Fighting for Rose

14❦

14

❦𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓮❦

"And den guess what?" Cole says excitedly as he tells me about this last week.

Bob has to work out of town for a few days. He originally said no to the job, but when I offered to stay with the kids and then they attacked him with pleas. He ended up taking the job.

He grumbled about how they don't love him anymore until they showered him with hugs and I love yous.

He really needed to take this job though, it's one of the best paying gigs he's gotten offered in a long time.

"What?" I smile as I pick him up and set him on my lap.

"Den dad took us on a walk, and there was a huge dog." He draws out the huge and speeds his arms wide to show me how massive this dog was. "He was bigger than me!" He giggles.

The kids have always wanted a dog, like most kids do. But dogs are expensive and Bob, broken heartedly, always has to tell them no when they ask.

Lilly walks into the living room from the kitchen where she was getting lunch ready. "Sandwiches are on the table, let's eat, Cole." She wipes her hands on her shirt, smearing jam across the light pink material.

I love it when she does things like that, she's so grown up but then does things like smearing food all over her clothes instead of getting a napkin. Cole hops down off of my lap and runs to his sister.

"Did you put chips in mine?" He asks expectantly. She nods her head yes with a smile, Cole then does his little happy dance that is basically just a crouched butt wiggle then runs off into the kitchen.

"He won't eat pbj's without barbecue potato chips in the sandwich. It's disgusting." Lilly says to me as her nose twists up in disgust. "He also likes to drink orange juice with it instead of milk." She shivers. "I think there might be something wrong with him, but don't tell anyone, I love him just the way he is." She whispers to me.

"Ok, I won't." I whisper back following her into the kitchen.

"Here I made one for you." She slides a sandwich across the table to me, and I'm happy to say it's a regular PBJ.

"Thank you. So what are the plans for today? What should we do? Your dad comes back tomorrow so this is the last full day we get to spend together." I say and take a bite out of the sandwich. Lilly makes a mean PBJ.

"Awww, but I want you to say forever!" Cole whimpers.

"I know, but that can't happen, so we should make the best out of the time we have together, right?" I offer hoping to brighten the mood.

He nods his head in agreement and his very distinct thinking face appears. "What about if we go to the park? The one with the wooden dinosaurs!" He says ecstatic.

"Does that sound good to you Lilly?" I ask.

"Yeah, and we could get ice-cream after! Dad left us some money and we haven't used any yet!" She rushes out of the room and comes back with a twenty and smacks it down on the table. "He said to have fun. And ice-cream and the park sounds fun, right, Cole." She looks over at him waiting for his approval.

"Yes, fun. Fun. Ahhh can we go now?" He begins fidgeting in his seat, excitement nearly causing him to combust.

"After lunch." I agree.

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The kids and I have been at the playground for a few hours, and I've been yelled at by a few moms saying I'm too old to go down the slide, but screw them because Cole asked me to. And it's not my fault that those ladies are too stuck up to play with her own kids.