Tossing my dirty clothes off to the side, not sure where they land but my thoughts are already on the next thing. Running and jumping I bounce off the mattress, making sure I didn’t land on either of them. The sound of squeals and laughter bring the biggest smile to my face. Body crawling until I’m in front of Evie and I plop my head into her lap.
A content sigh leaves me as my cheek rests on her thigh. Moments later, my body shivers with satisfaction as Evie begins to run her fingers through my hair. I reach around her body until my hand connects with my wife and I rest my hand on her upper thigh.
The next half hour is spent wrapped up in each other. Kissing, touching and talking, nothing ever goes further than that. We eventually move under the covers, Evie laying in between Josie and I as we all begin to drift off to sleep.
Josie’s the first to go, then Evie shortly after. Just as I’m about to try and shut my brain off to fall asleep I hear something. My head pops up and I squint in the dark as I try to figure out where the noise came from. I’m about to chalk it up to ghosts when it starts again.
“No we can’t get the petunia’s, those flowers are cursed.” Evie mumbles, and readjusts her position. Her blonde hair blankets the pillow and a huffof air leaves her lips. “We have to hurry, or else we won’t get the prize.” My mouth hangs open, as I stare at Evie in disbelief.
She talks in her sleep.
This is the best thing that I have ever discovered. I want to know more, does she do this every night, or does this only happen when she’s comfortable? I want the answer to be the latter. I continue to watch her and see if I’ll get anything else out of her, but after a couple minutes I conclude that I probably won’t get much more.
I roll to my back and stare into the dark as I try to relax my body down. Spending the next minute, I think about every part of my body. Slowly, one by one, I focus on each limb starting to relax.
I’ve tried many different things while I was growing up to try and get my body and brain to relax enough for me to fall asleep. Melatonin can only do so much, and if you use it too often it doesn’t feel as if it’s helping. This body relaxation technique is something I learned in yoga. There was a free class while I was in college, it was one of those beginners classes. At the end of the class we laid on our backs and closed our eyes. The instructor began speaking about becoming aware of the parts of the body and getting them to relax. Next thing I knew, I was being shaken awake and told that the class was over. I wish I could have been embarrassed but I wasn’t. I thanked the instructor and when I got home I looked more into it.
It doesn’t take me long before I feel the heavy pull of slumber coming to take me away. I don’t fight it as I fall into a blissful slumber.
Waking up the morning after everything happened was serene. Evie was draped over me with Josie wrapped around her back. We got up shortly after and quietly got ready to start our day. We sat around the kitchen table drinking our coffee and reminiscing about the dodgeball game that started everything. I grumble about how Evie technically lost for hitting me in the face, and they just called me a sour puss. Either way, whether I won or lost, I like to think that the path would still have lead us to where we are now.
Shiloh busts through the door like a bat out of hell, flapping some sort of paper in his hand with Xavier hot on his heels. He tells me that he found another park that weneed togo to before we head home. I can’t argue with him, it is his birthday trip. Whatever he wants to do, we’ll do– within reason of course.
Before we know it the trip is over and we’re all loading back onto the plane to head back home. Heading back to reality, but we’re heading home with a new dynamic. One I know Josie and I have been hoping for, and were excited when we found out the feeling was in fact mutual.
ChapterTwenty Five
Josie
Six Months Postpartum
Myfeetdragaswe walk through the door, it’s late. The kids are tired and they’re starting to show it. Hayes is beginning to cry in my arms, so I abandon my bag at the front door. Half haphazardly I kick my boots off and head towards Hayes’s room.
“Loh, honey, can you go get your pajamas on for momma while I put Hayes to bed?” I tiredly ask my oldest.
“Butmomma!” He whines, and I hear the little stomp of his foot. “I’m not even that tired. It’s notfair.I want to play with my building blocks!” I hear the sniffle and I have to take a deep breath. Nothing will get done if I react frustrated to him right now. When he’s tired he fights me at every turn.
“Shiloh, I know you don’t feel tired, but it’s late.” I’m rocking Hayes in my arm who is growing more agitated by the second. “Go get in your jammies and you can have quiet play in your room until I come to tuck you in.”
“No!” he shouts. “I don’twant to!” He throws himself on the ground and begins screaming. Which startles Hayes andhebegins crying too. I’m honestly on the verge of tears myself. I just want to get these guys to bed, so I can go too. Being away is nice, but I miss the familiarity that is my home.
Monty comes through the door with the rest of the bags and sees the chaos that has ensued. His eyes bounce between Shiloh, Hayes and thenthey hit mine and understanding shines in his face. He can read me like a book, so he drops the bags and heads toward Shiloh.
“Woah buddy, uncool.” He crouches down so he’s close to him, “Can you tell Daddy what’s going on?”
“momma told me to get in my jammies, but I’mnottired. I wanna play wif my blocks!” He takes a shuttering breath and glares daggers in my direction. I know he’s six now and that he doesn’t mean it, but the look still hurts my heart.
Hayes has taken his crying up a notch, and I try to sooth him but he’s not having any of it.
“Go put him to bed, babe. I’ll make sure he gets in his pajamas.” Monty tells me, and I don’t hesitate before I spin and head to Hayes’s bedroom.
Twenty minutes later, I’m tip-toeing out of Hayes's room and closing the door. As soon as I got him in his room and started our bedtime routine, he was content and passed out in a matter of minutes.
Leaning against his door, I close my eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. The silence of the house washes over me, and I slowly make my way over to Shiloh’s room.
As I grow closer, I hear the soft sound of Shiloh’s white noise machine. His bedroom light shines into the hallway, letting me know that he’s still up. My hand glides across the door as I push it open slowly. There are some coloring pages on his floor, and clothes thrown across the room. We’ve been home for less than an hour and he’s already destroyed his room.
Continuing my scan of the room, my heart nearly explodes when I register the sight before me. In Shiloh’s small twin bed are my husband and son, cuddled up together with a book hanging from Monty’s fingers. Shiloh’s head rests between his arm and chest, mouth open as his chest rises and falls with each slumbered breath.
