Then, one Thursday morning, she called me out of the blue. Her voice was sugary sweet.
“Hey, sis!
Whenever Brittany calls me “sis” in that voice, I know she wants something. That’s her signature opener before chaos.
I held the phone tighter. “What kind of favor?”
“I’ve got some errands… you know, nothing major.
Can you watch the boys? Just a couple of hours. They’ll play with Mia.
You won’t even notice them!”
That was a lie. I always noticed them. Jayden and Noah were sweet in small doses, like candy.
But give them an hour in your home, and you’d swear a tiny hurricane passed through. Brittany, though? She thought it was all adorable.
“Uh…” I paused.
She laughed, brushing it off like it was cute. “They’re just boys, Alice. Let them be kids.
You’re too uptight sometimes.”
Uptight. Right. Because I expect children not to use my curtains as capes or hide crackers inside my heating vents.
Still, I looked over at Mia, who was quietly coloring by the window.
She adored her cousins, even if they overwhelmed her. And deep down, I wanted to believe it could be okay.
I bit my tongue. “Alright.
Just a few hours.”Continue reading…
