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Faith and I have different ideas about the meaning of easy.
* * *
An hour later, Faith and her boys burst through the door. The boys call “Nanna” with excited screams. “Eden,” Seb yells as soon as the front door closes. His tiny feet pound the floor, sounding more like an elephant as he sprints toward me. “I got pox,” he says excitedly.
We break into laughter.
Seb sprints to the kitchen and leaps into Mum’s arms to kiss her. “Nanna, I got pox.”
“I know, darling,” she says with an empathetic expression. “Mummy told us all about it.” He wiggles to get down. Sometimes I wish I possessed the energy of Faith’s boys. James crawls after Seb. He uses the cupboards to rise to wobbly feet, peers up at Mum, and touches his chest. “You too, darling,” she says and lifts him to plant a loud kiss on his cheek. “Are you better now?” James lifts his top to show Mum the few spots on his belly.
Rose turns on hearing her cousins’ voices, and she babbles, not to be left out. I love she recognizes them.
Faith drops her bags inside the door and hangs her coat on the wall hook before pulling me into a tight hug. “Where is he?” she asks and steps back to peruse the room.
“In the bathroom.”
“That jumpsuit is gorgeous on you. Are you heading out?” She pushes unruly strands of hair out of her eyes. Only now do I notice the dark rings around Faith’s eyes.
“Thank you. We were heading out to lunch. It’s now a dinner date.” I wink.
“God, I’m sorry. I’ve been dying to meet him and can’t believe I’ve had to wait because of isolation. Some blisters have scabbed. James didn’t have many spots. Seb’s stomach was covered in them. There’s even one on his penis, and it was a challenge to stop him from scratching. He wouldn’t stop crying,” she moans.
The way Faith is rambling, it’s evident the isolation has affected her. “I can remember having chicken pox as a kid. It’s horrid.”
Samuel walks into the room, looking as handsome as ever wearing denim jeans and a blue T-shirt. The sky-blue shirt highlights his eyes, larger and more beautiful with his buzz cut. It’s all I see as those eyes tell a story. Right now, he’s deep in thought. “Did you try the oatmeal and chamomile baths?”
Faith’s face lights up. I understand because although he’s handsome in pictures, his presence demands attention in the room in a good way, as he’ll enlighten us with knowledge while being mesmerized by his good looks. “I did, and thanks for the tip because it eased the scratching in his sleep.”
“Did you apply coconut oil and a drop of lavender and tea tree oil?” She nods, staring at him. Faith is lost for words. “If you have an aloe vera plant, you should continue rubbing it on their skin.” He beams his beautiful smile, and his big, blue eyes hold her captive. “It’s nice to finally meet you, Faith.”
“Oh, the pleasure’s all mine,” she says, shaking his hand and reaching in for a hug. “I’ve waited years to meet you, and I have to say my sister didn’t exaggerate your good looks.” He pats three gentle taps on her back before breaking apart.
“You’re taller than I imagined.”
“I’ll take it as a compliment.” He grins at Faith, and I now assume he spent time in the shower mentally preparing himself.
“Shall we?” I tilt my head toward the kitchen where Seb is running in circles around the dining table in a game of chase with himself.
“Enough,” Faith demands. “Find a chair and sit on it or get a toy and play quietly in the lounge room.”
Rose screams with no attention on her and crawls after us. Faith scoops her up before her son crashes into her. “And no toys with small parts. Only Duplo blocks or your cars, okay?” She turns to Samuel. “One day I’d like some quiet time with you because I’m not the crazy woman I am now.”
Seb stops running and notices Samuel. “Eden, I got pox,” he says as he leans into my thigh, staring at Samuel.
“Are you better now?” I lift him into my arms and rub his little back.
He exaggerates a nod. “Mummy said you have a boyfriend.” He’s still eyeing Samuel curiously.
Samuel’s brow pulls together as he mouths,boyfriend.
A giggle erupts from me.
“Thanks for throwing me under the bus.” Faith huffs. She rounds the table and takes James from me. She lowers him to the floor to stand. He immediately plops onto his bottom before crawling back to the chair, pulling himself up.
“Ugh, I swear this kid hates walking. At this rate, Rose is going to be running around before him.”
“Give him time,” Mum cuts in. “Your father walked late. At eighteen months, actually.”
