I pick Emily up and place her on my shoulders.
“I am the queen of the world!” she screams.
I laugh as I start to spin around, making her hold on tight.
“Hey, stop,” she says, giggling.
I do it a few more minutes before I set her back on her feet.
“Tanner, your turn,” I joke, acting like I am going to grab him.
“Oh no. I don’t like heights. No, thank you.” He jumps out of the way.
I chase him, grabbing him from the back and swinging him around. He is laughing as Jane comes out.
“Dinner, you heathens,” she says, laughter in her voice.
“Oh no. We are caught. Think your mom’s mad?” I ask.
Tanner shakes his head. “She never gets mad.”
Emily is already running off as Tanner and I walk toward the house.
“That’s good. She’s a good mom,” I tell him.
“The best. She sacrificed a lot for us,” he whispers.
I pat him on the shoulder. “She loves you.”
He nods, stepping into the house first, kicking off his shoes.
I laugh at how messy it looks. I close the door behind me before taking my own off, setting them neatly before I straighten out Emily and Tanner’s shoes.
When I enter the kitchen, I go to the sink to wash my hands. Turning, I find a table fully set. It’s not the noodles I expected. No, she baked chicken with mashed potatoes, gravy, and veggies.
It looks amazing.
“Oh, there you are. Have a seat. The kids are getting cleaned up.” She gestures to a chair.
I take it and wait for her to join me.
“Water or cola to drink?” she asks.
“Water is fine.”
She brings a pitcher of water to the table before filling all the glasses. Then she takes the seat next to me.
Tanner comes in and takes his seat, Emily pulling up the rear, sitting across from me.
“Dig in,” Jane says, grabbing the second plate next to her as she starts to cut up a chicken breast.
I take the plate from her and take over the task.
“You get your plate first,” I tell her.
“What?” she asks. “I can do that.”
“So can I. You eat. I can do this for Emily.” I look up at Emily, making her giggle.
