with that money. Maybe she’s just relaxing around me now.
“Of course I’m paying, it was my idea,” I say not making a big deal of it.
“So if I said let’s go get food, does that mean I would have to pay?” Mitch says as he comes up behind me.
“Yep,” SJ jumps in with a grin. “You’d have to pay for everyone’s dinner.”
“I won’t ever suggest it then,” he responds. SJ and I burst out laughing.
“You’re growing up too quick, little man,” SJ says and wraps her arms around Mitch.
“Are we ready to go?” I ask.
“Yeah I think so, let’s go.” SJ smiles brightly. “Hands, please,” she says to the twins once she’s locked the door. Mitch grabs her hand and surprisingly, Maddie grabs mine. Once we exit the main door, I head to my car as SJ heads to hers.
“We’ll take mine,” I say, really not wanting to get in her death trap. If she’d allow it, I’d replace it with a safer car, but the woman is stubborn and will just refuse it.
“I’ve got car seats in mine,” she replies.
I open the back door of my car, revealing the two new seats I picked up at the store earlier. “So do I,” I reply.
“Why do you have car seats?” she asks, a look of confusion crossing her face.
“In all honesty, I thought we were taking the children today anyway and picked them up before I came over.”
She smiles brightly and I can’t help wanting to always put that look on her face—she’s so beautiful.
“Thank you,” she finally responds. “Please keep your feet off the seat, Mitch.”
After she finishes buckling Mitch in, I turn her toward me. “Don’t worry about the seats SJ, they’re kids and I expect it.”
“I just don’t want them to ruin your car,” she answers.
“It doesn’t matter, its just material. I hope you don’t think I’m being bossy, but I don’t want them to worry about that sort of thing, at least not today, let them be kids.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Maybe I am, but you know as well as I do about having responsibility thrust upon you at an age when you should be being a kid.”
“Yeah I guess so but if they rip the leather, I’m so going to tell you I told you so.” She laughs, walking around to strap Maddie in.
“Show me how to do this, so I can help next time,” I tell her.
She smiles at me like a child would with a new toy. Composing herself, she turns to the seat belt and starts explain how to attach the seat.
“Okay, so you weave the shoulder strap through this hole at the top and the lap strap under the little arm rest, pull it across and under the other arm rest on the other side and plug it in like you would any other seat belt,” she explains.
“That looks a little complicated and fiddly,” I reply confused by the process.
“It’s the same as when you put your own seatbelt on, you just have to hook it through the seat,” she chuckles.
“Undo it so I can try,” I say, determined to get this. She takes Maddie’s seatbelt off and moves out of the way. I lean into the car and look at what SJ was talking about, after fiddling the seatbelt through the hole at the top, the rest was pretty self-explanatory. Once Maddie is strapped back in, I turn back to SJ. “It’s easy as long as I never remove the seats, I caught my finger trying to get it through the bit at the top.”
“Oh you poor baby.” SJ laughs and kisses my finger.
“I’m not five.” I pout to which she just laughs some more. We both climb in and put on our own belts, before I start the car and pull away from the sidewalk.
***
“Caleb, why are you buying those clothes?” Maddie asks.
“Because I need new ones,” I answer.
“You don’t normally shop at Goodwill, do you?” she asks, but it sounded more like a statement.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Your clothes are soft and smell nice,” she replies with a shrug.
“You sure are smart for a five year old,” I tell her, coming down to one knee so
“Of course I’m paying, it was my idea,” I say not making a big deal of it.
“So if I said let’s go get food, does that mean I would have to pay?” Mitch says as he comes up behind me.
“Yep,” SJ jumps in with a grin. “You’d have to pay for everyone’s dinner.”
“I won’t ever suggest it then,” he responds. SJ and I burst out laughing.
“You’re growing up too quick, little man,” SJ says and wraps her arms around Mitch.
“Are we ready to go?” I ask.
“Yeah I think so, let’s go.” SJ smiles brightly. “Hands, please,” she says to the twins once she’s locked the door. Mitch grabs her hand and surprisingly, Maddie grabs mine. Once we exit the main door, I head to my car as SJ heads to hers.
“We’ll take mine,” I say, really not wanting to get in her death trap. If she’d allow it, I’d replace it with a safer car, but the woman is stubborn and will just refuse it.
“I’ve got car seats in mine,” she replies.
I open the back door of my car, revealing the two new seats I picked up at the store earlier. “So do I,” I reply.
“Why do you have car seats?” she asks, a look of confusion crossing her face.
“In all honesty, I thought we were taking the children today anyway and picked them up before I came over.”
She smiles brightly and I can’t help wanting to always put that look on her face—she’s so beautiful.
“Thank you,” she finally responds. “Please keep your feet off the seat, Mitch.”
After she finishes buckling Mitch in, I turn her toward me. “Don’t worry about the seats SJ, they’re kids and I expect it.”
“I just don’t want them to ruin your car,” she answers.
“It doesn’t matter, its just material. I hope you don’t think I’m being bossy, but I don’t want them to worry about that sort of thing, at least not today, let them be kids.”
“You sound like you’re speaking from experience.”
“Maybe I am, but you know as well as I do about having responsibility thrust upon you at an age when you should be being a kid.”
“Yeah I guess so but if they rip the leather, I’m so going to tell you I told you so.” She laughs, walking around to strap Maddie in.
“Show me how to do this, so I can help next time,” I tell her.
She smiles at me like a child would with a new toy. Composing herself, she turns to the seat belt and starts explain how to attach the seat.
“Okay, so you weave the shoulder strap through this hole at the top and the lap strap under the little arm rest, pull it across and under the other arm rest on the other side and plug it in like you would any other seat belt,” she explains.
“That looks a little complicated and fiddly,” I reply confused by the process.
“It’s the same as when you put your own seatbelt on, you just have to hook it through the seat,” she chuckles.
“Undo it so I can try,” I say, determined to get this. She takes Maddie’s seatbelt off and moves out of the way. I lean into the car and look at what SJ was talking about, after fiddling the seatbelt through the hole at the top, the rest was pretty self-explanatory. Once Maddie is strapped back in, I turn back to SJ. “It’s easy as long as I never remove the seats, I caught my finger trying to get it through the bit at the top.”
“Oh you poor baby.” SJ laughs and kisses my finger.
“I’m not five.” I pout to which she just laughs some more. We both climb in and put on our own belts, before I start the car and pull away from the sidewalk.
***
“Caleb, why are you buying those clothes?” Maddie asks.
“Because I need new ones,” I answer.
“You don’t normally shop at Goodwill, do you?” she asks, but it sounded more like a statement.
“How do you know?” I ask.
“Your clothes are soft and smell nice,” she replies with a shrug.
“You sure are smart for a five year old,” I tell her, coming down to one knee so
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