it.
“I’m Batman!” declared Luke, a Batman figurine in his hands, held by the legs. He made it walk on the edge of the tub toward my action figure. Mine was Wonder Woman and I made it walk up to Luke’s Batman.
“Well, I’m Wonder Woman and I will fly us to safety in my invisible jet!” I said. Luke giggled.
“Your jet has only one seat, where will I sit?” he asked.
“You can sit in the trunk, Batman,” I said, reaching for a little plane and holding it aloft. We played like that for a few minutes, but then I knew it was time to put him to bed. It had been a long day.
“Luke, baby, I need you to get out now and dry off, okay?” I said, reaching for a towel from the counter.
“Okay,” said Luke reasonably.
I walked down the hall and knocked on the door. “Risa, time to get out and dry off,” I said.
“Okay,” called Risa. I usually let them play in the tub and relax in the shower for at least half an hour. It had been less than half that long. Risa emerged from the shower wrapped in a fluffy towel and had another one in her hands and was drying her hair off. “Anything wrong, Alyssa?” she asked.
“No, Sweetie.” I walked to the bathtub. “Come on, Luke,” I held out a towel with my arms behind it, and Luke ran to me, bubbles slowly running down his legs. I wrapped him up in the big, fluffy towel and picked him up and walked to the bed with him. Risa followed more slowly. She was smart and could tell I was rattled. Looking into my eyes, she opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. I gave a curt shake of my head and then mouthed, “later,” and began toweling off Luke. He giggled as I rubbed at his head, and his long light brown hair fluffed up nicely. Risa nodded slowly and toweled herself off with a thoughtful look on her face. At 13, she was smart enough to know not to discuss serious subjects in front of Luke, who, at 5 still had an air of complete innocence about him. We all got ready for bed, and I tucked them into the bed they shared in the small room at the end of the hall.
“Okay guys, I think we finished our book last night, so which one do you want to start tonight?” I asked.
Risa jumped out of bed to choose one from our small book stack. Luke snuggled farther down into his covers, content to let her choose. I caressed his forehead absentmindedly as Risa selected one and brought it back to the bed. She handed it to me and wiggled back in beside Luke.
“ ‘The Graveyard Book,’ huh?” I looked down at Risa. She nodded solemnly. “You don’t think this might be too scary for your little brother?” I asked.
Risa shook her head slowly from side to side, thinking. “I don’t think so, but I promise to hold his hands for the scary parts,” she said.
“I’m not scared!” said Luke. I reached down and kissed his forehead.
“Well, I guess it will be alright,” I said, smiling. I opened the book and began to read the first chapter about a scary man with an even scarier knife and the baby who manages to elude him. I got to page 12 before Luke nodded off. I closed the book quietly and stood up from the bed, turning to fix the blanket over Luke. Risa looked at me sleepily and snuggled deeper under her covers next to him.
“Will you tell me tomorrow?” she said.
“Yes. Tomorrow. If I can. Now sweet dreams, Sweetie,” I leaned over and kissed her, then moved to Luke, and kissed him gently, whispering, “Sweet dreams, little boy.”
Chapter Two
Downstairs, Jacob had returned from next door. He was drying his hair off with a kitchen towel, and stomping his feet. It was still raining out there apparently. Caitlyn and DeAndre were sitting in the living room with Tim, watching a rerun of “Frasier.” I reached up and helped Jacob out of his raincoat.
“Did you find out anything?” I asked quietly. He nodded, giving me a worried look. We both went into the living room to talk things over with Caitlyn and D.
Apparently,
“I’m Batman!” declared Luke, a Batman figurine in his hands, held by the legs. He made it walk on the edge of the tub toward my action figure. Mine was Wonder Woman and I made it walk up to Luke’s Batman.
“Well, I’m Wonder Woman and I will fly us to safety in my invisible jet!” I said. Luke giggled.
“Your jet has only one seat, where will I sit?” he asked.
“You can sit in the trunk, Batman,” I said, reaching for a little plane and holding it aloft. We played like that for a few minutes, but then I knew it was time to put him to bed. It had been a long day.
“Luke, baby, I need you to get out now and dry off, okay?” I said, reaching for a towel from the counter.
“Okay,” said Luke reasonably.
I walked down the hall and knocked on the door. “Risa, time to get out and dry off,” I said.
“Okay,” called Risa. I usually let them play in the tub and relax in the shower for at least half an hour. It had been less than half that long. Risa emerged from the shower wrapped in a fluffy towel and had another one in her hands and was drying her hair off. “Anything wrong, Alyssa?” she asked.
“No, Sweetie.” I walked to the bathtub. “Come on, Luke,” I held out a towel with my arms behind it, and Luke ran to me, bubbles slowly running down his legs. I wrapped him up in the big, fluffy towel and picked him up and walked to the bed with him. Risa followed more slowly. She was smart and could tell I was rattled. Looking into my eyes, she opened her mouth to say something, then closed it again. I gave a curt shake of my head and then mouthed, “later,” and began toweling off Luke. He giggled as I rubbed at his head, and his long light brown hair fluffed up nicely. Risa nodded slowly and toweled herself off with a thoughtful look on her face. At 13, she was smart enough to know not to discuss serious subjects in front of Luke, who, at 5 still had an air of complete innocence about him. We all got ready for bed, and I tucked them into the bed they shared in the small room at the end of the hall.
“Okay guys, I think we finished our book last night, so which one do you want to start tonight?” I asked.
Risa jumped out of bed to choose one from our small book stack. Luke snuggled farther down into his covers, content to let her choose. I caressed his forehead absentmindedly as Risa selected one and brought it back to the bed. She handed it to me and wiggled back in beside Luke.
“ ‘The Graveyard Book,’ huh?” I looked down at Risa. She nodded solemnly. “You don’t think this might be too scary for your little brother?” I asked.
Risa shook her head slowly from side to side, thinking. “I don’t think so, but I promise to hold his hands for the scary parts,” she said.
“I’m not scared!” said Luke. I reached down and kissed his forehead.
“Well, I guess it will be alright,” I said, smiling. I opened the book and began to read the first chapter about a scary man with an even scarier knife and the baby who manages to elude him. I got to page 12 before Luke nodded off. I closed the book quietly and stood up from the bed, turning to fix the blanket over Luke. Risa looked at me sleepily and snuggled deeper under her covers next to him.
“Will you tell me tomorrow?” she said.
“Yes. Tomorrow. If I can. Now sweet dreams, Sweetie,” I leaned over and kissed her, then moved to Luke, and kissed him gently, whispering, “Sweet dreams, little boy.”
Chapter Two
Downstairs, Jacob had returned from next door. He was drying his hair off with a kitchen towel, and stomping his feet. It was still raining out there apparently. Caitlyn and DeAndre were sitting in the living room with Tim, watching a rerun of “Frasier.” I reached up and helped Jacob out of his raincoat.
“Did you find out anything?” I asked quietly. He nodded, giving me a worried look. We both went into the living room to talk things over with Caitlyn and D.
Apparently,
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