Page 50 of C is for Comfort

I press my hand to my forehead. I don’t want to fight with her, but her grandparents are on their way, and there’s not much I can do about it.

“What’s going on?” Blake asks, coming down the stairs.

His hair is all messed up, and he looks half-asleep still. He’s wearing one of his satin all-in-one things with a short dressing gown over the top.

“Daddy says I have to go out with Grandma and Grandpa today, but I don’t want to.”

Blake sits on a step, halfway down the stairs, and rubs his eyes. “Why don’t you want to go?”

“Because I don’t like them.”

“Aww, come on now. They’re okay.”

Lexi glares at Blake.

“You know they always spoil you when they take you out,” Blake says.

Her expression softens a fraction.

“You might even be able to convince them to buy you a new toy.”

“Blake!” I chastise.

He shrugs. “What? It’s true.”

“A toy?” Lexi asks. She hums. “Do I really have to sleep over, though?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Aww. Their house smells of talcum powder.”

“Talcum powder’s nice,” Blake says.

Lexi wrinkles her nose. “Eww.”

“It’s only for one night,” Archie chips in.

“Fine,” Lexi says in the sulkiest tone I’ve ever heard. “I’ll go pack.” She stomps up the stairs, forcing Blake to shuffle to the side so she doesn’t tread on him.

“You shouldn’t be telling her she can get stuff out of her grandparents,” I say, glaring at my brother.

“Thanks for helping me talk her round, Blake. No problem, Corey. Glad I could help. I’m going back to bed.”

“It’s gone noon.”

“I don’t care.”

At least Blake doesn’t stomp up the stairs like Lexi did.

“You sounded just like Mum and Dad then,” Archie says as I join him at the table. “Blake was only trying to help.”

I wipe my hands over my face. “I know. I’ll apologise to him later.”

“He’s not wrong,” Archie says. “Lexi’s grandparents show up, spoil her rotten, and then disappear again for a month or two. I don’t blame her for not wanting to go with them.”

“Nor do I.”

“Then why make her?”