We mixed batter happily as I played Headphones for the kids. I hummed along and let my mind drift back to the kids.
I'm not a biological parent of any sort. I have four kids, though. My cousin Lynn got married six years ago, and had twins within six months. She kept them for a while, cuddled them, doted on them, but eventually got bored. So I babysat more and more for her. Eventually, she just decided that I was better suited for the job. Last year, she had another set, both girls. She didn't even think twice before handing them to me. So I started raising them. Now, she's pregnant once more, and I have no doubt that the child (or children) will be mine.
We finish the batter and spread them out on cookie sheets. I smile as I pop them in the oven. I heat up milk from the fridge and pour it into two separate bottles, then get to my screeching infants. I feed, burp, and change them before pulling out a book. All four kids gather around. It was the different take on the three little pigs, which made them all laugh in delight, partially from the silly voices I used to tell the story. The infants fell asleep. The toddlers soon joined them. I carried them two at a time to their bedrooms for nappy time, smiling happily as I descended the stairs once more for the cookies I promised.
After about ten minutes, I check on the babies, then the toddlers, then Lynn. Not in her room. Probably with her husband. I feel a small hand tug at my sleeve. It was Annie. "Mommy, can I have a cookie?" she asks through a yawn.
"When Laurie wakes up. You go on to the potty, alright?" She nods sleepily, rubbing her eye, then goes to the bathroom. Laurie joins her after a bit. Then they both walk up, holding hands.
"Can we have cookies now, Mommy?" Annie asks. I nod and lead the way. The cookies are almost done cooling, and they know better than to take more than one. I check on the babies. Still asleep. Ah, my little angels...
YOU ARE READING
The Girl that Never Wins
FanfictionMaggie is many things. A mother, a friend, a... monster? She struggles between how she IS and how she WAS while slowly falling for the most impossible of boys. How can she survive when her blood-covered hands are still ready to kill? How can she fi...
