2 kids

Family friendly living room club.

Alex.

I open the door to my home just when Sarah runs by. Dressed in her bright pink skirt, fake princess heels and a princess crown on her head, she almost trips when she sees me. After a quick 'hi', she continues her little jog to her room. Her excitement upon my return fades rapidly, and my absence at home doesn't seem to be bothering her either. I call out her name, step aside and reveal Ashley.

Within a second she's screaming her name with sparks of bright happiness in her eyes, she kicks her heels off and speeds to Ashley who's already squatting down with arms spread wide. Sarah's collision with Ashley almost results in them both falling over, but I steady them with my legs.

Sarah's hugging Ashley tight for long seconds, a wide smile coating her face. A smile so contagious it infects me as well, and causes a low giggle to escape Ashley's lips. One second they're almost laying on the floor, the second Ashley's standing on her feet, spinning Sarah around. Her giggle echoes through the entrance and my mum pops her head through the door. I can see the surprise in her eyes when they land on Ashley, though she smiles immediately.

Ashley rises to her feet, Sarah still wrapped around her neck. "You came back!" She exclaims. "You're never leaving again."

Ashley only laughs, not addressing Sarah's words. I think she's just found her replacement of me. Her love for Ashley is endless, and it almost makes me jealous.

"Alright, baby," I say, stepping closer. "Let's get you off Ashley."

My attempt to pull her off fails miserably, but my second attempt is successful. She sticks to my side like a leech, so I swing her around on my back. I take her to her room, while my mum embraces Ashley in an equally tight hug as Sarah did and catches up with her.

"What is Ashley doing here?" She asks as I throw her on the bed.

"Weren't you overly excited to see her a second ago?"

She nods, "I am, but she wasn't here for months. What is she doing here again."

"Why do you always ask so many questions?"

She crosses her legs on the bed, looking at me with her huge eyes. "I am a curious human being."

"You are mostly an annoying tiny human being."

Sarah studies me, a little too detailed for such a young age. I return the look with more experience. The whole room drowns in silence as we stare each other down. It occurs to me how powerful her gaze would be if she were older. The exact same power as our mum holds in her eyes, so strong it made my dad fall in love with her and so dangerous it can make even criminals shudder with fear. The exact same power Sarah now has inherited.

There's a small knock on the door we both ignore. A second later Ashley appears in the doorway. She stands still, looking confused at us. "What have I interrupted?"

"Why are you here?" Sarah breaks her character, turning to Ashley. I'm slightly disturbed by the power I saw in her gaze.

"I'm here to babysit you."

"Only you?"

I step in, shaking my head, "I'll be here too."

Her eyes move to me, part of that excitement gone. "Why?"

Ashley starts to laugh at us. "I'm not leaving you alone in this house."

"I'll be with Ashley."

I nod," I know. I'm not leaving this house unwatched."

"Hey!" Ashley shoots me a death glare, arms crossed over her chest. "What is that supposed to mean?"

I blow her a kiss, Sarah too. But I stand no chance against two annoyed women. In one second they're both staring at me, in the other they're attacking me with pillows. Now I see why Sarah has such a big collection of them.