𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞 {𝐅𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞} [𝐎𝐂 𝐗 𝐎𝐂]

♡Chapter 181♡

{Poppy's outfit}

It was the middle of the day, heat pressing down from the sun, the kind of brightness that made everything look washed out. Poppy had been feeling guilty—since JJ was born she hadn't really spent time with her little brothers. Warren had JJ today, so she decided this was the chance. Just her, Nicky, and Alex.

"Alright, we're at the park! What do you guys wanna go on first?" Poppy asked, letting go of her little brothers' hands so they could move around.

"The slide!" Alex shouted, jumping up and down in excitement.

"Yeah! The big slide!" Nicky added, grinning and running toward it.

"Okay, slide it is." Poppy said, smiling. "But be careful climbing up—no pushing."

Her little brothers scrambled up the red-and-yellow slide side by side, talking and laughing the whole way.

"Ready?" Poppy asked once they reached the top. Poppy was stood at the bottom of the slide as she waited for them to slide down.

"Yeah!" Alex said, leaning forward.

"Let's go!" Nicky shouted, and they whooshed down together, landing in a heap of giggles at the bottom.

"Again! Again!" Alex yelled, giggling.

"Alright, just be careful, yeah, boys?" Poppy said, chuckling. They scrambled back up and slid down again, this time holding hands at the bottom, laughing so hard they could barely stand.

After a while, they wandered toward the sandbox. Alex grabbed a plastic shovel. "I'm making a castle!"

"Me too!" Nicky said, grabbing a bucket.

Poppy sat on the edge, letting them dig, pour sand, and build towers. Sand flew everywhere, and the boys laughed as they dumped it on each other.

<~~~~~~~~>

After spending hours babysitting Nicky and Alex—first running around the park, then stopping at the ice cream parlour—Poppy finally dropped her little brothers back home. They were buzzing with sugar and laughter, leaving their parents to handle the aftermath.

When Poppy got back to her mom's house, she stepped inside and froze for a second. Olivia was on the couch, deep in conversation with the same man who'd knocked on their door last week—Nathan Harrison. Their faces were serious, like they were in the middle of something important.

"Hi, Mom." Poppy said softly, putting on her sweetest smile. Her eyes flicked toward the visitor. "Hey, Nathan, right?"

Nathan nodded quickly. "Uh...yeah."

"I see you're back again." Poppy laughed lightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear.

"I am." Nathan replied with a nervous nod.