7. I Didn't Salt Him
1048 Words
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"Lunch! Have your lunch!" Caroline Marley, the housekeeper and the twins' nanny followed River as she beelined for her bed.
She plopped down on her double king-sized haven and pulled the duvet over her head, taking in the particular scent of her two children.
She always wondered why her gorgeous little babies smelled like blueberries.
I don't know. Maybe it has something to do with the berry-scented lotion you rub onto them every single day without fail. Her inner voice chuckled.
"What was the last thing you ate?" Mrs. Marley was standing beside the bed, her hands on her hips. She had been appointed three years ago by River's mother, Susan Johnson and she had become like family for the three Johnsons who lived in the apartment.
Susan preferred to have her daughter and grandchildren move in with her but she knew she couldn't persuade her independent daughter to do that nor the workaholic doctor when the apartment was way closer to the hospital than their house.
"A croissant? And a coffee?" River yawned under the covers, snuggling deeper into the pillow fort.
"A croissant?" The lady emphasized. Surely not a croissant!
"A quarter croissant?" River rolled her eyes. There were no loopholes when it came to Caroline Marley.
"Get up!" She smacked her butt through the duvet. "You need to eat, River!"
"What time is it?" River whined into her pillow.
"Around half past one." Mrs. Marley replied, looking down at her wrist watch.
"That's around two hours before the kids get home. Lemme sleep till then." River closed her eyes. "They haven't seen me for almost two days. You think they are going to let me sleep?"
Mrs. Marley didn't speak for a while and she felt herself drifting off to sleep.
"Fine." She heard her mumble as sleep overtook her.
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"Mommy!"
"Mommy!!"
River's eyes snapped open, a smile tugging at her lips as soon as she got over the initial shock. She turned over to her back and grinned at the two midgets jumping on the bed.
"Hi my little marshmallows!" She yawned as she sat up, pulling the two excited children to her.
"We missed you!" They said in unison as they hugged their darling mother. River was blessed with the sweetest and most precious twins in the world!
"I missed you more!" She hugged them tight, not letting go as she climbed off the bed. She quickly adjusted them on each hip and made her way out.
Mrs. Marley was coming out of the kids' room, with their lunchboxes and water bottles.
"Now will Mommy and babies have something to eat?" She asked.
"Yes please!" The trio said in unison while she chuckled.
River settled the twins down on the kitchen stools and moved towards the fridge, opening it to retrieve the probiotic juice she had bought for them the other day.
"Orange or mixed fruit?" She asked, holding up both the cartons.
"Orange!!" The twins threw their hands up in the air while the two women laughed. River placed it on the counter and brought out four glasses, filling them up.
RIP Orange juice. She thought as she chucked the empty carton in the trash.
"Here you go, grilled chicken sandwich with cheesy French fries on the side." Mrs. Marley said as she brought two plates which River took from her and placed in front of the twins while she went to get the other two.
"How was school, darlings?" She asked as she climbed onto a stool herself.
"Boring." Lucas scowled. "We did colors today."
"Isn't that good?" River asked confused, looking between both of her children.
Kiara nodded enthusiastically before giving her brother a weird look.
"We already know colors. We are not imbeciles!" He said, tossing a fry into his mouth while River looked at him stumped and Mrs. Marley let out a chuckle.
"Mommy, what's im-bi-seal?" Kiara frowned cutely at her mother.
"It means stupid person. Like that imbecile who pulled at your hair today." Lucas explained, his tone changing when he mentioned the 'imbecile' who pulled at his sister's hair.
"Which imbecile did that?" Mrs. Marley was laughing to herself. River gave her flat look trying to suppress her own grin.
"Flynn Grady." Kiara scoffed. "He pulled my hair Mommy, but Lukey hit him so I am fine."
River's eyes widened as she looked at Mrs. Marley who mirrored her expression. She turned to her darling son. "You hit him?" She asked in disbelief.
"Over here." Kiara raised her hand and pointed to her side.
River gave him a pointed look, and the signature 'you are so in trouble, young man' look. "You can't just hit someone!"
"He pulled my Ki's hair. Only I get to pull my Ki's hair." He scowled at his mother, bringing down his glass of juice on the counter with a bang, to show his anger.
(Ki as in Sky)
As cute as that was, he was going to get a good scolding for being so short-tempered.
"Why didn't the teacher tell me anything?" Mrs. Marley asked them before River could begin her long lecture.
"Because I told Flynn that if he told Ms. Poppy, I will tell her he eats chocolate in class in secret." Lucas said, smiling smugly.
"Jesus, so you assaulted him AND then blackmailed him?" River asked in disbelief.
I am raising a gangster, aren't I? Even her inner voice sounded appalled.
"I didn't salt him." He looked confused while Mrs. Marley cracked up. "And I didn't give him any black mail."
"Oh god!" River covered her face with her palms and started laughing.
How was she supposed to scold this cutie pie?
"Mommy?" River looked up at her daughter, pursing her lips to not let out any more chuckles. "Lukey was protecting me."
"I know baby!" She pulled her cheek and turned to her other precious four year old. "But next time, you tell the teacher, okay?"
"Yes Mommy." They said in unison.
"And you don't hit people." She added pointedly, her eyes specifically on her little boy.
And they nodded. "Okay Mommy."
River smiled at them. "Now finish your food so that we can go to the park."
And their face lit up at once.
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- Writer
