“What d’ya fancy for dinner tonight, mate? You can choose anything you like.”
Carter looked up at me and rolled his lips together for a few moments. He looked so much like his dad that it caused my heart to ache with how much I was missing him. Things were great between us, they always were when he took time out from work. I was just worried about them staying that way, now that he’d returned.
“Can we have fish fingers and mashed potatoes and peas please, Mummy?”
“We sure can. If you eat it all up, I might even be able to find you some ice cream cake for dessert, sound good?”
He nodded without looking back up at me.
“Thanks, mum.”
I watched him play for a few moments, still wondering what had gone through his head to make him want to bite his baby brother. He’d never been a spiteful kid. He played rough with Liam and my brother, but they were adults. He’d always been gentle around the twins, and I’d never had complaints from other parents at the playgroup or since he’d started school, so I was at a complete loss.
I needed to tell Liam about it, but I didn’t want to interrupt his meeting, so I decided to leave it until he got home from work that night. This was something we needed to discus, and decide on the best way forward together. I was still trying to work out the whys as I bathed and put them all to bed. I made sure to spend extra time with Carter. I let him have extra time in the bath without the twins and then read him two stories before he fell asleep.
I struggled to stay awake for Lucas’s last feed at eleven and must have fallen asleep with him still latched on to me. I felt Liam lift him gently out of my arms and clip my maternity vest back in place. He kissed me softly on the lips and switched out the lamp. A moment later, the bed dipped beside me, and I was enveloped in my husband’s arms and scent as he kissed my shoulder
I woke to the sound of muffled voices and bright sunlight. The baby’s crib was empty and a check of my phone told me it was just after ten in the morning. Panicking that Carter had missed the start to the school day and trying not to flip the fuck out over the whereabouts of my newborn. I rushed downstairs, calming a little as I heard Liam’s voice.
I entered the family room, MTV was blaring “Gangnam Style” from the telly, while Liam and Carter did their own interpretation to the dance in front of it. The twins were each in their highchairs with what looked like Weetabix smooshed all over their faces and in their hair, the pair of them were laughing hysterically at their dad and older brother. Lucas was sound asleep in his bouncy chair, completely unaware of the chaos happening around him.
I remained silent, standing back and taking a few moments to appreciate the people I loved most in the world. I was bone tired, still bleeding heavily after the birth of my fourth baby in four and a half years, desperately in need of a cut and colour. I couldn’t even remember the last time I had shaved my legs, I had nail polish missing from at least seven of my toes and would have killed for a mani and a pedi, but none of that mattered because I had this. My handsome husband and my beautiful boys, my world.
“Mummy.”
Carter called after spotting me from the corner of his eye and launching himself at me. Liam turned, and my eyes took him in, just as the song on the telly changed to Labrinth’s “Beneath Your Beautiful”. He held his hand out.
“Dance with me, pretty girl.” Carter climbed up onto the sofa, clapping his hands and shouting at us to dance, so I stepped into Liam’s waiting arms. He wrapped them around me. His hand slid down to my bum, and he pulled me closer so he could kiss me gently on the mouth.
“Daddy. You’re touching Mummy’s booty.” Carter laughed.
“Who taught my child that word?” I asked, my face pressed against my husband’s bare chest.
“Who told you to call it a booty, big man?” Liam asked him.
“Uncle Luke.”
“There ya go.”
“Why aren’t you at work?”
“It’s Saturday, I stayed late last night and got everything done that I needed to so I wouldn’t have to go in this morning.”
“I’ve lost track of the days.”
“I’m not surprised. Things have been a little hectic around here.”
“Just a little. Thanks for letting me sleep in.”
“No worries, the kids have been fed and the breakfast dishes loaded into the dishwasher. I can’t believe you slept through the noise they were making earlier. You obviously needed the rest. How you feeling, you look a little pale.”
“Drained, but I’m good.”
“I was thinking that maybe today we could put up the decorations and then tomorrow we can go and pick a tree and take this one to see the big man in red?”
“That sounds like a perfect weekend.”
2013