A Risk I'm Willing to Take

Eleven

With a cart nearly full of clothes and shoes I wrapped back around to the food section of the store.

I led Marigold down the third aisle. "Ok so I know you've never had solids but I think this will help you work your way up to that burger."

I held out a box.

Marigold grabbed the box looked over the front. She squinted as she turned the box over.

"What is it?"

"It's dinosaur oatmeal. It's pretty plain but it's really soft so it'll be easy to chew. I like it because it's nice and warm."

"What's a dinosaur?"

I went to answer her question but got stuck. Most kids know about dinosaurs from a very young age. How would I describe one to someone who'd never heard of them?

I bit my lip. Maybe raising these kids would be harder than I let myself believe. It would have been a shock to my system to have one child at nineteen, but three?

I recollected myself and my thoughts.

I pointed to the brightly colored dinosaurs on the front of the box. "They looked a little like this. Only they weren't all one color like that."

Marigold nodded. "Are they real?"

"They were." I placed the box in the cart. "They're all gone now. They died long before the first humans." I twisted one side of my mouth up.

Marigold reached out her little finger and poked my face.

"What is that?"

I chuckled. "That's called a dimple. It shows up when I pull my cheeks back."

Marigold smiled. "I like it."

"Hey, would you like some pudding?" I park the cart in front of the gelatin and pudding cups.

"Is it good?"

"I think so." I grab a pack of vanilla and a pack of chocolate. "These are the two basic flavors. It's pretty sweet so it'd be a snack."

Marigold squeezes one of cups. "It's soft."

"Mmm hmm. It should be easy to eat."

I throw them in the cart and keep walking. There was two more items I wanted to get before I tried to find a car seat.

I stooped down to slide the car seat box under the cart. Once it was securely on I looked up at Marigold.

"That should be all."

I stood up and grabbed the cart to take it to check out.

"Wait is Lavender still in diapers?"

Marigold shrugs. "How am I supposed to know?"

I squint at Marigold. "You've know everything so far."

Marigold giggled. "Well sorry I didn't ask the guards if she was potty trained or not."

I ruffled her hair. "You're funny."

I grabbed a couple packs of size 3 diapers and a big bag of wipes.

"I'm going to play it safe and say no." They landed on top of the pile of clothes in the cart.

I checked my watch. I stared at it for a second. There was no way we had been in the store an hour and a half.

"Ok, Marigold, we gotta hurry on up back to the hotel."

"Yeah we gotta check on the boys." She laughed.

"You got that right." I rolled my eyes. "Logan's a great guy to have as a friend but he likes to do stupid things just for fun."

"I like him." She looked up at me.

"He is pretty cool. We'll be hanging out some more with him in LA."

"What's an LA?"

I started putting items on the conveyor belt. The clothes went on first because I wanted them all separated by kid. Then the baby supplies and the car seat. Finally the food.

I don't know why I'm so particular about the organization of thing, but that's just the way I've always been.

Even back in my dorm I'm that way. My textbooks aren't in the same drawer as my notebooks. My clothes are hung in my closet by color.

"LA... Los Angeles is a big city in California." I pushed the cart forward for the items that had been rung up.

"Is it pretty there?"

Marigold peeked up at the cashier. The older woman smiled at her.

Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plate and she looked to me for advice.

"It's alright."

"Is she shy?" The woman smiled at me.

I nodded. "A little yes."

Marigold ran over and stood behind me.

I set the last bag in the cart and pulled out my wallet.

With one swipe of my debit card I had made my first Target run as a mom. My heart swelled. I felt pretty achieved not gonna lie.

I pushed the door open with my foot. "We're back my dudes!"

I stepped in carrying four bags on each arm. As soon as I had cleared the entryway I slumped and dropped every bag at my feet. I repositioned Lavender on my hip and reached for the door.

Marigold scampered in after me carrying the two bags with her clothes in them. She ran to the main area and posed, hands on her hips.

"I got clothes."

Logan beamed with pride. "Can I see them?"

Marigold's long brown curls bounced as she nodded.

She threw the bags onto my bed. Piece after piece flew out and onto the floor while she searched for the exact item she wanted to show him.

She yanked a pair of silver glitter high tops out of the second bag. She held them over her head. "I got cool shoes." She puffed out her cheeks like a fish.

"I see! Did you pick them out yourself?"

I walked in on the exchange and smiled. I stood leaning against the wall just watching the way his face lit up talking to her. Who was this guy I was seeing talk to her? I'd seen Logan interact with kids before in a public setting but to see it play out in my hotel room, it felt different. There was no camera on him, he didn't have to prove anything to anyone.

He had nothing to prove and yet he was still impressing me. At least so far it really seemed like he cared about my kids.

I wouldn't've been shocked if Logan had freaked out and had run away from me when he found out that I had acquired three kids overnight. He was a twenty-three year old guy. Most guys I know that are his age either didn't want kids yet or were not nearly mature enough yet to handle them.

Somehow though he took it all in stride. He watched Orion for me. He was having fun talking with Marigold.

My mouth pulled into a half-smile. I knew this wouldn't... couldn't be forever, but at least today would be nice.

"So what else did you get?"

I snapped back to my hotel room. My brown eyes locked with his blue. God why'd they have to sparkle like that?