TAINTED (book II)

XLI

"Mom's back?" Noah asked as he followed Jordan into his room. Jade's pitter-patter coming after him closely. She was dressed in her lilac unicorn bathrobe, struggling to keep the hood with the horn on.

"Yay! Mommy's coming!" Jade grinned, climbing onto the bed, jumping up and down.

"Noah, not now," Jordan answered distractedly. He rummaged through their clothes, searching for something for them to wear to bed. "Here, put this on," he handed Noah a pair of shorts and a t-shirt.

"But that officer said they've found her." Noah moved to sit on Jordan's bed, bouncing as Jade kept jumping behind his back.

"Jade, come down and get dressed." When Jordan turned around Noah still wasn't getting a move on. "Noah, come on."

Noah reluctantly shrugged out of his jeans to put on the shorts. He fumbled with the drawstrings as he asked, "Is she going to jail?"

"Of course, she is," a new voice joined them.

"Ashton! Mommy's coming back!" Jade sounded out of breath as she bounced even higher. Her hood kept slipping from her head when she eventually gave up righting it.

"Mom's really going to jail?" Noah yanked his dirty t-shirt over his head, yelping when Ashton pinched his stomach. He retaliated by propping his t-shirt into a ball, throwing it at his face.

Jordan tossed a white nightshirt at Ashton. "Can you please get her dressed."

"Whoa, stop throwing stuff at me," he grumbled. He snapped his fingers. "Jade, get down."

"So, she got arrested?" Noah continued his ongoing questions as he pulled on a clean t-shirt.

"I don't know, Noah." Jordan rummaged through his desk. Going through every sheet of paper.

The door opened wide and another sibling entered. The room was getting crowded.

Noah turned to him. "Tristan, did the police arrest mom?"

"Gotcha!" Ashton caught Jade mid-air, spinning her upside down in his arms, twirling her around. Jade released a high-pitched scream.

"Ash, stop that. She's gonna get sick," Jordan berated, still going through his drawers.

Ashton put Jade down, reaching back to grab her night shirt when she was suddenly hit by a dizzy spell.

"Whoa," Tristan reached to catch her just in time. He tweaked her chin. "Careful, babe."

Jade just giggled. "Tristan, mommy's coming back!"

Ashton perched on the end of Jordan's bed. Grabbed Jade by the belt loops of her bathrobe, yanking her between his legs. Jade, still lightheaded, crashed with her full weight against his chest.

"Ow!" Jade scowled, rubbing her scrunched up nose.

"Sorry." Ashton kissed the tip of her nose before undoing the knot of her belt.

"How long is she going to jail for?" Noah questioned next.

"We don't know yet, Noah," Tristan answered this time, coming to stand at Jordan's desk. "What are you looking for?"

"Are you gonna go see her?" Noah moved closely to his oldest brothers, leaning heavily against Tristan.

"I don't know, buddy." Tristan dropped his arm around Noah's shoulders from behind as he addressed Jordan once again. "Hey, you're looking for something?"

Noah craned his neck to look at his brother holding him. "Are we gonna see her?"

"Don't know about that one either, kid."