I heard the faint sound of a baby fussing.
“Are you expecting my sister today?” he asked.
I grinned and sat up. “No, but that never stopped her before.”
Punc stood and cleared his throat.
I hurried to the door while running my fingers through my hair and straightening my t-shirt. I opened the door to Alanis. She wore four-month-old Nina on her chest in a burgundy and white polka-dot baby wrap. Dalton stood beside her, holding her hand. Kyra, the oldest, was shifting foot to foot while twirling a lock of hair around her index finger.
“Hey, y’all! I didn’t know you were coming by today. Come on in.”
Alanis waited for Kyra to go first before she guided Dalton inside.
I bent at the waist. “Hi, Kyra.”
“Hi, Auntie Anna,” she murmured. Then her head tipped back, her eyes lit up, and she yelled, “Uncle T, you don’t live here!”
“No, but I’m friends with Auntie Savannah, too,” Punc said from behind me.
I closed the door, and turned around to see Punc had tossed Kyra into the air. My heart melted watching him with her. The way his eyes lit up, he would be a fantastic dad.
Alanis bumped my bicep with hers. “What’s he doin’ here?”
In a low voice, I said, “He slept over last night because someone was in our backyard. He knows about Frank now.”
“Uncle T, you have lipstick on you,” Kyra said.
I felt Alanis staring at me. “He just ‘slept’. Are you sure?”
I turned to her. “Yes. We had a chat earlier, and let’s just say your timing leaves a lot to be desired.”
She held out a hand. “That’s more than I need to know.”
Punc
“We play ungle im,” Dalton demanded, climbing on to Punc’s lap.
He sat on the floor with his back against the couch, his right arm draped over Savannah’s left leg. Before Dalton put his little knee to Punc’s groin, he hoisted him up using his other arm.
“My man, where do you get your energy? We just came inside from playing hide and seek. It isn’t easy being a human jungle gym.”
“Please,” Dalton said.
Punc winked at him. “If you can get Kyra and Auntie Savannah to play too, we’ll do it.”
As he expected, Kyra perked up at her name and she raced to Savannah. “C’mon Auntie Anna, human jungle gym is my favorite.”
Punc leaned forward, lifting his arm from her leg.
Savannah made a noise of hesitation. “I don’t know, Kyra. I’ve never played this before, maybe I’ll just watch.”
Alanis sat in a nearby armchair, and chuckled. “Nice try. It’s in the name, Savannah. All you gotta do is sit or lay on the floor and let them climb all over you.”
Punc locked eyes with Savannah. “Until you don’t, then it’s all roughhousing… but not too rough.”
“Please,” Kyra pleaded with Savannah.
“Your eyes are my Kryptonite, Kyra,” Savannah said, sliding down to the floor.
