Love isn't easy

Chapter 14: August 13, 2033

August 13, 2033

"Here mommy!"

Levy darts into the kitchen holding his brightly colored backpack in one hand and his sword in the other with his cheeks covered in black stripes of paint. Roseanne stops packing the cooler she was working on to grab the bag the three-year-old is offering.

"Thank you. That can't come with though."

Roseanne points at the sword without even acknowledging the mess on his face. Lately, she's trying a new approach to parenting. It took her five kids and a lot of frustration, but she finally discovered that she can't be mad at things if she doesn't ask questions.

Levy scrunches up his face.

"Mommy that's my sword."

"I know what it is Levy. It's not coming with us."

Roseanne says definitively.

"I need my sword to fight the villians and phew poof swoosh kill them dead."

Levy moves through and around Roseanne's legs making vivid sound effects as he swings the sword around.

"Levy. We're not taking it. I'm not arguing about this. Go put it back in your toy trunk and come back so you can pick the snacks you want in your bag. You have two minutes or I'm picking them for you."

Roseanne had planned on leaving by noon - which was in less than an hour - and none of them were even ready yet, let alone totally packed.

"Mommy I really think the sword should come too."

Roseanne was going to scold him and send him away but turns to find Levy pointing the sword at her in what she assumed he thought would be an unruly fighting stance. Unfortunately for him thanks to the long floppy hair and the huge baby belly he sported the last thing he came across as was threatening.

"Levy Par..."

"Back away from her traitor!"

A histrionic voice interrupts Roseanne. Roseanne looks up to find Lisa standing at the kitchen door with her cheeks also covered in black stripes and holding the other one of Levy's pair of plastic swords. Levy sees Lisa and charges toward her. Lisa immediately goes on the defensive and they begin fake sword fighting in the middle of the kitchen.

Roseanne walks up to the sink, wets one of the hand towels that were resting on the counter, and heads for the dueling pair. She effortlessly picks up Levy from the floor while he played and as she does he accidentally elbows Roseanne in the face.

"Oh!"

Lisa yelps out when she sees the little boney elbow make contact with Roseanne's cheekbone.

"That hurt."

Roseanne utters unfazed as she sits the boy on the counter before beginning to wipe him clean from the black soot. He tries to wiggle away in order to go back to playing.

"Levy. Right now is really not the time. I promise you that."

Levy reads the seriousness in her voice and quits scuffling. Roseanne wipes his face completely clean and lifts him off the counter.

"Your turn. Come here."

Roseanne wags her finger at Lisa letting her know she should move closer.

"Really Lili?" Roseanne cups her wife's face as she begins to wipe the black off. "Do I want to know?"

"It's our warrior paint. We were about to fight the evil clan from the north when you asked him to bring his bag. It could cost us the battle. It was terrible timing, Roseanne."