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What do I do?Give in?Does that set a bad precedent?On the other hand, when am I going to be babysitting them again?Alone, no less.I eyed my phone.Texting Marcie would take two seconds.She’d given me her number and told me to use it—no matter how small my concern was.But she’s dealing with both parents.You used to be overwhelmed with just your mom.

That was true.Except I’d been a child and then a teenager.As an adult, wouldn’t it be easier to cope?

Texting Jeremy was just as tempting, but he’d looked super stressed at midnight when he’d headed out.I’d no idea his job was so…important.Being called out in the middle of the night?I thought that was, like, doctor-level stuff.Also, he hadn’t contacted me all day.So maybe he was too busy.

“Please?”Thaddeus pressed his hands together as if in prayer.

Oh buddy, that would be the thing least likely to have me caving.The look of pleading on his face, as well as the resoluteness of Raphael’s had me giving in.“Just this once.”

Both children, simultaneously, fist pumped the air.

“But you have to promise to sit with Wally in the family room and watch television while I cook.”

“I always help.”Raphael’s stubborn jaw set was back.

“That may be true.But I need you to watch Wally and make sure I don’t trip over him.That’s a big responsibility.”

They squinted—as if trying to take my measure.“Yeah, okay.”

“Great.I’m going to give you each a couple of baby carrots.”

Wally perked.

“Yes, you too, buddy.”

After I’d doled out carrots for all, the three smaller beings headed into the family room and I set about organizing dinner.Somehow I managed to make four sandwiches without burning anything.As a kid I’d done this fairly often—although not with the good cheese I got to use today.Hell, that I’d gone twenty-four years without burning myself was pretty impressive.

I won the battle between eating in front of the television and sitting properly at the kitchen table.

I ruled over said table and didn’t allow anyone toaccidentallydrop food for Wally to scoop up.

I managed to get everyone fed and the kitchen cleaned up before bedtime.

Those all felt like huge accomplishments.Seriously big deals.

Then I faced the uphill battle of actually getting the kids into bed.

Marcie had said that, for this one time, they could skip baths.

Raphael wanted none of that.

As a compromise, I sat on the outside of the bathroom and insisted they give me a running commentary of what they were doing.I worked off the assumption that I’d burst in if they stopped talking.I might’ve also googled the average age of kids drowning in bathtubs and been vaguely reassured that five-year-old kids, if they were going to drown, did so in pools or lakes.The number of kids who died that way distressed me, but the odds were in my favor that Raphael would be fine.

And they were.

In turn, I learned about every single thing they had said and done in the nine hours we’d been apart.Who knew five-year-olds did so much in a day?I was vaguely relieved they didn’t share when they went to the washroom.Was it possible they understood the concept of oversharing?Although, given my word vomit to Jeremy yesterday, Raphael appeared to have more restraint than me.

Yet Jeremy didn’t turn away.He guided you to a store with sticky buns and made you laugh repeatedly.He welcomed you into his home with his sister and nibblets there.You had fun.That has to mean something.

“I have homework.”Raphael made the pronouncement as they opened the bathroom door I’d been leaning against.

At least I’d been sitting, so I only lost my balance for a moment, but was able to right myself.“Uh…you get homework in kindergarten?”I didn’t remember much from those days.If I’d been assigned something, it would’ve been bible study.No separation between church and state in that town.

“I have to draw a picture.”Raphael wore a large, oversized shirt.

Jeremy had warned me they didn’t like wearing clothes, especially at home.I took the wearing of clothes as win.Then they knelt next to my and started rubbing their wet hair against me.Sort of like Wally did when he wanted attention and affection.

I had no idea how to react.