Soft Boy

The last night

   "Daddy!" Aaron yells. We're in the backyard collecting small sticks for the bonfire.
   "Yes cutie?" Aiden says.
   "I gonna have 6 s'mores!" Aaron says. Aiden smiles and shakes his head.
   "If you do that you'll get a tummy ache!" He says. Aaron stops talking and thinks.
   "But they taste good!" Aaron whines.
   "Mommy I gonna have lots of s'mores too!" I say.
   "Oh are you now?" Tye says. I nod my head.
   "That's funny cause I've already decided how many you're having," she says. I sigh.
   Soon we have all the kindling needed and mama starts the fire. We all sit around it.
   "Mama I don't wanna go home tomorrow!" I say.
   "I know baby, but we'll do this again! Maybe we'll spend a weekend here in December," my eyes go wide.
   "And we can all build snowmen and go sledding!" I say.
   "I wanna build a snowman!" Lily says.
   "I like drinking hot cocoa!" Carter says
   "I make good cocoa too!" I brag. Mommy ruffles my hair and I giggle.
   "Okay the fire is ready! Who wants to make s'mores?" Tye asks. We all stand up and grab a stick.
   "I like mine burnt!" I yell.
   "I like mine golden!" Carter and Lily say at the same time.
   "If they aren't on fire they aren't done!" Aaron says. We all giggle and start roasting our marshmallows. Mommy and Aiden chit chat in the background. My marshmallow bursts into flames and I giggle.
   "Mommy its done!" I say waving it in the air.
   "Be careful baby that's on fire," she says. I blow it out mommy helps me put it between chocolate and graham crackers.
   We all sit down and enjoy out first s'more. I'm just about to bite into mine when mommy stops me.
   "Not without your bib!" she says. She puts it around my neck and then I dive in. I'm greatful for my bib because s'mores are very messy.
   "Leo! You got a little something, everywhere," Aiden says. I giggle and stand up to make my next s'more. We all make around three till mommy cuts us off.
   "Anymore and you'll have a wicked tummy ache!" she says. We all sigh.
   "Mommy do you know any good campfire stories?" I ask. Mommy thinks for a minute.
   "I think I know one," she says.
   "Tell it!" We all day in unison.
   "Okay! Its a little scary! At the end of a long, dark road is a long, dark path. At the end of the long, dark path is a lone, dark house. And the lone, dark house has a single, dark door. Behind the single, dark door is a long, dark hall. At the end of the long, dark hall are some tall, dark stairs. At the top of the tall dark stairs is a small, dark room. Inside the small dark room is a smaller, dark closet. Inside the small closet is a small, dark box. And in the small, dark box is … a pink jellybean!!!!" Mommy says the last part loudly. We all jump and then realize that the ending wasn't even scary!
   "Mommy! A pink jellybean?" I say. Tye giggles.
   "That's what I got! But its getting late and I need four littles in bed soon, so let's go inside." we all whine in response, but mommy doesn't listen. She puts out the fire and the world around us is dimly lit by the full moon.
   "Mommy look! There's so many stars!" I say pointing to the sky. Mommy looks up and gasps.
   "This is the perfect photo, everyone squeeze in!" And we all do. Mommy sets up her tripod and we all take a picture under the stars. It was perfect.
   When we go back inside we all change into our PJ's. I chose my Dino footies, Aaron chose his captain America footies, Lily chose yellow PJs,  and Carter picked black and white PJs

   "You all look so cozy!" Aiden says.
   "Now let's go through our checklist, did everyone brush their teeth?" Tye asks.
   "Check!" we all say.
   "Wash your face?" Tye asks.
   "Check!" We say.
   "Take your meds?" Aiden asked.
   "Check!" We all say.
   "Full sippy?" Tye asks. I look at my sippy and see its full of blue raspberry lemonade
   "Check!" We all say.
   "Okay now its Nini time! Everyone go to their rooms!" Tye says. She takes my hand and we walk upstairs to our room.
   "Mama read a story?" I ask gently. Mommy smiles at me and grabs a book out of my backpack. She picked 'I love you, stinky face'.
   "That's my favorite!" I say excitedly. We lay in bed and I rest my head on her shoulder as she reads to me. Soon enough I'm starting to doze off. When she finishes the book she turns off the light and kisses my forehead.
   "Mommy?" I ask.
   "Yes baby?"
   "I want a puppy," I say.
   "Maybe we'll get one," and after she says that, I doze off.