Hot Coffee (The Hollens Book 1)

Growing Up

Emma's POV

"Evan. Stop right there. You have to come and take your bath!"

"No. I don't wanna take a bath mommy. I bathed yesterday already."

"Evan!"

He was running in all the corners and hiding spaces in his room so I couldn't reach him. It has been seven perfect years.

"Evan, if you don't come out of there I'm going to call your dad!"

"No! Don't call daddy. I'm coming out mommy!" 

He appeared in front of me smiling innocently like an angel. Well, at least threatening him by putting his dad on his case worked. 

I handed him his bath towel and toothbrush and led him to the bathroom. I turned the temperature of the water to warm.

"I don't want you to watch me bathe this time mommy. I'm a big boy and I could do it myself."

"Okay, my big boy," I said with a smile and sat down on his bed.

"Mommy. Mommy!" Emily called from outside.

"I'm in your brother's room!" I called, hoping she'd find me and stop shouting. 

Her little hands pushed in the door and she came up to me with a frown, holding her favorite doll.

"What's wrong baby?"

"I can't get the dress to go on," she answered, almost crying.

"Let Mommy help you." I took the dress and the doll from her hands. 

She was putting it on the wrong way. I showed her how to do it correctly and she gave a bright smile when the doll in the dress.

"You're the bestest mommy in the whole wide world." She threw her small arms around my neck.

"And you're the bestest daughter in the whole wide world." I hugged her small frame in my arms.

"And I'm the bestest son in the whole wide world!" Evan said, stepping back into the room with soap all over his back and behind his ears. 

Emily giggled at him.

"What's so funny? Am I funny to you?" he asked with hostility in his voice.

"Yes you are. You look like a soapy monster," she teased.

"Take that back!"

"No!" she snapped back.

"Mommy, tell her to take it back!"

"Mommy, tell him to go back to the bathroom!"

"Mommy! I want her out my room!"

"Mommy! Tell him I'm not going anywhere!"

"Stop it!" I let out. 

They both fell silent. 

"You two need to stop yelling at each like this all the time. Y'all are bringing out the bad in mommy, and mommy doesn't want to be the bad guy. Evan, go back into the shower and wash yourself properly."

"But mommy--"

"Now Evan." 

He huffed and puffed and went back to the shower.

"Ha ha!" Emily laughed.

"Stop it. Stop teasing your brother all the time Emily. You know he's temperamental."

I took her downstairs and the chef prepared pancakes and strawberries and whipped cream for her. Evan joined us eventually and the chef made him his favorite food-- boneless sliced fish simmered with garlic and ginger sauce and a side of fries.

School was out for the summer so I had them all to myself. Two months of trouble, screaming, yelling, fighting, running all over the place, and knocking things over. 

I ate my cheeseburger and drank a tall glass of orange juice.

"Mommy, can Elizabeth come over for a sleepover over?" Emily asked. 

Elizabeth was her best friend at school and her and her parents lived right next door. The girls were very fond of each other. They were both born in July but Emily was two weeks older.

"Sure. I'll have to contact her parents first."

"Mommy, can I go camping with dad and Uncle Martin next week?" asked Evan.

"Your dad and Uncle Martin aren't going camping. They're going on a business trip to Hawaii."

"Well, can I go?"

"Evan, you'll have to ask your dad about that one."

"Fine," he said, disappointed. 

Ethan was strict with the children and they were very careful around him and didn't like giving him any trouble like they did with me. Evan was like his father and wanted to be with him twenty four seven, but Ethan always told him he was too young to go to the places he was going. Evan knew he likely wouldn't be going to Hawaii with his father, but I wanted him to be happy and for them to bond more.

"I'll talk to your father about taking you to Hawaii, okay baby?" I said to him and he gave me the brightest smile I'd ever seen.

"Thanks Mom."

"I wanna go to Hawiiee too!" Emily said with her own pronunciation of Hawaii.

When Ethan arrived home from work, I met him at the front door.

"Baby, I have a request I need from you," I said, getting straight into it. "Your son wants you to take him along to Hawaii."

"No."

"Why? He'll be so upset. You hardly spend time with him and all he wants is to be around you this summer."

"He's not going to Hawaii."

"Ugh! Always pulling the rug from under him." 

I stormed passed him but he was quick to grab my arms and pull me back to his chest.

"We're all going," he whispered.

"Really?" I asked, excited like one of the children.

"Yeah. And, guess what, Martin will be taking Halley and their child along as well. We decided to turn it into a mini family get together over lunch today."

"Oh, thank you so much baby. I haven't seen her and the child in so long. I can't wait to meet up with them. I love you. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" I was jumping up and down with joy. I kissed him quickly then went to find Evan.

"Evan! Evan! Guess what?" I called though he wasn't even in my sight. 

I took the elevator up to his room. He was laying in bed silently and playing with one of his Spiderman figurines.

"Baby, I spoke with your dad and he's not going to take you." 

He turned sadly at me.

"Okay. Thanks for trying mom," he said, wiping not yet fallen tears.

"He's going to take all of us!"

"Really? We're all going?" He rose from the bed and ran to my lap.

"Yes," Ethan answered, standing against the door.

"Thanks Dad," Evan moved to him and hugged his legs. 

Ethan picked him up and kissed his forehead. "You're welcome, little man. So how about you start packing? We're leaving on Saturday."

"We're leaving so soon?"

"Yep."

"That's two days away."

"Well, I suggest you get packed as well. And please pack lightly." He put down Evan and walked out the room. 

I ruffled Evan's hair and left him by himself.

"Where's our daughter?" Ethan asked as we sat on the bed.

"She's in her room, playing with her dolls."

" I bet you anything, she's gonna cry to bring those dolls to Hawaii."

"Ha ha. Yeah, she will."