Yes Ma'am

Rainy Day

Alice

*a couple of days before*

"Mommy?" Two little voices call out to me and I look up from my book.

"Yes loves?"

"When is it gonna rain again?" My son Jax asks.

"Yeah," his sister Thea adds. "It's been awfully sunny the last few days. I miss the rain."

"Well," I tap my chin like I'm deep in thought. "why don't you two make a wish tonight and see what happens."

They smile at me and then each other, clearly planning out their wishes.

*present day*

"Mommy mommy!" Two excited voices say at the same time. "It's raining!"

"Looks like your wishes came true." I smile softly at them.

"Can we go outside and play in it?" Thea asks.

They give me their best puppy dog eyes, but I stand my ground.

"Not yet." I tell them.

"Why not?" They whine.

"Because you haven't eaten your breakfast yet." I tell them.

"Daddy," they look to Jasper when he walks in the room. "can we go play outside in the rain?"

"What'd your mother say?" He asks.

"That we need to eat breakfast first." Thea answers him.

"Then listen to your mother, alright?"

Both kids grumble as they eat and I sigh.

"Hey love, are you okay?" Jazz stands behind me and wraps his arms around me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit tired, that's all."

He nods, but he looks like he doesn't quite believe me. "Okay."

"We finished eating. Can we go outside now?" Thea asks.

"Go brush your teeth and get your rain gear on, then you can go outside."

"Yay!" Two pairs of bare feet slap the hardwood as they bolt upstairs to get ready.

"Any reason they want to go outside when it's raining?" Jazz asks.

"Puddle stomping maybe?" I shrug and he laughs.

"Yeah, maybe."

Jax and Thea come downstairs in their respective duck and frog themed rain gear and bolt outside as quickly as they ran upstairs.

"Careful!" My husband calls after them. "It's muddy, so look where you're going!"

"Yes daddy!" The two of them call back.

I pull the flannel I stole from Jazz tighter around me and slip my coat on then huddle under the umbrella with Jazz, pressing into his side.

"How are you not cold?" I ask as I realize that he's not wearing a coat.

"I've been out in it all morning. I think I've grown used to it by now." He kisses my temple and I lean into him more as he rubs my back. "Are you cold darlin'?"

"A bit."

"You can go inside, y'know. I can watch them."

I snort. "And leave you unsupervised? The second I step inside, the three of you will be covered from head to toe in mud. I'll stay out here and suffer through the cold."

Jasper's laugh rumbles through my body. "Yes ma'am."

We watch in silence as Jax and Thea dig around for worms and smile when they announce that they found some.

Eventually, the two of them come back from the field, covered from head to toe in mud.

"Oh geez." I sigh and Jazz laughs. "Alright, let's get you into the bathtub before your father sprays you down with the hose and calls it good."

"That happened once, Alice." He says in a slightly offended tone.

I raise an eyebrow.

"Okay, it happened twice." He admits.

I laugh and shoo the kids inside. "Don't touch anything. Just go straight up to the bathroom."

"Yes mommy."

I turn back towards Jazz. "Our little mud monsters." I say with a giggle.

"Yeah." He says softly. "Go get them cleaned up. I'll take care of the mess down here."

I nod and stand on my tiptoes to kiss him. "Love you."

"Love you too."