Success Is the Best Revenge {Book 1} **Watty Awards 2012**

Chapter 15: Surviving the Kids

"Alea, I'm hungry." I opened my eyes slightly to see Ryan standing over me. I touched my mouth and felt drool. Oh gosh, I had fallen asleep!

The last thing I remember was singing a lullaby to Devry and sleep must have taken over.

I rubbed my eyes. "Um..Okay, I'm going to go see what's in the kitchen."

I looked around and saw the twins playing with Barbies on the floor. Devry was on the couch next to me sleeping. I didn't see Chris anywhere.

"Ryan, where's Chris?"

"He went to go play basketball with his friends."

What the hell? The kid's mother is in the hospital and he's out playing ball?

"Oh. OK. " I decided not to worry about. I guess that's how he copes with stuff.

I got up and went in the kitchen. The pot of spaghetti that Bridget was cooking was still on the stove. I looked around for anything that seemed out of place or suspicious. There were no pill bottles or drugs laying anywhere.

"Lady?" I turned around to see Tamara, one of the twins coming in.

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"I hungry." She hugged my leg. She was so precious. She was the spitting image of Bridget.

"OK, I'm fixing you some food, alright?" I rubbed her back.

"OK." She walked back out.

I wondered if I'd ever get a chance to have kids. Probably not.

I looked at the spaghetti. It was cold now and was only halfway cooked. I looked in the cabinets for something else.

All there was were a few packets of Kool Aid, a bag of sugar, and some Ritz Crackers. Did these kids ever eat?

I decided to look in the refrigerator. I found some spoiled milk, a few slices of cheese, and about 3 apples. Wow, Bridget really had it bad.

I needed to to go the grocery store but I couldn't leave the kids by themselves. Where in the world was Tyler?

"Ryan!" I called.

Ryan came sprinting in the kitchen. "Yes, ma'am?"

"Did Tyler say where he was going?"

"No, he just said he was going out and that he'd be back later."

"Did he say anything to your mom?"

"I'm not sure. I usually stay in my room a lot when he's here. He gives me the creeps." He said quietly.

"Why? What's wrong with him?"

"He's just really weird. He drinks a lot and sometimes he messes with my mom's vitamins."

"Vitamins?"

He walked over to the cabinets under the sink and pulled a out a small orange bottle. "These." He held them up.

I took it and examined it. This is what she called "vitamins"? There were a mixture of different pills in it with different shapes and sizes. Usually a pill bottle only contained one type of pill, what the hell were these?

Ryan noticed me looking at the bottle weirdly. "Are you OK, Alea?"

I snapped out of my trance. "Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Listen, go tell your sisters that the food is almost ready, OK? And do you know where Chris is playing ball at?"

"There's a basketball court across the street. He's probably over there. Want me to go get him?"

"Yes, that would be perfect. Thanks Ryan. You're a big help." He seems like he is a really good son. A lot like how Carson used to be..