Something I haven’t been able to do for so long, and you guys showed me that it’s okay to be weak, to cry, to be strong, and just be me. I want you guys to feel the same way, too.”

I stood as she pressed her lips against Rick’s. I stroked her hair, listening to the sounds they were making, hearing my brother getting aroused, as I kneeled and moved her head away from Rick’s to mine.

“Katie, you really are special,” Rick groaned as I stood and lifted her and headed to the bedroom. I didn’t want to fuck her. No, I wanted to make love to her. I had one eye open making sure I was moving in the other direction, the only sounds were Katie’s moans and the footsteps of my brother behind us as we all headed to the bedroom.

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