Page 8 of I Got You

“Shhhhhh,” I tell Liv as we crouch outside the bathroom door. The shower just shut off, and our unsuspecting brother is about to open it.

From behind us, I hear a whisper.

“What are you doing?” Garrett crouches down opposite us on the other side of the door.

I point to the pie plate filled with shaving cream. It’s a simple prank, but Teddy will love it even though he’ll have to shower again. He’ll hate that part, and that makes it sooooo much better.

We had a quiet evening after I got home. The boys had most of their homework done except for practicing spelling. Teddy had to read out loud to me while I cleaned up dinner and figured out what to make with the leftovers. Then, the kids played outside while I packed lunches.

But now, it’s game time, and I’m about to get the little sucker back for hitting me in the butt with a dart this morning. I hear Teddy humming, and joy rolls through my body with anticipation. I grin at Garrett, knowing he’s going to open the door any moment.

WHAM! He stands perfectly still as the pie plate clatters to the floor. A mound of shaving cream drips off his face, forming a dollop on his chest. Liv starts to giggle, and Teddy reaches up to wipe his eyes and mouth. Slowly, I see a massive grin grow around the foam.

Before I can react, he takes the extra cream and smears it over my head. We all scramble in the hallway, laughing as he tries to get us.

“You look like the Marshmallow Man,” Garrett says through laughter.

Teddy growls and walks stiffly toward him. “Who wants marshmallows?”

Liv and I duck back, still laughing, as he gets closer. “I got you, you little punk. Now, get your butt back in the shower and wash for real this time.”

The big marshmallow head turns in my direction. “If shaving cream is allowed now, the possibilities are endless.” He waggles his creamed eyebrows at me.

I laugh. “This was a one-time exception and only for me.”

“No fair.” He scrunches his face, and we all start laughing again as he heads back into the bathroom.

These moments. This silliness with these kids, it helps us all. They don’t often show it, but the weight of absent parents is hard on them. Even though they’re young enough to not quite understand, they’re old enough to know that our dad is ill and he’s not going to get better. It pulls us all down and doesn’t take into account that they were too much for their mom, who ran off and hasn’t looked back.

So, I’ll give these kids as many silly and messy moments as possible. They do us all good, and the laughter makes everything better, at least for the moment.

“Alright, let’s get you two in bed.” Liv and Garrett whine as I push them toward their rooms.

“But Hank isn’t even home yet,” Garrett argues.

“I know, but he’s working on a project with Sadie.” Sadie is our next-door neighbor, who I’m pretty sure has an epic-level crush on Hank, which he is completely ignorant of. Right now, she’s helping him not flunk his English test, getting him kicked off the soccer team before the season starts.

“You can read one of your medical mystery books for a while, and I’ll check on you once I get Liv in bed.” I pass the room he shares with Teddy, carrying Liv.

Liv climbs up into her fully pinked-out bed.

“Alright, beauty. What’s it going to be tonight?”

Her room is the smallest but the most loved, with twinkle lights and every imaginable girly thing anyone could possibly think of. Dolls. Unicorns. Hair bows. Princess dresses. Rainbows. Stuff is everywhere like a girly funhouse exploded all over the place, but cleaning this mess up is not something I have time for. So it’s the way Liv’s room remains, and something about all of her things surrounding her seems to bring her comfort.

“I want to read the one about the baby bird again.” She pulls the covers up around her tightly, just how she likes them.

We’ve read Are You My Mother? every night for weeks. Liv is the only one who asks about their mom. How do you tell an almost five-year-old their mom doesn’t have space in her newly invented life for her? So many questions, and none that I have answers to other than these kids are here with me. I’m doing my best to provide them the love and security I promised my dad I would.

“Do you think my mama is looking for me, Maggie?” Liv asks as we finish the story for the second time.

I pull oxygen in through my nose to give myself time to sort through responses, hoping to find the right one or at least one that’s satisfactory and shoulders some of the heartache.

“I think for right now, you’re supposed to be here with me, and I wouldn’t want you to be anywhere else.”

She snuggles closer to me.

“Do you think we could go visit Daddy sometime soon?”

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