Rule Four // c.h

Aunt Mali

"Auntie Mali is in the House!" I hear Mali whoop from the front of the apartment. I start to laugh as I make my way down the hallway, Carter racing ahead of me. Today is Friday, one of my days off and sometimes Mali likes to stop by and hang out with us for a whole weekend. We live so close to each other now that she can come over whenever she wants. Calum and I even made her a key for the apartment so she could literally come and go as she pleases.

"Auntie Mali!" Carter shouts, rushing her and throwing out his arms for a hug.

"Ahh! My mini Calum!" She cries out, scooping him up and spinning him around. Carter laughs happily as she hugs him to her before setting him back down on the ground, dropping her bag and walking towards me. "And how is my favorite sister-in-law?" She asks, hugging me tightly. Her perfume smells citrusy and I smile.

"I'm your only sister-in-law." I say as we pull back from one another. Mali pinches my cheek.

"That's why you're my favorite." I laugh, shaking my head at her.

"I'm good though and glad you're here because Carter was going to go nuts if you didn't show up another weekend." Mali hadn't stopped by two weeks in a row now and it made Carter antsy. He loves Mali just as much as Calum does. She usually comes by when her husband has weekend business trips. She gets lonely sitting in their apartment alone so she always comes here.

"Oh I know Mini but Uncle Leo's been home these past couple of weekends." She said, bending down to pick up my son. Carter laughs before climbing around to her back so she could carry him on her shoulders. The two of them can walk around the apartment safely enough without Carter banging his head on anything so I let them do it often.

"You should dump him and come live with us." Carter remarks. The two of us laugh.

"I can't dump him, I'm married to him silly." She reminds him.

"Oh yeah..." Carter says thoughtfully. "Momma what's the word for married people who leave each other."

"Divorce." I reply.

"Do That Aunt Mali! Then you can come live with us!" Mali just laughs as Carter frowns.

"Mali isn't going to divorce her husband baby. She loves him. Just like how I love your daddy. You don't want us to break up do you?" I asked teasingly.

"No momma!" He cries out. "Stay with daddy!" I laugh, beginning to head to the kitchen. Mali follows close behind.

"Do you want something to drink?" I ask Mali. She nods so I pull out two wine glasses, knowing that when she wants a drink, she really means wine. "You and Leo have to come by together soon. It's been a couple of months." Mali sighs.

"Yeah that workaholic husband of mine is a loser. He goes to work early in the morning, comes home at five and is basically knocked the hell out at eight o'clock."

"He has to slow down. Leo's always overworked himself." I say, pouring us two glasses of white wine.

"You're telling me. We don't even..." She glances up at Carter on her shoulders and pauses as she thinks about what she going to say. "We don't even tango that often anymore. You know what I mean?" I laugh a little.

"I know what you mean." The two of us head into the living room where I turn on the TV so Carter can watch some of his favorite kids shows on Hulu while Mali and I talk. He'll be engrossed for about an hour before he'll want to bother us again.

"So I'm guessing you're not going to have kids any time soon." Mali shrugs.

"We're still young. I mean I don't even know if I want kids. Leo wants at least one but it sounds like it takes a lot of effort to care for another human." I sigh, glancing over at Carter.