Sleeping with a lie

(41)

Years later

Theo and I stood hand and hand in front of the window. I gaze in his eyes. His fingers go through my shoulder length hair.

Carson Rae, our first son was crawling on the floor next to Belle. Oliver our second son, was drinking his bottle on the couch. Belle on the other hand was walking around with her Barbie doll.

"Our children are crazy." Theo smiled.

"We have raised them well. I'm glad we can spend this moment together- in the privacy of our own home. Happiness." I say.

Theo leads me to the other room with his hand around my waist.

"I wanted to be alone with you, just for a minute." He shuts the door behind us.

"Baby monitor." I tweak the dial on the speaker.

As Theo and I conjoined lips, the taste left my mouth rather salty. I inhaled sharply, tugging at his collar. He grips my arm hard. Our bodies had little movement, but our lips and mouths told another story. The warmth of his skin felt good to finally touch once more. To remember how the tattoo felt when I first saw it in London. The little things I remember.

In the passion heat of the moment, my phone buzzes. I pull away, letting Theo lean against me.

"Wow. Perfect!!" I take my phone from my pocket and check the message.

Mom
Tanner and I are coming over to see the kids!!
8:34Am

"Mom and Tanner are coming over to see the children. We can do this another time. Hopefuly." I sigh opening the door again to see the kids.

Paint was splattered all across the chalk board walls. I stand in shock. Carson-Rae holds up his hand in innocence mid way crawl. Belle commented 'uh-oh' and Oliver fell over to the right side of the couch on a soft pillow. Milk drunk.

"Belle!" I shout.

"Yes?"

I crouch down to her. "Did you make this mess?"

She nods. "I sorry mama."

"Come here." I take her arm with a medium-strong grip, staring her straight in the eye. "No more doll house for you missy."

She started to whine.

"Ah-ah. Ears are listening, eyes are watching, who is talking?" I warned.

She sniffles. "Mama."

"Right. Lets go clean up." Picking her up to wash her green stained hands, Theo steps in.

Quick THEO P.O.V
I raise my eyebrow at my two sons. Sitting criss cross on the floor in front of them, Oliver smacks me with a toy.

"Oliver?! I thought we discussed this?"

He laughs.

Carson Rae smiled with his toothless self, as I pick him up.

"Your sister did a horrible thing about painting on the wall. Now you know that to not cross your mother. Because she is terrifyingly scary."

"I heard that," Shailene shouts from the bathroom.

"I love you too sweetie."

I lower my voice this time. "I know You may think I am talking in a bunch of big words and making no sense, but today we see more people- grandma and uncle!"

Carson Rae gurgles. Oliver sucks air from his bottle.

"Oliver, no." I take the bottle away setting it down next to me.

Carson Rae escapees my arms to play with his Mickey Mouse figurine.
Cleaning the house before Mom and Tanner got here was essential.

"Babe," Shailene called coming down the hallway. Belle was out walking along the wall. "How are we going to get that paint off the wall?"

I focus on the green paint.

Magic eraser. I thought.

"MAGIC ERASER!" I hold up my finger in an amazing brain storm idea.

"Good parenting!" Shai raised her hand.

"One, two, three, parents!!" We shouted high fiving each other. You can call it relationship goals.
_____________
Shailene P.O.V

Once the green splatter was cleaned and our only magic eraser was not magic enough, I flop on the couch with only relaxation on my mind.

Three hard knocks echo from our door. In shift my eyes, then my legs.

"Hey Mom! Tanner!" I hug them both. Theo overlapped the conversation with us, all family members sharing compliments and such.

Mom gasps. "Belle!! Grandma is here!"

"Ama!" She exclaims being picked up in her arms.

"Tanner, meet Carson Rae and Oliver." Theo greets.

Tanner cooed at the boys, giving them light-weighted fist bumps.

Theo joins me on the couch. I prop my feet up on his lap.

"So how's Belle and the boys been doing?" She asks clapping Belles hands.

"The tumor is unidentifiable. Dr. Linn has cleared her for any more treatments." I reply happily.

"That's good. How about you?"

"I'm trying to remember all I can."

"Sweetie, you don't have to pressure yourself."

"I know I don't, Mom. The fact that I won't be able to remember past 40 is unimaginable. And I can't cope with that."

"You're just going to have to learn how." Mom purses her lips.

Theo slips his hands under mine.

"Remember to forget." He whispers.