"I can't find the green" Belle says
"Use a different color sweetie" I say, not looking up from the mountain of school papers I am grading.
"I'm not going to color the grass purple. What do you expect me to do? I need the green. This isn't going to be realistic at all. Real grass is green" Belle huffs in distress
"Yeah" Liam says "Real grass is green, Lacie. Come on" he joins Belle.
I adjust myself in my recliner and throw a pen at Liam.
"Hey now" Liam dodges my thrown object.
"Can't you find Belle a green crayon?" I say, returning to my work.
"Throwing things at people is not the way to get them to do things for you, is it Belle?" Liam turns to my daughter
"Can someone please just help me find something green. I'll draw with broccoli if I have to, but this picture needs to be finished." Anabelle says as she gets on all fours, searching for the missing grass- colored crayon.
I let out a sigh and set my work on the table. I readjust my glasses on the bridge of my nose while Liam and I help look for the crayon.
"Can you mix crayon colors?" I ask, reaching my hand under the couch "Is that a thing"
"I don't know. I think you do that with paint" Liam replies "Oh and I forgot to tell you"
"Tell me what- oh gross" I whine, pulling my hand out from under the couch with a pile of squished grapes in my hand "Belle" I open my hand to show her the pile of goop
"I wondered where I left my snack" she says, taking the mess out of my hands
"Tell me what" I ask Liam again
"I invited Louis over here to watch a movie tonight"
"You did what?!" I quickly jerk my head up, hitting it on the coffee table "Ouch!" I grab the back of my head "Why would you do that?" I ask, my eyes growing bigger by the minute
"Because I knew you never would. He said yes by the way" Li smiles
"I am going to kill you" I whisper so Belle couldn't hear me "Like, dismember all your limbs, feed them to a stray dog, kill you."
"You are just violent today, aren't you" Liam lets out a laugh "He will be over soon" he adds
"How soon?" I ask
Liam glances down at his watch "About ten minutes"
"You. Are. Dead." I say, exaggerating each word. "Do you not see what I look like right now? This is my post work attire. Pajamas, messy hair and glasses" I stand to my feet, rushing to my bathroom "You had no right inviting him to my house without telling me!" I yell from the other room
I hastily grab my toothbrush and smear toothpaste over it.
"I mean, seriously!" I mumble while racing the toothbrush across my teeth. "All my cute clothes are in the dirty clothes and everything!" I spit the glob of paste into the sink.
The wood beneath my carpet creaks as I make my way back into the living room
"I swear you only do these things to make me mad-" I immediately stop when I see Louis standing before me.
My breathing hitches when he looks at me.
I look down at my sleep shorts and big T-shirt that I did not have time to change out of.
"Hi" Louis smiles
". . .Hi" I say, unpursing my lips "I uh. . .Hi" I repeat, giving him a shy wave
