Page 62 of B is for Beg

Gabe:You’ve got to eat well. No junk food.

Blake:No McDonald’s?

Gabe:Definitely not.

Blake:You’re so mean, Daddy.

I’m objecting, but I don’t mean it. I shouldn’t eat junk food anyway. Again, they’re giving me a reason to do better. Besides, ‘eating well’ is very open. If they were planning on sending me a daily menu to stick to or a strict calorie count, I’d probably have an issue with it.

Gabe:We’re just taking care of our boy.

Blake:I like it when you take care of me.

Calvin:Useful because we like taking care of you.

Blake:Anything else?

Gabe:That’s all. For now. Obviously, our playtime rules still apply. You remember those?

Blake:Yes.

Calvin:And all these rules can and should be revisited. Nothing is permanent. If something’s not working, we communicate. Agreed?

Gabe:Agreed.

Blake:Yes, Sir.Would it be too needy to ask when I’m going to see you again?

The door opens and closes. My face flushes with heat as Corey comes into the room.

“You’re early,” I say, keeping my voice to a quiet whisper.

“I wanted to come home and check on Lexi. Thanks for picking her up.”

“Any time, you know that.”

Corey crouches down and strokes her shoulder. “She looks tired.”

“So do you.”

“Yeah, I didn’t get to sleep in until noon.”

“Try two.”

He raises his eyebrows. “Seriously?”

“Hey, none of us got much sleep last night.”

“Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Not your fault or Lexi’s. Why don’t you go take a nap?”

Corey sighs and shifts so he’s sitting on his arse. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”

“Why don’t you take over cuddling Lexi, and I’ll cook?”

“Okay.”

I ease my way out from under Lexi, and Corey takes my place. He strokes her hair, just like I was doing. By the time I’ve pulled stuff out of the fridge to throw together spaghetti and meatballs, Corey is asleep. I pause, wondering if I should hold off cooking in order to let them both sleep longer. I put everything back as quietly as I can and slip upstairs to my room.