birds // hs

16. Kickball

"Don't you think it's sort of pointless to put clothes on kids?"

Harry shot me a sideways glance and frowned. "What the heck are you talking about?"

"I mean, it's silly to even try," I continued as Maggie flailed her little legs in protest. "They're probably going to get dirty or throw up on themselves anyway, so what's the point?

"I think we might get in a bit of trouble if we didn't, darling," he chuckled. "Now hurry up or you're going to be late."

"Okay, okay, so I'm taking the girls and James to your mom's and meeting you there at ten, correct?"

"Yes, and keep your phone on you in case something happens and the principal wants to change time or place."

"Got it."

Harry pulled on his favorite T-shirt and kissed Mia's head, then Maggie's, then mine.

"I love you, sweet girl," he mumbled, giving me a light squeeze. "I'll see you later."

I smiled up at him. "Can't wait."

"Remember what I said about the shorts," he called from the front door.

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, yeah, what-"

"Don't roll your eyes at me, young lady!"

"What?! How did you even see-"

"I see everything!"

"Oh whatever," I muttered to myself as I finally finally wrangled Maggie's kicking legs into her onesie. "Alright sweet girl, let's get you to grandma's."

It took fifteen more minutes to strap the girls into the Range Rover and keep them occupied with some sort of toy, then I still had to get James, who was home sick today with a fever and flu-like symptoms. But after a negative flu and strep throat test, we were told to let him rest as much as he wanted and eat as much soup as his little belly could hold.

"Mommy," he mumbled sleepily as I carried him out to the car in his Superman PJs. "I don't want to go, I want to stay with you."

"I know, baby, but it's only for a couple of hours," I assured him gently. "You can sleep all day long, how does that sound? And when you wake up, mommy will be there to pick you up to go see daddy and have a cookout. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Yes," he answered with a pouty little face. "But I want you to stay."

"You don't want to eat ice cream with grandma?"

His green eyes widened a tiny bit. "Ice cream?"

"That's what I said, baby boy. You know grandma Anne always lets you eat ice cream."

"But it was a secret! How did you find out?"

"Mommy knows everything," I told him in a dramatic tone.

"Really?"

His pouty lips were opened slightly in awe, and I actually had to hold my laughter back while I continued to fasten his seat belts.

"Hey, mommy?"

"Yes, James?"

"Daddy says you make him grumpy and old. How come you do that, mommy?"

I stopped adjusting my mirror and stared at him. "Daddy said that?"

"Uh huh."

"When did he say that?"

"Ummm," he blew out a deep breath and laid his head back. "After you told him he was- uh, sleeping on the floor."

Ah yes, I remembered that night well.