Midnight Memories (Niall Horan)

Chapter 4

Chapter 4 - Sam is 32, Niall is 34

Memory #1

The Horan boys knew that the perfect way to end a perfect day was to play a game of Snakes and Ladders. And although this was the third night in a row, Jamie Horan was still losing to his father and uncle. He sat cross-legged on the rug as he rested his elbows on the coffee table where the game board lay open, mulling over the mere possibility of Niall and Greg cheating.

Nobody could be that good at Snakes and Ladders. Even a kindergartner knew that.

"Your turn, buddy." Niall said to the kid as he brought his game piece up another ladder. He looked down at his son from the couch, laughing when he got a look of suspicion in return. "What? You can't still think your uncle Greg and I are cheating."

Jamie shrugged and got on his knees to see the board better. His token, the blue one, had to spiral down a snake during his last turn. It even went two snakes down before that. On the other hand, Niall's red token and Greg's green one were a few tiles away from the one marked "FINISH."

The little boy huffed and took the dice reluctantly. He was about to roll it when a large hand swept it from his' in one swift motion. Jamie looked up to see Niall putting back the dice in their case along with his and Greg's tokens. Niall figured that he couldn't stand seeing his son lose another game. He understood "losing" was a part of life, and if anything, he was teaching his son the importance of being a good sport, but Jamie's frown was something he never wanted to get used to seeing.

Often, Sam would call him out on it, and tell him he was spoiling their son. Niall had always found this funny because back when Sam was pregnant with Jamie, he thought it was going to be her doing all the coddling, considering how Sam didn't have any siblings and probably couldn't wait to finally shower someone with all the attention she had bottled up all those years. But even though Sam wasn't a firm believer in pampering, she was never cold toward Jamie or any other five year-old. In fact, she was as good a mom to Jamie as she was to that plastic doll in his senior year. She and Niall just had their own parenting methods. But as it turned out, unlike Sam, Niall wasn't one who could resist kids and ignore their tantrums.

"Hey, man." Greg said when Niall stowed away the board game. "What was that all about?"

"What?"

"Let me guess. You didn't want to see the kid lose again?" His older brother asked, half-smiling when Niall couldn't reply. They went into the kitchen to check the spaghetti Niall was cooking. Thursday night was "Jamie's night" which meant he got to decide what they were having for dinner. Again, this was all part of Niall's coddling.

It's just once a week, Niall would say whenever he and Sam debated about it.

Yeah. Once a week, you allow him to be picky, Sam would retaliate.

Niall took a chopping board from the cupboard and began slicing hotdogs while Greg stirred the spaghetti sauce. They were used to this, cooking together. When their parents got divorced, Mrs. Horan was devastated for days and seemed to have lost all will to live. It was during this time that Greg assumed the role as the head of the house and did all the chores. Doing the laundry. Washing the dishes. Cooking their meals, which Niall was more than happy to help out in.

"Do you think I'm a bad dad?" Niall stopped cutting the hotdogs and turned to face his brother.

"Well, you didn't let Jamie take his turn."

Niall deadpanned, "I'm serious."

Greg put down the ladle, wiped his hands on a kitchen towel and sat down on the counter right next to the laid out spaghetti ingredients. "Why? Do you feel like a bad dad?"