Mom's new love (marina)

Bedtime

Maya pov
August 1st
Thursday

"Evie! Harley! Dinner's ready," I called from the kitchen, knowing the girls were in the living room. Evie soon came scurrying into the kitchen followed by Harley.

"Smells delicious, Mommy," Harley complimented as she made her way into the room.

"Thank you, Buggie," I said.

"Where's Carina?" Evie asked innocently.

"She's at work, she should be back for bedtime, okay?" I said, placing the plates on the table.

"Okay," she replied with a sad frown.

"Come on, Eves, let's eat Mom's chicken," Harley said, making her way to the table.

..

"Come on, Evie, let's go have a bath," I said once I'd finished tidying the kitchen after dinner.

"No," she replied, not even looking at me from where she was colouring.

"Evie," I said sternly, standing next to her little table.

"I'm not going," she crossed her arms and looked up at me with a frowning pout on her face.

"I'm not going to tell you again. Let's go have a bath and then you can come back to this," I told her.

"No no no," she said, stamping her feet on the floor.

"Evie Andrews, you are going for a bath whether you like it or not," I said, crossing my arms and speaking firmly.

"That's not my name. I'm just Evie and I'm not going for a bath," small tears were starting to roll down her cheeks while she was looking down at her lap.

"Evie, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to yell," I said, dropping down to my knees beside her, "Please don't cry," I said, wiping the tears from under her eyes.

"I'm just Evie," she mumbled under her breath.

"I know you are. If 'just Evie' comes for a bath now she will have time for a bedtime story," I told her, brushing her hair away from her face.

"Okay," she said, holding her arms up for me to carry her upstairs. This was the first time she had had a tantrum since living with us, and I felt awful for using her last name but I didn't know how she would react to it. And of course, all of this had to happen while Carina was at work so I had to deal with Evie's first tantrum on my own.

As I carried her up the stairs, I pressed soft kisses to Evie's cheek and brushed her hair behind her ear, "Would you like bubbles in your bath, Princess Evie?" I asked her. She nodded her head and remained stood in the middle of the bathroom, "And would you like a rubber ducky?" She nodded her head again but still didn't say anything. "Are you going to speak?" I teased sarcastically. She shook her head and her bottom lip began to quiver. I turned and sat cross-legged on the floor in front of her, "What's going on, Evie?" I said softly, trying to be gentle as to not scare her. But she still didn't speak, she stood shaking her head and trying not to cry. "Come sit here," I said, tapping my leg and encouraging her to sit in my lap. She came to sit with me and continuously wiped her eyes, "Tell Maya what's wrong," I said, pushing her hair behind her ear.

"You're going to be mad at me and slam the door and put me in the dark," she sobbed, causing my eyes to prickle with tears.

"I am never going to do that, I promise. And why would I get mad?"

"Because I didn't want to have a bath. You'll shut me in the dark room and forget about me," she continued sobbing into her tiny hands.

"Evie, look at me," I said, directing her chin up with my fingertips, "I'm never going to slam doors or put you in dark rooms, and I am definitely never going to forget about you. You're my little Evie, okay?"

"Okay," she murmured as I stroked my thumb across her cheek.

After I had finished giving Evie a bath, I put her pink polka dot pyjamas on and combed through her long brown hair when we heard the door open, "I think Carina's home," I said as I brushed the last part of her hair.

"Yay," she said, jumping up and making her way down the stairs- me following behind. "Carina!" She yelled, running towards her and hugging her legs.

"Hi Bambina," Carina replied, lifting Evie into her arms. She then looked to me and registered my wide-eyed expression as I exhaled and then leaned in to kiss her, "You okay?" She asked with a light laugh.

"Perfect. But I'm going to check on Harley upstairs before we put Evie to bed," I said, turning back to go up the stairs. When I got to Harley's room, I flopped onto her bed next to where she was reading a book.

"I came up here when I heard Evie having a tantrum," she laughed.

"Good idea, it was heartbreaking. I don't know what went on wherever she used to live but I'm definitely sure it should not have happened to that sweet little girl. And now she's gone all sad and clingy," I said.

"So I shouldn't be surprised if I end up with a guest in my bed?" Harley said.

"Probably not. I've got about five minutes until she comes back up here to go to bed," I said as I pulled my daughter into my body and wrapped my arms around her. The last thing I wanted was for Harley to start to feel shadowed by Evie. She'd gone fourteen years only living with me and now a year later she lives with two adults and a five year old.

"I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, Harley-bear."

..

Ten minutes later, Evie came up the stairs with Carina following behind carrying a cup of milk. Evie swung Harley's bedroom door open and walked to the side of the bed, "Goodnight, Harley," she said sweetly.

"Night night, Evie," Harley said, leaning down to kiss the end of her nose, "I'll see you in the morning." I then rolled off Harley's bed and made my way into Evie's room and sat beside the bed. Evie has a twin bed in her room which means there is no space for me or Carina so we have to sit beside the bed and wait for her to fall asleep.

Carina handed Evie her cup of milk before sitting next to me on the floor. "Maya?"

"Yes Evie," I said, reaching up to wipe the milk off her top lip.

"Do you have a last name?" She asked innocently.

"Yes, it's Bishop, why?" I answered, slightly confused by her question.

"Where do you get a last name from? Who gives it to you?" She asked, slurping the last bit of milk from her pink cup.

"Your mom or dad gives it to you. It's so people know what family you're from. But you don't have to have the same last name as your family, you have a different one to me or Harley but you're still our family," I explained in the simplest way possible.

"What about you?" She asked Carina.

"Mine's Bishop too, but only because I'm married to Maya. When you get married one of the people uses the other's last name so you have the same one," Carina explained, stroking Evie's hair as she spoke.

"Okay," she shrugged before lying down and settling Harley's stuffed animal in her arms.

"Close your eyes," Carina whispered, stroking the pad of her thumb over Evie's eyebrow, "Think of happy dreams and you know where we are if you need us."