LUVIE [fin. / unedited]

t w e n t y - t w o

w i l l i a m

Luvie and I were standing in front of the elementary school. The sun was bright in the August sky, the air hot. Luvie stood by side, tears in her eyes, but not yet streaming down her cheeks. "My little boys are growing up." She was leaning down, and hugging them, pinching their cheeks. "Mama," Allen whined, swatting her hands away from his cheeks. His head whipped around, spotting a redhead with pigtails walking up the concrete steps of the elementary school.

"Allen has a cru-sh." I said, smiling. His eyes flash to me and his arms cross over his chest. "I do not," He says with finality, "I think her hair is pretty. That's all." He says turning his back to me. He looks over at Luvie, "Can we go inside?" Allen looks over at Alek. Alek only nodded at him, and soon they walked away from me. She dug her head into my chest, "Can we go home now?" She asked me, "I've kept a journal of every PG-13 and R rated movie I've wanted to watch but can't since I'm living with two four-year-olds."

On the drive back to the apartment she looks up more movies, talking out loud the whole time. I only smile at her, finding her situation humorous. Luvie's I haven't seen that one, or that one, that one looks cool, yay romance! Fills the car on the way back to her place. I get out of the car, "I'm going to go talk to Sealy for a few minutes, Sage is just too cute!" She squeals and runs away. I sigh, what happened to movie day? I asked myself. I walked into the apartment, and laid on the couch. I looked at the wall, staring aimlessly around her apartment. My eyes slowly drift shut, staring at the picture of the large tree, on the side of a road. I try to force my eyes open but it doesn't work.

"Do you think he's asleep?" A voice comes from beside me. "Yes, he probably is." Another voice says in a small whisper. "We've been gone for only three hours!" I heard the first voice protest, I quickly recognized it as Luvie. I peeked through one eye to see Luvie and Sealy in front of me arguing. "Didn't you promise him a movie night?"

"Yes, but I wanted to see Sage. She's so cute! With her blonde hair and big eyes." I heard Luvie squeal into the silent room. "Shh. You're going to wake them." Them? Them who?

"William is a grown man he'll be fine."

"But Sage won't be!"

"I don't think we'll wake Sage!" Luvie protested. I was fully awake and watching them both talk animatedly. Sealy's hands waving frantically in the air, ranting about something. However my eyes were stuck on Luvie, her arms crossed over her chest, her lips pouting about whatever it was Sealy was saying.

Suddenly the two women were in my face, both of them blinking at me, "How long have you been awake?" Sealy snaps, "How long have you been arguing?" I snap back.

"Ladies, Ladies, take a deep breath. It's okay." Luvie said with a smile. I only glare at her, "I am not a lady!" I protest. She giggles and steps closer to me, "Yes you are."

"That's not what you were saying the other night when I was-" I started to say, then suddenly Luvie's hand clamped over my mouth. "We agreed if that were to happen again you're not allowed to speak of it!" She whispered in a hurried rush, her cheeks a deep red. Her eyes wide and frantic looking at me, as Sealy only laughs at her expense.

Luvie turns to her, "this isn't funny!" She stomps her foot, her lips in a pout. "That was totally funny." Sealy protested. "It wasn't though!" Sealy rolls her eyes. "Let's agree to disagree. Deal?"

Luvie nods, "Deal!" A smile back unto her face. Luvie looks at Sealy, her smile growing bigger. She hides the rest of her face from my view. Instantly Sealy's eyes meet mine and she smiles, nodding. Luvie takes Sage from Sealy and plops her on my chest. My eyes grow wide, "No, no, no, no." I whisper to them. "Don't do this to me!" I beg them. "Don't do it." Sealy stirs a little bit when I get off the couch, I hold her at arm's length. My face scrunching up, "I can handle the twins, they're mostly independent, anyways, but this I cannot handle." I say, my voice in a high-pitched plead.

They both laugh, they both chuckle as they walk towards the door, "We have to go get the twins, you'll be fine. Anything you should need is in my apartment Luvie has the key around her somewhere." Sealy says.

"The key is in the third kitchen drawer, left side." Luvie told me. "We are going to go pick up the twins. We'll be back soon, I promise."

"Bring back food!" I yell, accepting the fact that I was babysitting Sage. What's the worst that could happen? I question myself.

A lot. A lot can go wrong. She started crying three minutes after they shut the door, she threw up on me two times, and she won't stop crying. I am now shirtless standing in the middle of Luvie's living room. Looking down at Sage who's crying in her crib. "Fine," I say with resentment, "I'll pick you up. If it will get you to stop crying."

I pick her up and bring her to my chest, gently rocking her back and forth. Her sobbing stops, becoming a mild whimper, and eventually a slumber. I look down at the blond child, her nose tucked into my chest. Her soft, quiet snores put me into another deep sleep, my mind drifting off to an imaginary life with Luvie, with Alek and Allen, and a daughter. I would name her Alaia, she would be the perfect mix between Luvie and I, maybe she might even have mich-matching eyes, one green, one dark brown, and the twins wild hair. I smile at the thought, Sage still laying on me, and my eyes finally close.